Chemistry AB Course Syllabus
2012 -2013
Manual Arts Senior High School
Ms. Anderson
Course Description:
Chemistry is a laboratory-based college-preparatory course. Labs provide the empirical
basis for understanding and confirming concepts. This course emphasizes discussion, activities,
and laboratory exercises, which promote the understanding of the behavior of matter at the
macroscopic and molecular-atomic levels. Chemical principles are introduced so students will
be able to explain the composition and chemical behavior of their world. Chemistry AB lays the
foundation for further studies in Chemistry and also serves as an Advanced Placement
readiness course.
Big Goals:
1. Our class will score an average of 80% on all assessments: quests, benchmarks and
final examinations.
2. 100% of students will score advanced or proficient on the California Standardized Test.
3. 100% of students will pass Chemistry with a C or better and be prepared to succeed in
their next science class.
4. All students will conduct research and write a scientific research paper at the end of the
school year.
Materials:
 Every day you will need to bring a binder with dividers to class
o The binder should have 5 tabbed sections as follows:
 Do Now
 Notes/Handouts
 Quizzes/Tests
 Labs
 Homework
o Your binder should also include college-ruled binder paper for note-taking and
lab work
 Pencils (sharpened before the bell rings), erasers, and pens.
Assessments:
There will be a Quest (Quiz/Test) after each unit we cover in class. In addition, we will have
three cumulative benchmarks during the year. We will also have a summative exam before
winter and summer break. These exams will be cumulative, so it is important to hold on to all
your notes.
Grading:
97-100% A 87-89% B+ 77-79% C+
93-96% A 83-86% B
73-76% C
90-92% A- 80-82% B- 70-72% CBreakdown:
 Quests and Benchmarks: 40%
 Exit slips and mini-quizzes: 20%
 Laboratory reports and Projects: 20%

Class-work and Homework: 20%
Late Work Policy:
For any assignment, whether it is homework, a test, or a project piece, students will receive a
deduction of 10% each day that it is late. For example, a piece of work that is graded out of
100% will only be able to receive a maximum grade of 90% if it is one day late, 80% if it is 2
days late and so on.
Makeup Work Policies:
If a student is absent…
 It is their responsibility to find out what they missed and what they need to do in
order to stay on track in class. Students should check the extra copy folder in the
classroom to gather all the work they missed while absent.
 They also have the ability to email me and ask for what they missed so they can be
prepared when they return.
 Students have the amount of time they were absent to make up that work. For
example, if a student is absent one day, they have one day to make up the work.
If a student is absent on the day of a quiz or an exam…
 They will be expected to make it up the following day, NO EXCEPTIONS.
 Students must make up assessments during tutoring hours in the morning or in the
afternoon, not during class time.
 Note: Students will always know at least a week in advance, if not more, the definite
date of an assessment.
General Rules for the Class:
 Follow directions the first time they are given.
 Be in the classroom and seated when the bell rings.
 Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself.
 Use appropriate language – no put-downs, teasing, or other inappropriate words.
In order to achieve our vision students need to be:
 Respectful: As students I expect you to be respectful to each other, your materials, and
the teacher. Respect is shown through encouragement, helping other students, and
listening to the speaker (whether that is a teacher or another student). This also means
no personal electronics; use them before or after my class, not during.
 Responsive: As students I expect you to try your best to answer and ask questions in
this class. (Note: you do not lose points for asking questions or answering in class
problems wrong, but you will lose points on tests and quizzes, so make sure you ask
questions about what you do not understand and try your best!) I expect you to raise
your hands to be called on so that everyone can hear what you are saying.
Consequences:
1. Verbal warning
2. Written behavior reflection
3. Phone call home
4. Referral to administration
*Severity Clause: If a student puts another student or the teacher in danger, Ms. Anderson reserves the
right to use appropriate consequences according to the given situation.
Unit Plan: Our Road Map
Unit
QUARTER 1: August 14th – October 19th, 2012
California State Standards
1
The Periodic Table
1b, 1f, 1c
2
Atomic Structure
1h, 1i, 1 j, 1e
3
Periodicity and Electron Arrangement
1a, 1g, 1d
4
Chemical Bonding
1c, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 2g, 2h
5
The Mole Concept
3a, 3b, 3c
QUARTER 2: October 20th, 2012 – February 8th, 2013
6
Stoichiometry
3d, 3e, 3f, 3g
7
Kinetic Motion of Gases
4a, 4b, 4e,4f, 4g
8
The Gas Laws
3d, 4c, 4d, 4h, 4i
9
Solutions
6a, 6b, 6d, 6e, 6f
10
Chemical Equilibrium
6c, 9a, 9b, 9c
11
Acids and Bases
5a, 5b, 5e
12
Acid/Base Equilibrium
5b, 5c, 5f, 5g
QUARTER 3: February 9th – April 9th, 2013
13
Chemical Thermodynamics
7a, 7c, 7d, 7b, 7e, 7f, 8a, 8b, 8d,
8c
14
Organic Chemistry
10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, 10f
15
Nuclear Chemistry
11a, 11c, 11d, 11e, 11f
16
Nuclear Energy and Particle Physics
11b, 11g
CST Testing: April 9th – May 3rd, 2013
QUARTER 4: April 10th – May 31th, 2013
17
Implementing Investigation and Experimentation
IE Standards
Parents/Guardians,
Please sign the bottom of this page, cut along the dotted line, and have your student turn
in the signatures below, to me or my mailbox, by Friday, August 17.
I understand and agree to the expectations and guidelines set forth in this syllabus.
Student Name: _____________________ Signature: ________________ Date: ___________
Parent/Guardian Name: _______________ Signature: _______________ Date: ___________