Chemistry 139 Hybrid: Preparation for General Chemistry – Fall 2013
Instructor: Brad Laesch
Office: IB 2423C, Suite #1
Phone Number: (206) 291-4759 (my cell phone)
Course Homepage Address: http://angel.northseattle.edu
WileyPlus Homepage:
http://edugen.wileyplus.com/edugen/domain/dmn64361
Email: brad.laesch@seattlecolleges.edu or through the
Angel site
Course Description
This course is designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of General (inorganic) Chemistry in such a way
that students are better prepared to enter the General Chemistry Sequence. The content includes basic atomic
structure, bonding, chemical equations, the mole concept, and doing calculations involved in chemical reactions.
This course is planned to be hybrid, which means some portion of the content will take place using on-line
assignments including on-line discussion topics with the instructor and peers, independent study using the on-line
WileyPlus homework, and on-line quizzes.
Course Outcomes
Upon completion of Chemistry 139 students should:

Know and recognize basic chemical symbols and their associated names and can use these symbols to write
chemical formulas.

Be able to use algebraic skills to solve chemistry problems and be in a position to build on this ability in more
advanced problem solving sessions.

Understand the process of scientific inquiry and how it is common to all investigative processes involving
questioning, analyzing and reporting.

Be able to use appropriate documentation to exchange spoken, written, and visual information in order to
communicate effectively and to participate as an effective team member within the scientific learning
community and other appropriate settings.

And finally-- be able to enter the General Chemistry sequence with the skills and knowledge to confidently and
successfully participate in learning chemistry.
Technology Requirements
No special software is needed to be enrolled in this class. It is completely web-based. You may use the computers
on NSCC campus: in the Math Learning Center, the Open Computer Lab and the library. If you do intend to use any
of the school computers, you will need to set up a NET ID account. After the first day of the quarter, go to this
website (http://www.northseattle.edu/kiosk/netid/) and click on "Create a New Account.
Office Hours
I am normally on campus prior to class time and can be available by appointment. I do not have a set office time
but generally I try to make myself available right after the class sessions for any questions, clarifications, or
additional help. If you wish to set up a time to meet please ask before/after class or send me an email.
Required Materials
1. Textbook: Chemistry, The Molecular Nature of Matter, 6th Edition with WileyPlus access code (on-line
homework program), Jesperse, Brady, Hyslop; Wiley.
You can purchase what you need at the campus bookstore, or at this website:
https://edugen.wiley.com/edugen/secure/index.uni
If you are not moving on to Chemistry 161 after this class, then you may be interested in saving some
money by purchasing WileyPlus with the ebook instead of the hardcopy.
2.
A scientific calculator (preferably not a graphing calculator) that can do exponential notation (e.g. 1x1010)
and log functions. *Please note*— calculators on cell phones will not be allowed on quizzes or exams.
General Policies and Reminders
Attendance and Commitment
To succeed in this class you must attend the class session and regularly check in to Angel and WileyPlus to
independently practice the assigned problems and do regular work to keep up with the content. There is some
memorization that is required and you must keep track of assignment due dates and actively participate in the
discussions, whether in-class or on-line. If you find you are having trouble keeping up with the assignments or
coursework please contact me as soon as possible and we will see if we can diagnose and rectify the situation. Do
not let it go too long. Your success is my utmost priority and it should be yours too.
Electronic Devices: Out of respect for your instructor and fellow students, please turn cell phones to silent before
class. If you need to take or make a call or text please do so outside the classroom.
No electronic devices other than a scientific calculator may be used during exams (this means NO
translators, mp3 players, cell phones)
Fragrance-Free Policy: Many people suffer from allergies and/or chemical sensitivities. As NSCC is officially a
“fragrance-free” campus, please minimize your use of perfumes, colognes, and other heavily scented products.
Graded quizzes, exams, and writing assignments are to be the students SOLE work without collaboration with
another student or resource unless otherwise specified. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated, and will
result in a ZERO for the affected exam, quiz, or writing assignment. Please take care to avoid plagiarism,
including cutting and pasting web-based material into on-line quizzes, discussions or ANY OTHER
assignments. A second offense will result in a withdrawal from the class for the remainder of the quarter.
Weekly Assignments
Weekly assignments may consist of reviewing textbook material, completing on-line homework and practice
assignments, preparing for in-class discussion, and completing on-line quizzes. See below for more details.
On-line Homework (WileyPlus)
We will use WileyPlus to complete and submit homework problems. Please complete and turn in
homework on time. Late homework is an administrative burden for the instructor. At my discretion I may
mark down late homework a maximum of 20% for each day late.
Quizzes
We will regularly engage in quizzes, both ungraded (“Practice Quizzes”) and graded quizzes. Your lowest
graded quiz score will be dropped.
Attendance
This course is compressed and in-depth. You should try to make it to every class session—history has
shown that students who miss two or more class sessions normally score poorly in this class. If for some
reason you are unable to make a session please contact me to let me know. No make-up quizzes will be
given. See Exams below for the rare exception to the no make-up policy.
On-line Class Discussions
We will use Angel to conduct class discussions. Participation in these discussions is required and graded. Quality
counts in your discussion postings, and inappropriate comments will not be tolerated. Simple and non-thoughtful
comments such as “I like your comments”, and “I agree” will not receive credit. If you agree or disagree with a
post, you need to explain why you agree or disagree, etc. You may post as many times as you like, especially if
someone posts after your initial comments and you want to say something further based on their conclusions,
calculations or remarks. The discussion assignments are worth 10 points each. If you post a quality comment and
also reply to at least one of your peers you will receive full credit. If you post a comment, but do not reply to your
peers you will earn 5/10. No Make-ups!!
Library Assignments
Two short library assignments will be assigned. These assignments will familiarize you with use of the library
databases to access scientific sources. They involved reading for comprehension and writing with clarity of thought
and word. More information will be provided for you in class including guidance on how to use library databases.
Exams
Three in-class exams will be given during the quarter. The final exam will be a comprehensive exam with material
from all four chapters covered. Please see the ANGEL schedule for tentative dates. No Make-ups!! Only for true
emergencies will an alternate exam time be allowed. If you believe you have an unavoidable conflict and may not
make it to the exams, please notify me to discuss a possible alterative time that may work for both parties. This
alternate time must be approved by the instructor before the third week of the quarter.
Grading
Your grade for the course will be based on the following distribution:
WIleyPlus Homework
30%
Library Assignments
5%
On-line Discussions
10 %
Quizzes
15%
Exams
40%
Numerical grades will be assigned according to the following standards:
Overall %
Grade
Overall %
Grade
Overall %
Grade
95-100
4.0
77-78
2.9
63
1.8
94
3.9
75-76
2.8
62
1.7
93
3.8
73-74
2.7
61
1.6
92
3.7
71-72
2.6
60
1.5
91
3.6
70
2.5
58-59
1.4
89-90
3.5
69
2.4
56-57
1.3
87-88
3.4
68
2.3
54-55
1.2
85-86
3.3
67
2.2
52-53
1.1
83-84
3.2
66
2.1
50-51
1.0
81-82
3.1
65
2.0
49 and below
0.0
79-80
3.0
64
1.9