Course Syllabus

CHEM 10:

Concepts in Chemistry

 

Zerubba Levi, Chemistry Professor

Office: 614-A 

E-mail: zerubba.levi@cabrillo.edu

Phone: (831) 477-3230

• Lecture: meets on Mondays and Wednesdays from 12:40 pm to 2:00 pm in Room 608.
• Laboratory: meet every Monday from 2:30 pm to 5:35 pm in Room 606.
• Office Hours:
  • Mondays & Wednesdays: 11:15 am to 12:15 pm in the MESA Center
  • Mondays & Wednesdays: 2:00 pm to 2:30 pm in 614-A
  • Tuesdays & Thursdays: 10:00 am to 11:00 am in the MESA Center
  • If you can't meet during regularly scheduled office hours, please call or email me to make an appointment to meet outside of office hours.

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

CHEM 10 is a 4 unit general chemistry course designed for non-science majors who want to gain a better understanding of science, and an appreciation for chemistry. It has 3 hours of lecture and 3 hours of laboratory each week. To earn 4 units of credit, students are expected to spend 7 hours per week preparing assignments and studying OUTSIDE of class.

The key goal in this course is to develop an atomic level understanding of everything that can be observed and measured. The physical universe will be understood in terms of the structure of matter and its changes. Specifically, students will build knowledge of chemistry, and develop an understanding of the scientific process in general.

Students are expected to have an interest in understanding the nature of science, but formal training is not necessary. During the course, students will explore important societal issues that can be better understood knowing some concepts in science and chemistry. The course is largely descriptive, though occasionally a few simple calculations will be done to illuminate specific concepts. The course relies on students’ ability to think critically and logically, while building scientific literacy.

 

REQUIRED MATERIALS:

Materials and supplies can be purchased from the Cabrillo Bookstore (see website) or through an online supplier where available.

• Two (2) ORANGE Parscore sheets (Form F 3652-PAR-L) for use on exams.
• A NON-PROGRAMMABLE scientific calculator. Cell phones may NOT be used on quizzes or exams.
• Safety glasses.

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. INVESTIGATE the properties of matter through measurement and mathematical relationships and describe those properties using the language of chemistry.
2. SYNTHESIZE conclusions from experimental observations.
3. COMMUNICATE the structure of matter using standard chemical nomenclature.
4. PREDICT the products, and explain observed reactivity, of common chemical reactions including nuclear, acid-base, oxidation-reduction, combustion, and hydrolysis.

 

OUTLINE OF COURSE CONTENT:

1. The Scientific Method:
2. Classification of Matter
3. Atomic Structure
4. Nuclear Chemistry:
5. Quantum Mechanics
6. Bonding & Chemical Reactions
7. Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry & Nutrition:
8. Chemistry of Drugs, Supplements, Dyes
9. Plastics & Biopolymers:
10. Environmental Chemistry

 

ASSESSMENT & GRADING:

The complete listing of topics covered, textbook readings, assignments and due dates can be found on the course homepage. Course grades will be calculated as follows:

COURSE COMPONENT	PERCENTAGE OF GRADE
Exams	50%
Laboratory Work	25%
Problem Sets	15%
Poster Presentation	10%
TOTAL	100%

 Extra credit will be offered from time to time for completing surveys, and will be announced on the announcements page of this website.

Exams, quizzes, problem sets, lab work, or any other course assignments may NOT be made-up. If an assignment (quiz, exam, lab work) must be missed, any make up work must be arranged with the instructor PRIOR to the due date or lab activity. Assignments will NOT be accepted for credit by e-mail submission.

Letter grades will be assigned according to the STRICT cutoffs below:

LETTER GRADE	A	B	C	D	F
Course Percentage	90.-100%	80.-89%	70.-79%	60.-69%	<60.%

 

• EXAMS: Two Midterm Exams (150 points each) and one take-home Final Exam (200 points) will be given, for a total of 500 points (50 % of total course grade). Each midterm exam will consist of multiple choice questions (orange scantron needed) and free response questions. The exam questions will be closely tied to the lecture discussions, assigned reading, weekly problem sets & work in lab. 

 

• PROBLEM SETS: Daily practice is important to learning any new subject. Each week students will be assigned a problem set relating to the week's material in lecture and lab. These assignments are computer graded on CANVAS and are due on the date listed (late work is not accepted). Full credit for the semester represents 150 points and the lowest 3 problem sets will be dropped. These assignments will help prepare students for the problems encountered on the exams. 

 

• POSTER PRESENTATION: Science depends on open communication between a community of scientific investigators. Researchers the world over explore nature, perform experiments, generate hypotheses to explain observations, communicate their results to their peers, & refine their understanding into scientific theories. The goal of this poster presentation is to learn in depth about a topic in chemistry and share that acquired knowledge with the class. Working individually, students will research and present on a topic of their choosing pertaining to chemistry, whether applied, or historical. Topics must be approved by Monday, April 5th. In place of an in-class final exam, students will present a poster to the instructor and peers. Each poster presentation will be a maximum of 10 minutes, including 2 minutes of question & answer. Presentations will be worth 100 points (10% of the course grade), and will be graded on content, poster design, layout & structure, clarity of communication, & the research bibliography. Refer to the poster presentation guidelines & grading rubric for more details.

 

• EXTRA CREDIT: For each day a student attends office hours and asks course related questions, 1 point of extra credit will be earned for up to 15 points (1.5% of total course grade). Students must sign in to the office hour log to receive these points.

 

• LABORATORY WORK: Laboratory work is intended to familiarize you with basic laboratory techniques, encourage exploration of the process of scientific inquiry, and illustrate hands-on concepts of chemistry. Please include your full name on all work submitted in lab for full credit; no credit will be awarded for assignments with no name included.

The lab grade (25% of total course grade) will be composed of the three (3) components below:

LAB COMPONENT	PERCENTAGE OF GRADE
Pre-Lab Quizzes	5%
Post-Lab Questions	15%
Scholarship	5%
TOTAL	25%

Please refer to the schedule for a complete listing of the 14 active lab days. 

PRE-LAB QUIZZES: For each experiment, students must read and understand both the background information and the experimental procedure BEFORE coming to the laboratory. To asses students' level of preparation, pre-lab quizzes will periodically be given at the beginning of the lab period. You must arrive to lab on time. If you are late for the period, you may not be allowed to perform the pre-lab quiz or the scheduled experiment. Not every lab will necessarily have a pre-lab quiz. The two lowest pre-lab quizzes will be dropped and the remaining total pre-lab quiz score will be normalized to 50 points. 

POST-LAB QUESTIONS: Many (but not all) of the lab experiments will include assigned post-lab questions. These assignments, covering the core concepts from each experiment, are computer graded on CANVAS and are due the next lab day after the experiment is finished. To accommodate emergencies or illness, the lowest 2 post-lab assignments will be dropped, and the remaining total points possible will be normalized to 15% of the course grade.

SCHOLARSHIP: This assessment involves approaching the course as a scholar, adult and professional while not hindering the instruction of others. Scholarship includes being punctual, prepared, courteous, cooperative, and safe. Point loss in this category is frequently associated with regular tardiness, disrupting lab in anyway, leaving your lab bench or equipment messy, or anything else I deem detrimental to learning. Any unsafe behavior in lab will result in a warning, possibly accompanied by the loss of the lab scholarship points. For each lab experiment, there are 5 scholarship points possible; points will only be deducted in the event of unsafe or unprofessional behavior. My assumption is the majority of students will receive 100% of these points without incident.

• Absence from a lab period results in a 0 for scholarship points that day.

DISCLAIMERS: 

• The laboratory is a major and essential part of this course. Attendance in lab is REQUIRED. Failure to attend lab (and complete the corresponding assignments) for 3 OR MORE lab meetings will result in a failing grade, and the student will be dropped from the course by the instructor.
• There are no make-up experiments. A missed experiment will earn 0 points. Safety glasses or goggles are to be worn at all times. The Cabrillo College laboratory safety rules will be enforced at all times. Students who refuse to obey these rules will be asked to leave the laboratory. Students must come to to lab with the proper attire (closed toed shoes & long pants) or they will be asked to leave and forfeit the points for that day.
• For some experiments, students may be collecting and sharing data with a partner. HOWEVER, students must do their own calculations and formulate their own conclusions for each experiment. Please refer to the section on Academic Integrity below for more information.

 

SCHEDULE & IMPORTANT DATES:

CHEM 10 is a 16 week course (including the week of Final Examinations during which we will have the poster presentations). The complete listing of topics covered, textbook readings, assignments and due dates can be found on the course homepage. Please be advised that it is your responsibility to ensure your schedule is open during exam times listed below. It is also your responsibility to submit to the Admissions Office the necessary paperwork for adding and dropping a course; failure to do so can result in you not being officially enrolled or having an "F" grade appear on your permanent record.

Important Course Dates

DEADLINE	DATE
Deadline to add course or drop with a refund:	Saturday, February 6th
Deadline to drop without a "W"	Sunday, February 7th
President's Day: NO CLASS	Monday, February 15th
Midterm Exam 1:	Monday, February 29th
Spring Break: NO CLASS	March 28th - April 2nd
Midterm Exam 2:	Monday, April 11th
Last day to drop WITHOUT a letter grade:	Saturday, April 23rd
In-Class Poster Presentation & Take-Home Final DUE:	Monday, May 16th, 10:00 am-12:50 pm

The above schedule is subject to change. It may be changed as the class progresses to allow for the extension or abbreviation of certain material. Please see the course homepage for an up-to-date listing of exam times and assignment deadlines. Students are also responsible for all announcements made exclusively in lecture or lab.

 

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS:

If you are serious about being successful in this course, I highly recommend you read and adopt these study tips discussed in this link. This advice could very well apply to any course or subject you choose to learn. Below, I've outlined some of my own thoughts on learning, as well as highlighted valuable resources we have available at Cabrillo.

• INDEPENDENT STUDY: To thoroughly learn the concepts of chemistry (or any subject for that matter), you must be an actively engaged and dedicated learner. This means you must do more than simply listen to an instructor in lecture, review lecture slides, and watch videos. To improve your independent study skills, I would encourage the following practices:
• After reading a page or paragraph in the textbook, try to explain the concept IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Science textbooks are not like fictional literature. It may sometimes be necessary to re-read, and re-re-read a section to understand the material. When you can't understand a complex sentence break it down into smaller pieces and try to understand each of the components. Ask questions about how something could be proved or tested. Reading in this way can be slow and frustrating, but it will help lead you to a deeper understanding than if you just skimmed the material. 
• Try to arrange your schedule so you can read the assigned textbook sections BEFORE coming to lecture. This way you have already been exposed to the terminology and concepts before I try to explain them as best as I can. Studying chemistry can be like learning a new language, and you need practice reading it on your own.
• After lecture, spend the time going over practice problems. Try to work through questions without reference to the lecture slides, readings, or an answer key. Only when you are stumped should you consult external materials. Remember, you are trying to train yourself to solve problems independently. That being said, group work can be a powerful component to learning and retaining new concepts.

• GROUP STUDY: You will often be asked to make study groups during lecture and lab time.  I recommend forming study groups to work outside of class time as well. Success in science and math is increased by active study and discussion with peers. Take group discussions as an opportunity to listen to how other people understand and explain concepts; this can lend new perspective. At the same time, try to offer your own explanations for difficult concepts. Trying to teach material to others can solidify your understanding or can help you pinpoint areas that you still don't entirely grasp.

 

CAMPUS RESOURCES:

• OPEN ACCESS COMPUTER LAB: Students may use the Open Access Computer labs for word processing, Internet access, and printing. The Open Access Labs are located in the Library, the Aptos CTC (Building 1400) Watsonville CTC (Room WatA310) and the Watsonville ILC (Room WatA210).
• MESA Center is in the 800 Building, phone: (831) 479-5785. They have free tutors, workshops, internet access and food! Study for your Math, Science, and Engineering at the MESA lab with your fellow classmates in a comfortable, casual atmosphere.

MESA is a nationally recognized program that has been assisting students in preparing for careers in math-based fields for over 40 years at certain high schools, universities, and community colleges in California. Cabrillo's MESA Program has its home in the MESA Study Center, now located in the new STEM Center on the top floor of the 800 Building. There the following services are provided to ALL Cabrillo students:

• Academic Excellence Workshops where participating students meet twice a week to sharpen skills and improve understanding for selected math, physics, or engineering courses;
• A study center equipped with computers, science-related software, and a small reference library of science and math books;
• Drop-in and group tutoring in math and sciences provided by math and science professionals and by students, and
• The opportunity to be a member of a supportive community of students all working toward transfer in a science, engineering or math major.

To those students who qualify for MESA membership, there are many more services and opportunities that are offered to ensure their successful transfer in science, engineering and math majors;

• Academic counseling by a designated MESA counselor to establish and update education plans,
• Scholarships, internships, leadership retreats, summer research programs;
• Field trips to industry sites, science museums, and prospective transfer universities;
• Long-term calculator, computer, and locker checkouts;
• Sponsored student travel to professional conferences and
• Free printing and copying in the Center.

To qualify for MESA membership, students must be working toward transfer in a math, engineering or science major; they must be eligible for financial aid and they must have some educational obstacle, such as being the first in their families to attend college. To find out more, come by the MESA Study Center in the STEM Center in the 800 Building, call (831) 479-6503, or use our website shortcut: www.cabrillomesa.org.

• THE MATHEMATICS LEARNING CENTER: The Math Learning Center (MLC) is a free drop-in math tutoring service for Cabrillo College math students and students taking courses having math prerequisites. The MLC was created to help students develop an ability to tackle math problems on their own. By logging into the MLC database, students may request and receive help within minutes. Some of the ways in which students receive help are:
  • clarifying and applying basic math concepts
  • test taking and study skills
  • understanding applications
  • problem solving skills
  • interpreting solutions
  • organizing information
  • analyzing errors
  • connecting new knowledge to existing knowledge
  • using resources (books, notes, calculators, Internet, computers and mobile devices)
  • building confidence

When requesting help, individual tutors go to where students are studying. There is no line to wait in and students are helped in the order in which they request help. To reduce waiting time, each student is often helped with one or two problems before the tutor moves on to the next student. This gives students an opportunity to apply what they just learned to similar or new problems on their own; however, there is no limit to the number of times students may request help. Students may see how busy the MLC is by visiting the webpage: www.mlc.polyhedraldesign.com.

In addition to tutoring, students may use their Cabrillo Library Card to check out calculators, laptops*, textbooks, textbook videos, various learning software packages and a biofeedback system for managing math anxiety. These materials are available for use in the MLC. Also provided are exam review sessions and study sessions when coordinated with the instructor. To use the MLC during the semester, please visit the Center in room 1074 and register for services. For additional information about the MLC, call (831) 477-5696 or visit the website at www.cabrillo.edu/services/mlc.

• FOR DSPS ACCOMMODATIONS: As required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), accommodations are provided to insure equal opportunity for students with verified disabilities. Students needing accommodations should contact the instructor as soon as possible with documentation from the Learning Skills or DSPS offices. Students with extended time will complete their exams at a location chosen by DSPS. Arrangements for this should be made with the instructor and DSPS at least five days prior to each exam, with the appointment scheduled to begin at the same time as the rest of the class. For more information, please contact Disabled Student Services, Room 810, phone: (831) 479-6379, or the Learning Skills Program, Room 1073, phone: (831) 479-6220.

 

CONDUCT & ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: If you are late to lecture or need to leave early, please be courteous enough to do so quietly. Any unauthorized use of cell phones and computers (including emailing, texting, surfing the web, and playing games) during lecture or lab is considered disrespectful towards the instructor and other students. If phone or computer use becomes distracting to other students or to me, I will ask you to leave the classroom. 

It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty in accordance with the Cabrillo College Academic Integrity Policy. If you are caught cheating or plagiarizing at any time, then your violation will be reported and you will receive an F for that assignment or assessment (0 points). If you are caught cheating or plagiarizing a second time, you will receive an F for the course.

Any smart phones or other electronic devices (other than calculators) shall not be visible during any quiz or test. Failure to have devices out of sight will forfeit your grade for that assessment, and may lead to disciplinary action.