Chemistry Syllabus
2015/2016
Mrs. Fox
Room – 232
Email -dfox@pottstownsd.org
Text – Chemistry: Wilbraham, Staley, Matta, and Waterman
Office Hours: TBD Before school. Check with the teacher BEFORE coming in.
Required Class Materials:
Unless otherwise directed these are to be brought to class every day:
 Your Passbook
 3-Ring Binder to be used for this class only (minimum of 2 inches)
 Pen or pencil
 Scientific Calculator
Course Objectives:
To provide students with a background in general chemistry concepts and to apply those
concepts to problem-solving exercises and laboratory experiments.
Classroom Expectations and Procedures
 When the bell rings be in your seat ready to work.
 Personal electronic Devices are not permitted.
 DO NOT FALL BEHIND!!!
Grading:
Your grade in this class will be a weighted average of accumulated points in the following
categories:
Scientific Application - Labs, Projects
Scientific Knowledge - Tests and Quizzes
Scientific Connections – Reading apprenticeship, classwork
Homework
40%
40 %
10%
10 %
Academic Integrity:
Any student caught cheating on a test, lab, project or other assignment
will receive a zero for that assignment. Parents will be notified of the
incident.
Latework Policy:
Homework, labs and other assignments are due AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CLASS. If
you are absent homework must be submitted AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS on the
NEXT DAY you are in school.
Make sure you print out things that are due before class. Time will not be given to print out
work at the beginning of class. Excuses for broken printers, running out of ink, and similar
issues will not be accepted. If necessary, come in during homeroom to print out your work.
Late work may be submitted for 50% of the earned points up to the day of the end of
the unit (test). Late work will not be accepted after the end of the current unit.
Absences:
Your attendance is critical for your success in this class.
If you are absent it is YOUR responsibility to find out what you missed. You may also see
me before or after school to find out what you missed. DO NOT INTERRUPT ANOTHER
CLASS TO ASK WHAT YOU MISSED. An excused absence does not excuse you from
any work you miss.
You may not make up any work (including tests, projects and labs) from a day you have an
unexcused absence.
You MAY NOT make up missing assignments during class time. Any assignment from an
absence that is made up during class will receive a zero.
Laboratory experiments MUST be made up BEFORE SCHOOL. Schedule a time with the
teacher to make up your lab experiment.
Any assignment or test that you miss due to an excused absence must be made up in
accordance with the policy in the student handbook. Additional time MAY be provided at
the teacher’s discretion for students to make up lengthy experiments.
Laboratory Experiments:
Safety procedures and laboratory expectations must be followed as outlined in the
laboratory safety contract. Failure to follow laboratory safety rules will result in a zero for
that laboratory assignment. Continued violations of laboratory safety rules may result in
removal from the class.
Most laboratory experiments are hands on or “wet type” lab experiments. Students
are expected to manipulate the laboratory equipment and work with chemicals to
achieve the desired results.
You will be expected to submit a laboratory report for each experiment performed. Although
you will be working in groups, each individual must submit their own lab report.
Formal lab reports must be typed using the MLA format. The analysis section may be
handwritten so long as the equations and units are legible.
Units to be covered:
Unit 1: Matter, Change and Measurement
Unit 2: States of Matter and the Gas Laws
Unit 3: Atomic Structure, and Periodicity
Unit 4: Chemical Bonding
Unit 5: Chemical Reactions and Chemical Quantities
Unit 6: Energy, Rate and Equilibrium Processes
Unit 7: Aqueous Systems
Unit 8: Acids and Bases