Syllabus

  • COURSE SYLLABUS            Regents Chemistry with Mrs. Yedowitz-Nessel 

     

    Course Objectives: After concluding their study of chemistry, students will be able to make scientific observations of matter, perform chemical reactions, and explain the underlying principles that determine the physical and chemical behavior of substances. During their studies, students will practice acquiring the scientific skills needed to critically evaluate information for scientific veracity and discuss scientific ways of reasoning towards solutions to real world problems.  

     

    Real World Application: 

    There are several reasons why studying science in high school is valuable. The primary reason is students are preparing to do college level work and need to start considering if they will be preparing for a STEM major in college. Undertaking the study of chemistry will help students in several areas:

    1- Developing college level study skills, habits, time management & organization.

    2- Learning to work as an independent and responsible adult student in a college classroom.

    3- Developing their ability to reason logically and to support their arguments and opinions with reasons and evidence.

    4- Understanding the impact of scientific information and discoveries on human quality of life, ethics, and civic responsibility.

     

    Supplies:

    Students are required to maintain the following:

     

    1. A 3-5 Subject notebook which is exclusively for chemistry and should not contain any other notes.

    2. Pens, colored pens, highlighters.



    Class Design:  

    THIS CLASS IS PAPERLESS - students will need to access class resources via a tablet, computer or smart device. Students who do not have access must make Mrs. Yedowitz aware so that she can provide printed materials. All materials are accessed via Google Drive. Only tests, quizzes and labs will be provided on paper for completion.

    YOUR WORK is described in a work plan which can be accessed online on my teacher page. 



    Lab Exercises - 

     

    Lab Objectives: Students will be able to use scientific techniques to observe, explore, question, present inferences/hypotheses, and discover knowledge through inquiry and phenomena. 

     

    The purpose of lab classes in Regents chemistry is to provide vital experience with physical and chemical processes, so that the verbal explanations students research take on deeper meaning and become memorable. As labs become more complex, students will need to master the use of techniques and equipment that have been used by practitioners of the physical sciences for hundreds of years. 

     

    Laboratory work is not only a great way to help students experience the concepts they are learning in class, but it is emphasized that students are literally accepting a heritage of scientific learning and technique that has been passed down for many generations. It is vitally important that all people have access to the basic methods of science. 

    STATE LAB REQUIREMENTS:

     

    New York State requires that all students of chemistry have completed 1200 minutes, (20 hours), of hands-on laboratory work. Students must be diligent and make up missed lab work. Students who do not have a record of written lab work that demonstrates they have met this requirement will be barred, and will not be able to take the NYS Chemistry Regents in June. 

     

    Wait what are your grading and class policies??

     

    I have explained these policies to your parents in the document HELP FOR PARENTS. 

    We will be going over the policies in class and each time we do, I will give a presentation explaining this at the beginning of the year. 

     

    Introduction to Instruction Cycles:

     

    An instructional cycle describes a series of events which will occur during every marking period. The cycle is designed to support student mastery of the material and increased understanding by repeatedly exposing students to opportunities to engage with the material in 4 critical ways. 

    1- Initial Physical experiences and explorations in the lab, (some experiences may need to be via video or teacher demonstration for safety reasons) - formative assessment via dialogue and initial writing exercises

    2- Verbal and Written literacy via study and formative assessment

    3- Practice and Recitation a the 360 boards and using collaborative scaffolding, formal summative assessment via Regents style testing. 

    4- Advanced Experimentation in the lab, formal summative assessment of understanding via lab reports.

     

    Quarter 1

    Cycle 1 - Using the scientific method to engage with the world

    Overarching Theme of Content: Physical Properties of Matter

     

    NYS NGSS Performance Expectations: 

    • Plan and conduct an investigation to gather evidence to compare the structure of substances at the bulk scale to infer the strength of electrical forces between particles.

    • Analyze data to support the claim that the combined gas law describes the relationships among volume, pressure, and temperature for a sample of an ideal gas. 

    • Use evidence to support claims regarding the formation, properties and behaviors of solutions at bulk scales. Apply scientific principles and evidence to explain how the rate of a physical change is affected when conditions are varied.

    • Create a computational model to calculate the change in the energy of one component in a system when the change in energy of the other component(s) and energy flows in and out of the system are known.

     

    Cycle Goals & Performance Expectations:

    - Become proficient in lab safety and instrumentation.

    - Become proficient in making discrete observations and gathering and organizing data.

    - Become fluent in the use of the metric system to take measurements. 

    - Become fluent in the use of significant figures and scientific notation as they are used to aid scientists when processing and reporting data. Be able to express verbally the sources of error in work and mathematically via the calculation of percent error when analyzing data. 

    - Be able to convert from one unit of measurement to another using dimensional analysis. Become fluent in the use of conversion factor form. 

    - Become proficient in math skills that support data analysis and use of mathematical models that are used to explain and predict the behavior of matter. Mathematical relationships will be expressed using algebraic equations. 

    - Become proficient in the interpretation of visual data analysis and constructing visual data analysis such as graphs. 

    - Explore the physical properties of substances and be able to collect and analyze data using models through which chemists observe and predict the properties of matter. 

    - Make predictions about the behavior of matter based on intensive physical properties. These properties shall include: density, solubility, conductivity, specific heat, heat of fusion and heat of vaporization. 

    -Collect and analyze data about the conditions which impact solubility via scientific techniques employed in the lab. Be able to articulate their findings both graphically and verbally. 

     - Make predictions about the identity of a sample of matter based on intensive physical properties. These properties shall include: density, solubility, conductivity, specific heat, heat of fusion and heat of vaporization. 

    - Explain energy changes as a sample of matter changes phase/state. Apply scientific principles and techniques to demonstrate these changes in energy and document their data graphically. 

    - Make predictions about the behavior of gases using the mathematical relationships expressed algebraically in the combined gas law. 

     

    Literacy Goals: Be able to express mathematically (density, solubility, gas law) and graphically depicted relationships in words. Recognize graphical interpretations of verbal descriptions of relationships (inverse, direct etc.) Be able to read and interpret directions. Exhibit mastery of questions using chemistry vocabulary from the cycle 1 vocabulary list. 

     

    Quarter 2

    Cycle 2 - Studying Matter Via Chemical Change

    Overarching Theme of Content: Basic Chemical Literacy, Stoichiometry & Mass Relationships

     

    NYS NGSS Performance Expectations: 

    • Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements

    • Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical reaction based on knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties.

    • Use mathematical representations to support the claim that atoms, and therefore mass, are conserved during a chemical reaction. 

    • Develop a model to illustrate that the release or absorption of energy from a chemical reaction system depends upon the changes in total bond energy

    • Apply scientific principles and evidence to explain how the rate of a chemical change is affected when conditions are varied.

    • Use evidence to support claims regarding the formation, properties and behaviors of solutions at bulk scales.

     

    Cycle Goals & Performance Expectations:

    • Become fluent in the names and abbreviations for approximately 60 regularly used elements. 

    • Be able to classify matter into one of several categories, including mixtures, pure substances, elements, compounds, ionic compounds, molecular compounds, singular elements and diatomic elements. 

    • Distinguish between different types of elements using their physical properties and classify them as metals, nonmetals, or metalloids. 

    • Distinguish between different elements according to their chemical properties. Identify the chemical properties of 5 major families of chemical elements. 

    • Become fluent in the organization periodic table into periods and groups and by atomic number.  

    • Be able to read and correctly use chemical notation showing phase changes, subscripts, and physical changes of state. 

    • Be able to interpret basic information about the structure of an atom such as proton, electron, and neutron number, mass, charge and location. 

    • Develop a set of learning strategies to internalize the IUPAC rules for naming and writing chemical formulas for compounds. 

    • Demonstrate the ability to name and write the formulas for a variety of chemical compounds. Demonstrate proficiency in transitioning between different types of compounds and different rules used to name them and to write their formulas. 

    • Develop fluency in writing chemical equations and balancing them. 

    • Demonstrate literacy in chemical reactions by translating chemical equations into written expressions and translating written expressions into chemical equations. 

    • Demonstrate an understanding of proportional relationships and conservation of mass by balancing chemical reactions using whole number coefficients to generate stoichiometric ratios. 

    • Demonstrate an understanding of the proportional relationships between species in a chemical reaction using conversion factor form to solve mole mole conversions. 

    • Demonstrate the ability to fluently calculate or determine the Molar Masses of compounds and elements. 

    • Demonstrate an understanding of mass relationships by calculating percent composition by mass of an element within a given compound. 

    • Demonstrate an understanding of mass relationships by demonstrating the ability to convert between grams and moles utilizing molar mass as a conversion factor. 

    • Be able to convert information about the percent composition by mass into both empirical and molecular formulas. 

    • After writing a chemical equation students should be able to identify patterns and classify reactions as synthesis, decomposition, double replacement, single replacement or combustion. 

    • Be able to infer from lab work the overall energy changes of an endothermic reaction and an exothermic reaction. 

    • Be able to explain in terms of overall energy changes from reactants to products, why a reaction is endothermic or exothermic. 

    • Be able to apply scientific principles and techniques in the lab to support a claim that changes in surface area or the addition of a catalyst impacts the overall rate of a chemical reaction. 

    • Be able to use Molarity and Part per million to express in terms of mass, the number of particles of reactant or product present in an aqueous solution. 

     

    Quarter 3

    Cycle 3 - Studying Matter & Chemical Change at the Microscale

    Overarching Theme of Content: Atomic Theory & Structure (including nuclear theory), Advanced Bonding Theory & Molecular Modeling, Organic Chemistry & Nuclear Chemistry

     

    NYS NGSS Performance Expectations: 

    • Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms.

    • Plan and conduct an investigation to gather evidence to compare the structure of substances at the bulk scale to infer the strength of electrical forces between particles.

    • Develop models to illustrate the changes in the composition of the nucleus of the atom and the energy released during the processes of fission, fusion, and radioactive decay.

    • Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties.

     

    Cycle Goals & Performance Expectations:

    • Become fluent in advanced properties of elements and periodic trends found in main group elements such as electronegativity, ionizations energy, atomic radius, and ionic radius. 

    • Be able to explain in terms of valence electrons, how atoms adopt noble gas electron configurations to achieve energetic stability when forming bonds. 

    • Become fluent in the use of nuclear notation to express the contents of the nucleus of an atom.

    • Be able to define in terms of protons and neutrons why an atom is an isotope of an element. 

    • Be able to find or calculate neutron and proton number when given nuclear notation or isotope notation.

    • Be able to express valence electron number by drawing Lewis Electron dot diagrams of main group elements. 

    • Be able to express the structure of ionic substances as Lewis electron dot diagrams.

    • Be able to express the molecular geometry of a compound by drawing its Lewis structure and making predictions regarding bond angle by applying the VSEPR model. 

    • Explain, in terms of difference in representation, why Lewis structures are expressed in fundamentally different ways for molecular and ionic compounds. 

    • Be able to determine the polarity of a molecule using Lewis structure and predictions based on molecular geometry and charge distribution. 

    • Be able to predict types of interparticle forces of attraction based on knowledge of structure and classification of material, these should include: Ion-Ion interactions, Dipole Dipole attractions, Hydrogen Bonding and London/Vanderwaal forces of attraction. 

    • Expand on existing knowledge of chemical nomenclature by becoming fluent in IUPAC nomenclature for organic compounds. 

    • Become fluent in the identification and classification of organic molecules, be able to draw structural formulas. 

    • Be able to define, distinguish between, and express a molecule’s composition as an empirical formula, a molecular formula, a structural formula, or a condensed structural formula. 

    • Be able to identify and write five types of organic reactions

    • Explain how organic substances are used in modern applications to match material properties with the needs of consumers and manufacturers. 

    • Be able to define nuclear reactions as fundamentally different from regular chemical reactions

    • Be able to distinguish between the 3 different types of nuclear reactions and explain why some are defined as natural vs human made. 

    • Be able to write nuclear decay equations

    • Be able to identify and complete equations describing nuclear fusion and fission

    • Be able to to solve half life problems describing the decay of radioactive isotope over time 

    • Be able to find the average atomic mass of an element using the percentages of its naturally occurring isotopes to find the weighted average atomic mass. 

    • Recall the uses of common radioactive elements

    • Explain why certain radioactive elements are dangerous in terms of how they interact in the human body (biological exposure) and their half life and decay rate. 

     

    Quarter 4

    Cycle 4 - Advanced Chemical Reactions 

    Overarching Theme of Content: Critical Aqueous Reactions

     

    NYS NGSS Performance Expectations: 

    • Plan and conduct an investigation to compare properties and behaviors of acids and bases.

    • Use evidence to illustrate that some chemical reactions involve the transfer of electrons as an energy conversion occurs within a system.

    • Refine the design of a chemical system by specifying a change in conditions that would produce increased amounts of products at equilibrium.

    • Use mathematical representations to support the claim that atoms, and therefore mass, are conserved during a chemical reaction.

     

    ADDITIONAL NOTES: By fourth cycle, students should be reaching high levels of synthesis which means they should be able to demonstrate the ability to make connections between cross cutting concepts that have run throughout the entire course. As such, the lab work during the marking period is intensive and requires students to work at a high level. 

     

    Cycle Goals & Performance Expectations:

     

    • Express the concentrations of a solution using either units of molarity or units of parts per million. 

    • Prepare a solution in the lab of a given concentration using units of molarity and stoichiometric calculations. 

    • Conduct an investigation of the properties of acids and bases in the lab.

    • Find the concentration of a base of acid which is unknown using a solution with a known concentration and applying the laboratory technique of titration. 

    • EXPLAIN the concept of concentration and how it impacts predictions regarding yield when a reaction is done and the impact it has on reaction rate during a chemical reaction. 

    • Perform the stoichiometric calculations required to predict the theoretical yield of product in a reaction, perform a single replacement reaction involving the oxidation of aluminum and the reduction of copper, collect the copper product via filtering and washing, and measure actual yield. Report in a formal lab report written at a high level, the data, results, and percent yield obtained in the lab. 

    • Predict how changes in temperature, concentration, and pressure impact a reaction while it is in a state of chemical equilibrium.

    • Be able to give at least two examples of real life applications of equilibrium reactions in chemical industries and in the environment. 

    • Conduct a hands on investigation of the applications of oxidation and reduction in the following context including its application in electrochemical cells: 1) The use of electricity to decompose compounds such as water into their elements 2) The use of oxidation and reduction to build a voltaic pile and convert chemical energy into electrical energy 3) The use of redox in electrolytic cells to convert electrical energy into chemical energy as seen in the industrial princess of plating objects with metal. 





    Next Generation Science Standards - Cross Cutting Concepts & Science and Engineering Practices

     

    The Next Generation Science standards have a primary goal of introducing students to universal ideas and universal practices found in scientific disciplines. While this model has its own flaws, it is important to note that a general understanding of science IS NOT, and I cannot stress this enough, a reflection of a student’s ability to memorize and repeat facts they are taught. The primary goal of the NGSS and of the design of the instruction in this chemistry course, is to emphasize common ideas about how humans rationally interact with the natural world in order to draw conclusions about how it operates. Additionally, in terms of introducing students to STEM careers, the NGSS was established to give students access to the methods used by scientists to interact with natural phenomena and to test their hypothesis. They are also exposed to a lot of ideas about engineering and the way that people working in STEM fields use the primary cross cutting concepts to design and manipulate materials and mechanisms we use to build many of the technologies and resources we depend on in everyday life. 

     

    The overall design of this course has been based on two primary ideas most useful to students at this level and integrated with the foundational ideas behind the NGSS. 1) That scientific observation and study has led to the discovery of common and somewhat universal principles that are governing the natural world. Understanding these in one context can likely give students increased understanding in multiple contexts. 2) That scientific practice gives students access to understand and create their own understanding of information based on rational interrogation of evidence and arguments. That all students should have access to the basic tools and methods chemists have used for centuries to understand the nature of matter and use it for human benefit. 

     

    This leads me to important points I emphasize to students throughout the year. 

     

    • Adopting new and improved ways of considering how and why you learn, is essential to succeed in higher level science courses. 

    • Changing study practices to adopt a cycle of metacognitive reflection rather than linear and non-reflective practices is critical to high level learning and should be practiced now to ensure success in college and IN LIFE. 

    • Developing professional and mature attitudes regarding independent and collaborative work with peers in the classroom is a core part of readying one self for their future careers. 

    • Hard work, grit, and determination are more important than quick shallow successes that can be achieved via “getting homework done”, copying, and cheating. Quitters do not succeed in my classes, the course is designed to reward determination and authentic learning practices.