Course Syllabus

CHEM 12A:

First Semester Organic Chemistry Lecture

 Zerubba Levi, Chemistry Professor

E-mail: zerubba.levi@cabrillo.edu

 

IMPORTANT COURSE INFORMATION:

CHEM 12A is the lecture portion of the first semester of the year-long organic chemistry course intended for chemistry majors and pre-professional medical and biology majors. A primary goal of this course is to understand the structure of organic molecules and investigate how this connects to reactivity. Stereochemistry will be studied in combination with spectroscopy to explore and develop a mechanistic understanding of organic reactions, with a focus on aliphatic compounds.

• Office Hours will be held via Zoom. If the times below don't work for your schedule and you would like to work through your questions one-on-one, please email me to make an appointment to meet outside of office hours. I will try my best to accommodate your needs and establish a time that works for both of our schedules.

• Tuesdays & Thursdays: 12:40 to 2:00 pm: During these times, I will lead group problem solving sessions to get practice with the concepts presented in the video lectures. 
• Mondays: 3:00-4:00 pm: This time will be devoted to answering individual questions. 
• Wednesdays: 9:00-10:00 am: This time will be devoted to answering individual questions. 

 

PREREQUISITES:

• CHEM 1B with a grade of "C" or better

 

RECOMMENDED COURSE MATERIALS:

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

I have designed this course so that it can be completed without the need for a textbook. That being said, if you are seeking mastery of the subject matter, I strongly advise you purchase and follow along in the course by reading the following texts:

Textbooks are expensive. I have researched numerous textbooks and options in making the choices for this course. There are a number of online textbooks that are open-source projects, but they just are not ready for use as of yet. Simply put, the Organic Chemistry textbook by Klein is the best book for this class on the market. Klein is like a kindred spirit, the way he thinks about and explains the concepts is very much in line with my personal style of teaching & testing. His problem sets are fantastic. 

The textbook by Klein is now in its third edition. As a way of saving costs, the publisher offers an electronic version of the textbook as well as a loose leaf version of the text (that can be held in a 3 ring binder). The nice thing about the electronic version is that it includes access to video tutorials and solutions by the author of the textbook. While the bookstore only stocks the most recent version of the text, you could just as well pick up a used copy of the 2nd edition online for a fraction of the cost. 

• Klein, D. R. Organic Chemistry, 2^nd Edition; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.: New Jersey, 2015. (ISBN 978-1-118-45228-8)

The worked problems and the end of chapter questions are excellent tools in studying for quizzes and exams. These textbook questions will not be collected or graded for homework, but still represent an essential resource for review. Wiley publishes a solution manual to the textbook problems.That being said, you're always welcome to visit office hours and we can work through questions together.

• Klein, D. R. Student Study Guide & Solutions Manual t/a Organic Chemistry Binder Ready Version, 2^nd Edition; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.: New Jersey, 2015. (ISBN 978-1-118-70081-5)

Wiley also publishes a small supplement to the textbook. Most students find this to be an excellent resource and a worth while addition to complement the larger full text. 

• Klein, D. R. Organic Chemistry as a Second Language: First Semester Topics; 4th Edition; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.: New Jersey, 2016. (ISBN 978-1-119-11066-8)

A physical model kit is an indispensable tool in studying organic chemistry, especially for beginners. We will spend a great deal of time drawing and visualizing complex organic molecules--that's largely how organic chemists are able to rationalize and predict the behavior of molecules. Being able to build a physical model & rotate it in 3-dimensions to see it from different perspectives is immensely helpful. Any physical model kit will do. There are a ton of model kits on the market, many of which are cheaper than the Molymod molecular model set I recommend below. The great thing about the Molymod kit is that it's strong and robust. You can pre-build models for the tests and quizzes and they will survive in your backback, or even strapped to the outside of your backpack! If you don't want to drop the cash for a model kit of your own, you can also check out kits in the STEM Center. 

• Molymod ®. Molecular Model Set For Organic Chemistry; Allyn & Bacon: New Jersey, 1984. (ISBN 978-0-205-08136-3)

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:

1. Communicate the structure of organic molecules, including the stereochemistry thereof, utilizing standard organic nomenclature, condensed structural formulas, Lewis structures and bond-line formulas with emphasis on alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aromatic hydrocarbons and alkyl halides.
2. Analyze molecular structures through the use of conformational analysis to deduce their lowest energy conformation.
3. Predict and explain organic chemical reactivity utilizing a variety of models including Valence Bond Theory, Molecular Orbital Theory, Resonance Theory and/or Reaction Mechanisms.
4. Utilize a series of organic reactions to design a viable synthetic route to a given simple target molecule requiring a maximum of four steps.
5. Analyse spectroscopic (FT-IR, NMR, Mass Spect) and other analytical techniques (melting/boiling points, molecular weight, percent elemental composition) to determine the structure of an unknown chemical substance. 

 COURSE CONTENT:

1. Molecular Structure
2. Valence Bond Theory
3. Molecular Orbital Theory
4. Functional Groups, including
   • Alkanes
   • Alkenes
   • Alkynes
   • Alkyl Halides
   • Atomatic Hydrocarbons
5. Constitutional and Stereoisomerism
6. Acid and Base structure and reactivity
7. Nucleophilic Substitution and Elimination reaction mechanisms
8. Theory and interpretation of UV_VIs, IR, NMR, & Mass Spectroscopy

 

ASSESSMENT & GRADING:

Course grades will be calculated as follows:

Course Component	Percentage of Grade
Exams	60.%
Weekly Quizzes	30.%
Concept Checks	5%
Cooperatives	5%

LATE POLICY: All assignments must be submitted via Canvas course website; assignments submitted by e-mail will not be accepted or graded. All assignments will be deducted 10% for each day they are turned in late. Missed assignments cannot be made up. It is the responsibility of students to ensure they have adequate internet connectivity to submit assignments on time; poor internet connectivity, software/hardware issues and other technology problems are not acceptable excuses for late assignments. To avoid problems, avoid last minute submission of assignments. When problems do arise, students should promptly communicate with the instructor to find a solution to the problem. 

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

CONCEPT CHECKS: Each day of class, students are asked to watch video lessons which present and explain the content of the course in small chunks. Related to these video tutorials, Concept Checks are short computer graded quizzes consisting of 5 multiple choice questions. Think of the Concept Checks as drills that help you become familiar with the fundamentals and check your understanding of the video lessons. You are permitted up to 5 attempts to solve the Concept Check questions; however, the questions are chosen at random from a pool of practice problems, so you may not receive the same questions from one attempt to the next. If you are struggling with the Concept Check questions, please visit office hours via Zoom, email me with questions or post a question to the Q&A discussion board. The system will record your highest score from all of your attempts. The five lowest Concept Checks will be dropped and the remaining total will be normalized to 50. points (5% of the course grade). 

QUIZZES: Every 1-2 weeks, a take-home quiz will be given covering the course material. The point of these quizzes is to hold you accountable for regular practice with the course material, while providing a low-stake assessment meant to provide feedback on your understanding of the basics. Unless otherwise indicated, quizzes are open book & open notes (as long as you use your own materials), but students are not allowed to consult other people (including Chegg.com or similar online services). The lowest quiz will be dropped and the remaining total will be normalized to 300. points (30% of the course grade).

COOPERATIVES: Cooperatives are a term I adopted from the other organic chemistry professor at Cabrillo, Dr. Camara. These assignments are meant to encourage critical discussion, collaboration and debate amongst students. The cooperative questions will help prepare students for the most advanced and difficult problems encountered on the exams. The goal here is challenge you to apply the basic principles we've learned in class to complex problems. Part of the value in working on "Co-ops" is to share the process of problem-solving with your peers, to hear different perspectives and lay out all the factors at play in a particular question. For these assignments, don't stress about getting a singular "right" answer; instead, focus your attention on developing a well-founded argument based on the fundamentals.

Students will likely find it difficult to answer Co-op questions without any other practice outside of class. Before tackling the COOPS, I strongly recommend you complete the Concept Checks and Practice Problems for the Unit of the course in question. The in-chapter & end-of-chapter problems in the textbook can also be quite helpful to prepare for the COOPS; Begin with the skillbuilder exercises to practice the basics, then try the integrated and challenge problems for practice with the higher level concepts. Since the answers to these textbook questions are in the solutions manual, they will not be collected or graded. Daily practice is essential to learning any new subject, especially organic chemistry. 

The Coops will be available through the course website, and are due on the date specified on the course calendar.

EXAMS: The course is divided into 5 UNITS; each unit covers roughly 3 weeks of material. At the end of each unit, a take home exam will be administered for 100 points (Exams 1-4 are each worth 10.% of the course grade); the Final Exam (Exam 5) will be comprehensive and will be worth 200 point (20 % of the course grade). Exams are open book & open notes (as long as you use your own materials), but students are not allowed to consult other people (including Chegg.com or similar online services) on the exams. The questions will be closely related to the lecture content, weekly quizzes, cooperatives and the practice problems from office hour discussions.

EXAM IMPROVEMENT POLICY: On the condition that you take all exams, your Exam 5 score will replace the lowest exam grade percentage, when the former is higher than the latter. In other words, if you don't do as well on an earlier exam as you would like, consider Exam 5 as an opportunity to improve on and replace your lowest exam score.

EXTRA CREDIT: Students may earn extra credit for participating in optional assessments or completing surveys on course effectiveness. In all forms, extra credit will total no more than 3.0% of the course grade. 

 

SCHEDULE & IMPORTANT DATES:

CHEM 12A is a 16 week course (including the week of Final Examinations). The complete listing of topics covered, textbook readings, assignments and due dates can be found on the course homepage. This 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 calendar 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. Please be advised that it is your responsibility to ensure your schedule is open during exam times. 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 

• To drop without a "W", withdraw by: 09/13/20
• Last day to drop without a letter grade: 11/20/20

 

SUPPORT SERVICES: Cabrillo College has many programs and services designed to help you during your academic journey. You can visit the website at http://www.cabrillo.edu/services/studserv/index.html for a complete listing of support services. These services are provided free of charge while you are a student. Please take advantage of them. 

FINANCIAL AID: Cabrillo College provides several financial aid opportunities for students. For tuition and/or book assistance information, go to https://www.cabrillo.edu/services/finaid/

FOOD & HOUSING RESOURCES: 22% of students reported being homeless in the last year. 40% of students report facing food insecurity. You don't have to work through this alone. We have a lot of resources both on and off campus to help. Check out this compilation of Santa Cruz country resources for more information.

FOR ASC 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 ASC offices.  For more information, please contact Accessibility Student Center, Room 1073, 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 the responsibility of each student to understand and follow the Cabrillo College Academic Integrity Policy. Any violation of this policy (including cheating or plagiarizing, or helping another student cheat or plagiarize) will be reported to the College and students will receive an F (0 points) for the assignment or assessment in question. Students will receive an F for the course with their second violation of the Cabrillo College Academic Integrity Policy.

 

NONDISCRIMINATION and ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE:  The District is committed to equal opportunity in educational programs, employment, and all access to institutional programs and activities.  The District, and each individual who represents the District, shall provide access to its services, classes, and programs without regard to national origin, religion, age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, race or ethnicity, color, medical condition, genetic information, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, or military and veteran status, or because  he/she is perceived to have one or more of the foregoing characteristics, or based on association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

 

 

STUDENT RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES: You are expected to contribute to a positive learning environment. Your responsibilities as a student include:

• Respect for your fellow students, staff, and faculty
• Actively participating in the learning environment
• Taking responsibility for learning and progressing in your course
• Requesting assistance from the instructor when needed
• Adhere to all academic integrity principles
• Reading and understanding the Cabrillo Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook. (the student grievance procedure is outlined beginning on pg. 18 of the handbook).
• Following all school policies and procedures (All policies and procedures can be found at http://www.cabrillo.edu/associations/governingboard/BoardPolicies.html).

SAFETY: Cabrillo College is committed to providing a safe and secure campus environment. The college will not tolerate acts of harassment or violence. For campus safety and security information, go to https://www.cabrillo.edu/services/sheriff/