Chemistry – Mr. Karlen
Welcome to chemistry! Would you like to hear some chemistry myths? Here we go: Chemistry is scary! You’ll have to memorize the periodic table! Chemistry is really hard! You’ll have to do crazy math! It doesn’t make any sense! You’ll have crazy lots of homework! It’s impossible!
Well…in any case, those are some of the things I’ve heard people say about chemistry over the years. Maybe, just maybe, I felt that way about chemistry sometimes in high school. It was my hardest subject in college, too.
Then I became a chemistry teacher. Funny, huh? Anyways, guess what? ALL THAT STUFF
ABOVE IS NOT TRUE!!!!!!
I remember how it feels to NOT understand chemistry, and I try to always keep that in mind when I teach.
OK…so…what is chemistry anyways?
Here’s chemistry in a nutshell: it’s a physical science, as opposed to a life science like biology.
We study the atoms in us and around us, and how they interact in this home we call the universe.
Understanding chemistry really helps to understand biology, though if you had biology last year that doesn’t really help you much, eh?
This year we’ll cover 9 units – units and properties; atomic structure; periodicity; bonding; chemical reactions; the mole; stoichiometry; solutions, acids, and bases; and gas laws.
EXPECTATIONS
1.
Be on time and in class every day. This is easily the #1 thing you can do to help yourself.
2.
All school rules apply. Use your electronics wisely. Try not to eat or drink in the classroom. DON’T BE SURPRISED WHEN WE ENFORCE SCHOOL RULES.
3.
Be respectful of other people and property. We will not tolerate any behavior that we think would be harmful to another person, mentally or physically. The Golden Rule has been around for a long time—keep using it.
4. At the start of class, PLEASE SIT QUIETLY AND GET YOUR STUFF OUT!
What stuff? Binder, pen/pencil, and soon enough, a periodic table and simple scientific calculator. You may not need to check out a textbook or take one home. If you need one, they will be available in the classroom.
GRADING
We try to make grades as objective as possible. Throughout the quarter, the computer divides all the points you’ve earned by all the points possible. Your final percentage determines your quarter letter grade:
90.0-100% = A 80.0-89.9%=B 70.0-79.9%=C 60.0-69.9%=D <60%=N
You can earn points in the three categories listed on the next side:

1. QUIZZES : You will have many quizzes each quarter, probably one per week, usually on
Fridays. These quizzes will be worth 10 points each. To make bookkeeping easier, THESE
QUIZZES CANNOT BE MADE UP IF MISSED, even for an excused absence (it is a lot of work to determine who gets to make up a quiz and who doesn’t, and find time to have everyone do so).
However, in fairness to you, each quarter your lowest quiz score will be dropped automatically.
So essentially, you get to miss one quiz each quarter, and you CAN take them early if you have a planned absence. PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU MISS MORE THAN ONE QUIZ!
2. CLASSWORK / BINDER : You will be using a chemistry binder throughout the year for all in-class assignments. These binders will be kept IN THE ROOM so you should never lose them!
The binder grade will fall into the ‘classwork’ section of my gradebook, as will tests (which can be made up for an excused absence) and other assignments not considered, participation, or quizzes. There will generally NOT be homework this year in chemistry, which makes classwork even more important!
3. PARTICIPATION : Many days you can earn a participation point by completing a small activity, exit slip, or other formative assessment. These points add up—but you must be in class
(no make-ups). Each student will get to miss one participation activity per quarter with no penalty.
Please talk to Mr. Karlen if planned absences for religious observances or extended illness or travel cause multiple participation activities or quizzes to be missed.
HONESTY
Every year there are students that get caught cheating. These are examples of cheating: looking at someone else’s test/quiz, copying someone else’s work, handing in somebody else’s work as your own, using a cheat sheet, using somebody else’s notes when notes are allowed, skipping a test so you can re-take it later after your friends have. There may be other examples of dishonesty as well. CHEATING WILL RESULT IN A ‘ZERO’ FOR THE ASSIGNMENT OR
TEST WHICH CANNOT BE MADE UP. It is better to receive a poor grade on a test than it is to cheat and get a ‘zero.’ Remember these words: trust takes a long time to build and an instant to destroy. I always trust students until I am given a reason not to.
Anyways, that’s about it! I hope this is clear, and that you’re excited about chemistry. It’ll be awesome!
Please read, sign, date, and bring to class as your first assignment.
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SIGNATURES
We have read this and understand the expectations and policies of chemistry class.
Print Student Name Student Signature Date
Print Parent Name Parent Signature Date