SCI 7725
CHEMISTRY
Course Policies and Syllabus
Summer 2008
I. Course Title:
SCI 7725 Chemistry
3 Credit Hours
II. Instructors:
III. Class Meetings:
IV. Texts: The Extraordinary Chemistry of Ordinary Things, 4th Edition
Carl H. Snyder, Univ. of Miami
ISBN: 978-0-471-41575-6
©2003
V. CATALOG COURSE DESCRIPTION:
SCI 7726. Chemistry. 3-0-3. Prerequisite: Admission to graduate study in education.
This course will explore concepts and processes in chemistry appropriate for the teachers of
adolescent and young adult learners. Emphasis will be placed on the nature and structure of
matter, chemical reactions, fundamental aspects of kinetics and thermodynamics, and periodicity.
Individual projects will focus on materials appropriate for particular age groups.
VI. PURPOSE / RATIONALE: The purpose of this course is to extend depth and breadth of
chemistry subject matter knowledge for pedagogical intentions germane to early and late
adolescence. Toward that end, we work toward a mastery and fluency in the fundamental
principles of chemistry for application to the teaching practice of candidates in the Science
Cohort of the Masters in Adolescent Education. Through participation in this course, students
will
1. extend their pedagogical content knowledge for chemistry,
2. work in a co-teaching team of 2-3 students to design, implement, evaluate and revise
chemistry lessons that address one H.S. Chemistry GPS and related Content and
Characteristics of Science elements.
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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK:
Collaborative Development of Expertise in Teaching and Learning
The Kennesaw State University teacher education faculty are committed to preparing teachers
who demonstrate expertise in facilitating learning in all students. Toward that end, the KSU
teacher education community strongly upholds the concept of collaborative preparation requiring
guidance from professionals inside and outside the university. In tandem with this belief is the
understanding that teacher expertise develops along a continuum which includes the stages of
preservice, induction, in-service, and renewal; further, as candidates develop a strong researchbased knowledge of content and pedagogy, they develop their professional expertise in
recognizing, facilitating, assessing, and evaluating student learning.
While completing your graduate program at Kennesaw State University, you are required to be
involved in a variety of leadership and school-based activities directed at the improvement of
teaching and learning. Appropriate activities may include, but are not limited to, attending and
presenting at professional conferences, actively serving on or chairing school-based committees,
attending PTA/school board meetings, leading or presenting professional development activities
at the school or district level, and participating in education-related community events. As you
continue your educational experiences, you are encouraged to explore every opportunity to learn
by doing. This course will include assignments that require you to document the type of
leadership and school-based activities in which you have participated.
Knowledge Base:
Teacher development is generally recognized as a continuum that includes four phases:
preservice, induction, in-service, renewal (Odell, Huling, and Sweeny, 2000). Just as Sternberg
(1996) believes that the concept of expertise is central to analyzing the teaching-learning process,
the teacher education faculty at KSU believe that the concept of expertise is central to preparing
effective classroom teachers and teacher leaders. Researchers describe how during the continuum
phases teachers progress from being Novices learning to survive in classrooms toward becoming
Experts who have achieved elegance in their teaching. We, like Sternberg (1998), believe that
expertise is not an end-state but a process of continued development.
Use of Technology:
Technology Standards for Educators are required by the Professional Standards Commission.
Telecommunication and information technologies will be integrated throughout the master
teacher preparation program, and all candidates must be able to use technology to improve
student learning and meet Georgia Technology Standards for Educators. During the courses,
candidates will be provided with opportunities to explore and use instructional media. They will
master use of productivity tools, such as multimedia facilities, local-net and Internet, and feel
confident to design multimedia instructional materials, and create WWW resources. Professional
educators will become acquainted with and use electronic portfolio hardware and software
available through TRAC and other computer labs on campus. Using this equipment will provide
students with an exceptionally well-developed, compact portfolio product, which can include
edited video teaching vignettes and accompanying reflective analysis for the exit portfolio.
Candidates will also develop expertise in presentation software for use in their classes, as well as
at professional meetings
Diversity:
A variety of materials and instructional strategies will be employed to meet the needs of different
learning styles of diverse learners in class. Candidates will gain knowledge as well as an
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understanding of differentiated strategies and curricula for providing effective instruction and
assessment within multicultural classrooms. One element of course work is raising candidate
awareness of critical multicultural issues. A second element is to cause candidates to explore how
multiple attributes of multicultural populations influence decisions in employing specific methods
and materials for every student. Among these attributes are ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status,
gender, giftedness, disability, language, religion, family structure, sexual orientation and
geographic region. An emphasis on cognitive style differences provides a background for the
consideration of cultural context.
Kennesaw State University provides program accessibility and accommodations for persons
defined as disabled under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990. A number of services are available to support students with disabilities
within their academic program. In order to make arrangements for special services, students must
visit the Office of Disabled Student Support Services (770-423-6443) and develop an individual
assistance plan. In some cases, certification of disability is required. Please be aware that there are
other support/mentor groups on the campus of Kennesaw State University that address each of the
multicultural variables outlined above. For more information contact the Student Life Center at
770-423-6280.
Academic Integrity:
Every KSU student is responsible for upholding the provisions of the Student code of Conduct, as
published in the Undergraduate and Graduate catalogs. Section II of the Student Code of
Conduct addresses the University’s policy on academic honesty, including provisions regarding
plagiarism and cheating, unauthorized access to University materials, misrepresentation or
falsification of University records or academic malicious/intentional misuses of computer
facilities and/or services, and misuse of student identification cards. Incidents of alleged
academic misconduct will be handled through the established procedures of the University
Judiciary Program, which includes either an “Informal” resolution by a faculty member, resulting
in a grade adjustment, or a formal hearing procedure, which may subject a student to the code
of conduct’s minimum one semester suspension requirement.
Academic Withdrawal (from College or Individual Courses)
Students who find that they cannot continue in college for the entire quarter after being enrolled,
because of illness or any other reason, should complete an official withdrawal form. Forms may
be obtained from the Office of the Registrar. Students who officially withdraw from college with
the approval of the College Dean will be assigned grades of “W” which will not affect their
overall scholastic average. Those students who stop attending classes and notify no one usually
are assigned failing grades which jeopardize their chances of future academic success. Students
may, by means of the same withdrawal form and with the approval of the College Dean,
withdraw from individual courses while retaining other courses on their schedule. The last day to
withdraw without academic penalty for this quarter is June 30, 2006. Failure to do so will mean
the student has elected to receive the final grade earned in the course. The only exception to these
withdrawal regulations will be for those instances that involve unusual and fully documented
circumstances.
Attendance/Academic Policies:
You are expected to attend each of our class sessions. Attendance is encouraged by making this
course worthy of your time and talent. Our class meeting will involve interactive lecture,
discussions, inquiry and other hands-activities, and student presentations. Attendance and
participation are prerequisites to learning. It is recognized that students get sick, have family
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emergencies, and other needs emerge that may lead you to choose to miss class. If you miss no
class sessions during the semester, are on time each day, participate fully in class activities, and
earn all the points available as Participation & Formative Assessment items, you will earn the
entire 20% allotted for this category towards the course grade.
Each absence will result in the deduction of 5% from your grade. Class begins at 8am and ends at
11:45 am. Each tardy (or early exit) will result in the deduction of 2% from your grade. Missing
more than 50 minutes of instruction will count as an absence. If you have extenuating
circumstances that cause you to be absent or tardy, please inform the instructors of your situation,
but do not expect us to modify these policies. If you are still reading, let me say, that I regret that
I have to impose such a policy on adults. I prefer the policy “Integrity Needs No Rules”,
however, past experiences have led me to specify and maintain the above policy.
Description of Evaluation Criteria:
The formative assessment component of this course will allow us to assess your progress toward
mastery of course objectives via frequent quizzes administered during class, lab work collected
for evaluation, and homework assigned on occasion. The lowest three scores from these
formative assessment grades will be dropped from your final average. It is not possible to make
up missed quizzes or lab activities competed during class sessions. Late work is not accepted.
Two unit tests are administered in this course. There is no comprehensive final exam. The two
tests will be traditional in format with an approximate .6/.4 split between objective and free
response items respectively. Objective items on these exams will span the scale of Bloom’s
Taxonomy, and include some interpretive and analytical scenarios. The free-response items will
be evaluated via adaptation of standardized rubrics developed for the Advanced Placement
Chemistry Test. You will be given a daily agenda with instructional objectives to guide your
study.
For the individual project, you are to work in a co-teaching team of 2-3 students to design,
implement, evaluate and revise a chemistry lesson that addresses one H.S. Chemistry GPS and
related Content and Characteristics of Science elements. We will also consider ways to relate this
project assignment to broader professional development goals related to your M.Ed. (or MAT)
Portfolio.
Grading Plan: Your final grade for this course will be calculated according to the following
percentages: Final grade: A > 89.99, B >79.99, C > 69.99, D > 49.99, F otherwise
Evaluation Item
Percentage
Participation & Formative Assessment: Lab work, Quizzes, &
20%
Assignments
Unit 1 Test
30%
Unit 2 Test
30%
Individual Project
20%
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