Teacher: Dr. Duru Contact information: Email: chidi.duru@pgcps.org Crossland High School Chemistry Course Syllabus August 2013 Phone: (301) 449-4800 ext. 300 Room #: 121 Planning period: 1 st Period A days 3 rd Period B- days Hours Available for Tutoring: Tuesdays 3:00-4:00 PM Crossland High School Vision Crossland High School is committed to providing Excellence in Education for all students. We will provide a learning environment that is safe and orderly. We will teach essential skills and knowledge through a curriculum that is rigorous, multicultural, and relevant to prepare students to be college and career ready. The faculty will have shared decision making and responsibility for maximizing the academic, social, and emotional growth of all students. Classroom Rules: Students must: Follow Directions at all times Use appropriate school language at all times Keep hands and feet to yourself Wait to be dismissed when the bell rings Adhere to school wide rules and policies Food or Drinks are not allowed in the classroom Cell phones, IPods & mp3 are not allowed in the classroom. Supplies Needed Composition Book (Writing Journal) Pen and pencils 3-ring binder Calculator Color pencils Notebook Paper
Common Core State Standards (CCSS) will be implemented as from this year What CCSS look like in Science Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) 1. Ask questions and define problems. 2. Develop and use models. 3. Plan and carry out investigations. 4. Analyze and interpret data. 5. Use mathematics and computational thinking. 6. Constructing explanations and designing solutions. 7. Engaging in argument from evidence. 8. Obtaining, evaluating and communicating information. SchoolMax It is suggested that parents log on to SchoolMax through the PGCPS website: www.pgcps.org to monitor their children s grades. Parents no longer have to wait for progress reports, report cards or calls from the teachers to know how their children are performing in class. Please contact the school to get your login information if you do not yet have one. Edmodo.com Chemistry class homework assignments are posted on www.edmodo.com. Every chemistry student has been given special access codes to this site. Your child can share his/her code with you or you can contact the teacher by email : chidi.duru@pgcps.org get the right code for your child s class. Homework is usually submitted by chemistry students via this site. You can always know from this site when your children have homework assignments and when they submit the assignments. Classdojo.com This is a class management tool that documents and rewards students conduct in the chemistry class. Access to this site will enable you as a parent to have information on the conduct of your child in the chemistry class. The chemistry teacher can give you access to this site if you give him your email address. Chemistry students already have unique codes and they can each log on to see their personal www.classdojo.com pages. They can also share these codes with their parents. Emails There are times when emails are the best method of communication. You can always reach the chemistry teacher by email. His email address is chidi.duru@pgcps.org. The chemistry teacher would also want to have the ability to send you emails when the need arises. He also intends to give you periodic updates about your child s conduct and progress in the chemistry class. These are usually better by email. Projects
Students will be required to carry out two science projects. One of the projects could be presented as a science fair project. Out door studies Students will sometimes study out doors as they need observe and study their environment. Field Trips Students will be required to attend field trips. Parental permission will be required before students can participate in field trips. Laboratory experiments Students will do lab experiments as part of the chemistry course. Students will however need to sign a safety contract endorsed by their parents before they can be allowed to do labs. Community Service You could earn up to 20 extra credit points per quarter if you can provide evidence of how you used your chemistry skills to serve your community. Grading Policy Class work: 35% Homework: 15% Assessment: 50% Required Textbook: Prentice Hall Chemistry by Wilbraham, Staley, Matta, and Waterman Textbooks will be issued to each student. Each student is required to bring the textbook, a composition book and writing materials to class everyday. Warm-up: Grades will be awarded for warm-up everyday. Warm-up may be given out at the door and/or written on the board. Warm is due within 5 minutes of the beginning of each class. It is the student s responsibility to get to class early enough to complete the warm up. Late warm up will not be graded and warm-ups cannot be made up. Writing Activity: Grades will be awarded for various writing activities on a regular basis. Class Participation: Grades will be awarded for participation in class discussions, presentations and activities. Grades awarded may be for written, oral or group activities. Homework: Students will be expected to do homework on regular basis. Homework should be turned in when they are due. Homework that is turned in late may be turned down or downgraded. Tests and Quizzes: Students will be evaluated frequently through quizzes and tests. Quizzes will be done very frequently and test will be done at the end of each chapter. Evaluation may be on written work, oral presentation, group activity or a project.
Grades: Grades will be available on SchoolMax. Parents are encouraged to log on frequently to monitor the progress of their child. Course Information Course Title: High School Chemistry Summary: This is a one credit high school course designed to endow students with the necessary knowledge and skills that will enable them to apply scientific skills and processes for practical chemistry science concepts. Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to demonstrate the ability to apply scientific skills and processes in order to explain composition and interactions of matter in the world in which we live. Mastery of knowledge acquired in the High School Chemistry course will be demonstrated by successful completion on the PGCPS Cumulative Assessment for Chemistry, which is administered at the end of the course. Alternative assessment devices such as portfolios and projects are also used to assess students performance. Proposed Outline: The High School Chemistry Course is presented in units. Unit lessons are an in-depth inquiry study of chemical processes that help students develop conceptual knowledge of chemical concepts rather than memorization of unrelated facts. Units are designed to encourage imagination, creativity, and analytical thinking. After the completion of each unit, a unit test will be administered to evaluate mastery of concepts and connections taught. The units taught in Chemistry (with the accompanying chapters) are as follows: Unit I Introduction to Chemistry 1, 2 Unit II Periodic Table 4, 5, 6 Unit III Chemical Bonding 7, 8, 9 Unit IV Scientific Measurement 3 Unit V Chemical Reactions 10, 11 Unit VI Stoichiometry 12 Unit VII States of Matter 13, 14 Unit VIII Solutions 15, 16 Unit IX Thermochemistry 17 Unit X Acid - Base Chemistry 19 Unit XI Organic Chemistry 22 Unit XII Nuclear Chemistry 25
Prepared Respectful Intelligent Dependable Excellent CROSSLAND HIGH SCHOOL CAVALIER PRIDE: A PBIS FRAMEWORK Classroom Cafeteria Hallway Bus/School Grounds Complete all assignments, HW and study. Bring all materials. Complete all projects. ID worn at all times. Listen to others when they are speaking. Use appropriate language. Do NOT walk out of class! Ask questions related to the discussion in class. Provide quality feedback to your peers. Be on time for school and class. Stay on task. Wear appropriate uniform Always do your best. Research topic of discussions. Ask higherlevel questions. Have your pin number ready. Have your lunch money ready. ID Visible Do not talk loud in the cafeteria. Respect the cafeteria workers. Do not touch anyone s food. Wait your turn in line. Dump all your trash. Clean up after yourself ID Visible Practice good manners. Have a hall pass at all times. Wear your uniform appropriately. Walk quietly. Do not loiter in the halls. Listen to all adults. Stay to the right. Go to your lockers only in the morning and at dismissal. Use locker time wisely. Do NOT loiter in the am in the halls. Be on time for class. Stay in class until 2:25pm Keep the hallways free of litter. Be on time. Use appropriate language. Stay in your seats on the bus. Do not eat or drink on the bus. Do not litter on the way walking home. Obey all bus rules. Be safe and orderly on the way home. Bathroom Have a hall pass at all times. Be sure to sign out and sign in. Respect others privacy. Use bathroom equipment appropriately. Return to class promptly. Get permission to use the rest room. Keep the rest rooms clean. Obey all bathroom rules.
Acknowledgement I acknowledge that I have received the syllabus for chemistry. --------------------------------------------- ----------------------------- --------- Name of Student Signature of Student Date --------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ --------- Name of Parent Signature of Parent Date --------------------------------------------- ----------------------------- --------- Name Teacher Signature of Teacher Date Sign and return this page to the teacher (for a homework grade if returned by the due date).