AP Chemistry Course Description 2015 – 2016
Mr. George Arnold
Email: george.arnold@mtcarmelacademy.net
Phone: 713-643-2008
Room: 128 - Science Lab
Meeting Times:
1st Period
Monday – Wednesday – Friday – 7:30 to 8:20 AM
Tuesday – Thursday – 7:00 to 8:20 AM
Tutorial Times:
Monday 3:15 – 4:00 pm
Friday 3:15 – 4:00 pm
Goal: My goals are: 1) each student develops an understanding and mastery of Chemistry; and 2) each
student is well prepared to take and pass the AP Chemistry Exam and receive college credit for the
course.
Teaching Plan:
 My plan is to have both reading and homework assignments at least four days per week and have the
students do at least one lab as part of the unit instructions.
Resources and Materials:
 Textbook and Homework: Zumdahl, Steven and Zumdahl, Susan. Chemistry, 9th ed. Belmont, CA:
Cengage Learning, 2014
 University of Texas Quest Learning and Assessment: online system for homework:
https://quest.cns.utexas.edu/
 National Math and Science Institute: AP Chemistry Class Lecture Notes and Instructional Videos –
http://apchemistrynmsi.wikispaces.com/AP+Chemistry+Class+Lecture+Notes+AND+instructional+videos
 Remind.com will be used for communicating with students and parents: https://www.remind.com/
 Laboratory Manuals: College Board AP Chemistry Guided Inquiry Experiments: Applying the Science
Practices. 1st edition. New York, NY: The College Board, 2013; and other AP Labs at the discretion of the
teacher.
 Study Guide: Demmin, Peter E. and Hostage, David W. Multiple Choice and Free-Response Questions in
Preparation for the AP Chemistry Examination, 5th ed. Brooklyn, NY: D&S Marketing Systems, Inc., 2005.
 TI-84 Graphing Calculator required
 Writing utensils – pencils and/or pens. I personally recommend pencils because of erasing. (student
furnished)
 1 Spiral notebook for the daily Focus Activity and note taking. (teacher furnished)
Class meeting times:
 In order to have time to cover the materials and for students to receive extra help, class will begin at 7:00
and run through 8:20 AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The students may also need to come in before or stay after school to complete assigned laboratories.
Course Policies and Procedures:
Absences:
 If you are absent, you are responsible for finding out any assignments you may have missed. You will
have one week to complete and turn-in the assignment to receive full credit. After 1 week from the last day
of absence, the Late Assignment guidelines in the Student Handbook will be applied to all assignments.
Tardies:
 You must arrive and be in your seat promptly at the notification of the start of the class period. Tardies
will be handled according to school policy.
Labs:
 Lab days will be either Tuesday or Thursday. The lab will start at 7:00 am. See the posted syllabus for this
course on the Mount Carmel Academy for the laboratory report guidelines and format. Lab reports will
count as a major test grade.
AP Chemistry Course Description
Page 1 of 4
AP Chemistry Course Description 2015 – 2016
Course Policies and Procedures (continued):
Assignments:
 Homework will be assigned through the UT Quest Learning and Assessment system.
 Other assignments shall be turned in as instructed. Follow the standardized schoolwide procedure for
heading an assignment as posted on the board in front of the classroom.
 For all assignments outside the UT Quest system, all math calculations shall be rounded to the proper
number of significant figures.
 Answers shall NEVER just be a single number without some description or shown work of how you got the
answer.
 Assignments will be graded and entered into GradeSpeed on a timely basis. Normally, assignments are
turned around and grades are in GradeSpeed within 24 hours. Lab reports will take approximately one
week to grade and enter into GradeSpeed.
 Late assignments will be graded according to the guidelines outlined in the Student Handbook; one day
late minus 30%, two or more days late minus 50%.
 It is the student’s responsibility to keep up with their assignments and due dates.
Tutorials:
 My posted tutorial times are listed above. You may also receive help at times other than the posted times
by just coming and seeing me.
Grades:
 Overall Nine Week Average determined by:
 In-Class Work
o (review worksheets, quizzes, in-class assignments, and class participation)
 Homework
 Exams and Formal Lab Reports
40%
10%
50%
Course Calendar / Schedule – Topics to be covered and estimated Unit Test dates:
First Semester
 1st nine weeks (8/24 – 10/23/2015)
 Unit – Chemical foundations
 Chapters 1 and 2
 Unit – Stoichiometry
 Chapters 3 and 5.3 – 5.4
 Assessment – 9/10
 Unit – Chemical reactions
 Chapter 4
 Assessment – 9/24
 Unit – Electrochemistry
 Chapter 18
 Assessment – 10/15
AP Chemistry Course Description
First Semester
 2nd nine weeks (10/26 – 12/18/2015)
 Unit – Thermochemistry / Thermodynamics
 Chapters 6 and 17
 Assessment – 11/12
 Unit – Kinetics
 Chapter 12
 Assessment – 12/08
 Final exam – week of 12/14
Page 2 of 4
AP Chemistry Course Description 2015 – 2016
Second Semester
 3rd nine weeks (1/05 – 3/11/2016)
 Unit – General equilibrium
 Chapters 13 and 16
 Assessment – 01/21
 Unit – Acids and bases
 Chapter 14
 Unit – Aqueous equilibria
 Chapter 15
 Assessment – 02/16
 Unit – Bonding
 Chapters 8 and 9
 Assessment – 03/03
Second Semester
 4th nine weeks (3/21 – 5/25/2016)
 Unit – Atomic structure and periodicity
 Chapter 7
 Assessment – 03/10
 Unit – Gases
 Chapter 5
 Unit – Liquids, solids, and solutions
 Chapter 10
 Assessment – 03/29
 AP Exam Review – 03/30 to exam date
 AP Practice Exam on Saturday 04/02 from 8:30 to 12:00
 AP Exam Review on Saturday 04/30 from 8:30 to 12:00
 AP Exam – 05/02 from 7:30 to 12:00
 Labs – 05/03 – 05/16
 Final exam – week of 5/22 – 5/28
Why should a student take AP Chemistry and what can they expect to learn in
this course?
With the ever-increasing need for innovators, problem finders, and designers of materials, pharmaceuticals,
and even new fuels, comes the need for individuals skilled in the science practices and knowledgeable about
chemistry. The redesigned Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry course provides students with training for
such knowledge and skills through guided inquiry labs, a more focused curriculum on content relevant to
today's problems, and an exam that assesses students' mental models of the particulate nature of matter
instead of memorization of rules to understand chemistry.
The AP Chemistry course is designed to be the equivalent of the general chemistry course usually taken
during the first college year. This course is taken with the idea in mind that students will take the AP Exam to
receive college credit or placement at the student’s college of choice. For some students, this course enables
them to undertake, in their first year, second-year work in the chemistry sequence at their institution or to
register in courses in other fields where general chemistry is a prerequisite. For other students, the AP
Chemistry course fulfills the laboratory science requirement and frees time for other courses. Such credit and
placement tied to the AP Chemistry exam could lead to students' readiness for and engagement in the study of
advanced topics in subsequent college courses and eventually the achievement of a STEM degree and
successful career.
The course centers around six big ideas and seven science practices:
Big Ideas
Science Practices
1. Structure of Matter
1. Drawing, explaining, and interpreting representations
2. Bonding and Intermolecular Forces
2. Using mathematics and logical routines appropriately
3. Chemical Reactions
3. Asking and refining scientific questions
4. Kinetics
4. Designing and implementing data collection strategies
5. Thermodynamics
5. Analyzing and evaluating data
6. Chemical Equilibrium
6. Making predictions and justifying claims with evidence
7. Connecting chemistry concepts across the big ideas.
AP Chemistry Course Description
Page 3 of 4
AP Chemistry Course Description 2015 – 2016
How to Help Your Child Succeed in AP Chemistry

Have your child attend school every day. Attendance is essential in order to maintain pace
with the instructions, participate in and complete the assignments, and be prepared for the AP
Exam on May 2, 2015.

Make sure your child is spending at least 60 minutes a day, six days a week studying, reading,
or doing homework for chemistry. Check for completeness. Schedule a specific time each
day and follow it religiously.

Follow-up with your child on whether they have any assignments coming up or due. Student
with missing assignments will be given a detention and will have to serve the detention after
school from 3:15 to 4:00 pm to complete the assignment. You can also check their progress
on GradeSpeed. I normally have my grades posted within 48 hours of receiving the
assignments. Lab reports will be posted within one week of receipt.

Encourage your child to read the lecture notes and watch instructional videos at
http://apchemistrynmsi.wikispaces.com/AP+Chemistry+Class+Lecture+Notes+AND+instructional+video
s , make notes as necessary, and study the information.

Encourage your child to ask questions in class and attend tutorials if they need help. Class will
begin at 7:00 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays to give the students more instructional time to
ask questions and receive more help.

Help your child take a serious approach to learning and mastering chemistry by encouraging
them to form a study group with other students. This will be good practice that can help them
be successful when they attend college.

Help your child organize and prioritize their time for chemistry along with their other tasks and
activities.

Encourage your child to persevere in spite of the challenges and to come in and speak with me
if they are having difficulty.

Please contact me immediately with any questions or concerns you might have about your
child’s performance. My email address is george.arnold@mtcarmelacademy.net. My phone
number at the school is 713-643-2008. You can also contact me through GradeSpeed.
I work hard to help all students succeed in mastering the concepts and skills in AP Chemistry.
Student success depends on several factors, including previous knowledge, skills, personal
motivation, and discipline. With all of us working together, we can ensure your child is successful and
has the best possible learning experience.
GRArnold
George Arnold
Teacher, Chemistry and Environmental Science
NHS Chapter Advisor and Student Council Cosponsor
AP Chemistry Course Description
Page 4 of 4