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Chemistry

Syllabus

Course Essential Questions

  • How do we use the periodic table to make predictions about the properties of elements and chemical reactions?
  • How do scientific theories help us make sense of chemistry?
  • Why is chemistry relevant?
  • How can we use models to explain chemical phenomena?

Course Learning Objectives

  • Engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking, guide investigations or support scientific claims.
  • Develop and use models to make predictions about, or explain chemical phenomena.
  • Explain and predict chemical phenomena using mathematical representations
  • Plan and implement data collection strategies appropriate to a specific scientific question.
  • Explain the properties and behavior of matter and chemical phenomena using appropriate scientific language and conventions.
  • Analyze and interpret data to explain chemical processes.
  • Explain common applications of chemical phenomena in everyday life.

Unit 1: Alchemy (Weeks 1-7)

Unit Description: The course begins with a look at the history of Alchemy, and what we have learned about chemistry from early scientists who tried to turn ordinary substances into gold. Students will explore matter, the organization of the periodic table, how to classify substances, and more.

Unit Essential Questions:

  • What is matter composed of?
  • How do we use the language of Chemistry?
  • How do we decode the information within the Periodic Table
  • How are new substances with new properties made?
  • What holds substances together?

Week 1: Introduction to Chemistry

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the rules and policies of the course, and expectations of you as a contributing member of our learning community.
  • Begin to build community by sharing important information with your teacher and classmates about yourself and your school, and creating a social contract together for guidelines on interacting throughout the class.
  • Develop your skills for navigating the course environment and using the various course tools.
  • Complete safety documents related to lab work.
  • Develop a lab proposal to demonstrate understanding of the scientific method.

Week 2: Tools of the Trade

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Explain the difference and provide a unique example of accuracy compared to precision.
  • Identify lab equipment and their uses.
  • Identify significant figures.
  • Perform calculations using significant figure rules.

Week 3: Basic Building Materials

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Identify elements, compounds, and mixtures.
  • List and provide examples of chemical changes.
  • Explain the organization of the periodic table.
  • Provide an example to demonstrate how matter is conserved.

Week 4: A World of Particles

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Identify the parts of the atom, their charges, and their masses.
  • Match the historical figures with their contribution to our understanding of atomic structure.
  • Use the periodic table to identify protons, neutrons, and electrons of different elements.
  • Explain what an isotope is and provide an example.
  • Explain the difference between fission and fusion.
  • Use the periodic table to predict trends.

Week 5: Moving Electrons

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Explain how electrons cause elements to produce different flame colors.
  • Demonstrate the difference between valance and core electrons.
  • Use the Rule of Zero charge to predict the chemical formula of ionic compounds.
  • Write or identify the electron configurations for any of the elements.

Week 6: Building with Matter

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Make predictions about the solubility and conductivity of select substances.
  • Compare the different types of bonds and their properties.
  • Explain how elements can be extracted from compounds.

Week 7: Review and Exam Week

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Prepare for an exam.
  • Take an exam to demonstrate understanding of weeks 1-6 content.

Unit 2: Smells (Weeks 8-13)

Unit Description: In the second unit of the course, students will investigate the properties of molecules that give them a smell. Students will learn how atoms form molecules, how chemists use different models to represent molecules, how to draw Lewis dot structures, and utilize the octet rule. They will take a look into how the human nose is able to detect different smells based on the polarity and structure of molecules.

Unit Essential Questions:

  • How do atoms form molecules?
  • How can we predict the smell of a compound?
  • How can we use and interpret molecular models?
  • How does our nose detect smells?
  • What is the significance of amino acids and proteins?

Week 8: Speaking of Molecules, Part 1

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Demonstrate understanding of the rules for drawing structural formulas.
  • Identify isomers.
  • Use the Lewis Dot Symbols to show covalent bonds between atoms, and apply the octet rule.
  • Identify functional groups and explain how they relate to smell, and other properties.
  • Explain how a molecule can be changed into a different molecule using chemistry.

Week 9: Speaking of Molecules, Part 2

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Demonstrate understanding of the rules for drawing structural formulas.
  • Identify isomers.
  • Use the Lewis Dot Symbols to show covalent bonds between atoms, and apply the octet rule.
  • Identify functional groups and explain how they relate to smell, and other properties.
  • Explain how a molecule can be changed into a different molecule using chemistry.

Week 10: Building Molecules

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Build a 3D Molecule.
  • Demonstrate the impact electrons have on molecular shape.
  • Explain the importance of molecular shape and smell.
  • Summarize how the nose detects and identifies smells.

Week 11: Molecules in Action

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Explain what makes a molecule polar.
  • Use the electronegativity scale to compare bonds.
  • Predict if molecules will smell based on their characteristics.

Week 12: Review/Exam Week

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Prepare for an exam.
  • Take an exam to demonstrate understanding of weeks 8-11 content.

Unit 3: The Atmosphere (Weeks 13-16)

Unit Description: In the third unit of the course, students learn why chemistry is important to our understanding of the atmosphere and weather. They will learn how to read basic weather maps, and how those relate to chemistry. They will explore density in detail, as well as phase changes, temperature scales, and the chemistry laws used to explain the relationships between temperature, volume, and pressure of gases.

Unit Essential Questions:

  • How can we use proportional relationships to explain chemical phenomena?
  • What is the significance of temperature scales?
  • What are the effects on matter of changing temperature, pressure, and volume?
  • What is unique about the behavior of gases?
  • How can we predict the weather?

Week 13: Physically Changing Matter

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Read a basic weather map.
  • Convert snowfall to rainfall using density calculations.
  • Compare the density of ice and liquid water.
  • Use graphs to determine density.
  • Explain the kinetic molecular theory of gases.
  • Use graphs and Charle's Law calculations to relate temperature, pressure, and volume.

Week 14: Pressing Matter

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Explain how the density of a solid and gas of the same substance compare.
  • Design a lab to gather evidence of pressure change.
  • Solve problems using Charle's, Gay-Lussac's, and Boyle's Laws.
  • Explain the kinetic molecular theory of gases.
  • Explain how weather balloons work.
  • Explain how areas of high and low pressure are related to the weather.

Week 15: Concentrating Matter

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Use the Kinetic theory of gases to explain the relationship between number density and gas pressure.
  • Explain how a barometer and manometer work.
  • Use Avogadro's law to determine the number of atoms in a sample of gas.
  • Calculate the number of moles of a gas using the Ideal Gas Law.

Week 16: Review and Exam Week

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Prepare for an exam.
  • Take an exam to demonstrate understanding of weeks 13-15 content.

Unit 4: Toxins (Weeks 17-24)

Unit Description: In the fourth unit, students will learn what makes a substance toxic to our bodies, how to identify a toxic substance, and what to do to remove toxic substances from solutions. Students will learn how to write and balance chemical equations, how to use mass to count large numbers of small objects; how to use stoichiometry, and its importance in the medical field. To understand toxins in a liquid, students will investigate solutions, concentrations, acids, and bases and how to neutralize a reaction.

Unit Essential Questions:

  • What can we learn from a chemical equation?
  • How do we classify chemical reactions?
  • What is meant by toxicity?
  • How do we use moles and mass to track chemicals?
  • What role do chemical reactions play within our bodies?

Week 17: Toxic Changes

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Identify evidence of chemical and physical changes.
  • Balance chemical equations.
  • Identify the different types of reactions.

Week 18: Measuring Toxins

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Explain how toxicity is related to body weight.
  • Identify substances in the home that have toxicity warning labels.
  • Use dimensional analysis to convert moles to mass and vice versa.
  • Calculate percent error.
  • Compare the toxicity of sweeteners.

Week 19: Toxins in Solution

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Determine the molarity of solutions.
  • Explain how two solutions with different volumes can have the same concentration.
  • Demonstrate how to create a solution with a specific molarity.
  • Explain how you might use mass to determine if a sample of water is contaminated.
  • Explain the relationship between the density of a solution and the concentration.

Week 20: Acidic Toxins, Part 1

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Identify substances as acidic or basic and explain your reasoning.
  • Summarize the different acid and base theories.
  • Explain how pH is related to acid and base concentration of a solution.
  • Demonstrate titration of a solution.

Week 21: Acidic Toxins, Part 2

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Identify substances as acidic or basic and explain your reasoning.
  • Summarize the different acid and base theories.
  • Explain how pH is related to acid and base concentration of a solution.
  • Demonstrate titration of a solution.

Week 22: Toxic Cleanup

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Determine and apply mole ratios to solve stoichiometry problems.
  • Determine limiting reactants of chemical reactions.
  • Calculate percent yield.

Week 23: Review & Exam Week

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Prepare for an exam.
  • Take an exam to demonstrate understanding of weeks 17-22 content.

Unit 5: Fire (Weeks 24-29)

Unit Description: In the fifth unit of the course, students will investigate the nature of heat, energy, and fire. The unit explores how energy from chemical and physical change can be observed, measured, understood, and controlled. Key concepts in this unit include exothermic and endothermic reactions, kinetic molecular theory, heat and phase changes, calorimetry, and the heat required to start or reverse a reaction. Oxidation-reduction, electrochemical cells, and light are also introduced during this unit.

Unit Essential Questions:

  • What is the nature of heat, energy, and fire?
  • How do we keep track of and measure changes in energy?
  • What energy exchanges occur during chemical changes?
  • How is chemical Energy transformed into work?
  • How does light energy interact with matter?

Week 24: Observing Energy

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Explain the difference between heat and temperature.
  • Apply the first and second laws of thermodynamics.
  • Draw and label the heating curve of water.
  • Explain why heat transfer does not always result in a temperature change.
  • Develop a model to illustrate the energy transferred during an exothermic or endothermic chemical reaction based on the bond energy difference between bonds broken and bonds formed.

Week 25: Measuring Energy

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Explain what to look for in a chemical formula to determine that a compound/element will not combust.
  • Conduct a lab to measure the calories in food.
  • Explain how a calorimetry experiment translates into Calories.
  • Use the heat of combustion to compare different fuels.
  • Provide evidence from the informational text or available data to illustrate that the transfer of energy during a chemical reaction in a closed system involves changes in entropy and enthalpy.

Week 26: Understanding Energy

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Develop and use a model to illustrate the energy transfer during exothermic or endothermic reactions.
  • Explain the energy associated with starting and reversing reactions.
  • List and explain at least three ways to control the rate of a reaction.
  • Explain how a chemical reaction can be used to do work.

Week 27: Controlling Energy

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Explain what happens when metals react with oxygen.
  • Calculate how much energy is transferred during the oxidation of metals.
  • Demonstrate and explain what happens to electrons during oxidation.
  • Use the activity series to make predictions about reactivity.
  • Explain how you can use a redox reaction as an energy source.

Week 28: Radiating Energy

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Define reflection, transmission, and absorption of light.
  • Use wavelength, frequency, and speed to describe light.
  • Explain the evidence that light waves are invisible to our eyes.
  • Explain the importance of spectroscopy.

Week 29: Review/Exam Week

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Prepare for an exam.
  • Take an exam to demonstrate understanding of weeks 24-28 content.

Unit 6: Sustainability (Weeks 30-31)

Unit Description: The sixth and final content unit of the course focuses on sustainability. Students will learn about chemical equilibrium and what happens when that equilibrium is disturbed. Students will explore a variety of environmental issues and apply what they’ve learned throughout the year to create an argument to convince a stakeholder of the need for change. Examples include ocean acidification, alternative energy, and compostable plastics.

Unit Essential Questions:

  • What is meant by a reversible reaction?
  • How can we make predictions about reversible reactions?
  • How are changes in the environment measured and managed?
  • What role does chemistry play in protecting Earth?

Week 30: Managing Chemical Change

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Explain the significance of a reversible process.
  • Define and provide examples of chemical equilibrium.
  • Use the equilibrium constant, k, to make predictions if products or reactants are favored in reversible processes.
  • Explain and provide an example of Le Chatelier's Principle.

Week 31: Protecting Earth

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Apply chemical concepts towards sustainability.
  • Explain how changes in the environment are measured.
  • Discuss causes of change.
  • Identify and explain technologies used to manage change.

Unit 7: Review and Final Exam

In the final two weeks of the course, students will work on study guides to help prepare them for the final exam which will cover content from the entire year. In addition, they will explore and discuss the different chemistry related careers.

Unit Essential Questions:

How can we prepare for the final exam?

What can one do with a degree in chemistry?

How much have we learned this year?

Week 32: Review Week

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Prepare for the final exam.
  • Explore and identify different chemistry related careers.

Week 33: Wrap Up and Review

Weekly Learning Objectives:

  • Prepare for and take the final exam.
  • Reflect on learning.
  • Provide feedback on the course.
  • Properly dismantle lab kit.