Course Syllabus: AP Chemistry 2015-2016
Instructor: Caitlin Sheedy
Email: caitlin.sheedy@mcpherson.com
Class Website: www.bullpupchemistry.weebly.com
A class website will be maintained at the following web address. The website will have current
information regarding assignments and due dates, copies of handouts, and links to supplemental
study resources.
Course Textbook:
Silberberg & Amateis: Chemistry, The Molecular Nature of Matter and Change (AP Edition),
7th Edition. McGraw-Hill Education (2015)
Other texts:
 POGIL Activities for High School Chemistry from Flinn Scientific
 AP Chemistry Guided-Inquiry Experiments: Applying the Science Practices, College
Board
 Chemistry: A Guided Inquiry, 6th Edition, Richard S. Moog & John J. Farrell
 Advanced Chemistry Through Inquiry, PASCO Scientific
Required Materials:
 1 3-ring binder
 1 bound composition notebook that will serve as a lab notebook (Stitched binding, nonremovable pages with a 5x5 grid is best)
 Computer and internet access
 Calculator
Course Overview
This AP Chemistry course is designed to offer students a solid foundation in chemistry by
meeting the criteria of the College Board’s AP Chemistry course and matching the level of rigor
of an introductory college General Chemistry course. This course is designed around six “Big
Ideas”, seven science practices, and other enduring understandings to assist students in
developing an appreciation for the study of chemistry.
Big Idea 1: The chemical elements are fundamental building materials of matter, and all matter can be
understood in terms of arrangements of atoms. These atoms retain their identity in chemical reactions.
Big Idea 2: Chemical and physical properties of materials can be explained by the structure and the
arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules and the forces between them.
Big Idea 3: Changes in matter involve the rearrangement and/or reorganization of atoms and/or the
transfer of electrons.
Big Idea 4: Rates of chemical reactions are determined by details of the molecular collisions.
Big Idea 5: The laws of thermodynamics describe the essential role of energy and explain and predict the
direction of changes in matter.
Big Idea 6: Any bond or intermolecular attraction that can be formed can be broken. These two processes
are in a dynamic competition, sensitive to initial conditions and external perturbations.
The seven Science Practices will emphasize important aspects of the work that scientists engage
in, with learning objectives that combine content with inquiry and reasoning skills. What we
know today about chemistry is a result of inquiry. Therefore, the process of inquiry in science
and developing critical thinking skills is the most important part of this course
Science Practice 1: The students can use representations and models to communicate scientific
phenomena and solve scientific problems
Science Practice 2: The student can use mathematics appropriately
Science Practice 3: The student can engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking or to guide
investigations within the context of the AP course
Science Practice 4: The student can plan and implement data collection strategies in relation to a
particular scientific question.
Science Practice 5: The student can perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence
Science Practice 6: The student can work with scientific explanations and theories
Science Practice 7: The students is able to connect and relate knowledge across various scales, concepts
and representation in and across domains
The AP Chemistry Laboratory
Because AP Chemistry meets (and often exceeds) the requirements of a university General
Chemistry course, we will spend a minimum of 25% of class time in the laboratory engaged in
hands-on laboratory work. The goal of the laboratory program within AP Chemistry is to
provide hands on experience with laboratory equipment and practices and to increase the
student’s understanding of chemistry and the science practices. All levels of inquiry will be used
and all seven of the science practice skills will be used by students on a regular basis in formal
labs as well as activities outside of the lab experience.
Lab Reports:
AP Chemistry lab reports are much longer and more in depth than the ones completed in the first
year chemistry course. Therefore, it is important that students do not procrastinate when doing
pre-lab and post-lab work. Labs that cannot be completed during class must be done at lunch, or
before/after school by appointment. In addition, maintaining a laboratory notebook is important
as it functions as a record of lab work completed, which will show the quality of the lab work
that students have performed.
Classroom Procedures and Additional Information
Unexcused Late Work
Homework is to be submitted at the beginning of class the date it is due. Unexcused late work
will not be accepted. If you are absent the day work is due, it will be handed in the first day you
return. All homework assignments can be found on the AP Chemistry HW Google Document
which can be accessed from the course website
Make-up Work
It is the student’s responsibility to obtain make-up assignments and to see the class calendar
(online @ class website) for the assignments missed
Academic Dishonesty
Cheating, plagiarism, etc. will result in a zero for the assignment or assessment and will be
reported to administration for further discipline
Lab Safety
For the safety of all, students who do not follow stated lab policies may be removed from the lab
and will receive no credit for that lab
Tests and Quizzes
In chemistry, tests and quizzes are weighted heavily into the grade. The quiz average will
account for 20% of the semester grade. Unit exams account of 50% of the semester chemistry
grade and cannot be retaken. Silence will be maintained during the test, regardless of when you
finish, until ALL tests are turned in. Quiz dates will be announced in class. Pop quizzes can and
will be administered at the teacher’s discretion.
Studying Chemistry
The material presented in this course is cumulative. It is extremely important not to fall behind,
since failure to learn one day’s material means increasing difficulty with the next day’s material.
Seek help from the teacher when you need it; do not wait until you are far behind. You
might find studying with others to be helpful; forming a study group with some of your
classmates forces you to explain concepts and problems clearly to others.
Weighting of Grades
Tests
50%
Quizzes
20%
Labs
20%
Homework
10%
Semester Grades
Semester Work 90%
Semester Final 10%
Remind
The class website contains a link to an invite for Remind. Remind is a free communication
platform built for teachers. It enables the teacher to safely and efficiently interact with students
and parents about important information relating to the classroom and school activities. Remind
is safe and easy because teachers can engage students and parents without needing to upload cell
phone numbers and without having to give their personal phone numbers out. Remind is not
mandatory, it is merely an additional way to establish student/parent/teacher communication if
parents and students wish to participate.
Semester One
Second Semester
August 14 – September 3: Ch.’s 1, 2, 3
Intro/Review
Exam on September 3
January 5 – January 15: Ch. 4
Three Major Classes of Chemical Reactions
Exam on January 15
September 8 – September 21: Ch. 16
Kinetics: Rates and Mechanisms of
Chemical Reactions
Exam on September 21
January 19 – January 27: Ch. 5
Gases and the Kinetic-Molecular Theory
Exam on January 27
September 22 – October 2: Ch. 17
Equilibrium: The Extent of Chemical
Reactions
Exam on October 2
October 5 – October 14: Ch. 18
Acid-Base Equilibrium
Exam on October 14
October 15 – November 6: Ch. 19
Ionic Equilibrium in Aqueous Systems
Exam on November 6
November 9 – November 24: Ch.’s 6, 20
Thermochemistry and Thermodynamics
Exam on November 24
December 1 – December 11: Ch. 21
Electrochemistry
Exam included on semester final
December 14 – December 18
Finals review
Final exam TBD
January 28 – February 5: Ch.’s 7, 8
Quantum theory, atomic structure, electron
configurations and periodicity
Exam on February 5
February 8 – February 26: Ch.’s 9, 10, 11
Chemical bonding and VSEPR
Exam on February 26
February 29 – March 9: Ch. 12
Intermolecular forces: Liquids, Solids and
Phase changes
Exam on March 9
March 21 – 24: Ch. 13
The properties of mixtures: Solutions and
Colloids
Exam embedded in semester final
March 28 – April 1: Review for mock
exam
Mock AP exam for grade on April 1
April 4 – April 29: AP Exam review
Monday May 2nd, 8 am: AP
Chemistry Exam