| Instructor: | Dr. Paul McCord |
|---|---|
| Hours: | MTWTF 10:30am - 11:30am |
| Location: | WEL 5.239 B |
| email: | mccord301@cm.utexas.edu |
| Teaching Assistant: | Matthew Moore |
|---|---|
| Hours: | MTWF 2pm - 3pm |
| Location: | WEL 2.306 A |
| email: | mmoore09@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. Our learning exercises (LEs) in Canvas will display specific sections of our gchem ebook. You can always browse it independent of Canvas.
TopHat Polling Software: We will use TopHat software as our in class response system. Each student will need to set up an account and have and appropriate "device" to use for polling. For most students, the device will be a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Other students might happen to prefer an actual iclicker to use. The cost is $16 per semester for as many courses as needed. Instructions for setting up an account and registering are provided on another page on this website. You will need to bring your device to each and every class in order to obtain points for the "clicker" portion of your grade. Our join code is 659504 in TopHat - you can just use that code to easily join the class (no invite required).
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 SEVEN scores that we will use to get your over all score in the course. First, look up all of your exam scores plus your homework average and tophat average as reported on Canvas under the assignment group "Official Scores". Get your 4-exam average AND get your best 3-exam average (drop one exam). Now use those scores in the following 3 methods to get your overall score in the course. Your overall score will be calculated by all three methods and the highest overall score will be used.
| Scores | method 1 | method 2 | method 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-exam avg | 60 % | 0 % | 40 % |
| 4-exam avg | 0 % | 75 % | 0 % |
| final exam | 30 % | 15 % | 50 % |
| homework | 5 % | 5 % | 5 % |
| tophat | 5 % | 5 % | 5 % |
| total | 100 % | 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 will provide a downloadable excel spreadsheet for you to use to calculate your grade by the three methods shown. You will be able to 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 (Summer 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 somewhere between 20 and 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 either 30%, 50%, or 15% of your overall grade (see methods shown above). 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.
The four class exams will be held during class time from 8:30am to 9:45am (75 minutes) in WEL 2.312. The final exam is from 9am to noon on Saturday, 7/9 in a room to be announced.
No student should have a conflict with our exams because the exams are during class time. You registered for this class at this time, so you should be available everyday from 8:30-10am.
In very rare cases, you can schedule an alternate time for the exam. Only religious holidays and documented UT related conflicts are acceptable reasons to reschedule an exam for an alternate time. You must notify Dr. McCord of this issue ASAP for the summer session.
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 TopHat. These opportunities will come in the form of in-class "clicker" questions. On any given day in class, we might have as few as one question and as many as ten questions. Each DAY of class will be worth 10 points. You can always check your current status by using the TopHat 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 TopHat 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 TopHat 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. Although there is a grade in Canvas for the LE's, they are not part of your overall grade in the course.
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 exams. The homework is graded and will count 5% toward your over all grade in the course. To better emulate the "exam" experience, the homeworks on Canvas will be set to "one try" only. So you must get it right on your first try - just like an exam.
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 (methods 1 and 3), 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 either 15%, 30%, or 50% of your overall grade (which ever one helps you the most). 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 - Thursday, July 7 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://ddce.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.
