Instructor
Dr. Paul McCord
office hours / TTh 1:30pm - 2:30pm
office location / WEL 5.239 B
class email / mccord301@cm.utexas.edu
Teaching Assistants / Office Hours
Jimmy Wadman / Wed 2-3pm, WEL 3.140
email: jimmy.wadman@gmail.com
Albert Almanza / Mon 3-4pm, WEL 3.140
email:
insigzilla@yahoo.com
Eric Sikma / Mon 2-3pm, Wed 5-6pm, WEL 2.306
email:
eric.sikma@utexas.edu
CH301 will cover the following subjects (chapters from our gchem site) in chemistry which will be delivered as four total units. Each unit of coverage will have an exam to go with it.
1. Course Introduction What the course is about. The fundamentals of general chemistry which includes unit conversion, nomenclature, composition stoichiometry, and reaction stoichiometry.
2. Gases The gas state is an excellent starting point for learning about modeling and mathematical relationships of physical properties.
3. Atomic Theory Our second unit is all about the atom including its structure and energetics.
4. Bonding Atoms combine via chemical bonds. As more atoms bond together molecules are created. Bonding theory allows us to predict properties and describe the behavior of these molecules.
5. IMFs The interactions between molecules govern key physical properties. Categorizing intermolecular forces (IMFs) helps us define key behaviors of chemical substances and also govern the physical properties of solids and liquids.
6. Thermodynamics
The final unit is a study of thermodynamics as it applies to specific substances, chemical reactions, and processes. Thermodynamics is the study of the energy requirements for all interactions both physical and chemical.
OpenStax eBook: Rice University has dozens of open source eBooks that were created for teaching. Here is a link to their "Chemistry" eBook. Browse the table of contents to find the right chapters.
gchem website: All of our course topics are covered via our online "gchem" website. The gchem site has chapters presented in the same order that we will cover them in class. Plus, in addition to the textual content, there are hundreds of videos available via throughout the chapters. Some videos are for "big picture" concepts while others are for specific problem solving skills. When you do learning exercises (LEs) in Canvas, you will being seeing the content of the gchem site. You can always browse it independent of Canvas.
REEF Polling Software: We are using REEF software as our in-class response system. Each student will need to set up an account and have a smart device (phone, laptop, tablet, etc.). Instructions for setting up an account and registering are provided in another page here on Canvas. You will need to bring your device to each and every class in order to obtain points for the "REEF" portion of your grade. We have negotiated one free semester of REEF polling for you - do not pay for this service!
Scientific Calculator: We will only allow simple scientific calculators for our exams. No programmable or graphing calculators will be accepted. The TI-30xa is the best calculator for this job and is only about $10 dollars. Plan on using it for homework as well as your exams.
We will use FOUR averages plus your final exam score to calculate your overall score in the course. The averages are: Your best 3-exam average (drop lowest exam, Quest), your homework average (Canvas), your learning exercise average (Canvas), and REEF average (adjusted in Canvas). Your overall score will be calculated using the percentages shown below for each category. Both method 1 and 2 will be calculated and compared. The highest of the two methods will be your official overall score for the course.
| Scores | method 1 | method 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 3-exam average (best 3 of 4) | 60 % | 30 % |
| final exam | 25 % | 55 % |
| learning exercises (best 26 of 31) | 5 % | 5 % |
| homework (best 10 of 12) | 5 % | 5 % |
| REEF (adjusted on Canvas) | 5 % | 5 % |
| total | 100 % | 100 % |
Course grades will be determined according to the following scale or cut-offs:
| A | ≥ | 93.00 |
| A- | ≥ | 90.00 |
| B+ | ≥ | 87.00 |
| B | ≥ | 83.00 |
| B- | ≥ | 80.00 |
| C+ | ≥ | 77.00 |
| C | ≥ | 73.00 |
| C- | ≥ | 70.00 |
| D+ | ≥ | 67.00 |
| D | ≥ | 63.00 |
| D- | ≥ | 60.00 |
| F | < | 60.00 |
Your score is calculated to the nearest 1/100th - that's 2 places PAST the decimal. So the only digit that is rounded "up" is the 1/1000th's digit.
Spreadsheet for Calculating your Grade Dr. McCord provides a downloadable excel spreadsheet for you to use to easily calculate your grade using the percentages shown. You can change the scores to see what you must get to get the grade you want. This is most helpful when there is only one exam and the final exam still out to be taken.
Excel Spreadsheet to Calculate your Grade (Fall 2016 edition)
Four examinations will be given during class time on the assigned days. Please see the Canvas site for the calendar that has these exams placed. Each of the exams will be about 25 questions that are all multiple-choice questions. The number of choices of choices will vary anywhere from 2 up to 10 choices. Each student will turn in their exam copy and a bubblesheet (answer sheet) which will be scanned and graded. All scores on exams will be available on Quest (Quest is only used for exams and the grading of exams - there is no cost associated with Quest for this course).
The final exam WILL be comprehensive and mandatory. This means that all the material covered during the course will be on the exam. The final exam will be counted as 25% of your overall grade. The final exam schedule is set by the registrar's office and cannot be changed. ALL students will take the final exam - there are no exemptions, regardless of grade status.
The four class exams will be held on Wednesday evenings from 7pm to 9pm (2 hours). The final exam is as scheduled on the University's Registrar's website.
If you have a conflict with the established 7-9pm exam time, we offer an alternative exam time from 4-6pm on the same day as the regularly scheduled exam. To sign up for the alternate exam, please visit http://www.cm.utexas.edu/testing and follow the given instructions. We do not offer any other alternate exam periods. If you are unable to attend both the 7-9pm regular exam time and the 4-6pm alternative exam time, please contact the Chemistry Student Services Office (WEL 2.212, 512-471-1567) for help moving into a section of this course with different exam dates.
Only religious holidays and UT related conflicts (e.g. classes, labs, band) are acceptable reasons to reschedule an exam for another day. If you are away from campus for a University-sponsored activity, you must provide advance notice written on UT letterhead explaining the reason for your absence. If your exam is in conflict with a religious holiday you must provide notice of the conflict at least 14 days in advance. Please contact the Chemistry Student Services Office to set up a make up exam.
Reschedule ALL exams that you will have a time conflict with for the entire semester.
If you are a student registered with the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities and receive special accommodations for your exams, the Chemistry Student Services Office (WEL 2.212) is equipped with a limited number of seats in a reduced distraction environment for the administration of exams. Please submit your SSD letter to them.
Visit http://www.cm.utexas.edu/testing to sign up for accommodated exams for this course. You may contact Chemistry Student Services (512-471-1567) with any questions related to setting up SSD accommodations for a chemistry class.
Reschedule ALL exams that will require accommodations.
Opportunities to test your prior knowledge, your progress on the learning curve and your mastery of chemical principles will be given in class using REEF. These opportunities will come in the form of in-class "clicker" questions. We will typically have between 4 and 6 questions each day. You can always check your current status by using the REEF app or website login. It is very important that you remember to bring your "device" so that you can answer questions and get credit this way. A fully engaged student who attends class regularly will have a REEF score in the upper 70's to high 90's (percentage), assuming you typically get questions right. Anything considerably less than this indicates something is not quite "right". The score from REEF will be 5% of your overall score in the course.
Learning Exercises: Work outside the class is to read and learn via the "Learning Exercises" (LE's) in Canvas. Each section of content from our gchem site has a matching LE quiz in Canvas. The LE's are designed to test your knowledge of various concepts for the course. The LE's are generally fairly easy and you can easily see how you are doing via your scores for the LE's. Because LE's are set for multiple attempts to "get it right" you should be able to have a high average. Remember that the LE's are graded and your average is 5% of your overall grade - so stay engaged and get these "easy" points.
Homework: Also on Canvas are several Homeworks for each chapter or unit that we cover. The Homework consists of more difficult problems than the learning exercises and are very closely associated with the types of question we have on exams. The homework is graded and will count 5% toward your over all grade in the course.
Worksheets: Skill drilling worksheets are available from within the gchem website but are not graded. The drilling worksheets are designed to help build your problem solving skills such that you can be successful in the course. The keys to the worksheets are also on the gchem site.
Be sure and bring your approved non-programmable, non-graphing calculator (TI-30xa) to the exam. We cannot provide calculators. You CANNOT use your cell phone or any other device as your calculator. Each student will receive a unique exam copy with a specific version number on it. There is a different exam version for every student in the class; no two students can have the same version numbers (it is impossible). We will keep ALL exam materials after the exam is over. You MUST turn in your exam, a bubblesheet, and all scratch paper when you complete your exam. Make sure you sign each part of your exam.
You CANNOT make-up a missed exam for ANY REASON WHATSOEVER. If you have a University approved conflict that requires rescheduling an exam, you must notify the instructor within the first 5 class days of the summer course. You get to drop one exam score from your overall average, so for whatever reason you miss, that particular exam score (a zero) will be your dropped exam.
We will not allow you to take the final early, late, or with another section.
A final exam cannot be made-up in any way. Final exam times are scheduled by the registrar's office and cannot be changed for any reason. Show up at the right place and the right time or get a zero on the exam. The final exam WILL be comprehensive. This means that all the material covered during the course will be on the exam. The final exam will be counted as 25% of your overall grade. If you keep up with the material for the semester, the final will not be any more difficult than the four exams.
If you get caught cheating in any way, whatsoever, you will have to discuss the situation with us. We will arrive at a penalty and write up a formal report. The minimum penalty for cheating is receiving a 0 on the assignment on which you cheated. In this class, in addition to all the traditional types of cheating (looking at someone else's answer, utilizing "cheat sheets" of any form or fashion – paper or digitized, getting an advance copy of an exam or quiz), we also consider allowing someone else to enter answers in class with your phone or tablet cheating. For example, if you send your iPhone to class with another class mate or an individual who is not you and you are caught, you and your accomplice will be penalized. If you deny the allegation, we will proceed by filing a formal report to the Judicial Services in the Dean of Students Office as is policy. Judicial Services will decide the final penalty after a hearing on the matter. For more information, read in the General Information Catalog about scholastic dishonesty (i.e. cheating).
The last day to drop the course is the last day of class - Tuesday, November 1, 2016. This will require you to go to your college and get a drop form. Before the deadline, you can finish the drop procedure by yourself. After the deadline, students must go to the Dean's office, WCH 2.112, to begin the appeal for substantiated non-academic reasons.
Please notify me of any modification/adaptation you may require to accommodate a disability-related need. You will be requested to provide documentation to the Dean of Students' Office, in order that the most appropriate accommodations can be determined. Specialized services are available on campus through Services for Students with Disabilities. The official wording is this: The University of Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-6441 TTY or Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities, 512-471-6259, http://diversity.utexas.edu/disability/
Religious holy days sometimes conflict with class and examination schedules. It is the policy of The University of Texas at Austin that the student must notify each instructor at least fourteen days prior to the classes scheduled on dates he or she will be absent to observe a religious holy day. For religious holidays that fall within the first two weeks of the semester, the notice should be given on the first day of the semester. The student may not be penalized for these excused absences but the instructor may appropriately respond if the student fails to complete satisfactorily the missed assignment or examination within a reasonable time after the excused absence.
Occupants of buildings on The University of Texas at Austin campus are required to evacuate buildings when a fire alarm is activated. Alarm activation or announcement requires exiting and assembling outside. Familiarize yourself with all exit doors of each classroom and building you may occupy. Remember that the nearest exit door may not be the one you used when entering the building. Students requiring assistance in evacuation shall inform their instructor in writing during the first week of class. In the event of an evacuation, follow the instruction of faculty or class instructors.
Do not re-enter a building unless given instructions by the following: Austin Fire Department, The University of Texas at Austin Police Department, or Fire Prevention Services office. Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL): 512-232-5050
This course carries the Quantitative Reasoning flag. Quantitative Reasoning courses are designed to equip you with skills that are necessary for understanding the types of quantitative arguments you will regularly encounter in your adult and professional life. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from your use of quantitative skills to analyze real-world problems.
This course may be used to fulfill three hours of the natural science and technology (Part I or Part II) component of the university core curriculum and addresses the following four core objectives established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board: communication skills, critical thinking skills, teamwork, and empirical and quantitative skills.
Students will work in class, on homework and on exams to apply scientific model to explain empirical data as well as to use models to predict physical and chemical change. Students will be able to connect mathematical formulas and graphical representations to communicate scientific concepts.
Students are presented with many opportunities to use critical thinking skills to solve problems both in class via clicker response system and on graded homework assignments. These skills are assessed on the exams.
Students work in small groups in class on guided group activities designed to help the student come to a deeper understanding of the content and to "discover" chemical principles via the process of inquiry. Outside of class students are encouraged to continue working in groups on better understand homework assignments.
Students are required to calculate answers based on their understanding of scientific laws and derived equations. These methods include skills in manipulating units, understanding and applying the concept of ratios, proportionality, rearranging algebraically to solve for a specified unknown, understanding and applying rates of change, interpreting equations using physical models. These skills are assessed on the exams.