Course Title: General Chemistry (SC71) Instructor: Tiffany Christian Telephone: (480) 472-5773 E-mail: tlchristian@mpsaz.org Office: Mesa High School, Room #34 Remind: Text @mhsgenchem to 81010 General Chemistry Mesa High School Course Syllabus Students will learn about matter, its components and properties. They will dissect the structure of an atom and become familiar with many of the elements of the Periodic Table. The in-class curriculum is strongly supported with a laboratory component that is intended to give students the opportunity to experience these concepts firsthand. I have high expectations for your academic achievement, behavior, and personal growth, and will work hard to support you in reaching your learning and achievement goals throughout the year. We will emphasize inquiry and science notebooks for activities and labs, and utilize Cornell notes for taking notes on content. We will have daily bell work, occasional homework, and several unit tests per semester, as well as a final exam. By taking this course, you have given me the impression that you are planning to go to college (or at least considering it). Most colleges want a course history that includes high school level biology, chemistry, and physics. I know that each of you is capable of high-quality work, and that is what I expect from each of your assignments/assessments: complete, on-time, and the best you can do. Therefore, I commit to provide clear, complete instructions and examples, plan lessons with each individual student in mind, and be available for tutoring and extra help as needed. Requirements You should have completed biology prior to enrolling in chemistry. (Chemistry is considered an elective science, while biology is required for graduation.) Chemistry involves a lot of math. It is required that you have completed Algebra 1 with a passing grade; however, it is recommended that you earned a C or higher. Required Materials: Notebook (preferred) or loose lined paper o We will be creating digital notebooks using OneNote (to be discussed in class) Writing utensils pens (multi-colored), pencils, highlighters, etc. Scientific Calculator (You may NOT use your cell phone. I have a class set of about 20, and you will typically be able to use the calculator on your laptop; however, owning your own personal calculator will benefit you.) Goggles (these are strongly recommended and can be purchased at the bookstore; if you don t have your own pair you can borrow old goggles that past students have left behind)
Grades Grades are determined based on a sum of all possible points in each category and are cumulative throughout the semester. Semester grades are awarded on a typical scale: 90% - 100% A : 4.00 80% - 89% B : 3.00 70% - 79% C : 2.00 60% - 69% D : 1.00 < 60% F : 0.00 Grades will be inputted at least weekly and can be viewed through the student/parent portal. Parents will be contacted when student s overall grade drops below a C. Grades are approximately weighted according to the scale below Exams 35% Quizzes 15% Labs/Projects 15% Notebook/Homework 20% Final Exam 15% You are eligible to retake a test if you scored less than 80% and attended a minimum of 2 tutoring sessions with the instructor or a peer tutor. Extra credit is not available on demand, but occasional extra credit is available. I highly recommend taking advantage of every opportunity, whether you need it or not, so that you have the points if you need them in the future. Graduation Fulfillment: Passing this year-long course earns you one credit towards your high school graduation and fulfills a lab science requirement for college entrance/scholastic diploma. Policies and Procedures Electronics: All personal electronic devices (phones, tablets, etc.) must always be OFF or on SILENT and PUT AWAY (not visible) unless explicitly allowed. This includes ear-buds. If electronics are out during class time (any time from bell to bell), you risk having them taken away for the class period. Repeat removal will result in sending the electronic to the office for the rest of the day. The purpose of this is to ensure we are using school time for learning as much as possible. The front board will inform you if you need to have your school laptop out. You are expected to have your computer AND charger in class every day. If a parent needs to contact you during school hours, please have them either call the office directly, call the classroom directly, or email me in advance. You will not be excused from class unless a pass is delivered from the office.
Cheating: Cheating will not be tolerated in my class. Always be sure that any work you turn in is yours. Collaboration in science is always encouraged and expected. However, it is typically very apparent when a student has completed work that is not the result of his/her learning. Homework and class assignments are often graded on a completion basis and are assigned with the intention of expanding the understanding of a topic. Students who do not complete their own work typically struggle on assessments. Incidents where cheating is suspected will be investigated, and those found guilty will be awarded a score of zero. Additional measures may be taken as well. Cheaters stand out. You are not as clever as you think you are. Don t even try it. Absences and make-up work: Students must come to class on time, every day, with all required materials, ready to learn. Daily, on-time attendance is essential for learning and absences should be avoided if at all possible. Make up work is only accepted after an EXCUSED absence. Making up work: View the calendar to find out what you missed. Many assignments will be available through Canvas and notes will be available either on OneNote, Canvas, or my MPS website. If you need a copy of a handout, go to the binder labeled GENERAL CHEMISTRY HANDOUTS and find what you need; handouts are in chronological order (oldest to newest). Make time to meet with a classmate or exchange numbers and make sure you get any notes, assignments, instructions, etc. from them. You are given one day per day absent to make up any missed work without losing points. Late Work: Sometimes life gets the best of you and you are unable to make a deadline. Completing assignments on time is an important skill to learn; however, I do understand that there are circumstances in which this is not possible. Late work for a unit will be accepted up until the administration of the unit test. Assignments are created in order to provide you with opportunities to practice the material that you will be tested on. Completing these assignments in the timeline provided is the best way to ensure that you are prepared for assessments. Tardies: Class starts when the bell rings, and punctuality is important at Mesa High School. You are tardy if you are not inside the classroom before the bell. Please be in your seat, with materials out and ready to start your work when the bell rings. First hour tardies will be dealt with by the front office. If you are tardy you must sign in on the tardy log near the door. If you have a pass from the front office or from another teacher place it in the passes box and your tardy will be excused upon evaluation. If you are more than 10 minutes tardy to a class, it is considered an absence. The school-wide tardy policy is as follows: 1 st Tardy Warning 2 nd Tardy First MIR 3 rd Tardy Second MIR & Parent Contact 4 th Tardy Third MIR & Lunch Detention 5 th Tardy Office Referral
Bathroom/Water Policies: Being able to take care of our basic human needs is a prerequisite for learning. As a teacher, who can NEVER take a bathroom break during a class period trust me, I relate! However, class time needs to be learning time, and I don t want you to miss key information. So: You will be provided with three emergency bathroom passes per semester. Be sure to save these to use only in case of an emergency. At the end of the semester you may turn in leftover passes for extra credit. [In the case of a true emergency, pull out one of your emergency passes and hold it up in your hand; I will signal for you to leave. Sign out, take the bathroom/hall pass and leave your emergency pass with me. Return as quickly as possible. Make sure you get any missed information from a classmate AFTER the lecture is over.] Per school policy, bathroom passes cannot be used during the first 10 minutes or the last 10 minutes of class. If you have any medical conditions that necessitate alternate bathroom arrangements, please talk to me. I will likely require an additional note from your parent/guardian or a medical professional. Classroom Expectations: Time is of the essence in this class so that you can learn everything you need to learn to be successful. We will emphasize a respectful learning environment and promote urgency in our class behaviors to reach our academic goals. We have established classroom behavioral expectations that are in line with school-wide M.E.S.A. policies to help you learn and achieve at your best level, and I will expect behavior that supports your learning consistently. Discipline: Mesa High School follows a Positive Reinforcement behavior model (PBIS), which I wholeheartedly embrace. As a teacher, I will emphasize opportunities to recognize positive academic behavior that upholds the Mesa High standards (Mature, Ethical, Safe and Accountable). Minor disruptions or violations will be dealt with on an individual basis with the student with the goal of improving their learning experience and achievement (redirection, behavior reflections, or conferences). Clear instances of defiance or disrespect will result in detention or referral as well as conferences with the student and parent.
GENERAL CHEMISTRY Student Acknowledgement: I have read the provided syllabus and understand the expectations that the teacher has for me and my performance within the course. Student Name (Printed LEGIBLY): Email: Signature: Parent Acknowledgement: I have read the provided syllabus and understand the expectations that the teacher has for my child and his/her performance within the course. Parent Name (Printed): Email: Phone Number: Signature: