Regents Chemistry – Spring Semester Instructor: Website:

Ms. Pluchino www.pluchinochem.info

Office: E-mail:

1. Course Materials a. Chemistry workbook b. Folder c. Pens, pencils and calculator

Room 809 [email protected]

d. Reference table e. Modern Chemistry textbook f. Lab manual

2. Classroom Policies a. Respect… …your colleague’s thoughts, ideas, questions, answers, property, speech, strengths and weaknesses b. No cell phones, iPads, computers, video games, food or drink All electronic devices should be off and away during class, with the exception of calculators. Please do not buy, sell or consume any food or drink in the classroom, except water. c. Bathroom breaks If you need to use the bathroom, make sure that I see you’re leaving. You do not need to interrupt a lesson to ask permission. If I feel you are abusing this privilege I will talk to you personally. d. No cheating Show me what YOU are capable of, not what your neighbor is capable of. Copying is cheating! If I observe cheating, both the person copying and the person whose assignment is being copied will receive zeros for that assignment. 3. Course Grading Policy a. Participation (10%) To earn full credit, you must: come to class on time, be on-task during the lesson (I should not have to ask you to wake up, put away your phone, pay attention, etc.), be prepared for class (reading homework complete), and actively participate by solving problems and raising your hand. b. Homework (10%) Homework will include reading and taking notes from the text, online assignments, and practice problems. Late work is not accepted. c. Quizzes (10%) Quizzes are given with and without warning throughout the semester. d. Tests (60%...Regents Exam 20%) Tests will be given nearly every other week. Makeup tests are not given during the semester. You will have the opportunity to replace your lowest test grade at the end of the semester. If you missed a test, this “replacement test” will serve as the makeup. e. Laboratory (10%) Labs are graded out of 10 points and lose 2 points per day they are late. Pre-lab assignments are worth 2 of the 10 points and are to be completed and submitted before lab begins. Over the course of the school year you must complete 15 labs to be eligible for the NYS Regents Exam.

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How do I succeed in chemistry class? It only takes 20 or so minutes each day outside of class to practice and reinforce the information. Get rid of as many external distractions (phone, games, people, unrelated websites) as possible, focus on the task at hand, and do not rush to finish things. Take your time, concentrate on what you’re doing, and hold yourself responsible for doing a good job, not just getting it done. Reading Assignments In this workbook, each unit is broken down into individual lessons. If you look at the outline and objectives page for each unit, you will notice that many of the lessons have a reading assignment listed. You need to read the pages before you come to class and fill out the guided notes provided for that lesson. Most reading assignments are less than 5 pages in length and require you to fill out the front of a page for notes. Usually the guided notes focus on things like main ideas, definitions and problem solving techniques. Do not just skim the text and fill in the definitions! Take the time to read and, to the best of your ability, understand the material. Reading and note-taking before you come to class gets you prepared for the lesson and allows us to focus on discussing and practicing with the concepts during class time. During the lesson we quickly review the material you covered. You can add to what you wrote from the night before, but you should not have to copy down every word from the presentation. We will cover more challenging aspects of the reading in more detail, hopefully building on what you learned from the reading. Online Assignments Each unit has one online assignment to complete. Information about this assignment can be found on the outline and objectives page for each unit under “Quest Homework.” Quest gives you a chance to solve problems similar to the ones covered in class. There are usually 5-10 questions for each lesson. Visit the course website and click on “Quest Homework” for instructions on creating an account and accessing the assignments. Quest gives you immediate feedback. If you get a question right, you’ll know right away. If you get a question wrong, you lose partial credit, but are given more chances to answer correctly. Stick with a problem and try to figure it out. If you’re stuck, feel free to e-mail me or talk to me in class. Quest will assign a username (they call it a UTEID). You should write down your username and password here, as you have to call UT Austin if you forget your password. Don’t worry, no one wants to break into your account and do your chemistry homework!

UTEID: ___________________________________ Password: ________________________________

Practice Problems Nearly every lesson contains practice problems at the end. These problems give you the opportunity to reinforce the information covered in class and master the material. An answer key is posted online, and you are strongly encouraged to check you work. The workbook is collected on the day of the test and graded for completion. I check to make sure you’ve taken notes (both from the reading and during class) and that you’ve attempted all the practice problems. Do not take shortcuts while working on these problems! Take the time to show your work and practice doing things in a manner that will earn you full-credit on the test.

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Course Introduction, Goals and Expectations Welcome to the spring semester of Regents Chemistry! This term we will building on a lot of the fundamental concepts covered in the fall term. The spring term can be very challenging, but also fun, rewarding, and pertinent to the world around you. I will do my best to make class applicable and relevant, and I ask you to do your best to work towards meeting the course goals and expectations. Goals 1. Evolve as an independent learner In high school you have the luxury of having people actively trying to teach you. At some point in time you will have to learn on your own. Now is the time to build the skills you need to accomplish this. We will do a fair amount of reading, both in and out of the classroom. You will be expected to try your best to understand the material, make note of what you are struggling with, and come to class ready to address your weaknesses. 2. Apply chemical concepts in a hands-on manner Working hands-on is one of the best parts of studying science! We have a department lab every other week and a number of in-class activities scheduled throughout the semester to get you to apply what you’re learning in class. It’s not enough just to be “book smart,” developing practical working knowledge is very important as well. 3. Develop communication and collaboration skills Working with others can be a very positive and rewarding experience, especially when a team is working together to accomplish something. Learning how to be a good team member, regardless of whether it’s a leadership or supporting role, will serve you well in high school and beyond. 4. Develop critical thinking skills and creative problem solving techniques Unfortunately you’ve grown up in an era of standardized tests and answer regurgitation. In the real-world you will see very few tests and review books. Instead, you will need to solve unique problems and seek out creative solutions. Learn how to do this now. Think outside of the box and learn to work through the brainstrain that happens when you can’t immediately come up with an answer. Expectations 1. Come to class on time. You have 60 seconds after the bell before I officially count you as late. 2. Bring required materials to class every day (workbook, calculator, reference table and pen/pencil). 3. Actively participate in class. This includes raising your hand to answer questions and doing the work that is given. Don’t be a passive learner, get involved and make the most of your class time. 4. You will try your best. I do not expect you to be perfect or understand everything on the first explanation. You will make mistakes and struggle from time to time, but you will preserve. Not understanding is ok. Getting wrong answers is ok. Not trying is NOT ok. Put your pencil on the paper and apply yourself. If you don’t try things out for yourself, it is really difficult to determine if you understand what is going on. 5. You will be a positive presence in class. Be respectful of your peers, the classroom and your teacher. Treat others how you would like to be treated and look for ways to contribute. The difference between a fun class and a boring class really comes down to you!

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