AP Chemistry Syllabus

2009-2010

Instructor:                            Ms. S. L. Lewis

Parent E-mail:                     lewiss@fultonschools.org

Student E-mail:                   mssllewis@yahoo.com

E-mail assignments:         apchem@lewispages.com

Telephone No.:                   770-306-4300

Course Name:                     Advanced Placement Chemistry

Course No.:                        

Textbook:                             Chemistry, 11^th edition, Zumdahl, Houghton Mifflin, 2008

AP Program:                        Our school offers one section of AP Chemistry which meets 5 days a week for 70 minutes.

Course Description:

The course is a college course which provides instruction in each of the following five content areas:

• Structure of Matter (Atomic theory and atomic structure, Chemical bonding)
• States of Matter (Gases, Liquids and solids, Solutions)
• Reactions (Reaction types, Stoichiometry, Equilibrium, Kinetics, Thermodynamics)
• Descriptive Chemistry (Relationships in the periodic table)
• Laboratory (Physical manipulations; Processes and procedures; Observations and data manipulation; Communication, group collaboration, and the laboratory report)

The course emphasizes chemical calculations and the mathematical formulation of principles.

Teaching Strategies:

1.                  Create a team and/or family atmosphere in the classroom.  (All for one and one for all.)

2.                  Encourage students to work together.

3.                  Limit lectures.  Design lessons that are student –centered.  Students will be given guides by which they must study and create study notes in the form of outlines, concept maps, power points, etc.

4.                  Students will be required to present solutions to practice problems to the class.  They demonstrate an understanding of the concepts as well as critical thinking and problem solving skills.

Grading Scale:

            A   90 - 100

            B   80 - 89

            C   71-79

            D   70

            F   69 and below

Preparing for the AP Exam:

            Students will complete the units below before Spring Break which is usually the first week of April.  The final weeks will be used to review all topics, identify problem areas, and practice taking the exams.  Two to three weeks before the exam on a Saturday students will take the 1994 exam.  After it is graded, they will identify any concepts they need to review.  The following Saturday, they will take the 2002 exam and see how they improved and identify any problems.

Laboratory Requirements:

All of the experiments below will require hands-on work in the laboratory. In collaboration with other students, you will be called upon to collect, process, and manipulate data taken from physical observations, both measured and unmeasured, and then to develop and formally report your conclusions. Students are required to submit a complete report for each lab experiment, including a hypothesis, procedure, observations/data, calculations, and a conclusion. All reports are kept in a lab notebook.  Students will use 1-2 class periods to complete the labs.  Sometimes the students will be required to complete labs after school.

UNITS AND APPROXIMATE DATES

AP Chemistry Laboratory Experiments