Pre – AP Chemistry
2012-2013 Syllabus
Alliance Media Arts and Entertainment Design
Mr. Lance
Email: slance@laalliance.org
Welcome to Chemistry! My name is Mr. Steven Lance and I am looking forward to
teaching you in the upcoming year. Pre – AP Chemistry is the 3rd year science course
that selected students at Alliance MAEDA are required to take in order to
successfully graduate from high school. This course is designed to provide students
with the necessary requirements so as to succeed in AP Chemistry, which they will
have the option to take senior year. Therefore, this course will have more
requirements and it will be substantially more rigorous than the general chemistry
course. Additionally, this course satisfies your physical science lab science A – G
requirement. This is the only physical science lab science at MAEDA, so all students
must pass this course in order to graduate. I look forward to working with all of you
in the upcoming year and I am excited to be a partner with you on our exploration of
chemistry.
Textbook
Chemistry (2007, California Edition) by Holt
Please note, we will only have a class set of these books. These books will remain in the
classroom for most of the year and you may loan them out if you feel you need extra
help with the material.
Technology and Chemistry
Chemistry is often a very abstract subject and this can complicate the study of
chemistry for many students. Therefore, we will be using multiple forms of
technology throughout the year to help us better visualize these abstract concepts.
While more will be added throughout the year, the following technologies will be
used ease the stress that chemistry courses might cause:
1) Class Website
-We will have a class website for our class. All homework, handouts,
notes, and other classroom materials will be posted to this website. I
will post links to help you better understand the material and it will
be a tool that you can use to help each other out when you are not in
the classroom.
-You must check this website at least once a week.
-The website can be found at:
http://alliancechemistry.weebly.com/
2) Class Email List
-We will have a class email list that I will be using throughout the year
to get in touch with you about important classroom announcements
and clarifications about the material we have been covering.
-You must have an email account and you must check this account at
least once a week.
Materials: Your Daily Responsibility
 3-ring binder with 5 tabs
1) Notes and Guided Notes
2) In-Class Work
3) Homework
4) Labs and Projects
5) Quizzes and Tests
 Notebook (Exclusively for this class
 Pencil or pen
 A scientific calculator is highly RECOMMENDED
Tutoring
Tutoring will be offered from 3:30-4:30 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you plan
on coming in for tutoring after school, please let Mr. Lance know so that he can
prepare some review materials for you. Tutoring will also be offered during
nutrition and lunch if the student sets up an appointment. If neither of those times
work for you, please talk with Mr. Lance to set up another time for you to get the
help that you need.
Grading Breakdown
 Unit Exams: 40%
 Laboratory Reports and Written Work: 30%
 Projects and Presentations: 15%
 Homework 15%
5-Point Grading Scale:
5.0 – 4.1 = 90%-100% = A
4.0 – 3.1 = 80% - 89% = B
3.0 – 2.1 = 65% - 79% = C
2.0 – 1.1 = NP (Not Proficient)
1.0 – 0.0 = NP (Not Proficient)
 Mr. Lance will post and/or print individual assignment reports every 2
weeks and you will receive a progress report from the school every 5 weeks.
I will do my best to make sure that you are informed about your achievement
in the class. If you have questions/concerns about your grade, don’t hesitate
to ASK.
Late or Absent Work
Late Work: Late work will not be accepted. I repeat, late work will not be
accepted.
Absences: Students who have an excused absence should do three things
once they return to the class:
1) Look in the “Absence” folder for notes and classwork that was missed.
2) After this, you should check the “Homework” binder and take a copy of
any homework that you missed while you were gone.
3) Finally, schedule an appointment with Mr. Lance where you can come in
and go over the material that you missed.
For every 1 day of class you miss, you will have 2 days to make up any work
that you missed (e.g. If you missed Monday’s class and got the work you missed
on Wednesday, you would turn in all of this work by the following Monday).
Failure to complete work in the allotted amount of time will result in
Attendance/Promptness
Students are expected to attend school every day unless there are family
emergencies or severe illnesses.
Tardiness will not be tolerated in Mr. Lance’s classroom. A student that shows up
tardy is taking away not only from there own learning time, but also from the entire
classes learning time by interrupting class when they come in late. A student who is
tardy will result in:
1) Loss of nutrition/lunch
Bathroom Passes
Students should use the bathroom during allotted time (before or after school,
nutrition or lunch). If you must use the bathroom during class time, then you owe
me this class time after class (i.e. if you take 5 minutes to go to the bathroom, then
you owe me 5 minutes after class)
Classroom Expectations
As 11th graders, you are getting ready to enter the world, so the expectations that
are employed in this classroom are designed so as to ensure success once this class
is done.
Classroom Expectations:
1) Do my tasks
2) Have materials
3) Be where I belong
4) Control myself
5) Follow directions
6) Speak considerately
Behavior Hierarchy
If you are found to be in violation of the rules and expectations of our classroom,
you will receive the following consequences:
1) Verbal Warning
2) Class Essay
3) Self-Diagnostic Referral
4) 2nd Self-Diagnostic Referral and both are mailed home
5) Dismissal from the class
**SEVERITY CLAUSE: If a student puts another student or the teacher in danger, Mr.
Lance reserves the right to use appropriate consequences according to the given
situation.
Unit Plan
Unit
Topic of Unit
Unit Length
1
Atomic Theory and the Periodic Table
13 days
2
Chemical Bonds
13 days
Chemical Reactions, Solutions, and
3
20 days
Stoichiometry
Properties of Solutions and
4
14 days
Stoichiometry
5
Gas Laws
15 days
6
Acids and Bases
12 days
7
Temperature and Thermodynamics
11 days
Rates of Chemical Reactions and
8
12 days
Equilibrium
9
Organic and Nuclear Chemistry
14 days
10 Harvard-Westlake Exam Review
19 days
th
th
Harvard – Westlake Final Exam – April 25 /26 , 2013
11 MAEDA Science Fair Projects
17 days
NOTE: Additional will be covered in the Pre – AP Course throughout the year. Mr.
Lance reserves the right to change this schedule as he sees fit. Students will be given
notice and an alerted schedule if the standards in each unit are changed.
I, ___________________________ have read the syllabus and agree to follow the rules and
procedures that are outlined in this syllabus.
____________________________________________
Student Signature
__________________________
Date
I, ___________________________, have read the syllabus and understand the rules and
expectations for my son and/or daughter in Mr. Lance’s Chemistry classroom. I
understand that I should contact him by phone or email if I have any questions or
concerns.
___________________________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature
___________________________
Date