Santa Ynez Valley Union High School

AP Chemistry Santa Ynez Valley Union High School

Mrs. Nguyen E-mail: [email protected] Website: see syvpirates.org for my webpage. The new Canvas website will be used this year. Times available for tutoring: lunch and after school from 2-3:30pm most days. AP website: apcentral.collegeboard.com (use this website to sign up for the AP exam, help studying for the exam and results from the exam) Text Book: Brown-Lemay Chemistry; bring as directed Materials needed every day: quadrille comp book for labs, 3-ring binder for notes and book problems, scientific calculator, pencil and pen. Materials needed to study for test: Extra credit for buying one! Fast Track to a 5 (Knoespel); Barron’s AP chemistry (Jespersen); 5 Steps to a 5; Princeton Review AP chemistry Everyone in AP chemistry is expected to take the AP Exam in May! Your success in this course will directly reflect on the amount of time and energy you put into it. Here are some hints to help you: • Come to class daily and on time. • Participate actively and ask questions as soon as you need help. • Keep detailed notes about demonstrations and examples presented in class. • Keep up with your work. • Be open to a variety of learning styles and activities. • Be willing to receive help from your peers, and help others.

Course Description: This course is designed to provide a college level chemistry experience, both conceptually and in the laboratory. The labs serve to supplement the learning in the lecture section of the course. Problem-solving skills, both on paper and in the lab, are emphasized. There are bi-weekly labs during the first three quarters; during the last quarter, students review material for their final exam and AP test in May.

3-ring binder; You will need to keep all notes from class lectures, readings from text, demos and problem sets in a 3-ring binder. The binder with notes, problem sets and handouts will be checked at the end of each unit and will go toward the homework grade.

Laboratory comp book; Students are required to submit a complete report for each lab experiment. A new form of lab write-up will be used this year. It is called the science writing heuristic. It is an inquiry based type of lab. Students will have an opportunity to design and run their own labs and procedure. The lab write-up will consist of a series of questions not the traditional scientific method as students have been used to using. The write up will be discussed in detail. A rubric will be given out explaining the criteria for the lab write-up. This is not the only form of lab that may be used this year. We may write formal lab write-ups, journal articles or collaborative group projects.

Please keep the lab comp book neat and organized. I wll not grade a lab that has been hastily put togheter. It is worth 30% of your grade and some colleges ask to see it for complete credit for AP chemistry.

Homework: Problem sets will be assigned at the beginning of each chapter section. Allocate about an hour or more of homework time per day to work on your problem sets. You need to show formulas, units, work and boxed answers for full credit!

Tests: Tests are given about every 2 weeks, generally after the completion of a unit. There will be quizzes periodically, especially before or after labs. Calculators and other materials are not to be shared during tests. Not following test taking policies (such as talking during your test or while others are still working) will result in loss of points or a zero.

Tutoring: Tests and quizzes are a large part of your grade (50%) so it is imperative to get help if you do not understand material presented in class! Don’t hesitate to come in at lunch or after school (2-3pm) to get help. Also, I offer extra credit to those who would like to tutor other chemistry students in my classes or other chemistry classes.

Course Requirements and Grading We will cover the Brown-Lemay text at a rate of approximately one chapter every week or so, with problem sets assigned and reviewed per chapter. Unit exams consist of multiple-choice questions and free-response questions from retired AP Released Exams whenever possible. A student’s grade is a weighted average of the following: Tests (unit tests, quizzes, final exams)...... 50% Labs (lab write-ups, activities)...... 30% Binder (notes, problem sets and worksheets) ……………………………………….…..20% Grading scale: A 85% and above B 75% - 84% C 65% - 74% D 55% - 64%

Makeup policy: You are given one week to makeup laboratories (due to excused absences) between 2:00 and 3:30. If you are absent on a lab day, plan immediately when you will make it up. Failure to makeup assignments within a week will result in a zero grade. If you are absent for a test, the next test score will be doubled. No make-ups for test missed! Tests and quizzes are not curved. Late homework is never accepted unless it results from an excused absence. If the absence is excused, then the student has as many days that s/he is absent to complete the assignment. Please ask me when returning or look at the website for material missed.

Safety: Safety is very important in this class. Any un-appropriate behavior like rough- housing, running around or doing unauthorized experiments may result in a student receiving a zero on their lab and being removed from the class. Labs are the best part of chemistry and I would not want any student to lose that privilege.

Let’s have a great year! Please detach and return to teacher

Statement of Understanding

I have read the preceding syllabus and contract for chemistry and understand the contents.

Students Signature ______

Student name printed ______

Parent Signature______

Parent name printed ______