Chemistry Course Syllabus

Ms. Hiatt

Sydney_Hiatt@dpsk12.org

720-424-0424

Course Description

This Chemistry course is a yearlong laboratory science class. The emphasis

of this class is one of rigorous chemistry content, lab practices, and scientific
literacy.
Each unit has three guiding questions, and will always include a component
that relates directly to lived and true experience. For example, in Unit 1 on
the Scientific Method, we look at the following guiding questions:
What do scientists do?
What is the scientific method and how is it used to collect and
communicate information?
Should schools teach the scientific method?
The last question relates to your experience as a student of science in public
education, and it will require that you both understand the scientific method
and more importantly, how it connects to you as a scientist and critical
thinker.

Course Outline
The course is made of six units. Three units are covered in the first semester,
and the remaining three units are covered in the second semester.

Semester 1
Unit 1
Scientific Method

Unit 2
Matter + Measurement

The scientific method is

rooted in asking
questions and seeking
out a solution or answer

All material on Earth is

made up of matter with
unique properties that
can be measured and
assessed

Unit 3
Atomic Structure
Matter is organized into
elements in a specific
order on the periodic
table, which predicts
how elements behave
and change

Semester 2
Unit 4
Atomic Interactions

Unit 5
Stoichiometry

Changes in matter
involve the interaction
of and movement of
atoms

Scientists can predict

the amounts of
reactants and products
in chemical reactions

Unit 6
Gas Laws
The behavior of gases
and the relationship of
variables influencing
them can be described
and predicted

Supplies
You need to bring your AVID binder and MLK Planner to Chemistry class
everyday. You will receive participation points for having your binder and
filling out your planner each day in class.
You will also receive a science binder that will remain in the classroom. We
will use it to archive and store old notes, as well as track your assessment,
project, and lab data. This will help you monitor your Chemistry grade, set
goals, and stay organized throughout the year-long course.

Class Website
All class information, notes, and resources can be located on Ms. Hiatts
Biology website at:
MLKChemistry.weebly.com

Remind 101
You and your parents can sign up for Remind 101, which will send a text
message to your phone to remind you about upcoming assignments, quizzes,
tests, and projects that are due. Remind texts will also be sent to students
when they are absent from class notifying them when the notes are posted
online.

Policies
Attendance
Attendance is an important part of being successful in school and to prepare
you for college. Class labs, projects, and discussions are difficult to make up
and will require extra time after school to complete and earn credit for.
Please try to schedule appointments after school to avoid disrupting your
learning.
If you miss class due to illness or emergency, you must notify me before
your absence. You will be expected to learn what you missed and to
retrieve the resources independently. Work that is missed due to an absence
will not be accepted if you do not follow these guidelines.
What to do when you are absent during:

Regular Class
Day/Lecture

Labs and Quizzes

Tests

Go to the class website

On the class calendar, find out what topic you
missed
Go to the unit page and click on the topic for the
notes you missed

Notes can be accessed on a computer or on a smart

phone with wireless access. If you do not have a
computer or internet access at home, you may use a
laptop in the classroom over your lunch period or
after school. If Ms. Hiatt is unavailable after school,
you may use the library computers.
You will have 3 days to make up missed labs or
quizzes and must schedule a time with Ms. Hiatt so
she can prepare the materials you need and be
available over lunch or after school
Labs and quizzes are worth a large portion of your
overall grade in Biology. If you miss a lab or quiz and
do not make it up, it will have a significantly negative
impact on your grade.
If you miss a test and return the following day, you
will take the test during the class debrief day
If you miss both the test and the day after the test,
you will have 2 weeks to make up the missing
test; you must schedule a time with Ms. Hiatt so
she can be available over lunch or after school
Tests that are not made up within 2 weeks will
receive a 0. This will have the largest impact on your
grade and it will be very hard to maintain a passing

grade without it.

Late Work
If you are absent for a class deadline, or do not turn in an assignment on
time, you may turn the assignment in late for credit.
If you turn in the assignment before the unit test, you will lose 10% of
your final grade for that assignment.
If you turn in the assignment after the unit test, you will receive half
credit.

Grading
Your grade each semester will be calculate from all assignments in the
semester according to the categories and weights shown in the table below:
Foundations
Weight
Examples of
assignments
# of
assignments

15%
Homework,
Class Notes,
Participation
(planner,
binder)
Daily
5x per week

Minor
Assessment

Major
Assessment

Final

30%

40%

15%

Quizzes,
Short-term
Projects,
CERs, Labs

Unit Tests,
Long-term
Projects

Final Exam or
Final Project

3 or 4 per
unit

1 or 2 per
unit

1 or 2 per
semester