Fall 2020 CHEM104 Chemistry & Problem Solving (Owens) Syllabus

This syllabus is a living document; students must check the syllabus posted for any changes prior to every class attendance

• Three lecture hours per week, three credit hours
• Dates reflect T, R lecture days for Fall 2020 semester

Instructor: Pat Owens (owensp@winthrop.edu) Phone: three, two, three, four, nine, two, five

·        Zoom Office Hours: M 2:00-3:00 PM, R 10:30-11:30 AM

Office Hours: On-Line M 1:00-2:30 PM, R 8:00-9:30 AM

Course Texts:  Introduction to Chemical Principles, 11th Ed, H Stephen Stoker, 2014

Calculator: This course requires an inexpensive ($8-$12) non-graphical, non-programmable science calculator for all classes and tests. It should have capabilities for square roots, logarithms, exponentiation (antilogarithms), and exponential (scientific) notation operations. Graphical and programmable calculators cannot be used during exams.

Course Objectives:

• Gain an understanding of chemistry's central role in modern science
• Develop intensive study habits and develop problem-solving skills to prepare for advanced science and engineering courses
• Understand the process used by scientists and civilizations to observe, to learn about, and to understand the physical world
• Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental principles that underlie the modern chemical sciences
• Understand molecular structures and changes that govern physical properties and processes
• Develop an intuitive appreciation for how chemistry affects our daily lives in so many wonderful ways

Course Outline:

• This is an intense college-level course that focuses upon the fundamentals of chemistry and problem-solving, a rigorous chemistry course for incoming science majors. Chemistry is a problem solving discipline that requires a firm foundation in quantitative thinking. The class will provide a broad overview of chemistry and will focus on problem solving strategies that are critical to success in subsequent math and science courses. The development of problem-solving and critical thinking skills that is the central focus of CHEM104 is also the first of Winthrop's four University-wide student learning objectives.
• Because of its relevance, students usually find this material to be quite interesting. For example, over 80% of our nation's energy needs come from chemical energy production; most of the rest from nuclear power. We will examine these subjects and develop a fundamental understanding of these processes.
• During the semester, we will examine these specific subjects:
• Units and Dimensional Analysis
• Subatomic Particles and Nuclear Chemistry
• Electronic Structure and Chemical Periodicity
• Chemical Bonds and Molecular Structure
• Chemical Nomenclature
• Mole Concepts and Stoichiometric Calculations
• States of Matter, Intermolecular Forces, and Energy
• Gas Laws
• Solutions
• Acid-Base Chemistry
• Oxidation-Reduction Chemistry

Schedule: Course materials will be organized by week, each with two or more class lectures.  Lectures will be on-line in both video and lecture notes formats. Each week, there will be two lecture-based practice problem sets that students must complete and upload for grading by Wednesday and Friday evenings in a single and legible .pdf file.  The quiz for each week will be available starting Thursday at noon and must be uploaded by Sunday evenings. The course weekly schedule provides on overview of the specific topics and text sections covered each week. The individual weekly schedules provide the specific lectures, practice problem sets, quiz, and links to upload assignments for grading. All course information is posted on the chemistry department's web page (chem.winthrop.edu), in the class Dropbox and on Blackboard.

Final Exam:

• Students must take the final exam on Saturday, December 5, 2020 

Class Preparation: You are responsible for all assigned material and for all material discussed in lecture.  For each lecture, I recommend that you first print out the lecture notes, watch the video, take notes, and then work problems covered in each video as you view these.  You can then do the practice problems for that lecture. The text problems have answers in the book and can be done after completing the lecture practice problems. You must work all problems using the Problem-Solving Approach (PSA) best practices used in lectures. There will be a standard 50% cut on those problems that do not use these. It is critically important to learn early how to employ a well-organized and consistent approach to solving problems.

Student Competencies: This course is problem-solving focused; each week’s schedule will include a specific list of student learning objectives. Students should expect to face challenging and what may seem like unfamiliar questions on all graded work; this is done to focus attention on competencies that students have not yet fully mastered.   Graded work is based on materials that have been covered and students are expected to solve practice problems without instructor assistance as these are modeled on lecture and recitation problems covered earlier and student learning occurs most effectively by working through themselves to solve problems. Students are urged to not fall behind and to master each competency as soon as it is first examined. 

Course Requirements and Graded Exercises

·       Weekly graded practice problem sets will be assigned and worth 20 points each.

·       Weekly quizzes will be worth 40 points each.

·       Three 120-point tests (each with a 60-point problem set and a 60-point test) will be given during the weeks noted in the schedule.

·       The final exam will cover the entire semester and will be worth 120 points. It will include a 60-point problem set and a 60-point test integrating concepts covered from throughout the semester.

·       Students must complete the final exam by the scheduled class final exam day to be eligible to earn credit for this course.

Grades: Percentages will be calculated based upon total earned points divided by total points tested. The following grade range will be used: A = 93.00-100%; A- = 88.00-92.99%; B+ = 85.00-87.99%; B = 80.00-84.99%; B- = 76.00-79.99%; C+ = 72.00-75.99%; C = 66.00-71.99%; CR = 56.00-65.99%; UN = <56.00%

Attendance: Course attendance will be measured by student expected participation in uploading completed and organized assignments for grading as outlined each week. Makeup tests and quizzes will not be given.

Students with Disabilities:

• Winthrop University is committed to providing accessible learning experiences and equal access to education for all students. The syllabus is available in alternate formats upon request.
  
  If you are a student with a disability (including mental health concerns, chronic or temporary medical conditions, learning disabilities, etc.) and you anticipate or experience academic barriers due to the condition, please contact The Office of Accessibility (OA) for information on accommodations, registration, and procedures. After receiving approval for accommodations through OA, please make arrangements with me as soon as possible to discuss your accommodations so that they may be implemented in a timely manner.
  
  OA contact information: accessibility@winthrop.edu; 803-323-3290; 307 Bancroft Hall Annex.

Student Conduct Code:

• Responsibility for good conduct rests with students as adult individuals.
• The policy on student academic misconduct is outlined in the Student Conduct Code Academic Misconduct Policy in the online Student Handbook (https://www.winthrop.edu/studentconduct/winthrop-university-student-handbook.aspx. 

On-Line Learning:  Any student enrolled in courses at Winthrop regardless of modality (traditional in-person, online, hybrid, ...) is entitled access to all campus resources. These resources include, but are not limited to, admissions counseling, recreational facilities, and health, library, and academic services. Questions regarding access to these resources should be directed to the assigned academic advisor.