Assessment Schedule | Assignments | Access to Materials | Course Description | Course Objectives | Expected Outcomes | Grading | How to Use Course Materials | Textbooks

COURSE DESCRIPTION

CHEMISTRY 1105 (IAI P1 903) 4 credit hours

Contemporary Chemistry, CHM 1105, is an introduction to chemical concepts using practical issues and application to illustrate the principles of chemistry. Topics covered are the language of chemistry, scientific method and measurement, experimentation with data collection, and current issues with application to chemical principles.

This 4-semester hour credit science course is intended for liberal arts majors and well as those individuals that wish to gain an appreciation of how chemistry impacts their daily lives. CHM 1105 fulfills the IAI (Illinois Articulation Initiative) requirements and credit is given as a laboratory science course in the General Education category.

One year of high school algebra is recommended. (3 lecture hours, 3 lab hours)

TEXTBOOKS (Return to Top)

• The Extraordinary Chemistry of Ordinary Things, 4th edition by Carl H. Synder
  (ISBN: 0-471-76946-0) This ISBN number also includes the Study Guide for the Synder text listed above.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: (Return to Top)

Upon successful completion of CHM 1105, students should be able to do the following:

• Describe and apply scientific methodology
• Distinguish between science and technology
• Identify and apply basic chemical principles
• Identify and classify types of chemicals and chemical reactions
• Compare and contrast reaction types, energies, and reaction rates
• Interpret and explain relationships between atomic and molecular structures and chemical properties
• Apply chemical concepts to individual, societal and global issues
• Formulate strategies which integrate chemical concepts to address individual, societal and global concerns
• Collect, compile, analyze, and summarize experimental data
  

EXPECTED OUTCOMES: (Return to Top)

By the end of the course, the student will be able to:

• Demonstrate an awareness of the philosophical, operational and legal approaches used in chemistry
• Demonstrate an awareness of the intellectual considerations of the effect of chemistry on society
• Demonstrate an understanding of chemical vocabulary by correctly using chemical terms in course assignments, discussions and evaluation materials
• Demonstrate an understanding of the chemical concepts of atoms, compounds, the periodic table, nuclear changes, chemical bonding, states of matter and chemical reactivity
• Successfully demonstrate problem solving strategies for the chemical concepts of atoms, compounds, the periodic table, nuclear changes, chemical bonding, states of matter and chemical reactivity
• Demonstrate the ability to locate information pertinent to chemical issues that affect society
• Correctly evaluate published information with respect to the information's scientific creditability and data validity
• Engage is meaningful dialogue with other individuals in the class on selected chemical applications that affect society
• Evaluate opposing perspectives on chemical issues that affect society using the scientific method and data validity as the evaluation framework
• Demonstrate the ability to successfully perform simulated and hands-on laboratory experiments and analysis the resulting data

ASSIGNMENTS:(Return to Top)

There will be reading, chapter problems and other learning activities given on a regular basis. It is your responsibility to check your answers for some of the work since not everything will not be submitted for grading. If you are having difficulty understanding a problem solution or an idea presented, I encourage you to ask via E-mail. You could post your question to the bulletin board found in the MyCOD portal where other students could respond before I can but I can only guarantee a fast response if I get the question via email.

Check the Course Calendar OFTEN so that you do not miss important DUE DATES. You must submit assignments within the timelines specified in the Schedule of Activities. If they are submitted after the due date, then you will receive at most 50% of the points. You can always submit any assignment or do any quiz or test early as your schedule permits after the 1st week of the term.

NOTE: There will be NO points given for any late assignment that has been graded and returned to other students in the class.

ASSESSMENT SCHEDULE: (Return to Top)

Testing and other graded activities due dates are in found in the Course Calendar. The dates and assignments are password protected and require enrollment in the course to gain access to this information. The grading criteria for these materials is given below.

POINT DISTRIBUTION AND GRADING: (Return to Top)

• At least 75 of the Discussion Question points and 65 of the Web Activities points must be earned to pass the course with a grade above "F".
• Students are expected to participate in all assignments.
• No withdrawals will be allowed after the official drop date. The exact day and date can be found in the College Catalog or in the Schedule of Classes. (I will also post the specific date in the Calendar page with other important course dates.)
• Any student found cheating will fail the course irrespective of any work completed.
• The Satisfactory-Fail Option is only available if the student requests it via e-mail by the second week of the course.
• If assignments are submitted after the due date, then you will receive at most 50% of the points. NOTE: There will be NO points given for any late assignment that has been graded and returned to other students in the class.
• Read the FAQ section for other class policies.

How to Use The Course Materials: (Return to Top)

This course is divided into 3 units of study. Students have access to online chapter information, lecture snippets and other support materials. Students will complete all assignments, engage in discussions with the instructor, and perform assessment and evaluation tasks using online learning tools only - you are not expected to come to campus for any component of the course.

Each unit is organized in essentially the same way. It contains a brief overview of the unit; the key terms and concepts that you should understand; the instructional activities which are to be completed and submitted to your instructor, a quiz for each chapter in the unit and a unit test. A summary of the structure used in each unit is:

Objectives of the Unit: Objectives indicate what is expected of you in the unit. It should give you an idea of what to focus your attention on when you are studying each unit.

Instructional Activities:

Reading: The sections from the textbook that your are to read and understand are posted on the Web. In addition, I will be giving you some recommendations on exercises and questions that are NOT submitted for grading but this work will help you understand if you actually understand the material. I often hear students say that they read the book and really knew the material but then they did badly on the quiz -- they are frustrated! Thinking that you understand is not the same as knowing that you understand -- please do the recommended work.

Lecture Snippets: These are brief comments and notes that I have made for you that are designed to help you with the material. You do need an computer with audio capability in order to hear the information since the snippets are basically a mini-lecture.

Resource Material: These are links to other web sites which have been selected to help you better understand the material.

Quizzes: These are 15 questions per chapter that I have selected as representative of each chapter reading. Information regarding the questions can be found in the textbook, the course materials or on outside web sites. Please note the timelines required for taking these quizzes since you can not get access to the quiz once the deadline is past. You can be limited to 45 minutes when you are taking the quiz and you can only take each quiz once.

Web Activities & Discussion Questions: These are items that you are required to complete and submit to your instructor. They give you credit toward your course grade. Should you have a question regarding these items, you need to contact the instructor. Please do NOT post your questions to the Bulletin Board since this is part of the graded work. I will get back to you as fast as I can (usually within 24 hours) but please remember that I am NOT at my computer 24 hours a day so I may not respond immediately.

Communication: (Return to Top)

FYI: A chemical model of caffeine (One of my favorite food groups).
You must use your college email account and the other communication tools found at the My COD website. Your email will be in the @dupage.edu domain. In addition, I will send to you the necessary login information for our class site at this email address. More specifics about the course site can be found once you login in. Once again, make sure that you always use your COD E-mail address - I will not reply to you if you use another email address!