HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE – NORTHWEST
SYLLABUS FOR CHEM 1411 - GENERAL CHEMISTRY I
Spring, 2014
Class Number 76991
Time and location
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Monday and Wednesday, room 519 (Mondays/Lab) and 517 (Wednesdays/Lecture), Spring Branch
Campus, Science Building.
Instructor
Dr. Aaron A. Fried
Office Hours: 30 minutes before class each Monday and Wednesday evening; also I will be available immediately after
each class.
Office Phone: TBA
E-mail: [email protected]
SYLLABUS TABLE OF CONTENTS
Tip: Although you are responsible for all of the information included in this syllabus, there is no need to print out all of it.
Use the links in the following table of contents to peruse what’s there, and to locate and read specific parts as needed.
Print out only parts of it that you need to have readily accessible every week, such as “Laboratory Policy” and the
“Lecture & Laboratory Schedule.”
Course Website (Q & A
Homework (HW, general
Need help from the
Attendance Policy
CHEM Help – instructor’s
comments)
Instructor?
Lecture &
website)
Handy Tips for effective
Laboratory Schedule
Need help supported by
Instructor’s tips on getting
practice
ADA/Disability Support
Rules for Student
the most use out of this
Reading textbook
Services?
Withdrawal
website
Connection with your
Need Help from a
success
Counselor?
Time needed to spend
Help for Veterans
on HW
Need help from a very good
Free Tutor?
Textbook
Why is it important
Grading Policy
Assignments
Lab Manual
for you to show up
for each lesson?
Laboratory Policy (Safety,
Course Description
Counselors - Help in:
attendance, etc.)
Lecture & Laboratory
Career planning
Schedule
Course Prerequisites
Labwork Grading
Managing stress
How long are the labs?
Test anxiety
Details about the Lab
Juggling school
Report
and work
Exam and Makeup Policy
Course Content
Course Intent
General Suggestions
Missed Exam
Schedule conflicts; see
Course Goal
also here.
Valid Excuse for a Missed
Exam or Lab
How long are the exams?
Table of Contents, continued
Academic Honesty
Classroom Behavior
Learning Outcomes
Form a Study Group
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The Final Exam
Thoughtful Student
Feedback for Improved
Teaching
Other Information and
Reminders (including about
online tutoring)
Please note: As you read this syllabus, you will notice an occasional “back” link. It is a “hyperlink” (or internal link) that
would redirect your cursor and your attention to a remote section of the syllabus. (You were using hyperlinks in the above
table of contents.) Do not use that internal link just now! Wait until you are later sent to it from another uniquely labeled
hyperlink (that is, not labeled “back”). Then you will appreciate the convenience of the “back” link; it will allow you to
jump back to where you were reading before you jumped. (This jump-back feature was not applied to the above table of
contents, because all jump-backs would have been directed to the same place, the top of the syllabus.)
Course Website: “Q & A CHEM Help”
This is a web enhanced class. Instructional supplements such as text specific lecture notes, PowerPoint slides, sample
exams, homework assignments, practice exercises, reviews for upcoming exams, and other learning aids organized by
the instructor are available at http://piazza.com/hccs/spring2014/q_a_chemhelp, a free resource that will allow you to
connect to all your classmates and with me, so you will be able to get the help you need when you need it. I will send
you an invitation to sign up by email. [back]
You may connect to this class anywhere and anytime from your computer or from Piazza’s free iPhone and Android apps
(https://piazza.com/product/mobile ). Also, you can configure your email preferences by visiting your “Account Settings”
page at this website. [back]
One of this website’s best features is its design for collaborative interaction. Students working toward a common goal,
such as understanding how to work a practice problem, a difficult homework problem, or an extensive set of review
problems, can all pool their knowledge and problem-solving skills (Wikipedia and forum-style) by leveraging their
contributed questions and answers. I will be frequently monitoring this website and happy to contribute my comments
and guidance whenever needed.
Signup is easy: Just follow the instructions that I will send to you by email; then follow the prompts during the signup
process. You will need i) an active email address and ii) the following access code: ch1411af. You might be able to sign
up without an invitation from me – give it a try!
For more details about how to use this website, go to the section titled, “How to Get the Most Out of the Q & A CHEM
Help Website.”
It is the responsibility of the student to log on and access recommended (and sometimes required) material. Please
download instructional materials well in advance in the event of technical issues in order to be optimally prepared for
the class. The Spring Branch Student Computer Lab can be used to access and download useful online materials from
both of my websites, Q & A CHEM Help and the Learning Web: in Rm 705, (713) 718-5689 Mon-Thurs 8:00am-8:00pm;
Fridays 8:00am-3:00pm. For technical issues, please email me (see above for my email address), or send a message to
me from either of my websites, if you successfully signed on, but are having trouble with some of the its features.
Need Help from the Instructor?
Please feel free to contact me about any problems you might be having in this course. Your successful
learning in my class is very important to me. Let me know if you have a concern, or just want to discuss
more about the topics of the current or previous lessons. Although I am on campus only two days a week
(MW), I plan on being available for your visits at least a half hour before class, and also
immediately after class for either open discussions in the classroom – or in private in a nearby
office, as necessary. And, please remember, I will also be available online anytime at my website
(see above) – privately, if you prefer, for sensitive matters. See the box below.
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The Piazza website allows a student and instructor to post messages that are viewable only by the two of
them. All you have to do once you are in my Q & A CHEM Help website is 1) Click on the large “New Post”
button (upper left) of the Q & A page; 2) Select either “Question” of “Note” in the “Post Type” row; 3)
Select “Instructor” in the “Post To” row; 4) Type a one-line summary of your question or comment in the
small window for that purpose; 5) Type the details of your private message in the larger window below
the one-line summary window; and finally, 6) Click on the “Post My Question!” button.
The Required Textbook
CHEM 1411 General Chemistry I, HCC Custom Edition from CHEMISTRY, 11TH Edition, by Raymond Chang and Kenneth A.
Goldsby; McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2013. This is your best immediate source of information – make thorough use of
it. Note: Your instructor will follow its content and sequence closely, often referring to its figures, diagrams, exercises,
problems, sections and pages. So if you plan to use a different edition, please compare its information with the 11th
edition indicated above to assure that you are studying the appropriate content for each lesson.
The Required Laboratory Manual
Laboratory Manual for CHEM 1411 – General Chemistry I/Houston Community College; publisher: bluedoor, LLC,
Minneapolis, MN, 2011.
Course Catalog Description
Science and engineering majors study atomic structure, chemical reactions, thermodynamics, electronic configuration,
chemical bonding, molecular structure, gases, states of matter, and properties of solutions. The laboratory includes
appropriate experiments. 4 credits (3 lecture, 1 lab). Prerequisites: One year of high school chemistry (or CHEM
1405)/MATH 1314 (College Algebra) – see the next section immediately below for more information on the
prerequisites.
Course Prerequisites
The above course prerequisites (repeated here for emphasis) are stated in the course description in the 20132014 HCC catalog (page 281), and also in more detail on a webpage linked to page 265 of the same catalog; the
link is at the bottom of the page and is labeled “Quick search link for Course Descriptions.” The HCC Catalog and
all its online links may be accessed from this address: http://digital.turn-page.com/title/6160. One year of high
school chemistry (or CHEM 1405)/MATH 1314 (College Algebra).
If you have not completed the high school prerequisite (or CHEM 1405), you will still be accepted into this
chemistry course. However, you will not be optimally prepared for this course, which was designed for science
and engineering majors, unless you have satisfactorily completed both of the above prerequisites. If you don’t
have these prereqs, you would probably have to work harder than other students who do have them.
Lack of satisfactory completion of the course prerequisites is one of the main reasons that students do poorly in
chemistry. Regarding the math prerequisite, basic math and problem solving skills at the level of college
algebra are essential.
TASP requirements (http://inet4.swtjc.cc.tx.us/catalog/Catalogue/admissionregulations/tasp.htm) should be
satisfied prior to this course or the student will automatically be dropped from the course. Must be placed into
college - level reading, college-level writing and be placed into Math 1314 (or higher).
If you are working toward an Associate Degree in Science, please be aware that you have a choice of one of the
following chemistry courses to still qualify for this degree: they are CHEM 1305 (no lab required), CHEM 1405
(lab required), and CHEM 1411 (lab required); only the last one listed has a prerequisite for high school
chemistry – which is reasonable, because it is the only course intended for science and engineering majors. To
assure the best choice of chemistry course for your personal academic goals, please consider consulting with a
HCC counselor if you haven’t already done so. (See my “All Students” note on page 4 of this syllabus for more
details on HCC counselors.)
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Course Intent (i.e., for whom is this course intended?)
This course is intended for the following students:
Students majoring in one of the physical sciences or life sciences, or engineering.
Students who are pursuing pre-professional programs in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, or
other health programs.
Students who are preparing themselves for higher level science courses in their respective curricula.
Course Goal – to empower all of the above kinds of students with the fundamental skills needed to understand and
interpret the macroscopic scale world (everyday objects, events, phenomena) in terms of the microscopic scale world
(atoms, ions, molecules) – in short, “to think like a chemist” - as expressed by the author (R. Chang) of the required
textbook.
Course Content
For topic details covered in this class, see the following materials: the Course Catalog Description (above), the course
Lecture & lab Schedule (below), the textbook’s table of contents, and the textbook’s chapter outlines. College level
general chemistry is very similar to a good high school course, but will usually cover the topics in greater detail and will
place a greater emphasis on problem solving.
Course Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
The student will be able to:
Give names and formulas of elements, ions, and ionic and molecular compounds.
Categorize, complete, and balance chemical reactions.
Do chemistry calculations involving reaction stoichiometry and energy changes.
Relate the properties of electromagnetic radiation (frequency, wavelength, and energy) to each other and to the
energy changes that atoms undergo, which accompany electronic transitions.
Identify the parts of the periodic table and the trends in periodic properties of atoms.
Relate the properties of gases with the gas laws and extend the application of these relationships to reaction
stoichiometry, gas mixtures, and effusion/diffusion of gases.
Depict chemical bonding with dot structures and valence bond theory [and molecular orbital theory] and
determine the molecular shapes (geometry) of molecules based on VSEPR and valence bond theory.
Attendance Policy – and Why is it is Important for You to Show Up for Each Lesson
The HCCS attendance policy is stated in the Fall/Spring 2013/14 Schedule of Classes on page 43: “Students are expected
to attend classes regularly. Students are responsible for materials covered during their absences, and it is the student's
responsibility to consult with instructors for make-up assignments. (It is a good idea to find a friend or a buddy in class
who would be willing to share class notes or discussion content; or be able to hand in a paper if you unavoidably miss a
class.) Class attendance is checked daily by instructors. Although it is the responsibility of the student to drop a course for
nonattendance, the instructor has full authority to drop a student for excessive absences. A student may be dropped from
a course for excessive absences after the student has accumulated absences in excess of 12.5% of the hours of instruction
(including lecture and laboratory time).” Note that 12.5% is approximately 4 classes or labs for a 4 semester hour
course, such as this one, which meets twice per week in a 16 week semester. If circumstances significantly prevent you
from attending classes, please inform me. I realize that sometimes outside circumstances can interfere with school, and I
will try to be as accommodating as possible, but please be aware of the attendance policy.
Practical Importance of Attendance (“Showing Up”)
Your regular attendance is important for gaining insights obtained only from listening to the instructor’s lectures and
from actively taking notes on them; working through classroom activities that reinforce concepts and skills;
collaborating and interacting with classmates; getting practice on problem solving; interacting with the instructor as he
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conducts question and answer sessions before and after each lecture; getting feedback from the instructor on your
accuracy and progress. In summary, your presence is very important!
Last Day for Administrative and Student Withdrawals
For 16-week Spring 2014 classes, this date is March 31. I urge any student who is contemplating withdrawing
from my class to see me first! You may be doing better than you think; and I might be able to give you
suggestions that would enable you to complete the course. I want to be accessible and supportive. Your
success is very important to me. I do not believe in "weed out" classes, and I consider you to be much more than
just a name or number! If you need assistance, I will be available for you before and after class/lab each Monday
and Wednesday evening as indicated above. I'm here to help.
To help students avoid having to drop/withdraw from any class, HCC has instituted an Early Alert process by
which your professor may “alert” you and HCC counselors that you might fail a class because of excessive
absences and/or poor academic performance. It is your responsibility to visit with your professor or a
counselor to learn about what, if any, HCC interventions might be available to assist you – online tutoring,
child care, financial aid, job placement, etc. – to stay in class and improve your academic performance.
If you plan on withdrawing from this class, you MUST contact a HCC counselor or me before withdrawing
(dropping) the class, for approval; and this must be done prior to the withdrawal deadline (March 31) to receive
a “W” on your transcript. Remember to allow a 24-hour response time when communicating via email and/or
telephone with a professor and /or counselor. Do not submit a request to discuss withdrawal options less than a
day before the deadline. If you do not withdraw before the deadline, administrative policy-related procedures
will automatically lock in so that you will receive the grade that you are making in the class as your final grade.
Repeat Course Fee: The State of Texas encourages students to complete college without having to repeat failed
classes. The Texas Legislature passed a law (2007) limiting first time entering freshmen to no more than SIX total
course withdrawals throughout their educational career in obtaining a certificate and/or degree. To stimulate
student success (passing their courses and graduating), HCC charges a higher tuition to students who repeat
the same course more than twice. This extra fee will be charged to students registering the third or subsequent
time for a course. If you are considering course withdrawal because you are not earning passing grades, confer
with your instructor/counselor as early as possible about your study habits, reading and writing homework, test
taking skills, attendance, course participation, and opportunities for tutoring or other assistance that might be
available.
ADA/Disability Support Services (DSS)
“Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to
arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Services Office at the respective college at the
beginning of each semester. Faculty are authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability
Support Services Office.”
If you have any special needs or disabilities which may affect your ability to succeed in college classes or to participate in
any college programs or activities, please contact the DSS office (DSSO) for assistance. At this campus (HCC, NW College,
Spring Branch, RC 12) contact Lisa Parkinson, ADA Counselor, 713-718-5422; FAX 713-718-5430; E-mail:
[email protected]. She is qualified to “provide services to HCC students from application to graduation.” You may also
see page 50 of the Fall/Spring 2013/14 class schedule for additional DSS contact numbers; or just go to the main HCC
website homepage and click either on “Accessibility” at the bottom left of the webpage or on the search icon
(magnifying glass) at top-right of the same page – enter in “ADA” or “DSSO.” Good luck.
All Students, please note:
Counselors are available (http://learning.hccs.edu/programs/counseling/northwest) for students who would like
assistance on all sorts of practical problems, not only those related to disabilities. Counselors are available by
appointment (however, “some concerns may be addressed on a walk-in basis”) – for example, on career assessment,
planning, and exploration (for all students, especially undecided students); personal counseling (self-esteem,
communication, or assertive behavior issues; juggling school, work, and other responsibilities; adjusting to new
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surroundings); strategies for managing stress and anxiety (including test anxiety); crisis intervention; high risk students
(early alert, 3peaters, behavioral intervention, academic probation/suspension referrals, etc.); community resource
information including help regarding HIV/AIDS; and assistance for Veterans
(http://www.unitedwayhouston.org/default/pdfs/RVI%20Directory%20Revised%20March%202010.pdf, or its webbased counterparts: www.csd.hctx.net at the county and
http://www.houstontx.gov/vetaffairs/ at the city, and at www.houstonreturningvets.org, set up
by the combined community coalition.
Academic Honesty
Students are responsible for conducting themselves with honor and integrity in fulfilling course requirements.
Disciplinary proceedings may be initiated by the college system against a student accused of scholastic
dishonesty. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, i) cheating on a test, ii) plagiarism, and iii)
collusion.
o Cheating on a Test includes:
 Copying from another student’s test paper.
 Using materials not authorized by the person giving the test.
 Collaborating with another student during a test without authorization.
 Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in whole or in part the
contents of a test that has not been administered.
 Bribing another person to obtain a test that is to be administered.
o Plagiarism means the appropriation of another’s work and the unacknowledged incorporation of that
work in one’s own written work offered for credit.
o Collusion means the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work offered
for credit.
Possible punishments for academic dishonesty may include a grade of 0 or F in the particular assignment, failure
in the course, and/or recommendation for probation or dismissal from the College System. (See the Student
Handbook.)
You are expected to be familiar with the HCC policy on Academic Honesty found in the Student Handbook
(http://www.hccs.edu/district/students/student-handbook/,page 18). If you are charged with an offense,
pleading ignorance of the rules will not help you.
Classroom Behavior
As per page 18 of the Student Handbook, “No student may disrupt or otherwise interfere with any educational activity
or fellow students’ right to pursue academic goals to the fullest in an atmosphere appropriate to a community of
scholars.” For you as a student in my class, and I as your instructor, it is our shared responsibility to develop and
maintain a positive learning environment for everyone. As your instructor, I take this responsibility very seriously and
will inform members of the class if their behavior makes it difficult for me to carry out this task.
As a fellow learner, you are asked to respect the learning needs of your classmates and assist me in achieving this critical
goal. Toward this goal, you are expected to follow the following rules:
Turn off your phone and other electronic devices, and do not use them in the classroom unless you receive
permission from me.
Do not use recording devices, including camera phones and tape recorders in the classroom, laboratory, faculty
offices, and other locations where instruction, tutoring, or testing occurs. Students with disabilities who need to
use a recording device as a reasonable accommodation should contact the DSS Office (described in a section on
the previous page) for information regarding reasonable accommodations.
Arrive to class and be seated on time.
Limit classroom discussions to topics that are relevant to the theme or unit we are discussing.
Keep personal discussions respectful to everyone.
Do not interrupt lectures by talking to others.
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If you anticipate an urgent telephone call during a class meeting, notify me of this possibility before class starts,
and be sure to have your cell phone set to “vibrate” and at a level that would not distract anyone else; if the call
occurs, leave the classroom quietly; and if you return, do so just as quietly as you left, talking to no one.
Most of the above rules are obvious common sense; some may not be, so you may appreciate that I have told you about
them at the beginning of the semester. And now even though most of you don’t really need to see it, I feel obligated to
include the following warning in my syllabus:
I may ask disruptive student(s) to leave the class and/or refer them to the “Office of Student Conduct,“
and for repeated violations, such students will receive a grade of "F" in the course. If needed, I may
impose a seating chart on the class.
Laboratory Policy
Lab rules and safety will be reviewed on the first day of lab. Each student will then sign a statement affirming his or her
commitment to following safe procedures in the laboratory, and turn the form in to the instructor. Be especially aware
of the need for ad equate eye protection in the laboratory. Safety goggles must be worn at all times during the
laboratory period. Goggles, due to their seal-around-the-eyes design, are required because they are protective against
splashes, which have the properties of all liquids, being able to flow through any shape and size of openings of less
protective eyewear. If you also have a pair of less protective, but more comfortable safety glasses, you may wear them
only with the permission of the instructor, which may be granted for some of the scheduled experiments.
SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT IN THE LAB! Follow all instructions!!
You are required to wear safety goggles when handling chemicals. If you do not follow this rule, you may get a
grade of zero for that particular lab. Safety glasses are not OK most of the time.
Do not take the safety goggles off anytime while you are in the lab.
Remove them only after you have cleaned up your lab area, returned used supplies, and after you are sure none
of your classmates still working around you will not be potential hazards for you after you remove your goggles.
Also important for your safety while in the lab:
• No food or drinks are allowed in the lab. (If you have food or drink in your backpack, keep them there out of
reach and out of sight until you can partake of them out in the hallway.)
• Open-toed shoes and/or shorts should not be worn in the lab.
• Admission to the lab may be denied for violation of any of the above rules.
• All students working in chemistry labs should be aware of the inherent dangers (review your signed safety
contract), which exist even though the instructor has taken utmost precautions. It is therefore important for
each student to behave responsibly and report any irresponsible behavior to the instructor. Students guilty of
irresponsible behavior will receive an “F‟ in class.
• If any medical condition restricts you to work with chemicals in the chemistry lab, please consult your medical
doctor regarding any concerns. You must provide a permission letter from your doctor before performing any
experiments in the lab.
• Only experiments that are assigned by the instructor are to be performed. All other experiments are prohibited.
• Any accident in lab, no matter how slight, must be reported to the instructor immediately.
Additional Labwork Policies
You are expected to attend every lab, as this is mandatory for passing the course, no matter what your course
average (lab + lecture) is.
There is no makeup allowed for any lab. Don’t miss a lab, because this course requires that a student do all of
the assigned labs. Is this a problem for you? If so, please read under “Schedule Conflict” below, page 9.
Lowest lab grade will be dropped. (This does not apply to a lab missed due to an absence.)
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Each experiment in the required lab manual has a Pre-Laboratory section (review questions and exercises).
Come to lab prepared –- Read through the experiment beforehand (the Introduction and the Experimental
Procedure), and review the Pre-Laboratory questions in the lab manual – better yet, work them out on the
provided Pre-Laboratory sheet, which a part of your lab manual; if you need help on them, please take the
initiative and connect with your classmates (and me) at my website, Q & A CHEM Help,
http://piazza.com/hccs/spring2014/q_a_chemhelp.
Each student should arrive at the lab on time, with his or her lab manual, or a photocopy of the report sheet and
the procedure if you are in a financial bind. (If you use photocopies, remember that you will also need
photocopies of the blank Pre-Laboratory and Post-Laboratory sheets.)
Another part of each experiment is the Post-Laboratory section, which you will complete and turn in as part of
the lab report. It consists of questions and exercises. Lab reports will count 10 points each, except for those for
experiments #14 and #18, which will count 20 points each, for a total of 100 points.
You will usually do the labs in small groups unless otherwise instructed.
Before you leave the lab, be sure to show me your completed report form (your data) so I can review, initial and
date it (AF). You should not write your data on scratch sheets of paper; write your data directly in the Report
Form sheet, which is part of the lab manual. If you have not done this, I will not initial your Report Form. If your
report form attached to your submitted lab report does not have my signature or initials and date on it, points
will be deducted from your lab report grade.
Points will be deducted from the lab report if a student is not attentive and does not follow correct lab and
safety procedures; is not punctual; does not work well with classmates; does not clean up after finishing the lab.
Labwork Grading
Labwork is an important part of this 4-credit lab-based course. Grades will be based on adherence to:
Safety rules
Preparation
Participation
Understanding, and [back]
Your lab report.
If you do the Pre-Laboratory part of the experiment, you will be much better organized when doing the experiments –
remember, your lab grade will be partially determined by your understanding (see under “Labwork Grading” above)
of the experiment as judged by how competently you set up and perform the experiment while you are at the lab bench.
You can complete the prelab if you thoroughly read the experiment’s Introduction and Experimental Procedure in the
required lab manual; you might have to refer to your notes from lectures and from rereading parts of the textbook
chapter – so not a good idea to wait until the day of the experiment to begin work on it. Plan better than that by keeping
a handy copy of this syllabus’ Lab and Lecture Schedule, so you can remind yourself of the date of the next upcoming
experiment. If you need some help in finishing this assignment outside of class, remember you can connect with your
classmates and me at my website, Q & A CHEM Help, http://piazza.com/hccs/spring2014/q_a_chemhelp . .
How long are the labs?
Labs will vary in duration, though usually between 1 to 2 hours long. This leaves 1 to 2 hours remaining for instructional
time for either more lab or continuation of lecture. You are expected to remain in the lab after you finish the
experiment, so you will not miss these activities, which will be needed for your success in the course. I have planned to
present new lecture content before the lab, whenever feasible, to avoid this from being an issue; (see the Lecture and
Lab Schedule in syllabus below for details).
Details about the Lab Report
You must complete the lab report independently even if the experiment is done in a group. (“Group reports”
will not be acceptable.) Although you and your lab partners collected the experiment’s data together, each lab
partner is expected to demonstrate his ability to process (calculate, graph) and interpret (explain, answer
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questions) data in his own words in a clearly written report, including independently answering all of the postlab
questions from the Lab Manual. If you are not sure about a calculation or a particular section of the
experiment or lab report, ask me about it. Do not copy classmates’ reports or answers to questions and
exercises in the pre- and post-laboratory sections!
A student should make his lab report a true expression (his own words) of his understanding of the
experiment, not a copy or compilation of the lab reports done by his lab partners.
No copying of any parts of a student’s lab partners’ reports is permitted – he and all his associates who engage
in this behavior should expect a low report grade; this also includes the student who let others copy his report.
Lab reports are due one week from the day the lab was conducted.
The lab report should contain the experiment’s title and purpose, and should also contain sections for: i) a
concise description (a brief but accurate summary, not a word-for-word copy) of the experimental method
including apparatus; ii) data (the completed Report Form), and iii) the Post-laboratory questions and exercises.
o No prelab or postlab questions will be done during the lab period.
 The prelab should be done before you step into the lab;
 The postlab should be done after you have completed the experiment, and as you are preparing
your lab report.
 The time for lab will be dedicated to performing the experiment, making careful observations,
doing measurements, and writing your data and observations on your Report Form, which I will
initial and date before I dismiss the class.
As you do the experiment, use a ball point pen (blue or black ink, never any other color) to immediately write
your observations and measured quantities directly into the blanks of your own Report Form as they are being
made. Do not write quantities (data) and other observations on scratch paper with the intent of copying them
later onto your Report Form. Proper scientific practice is direct entry into the Report Form.
o If you make an error in recording your data and it has to be measured again, do not scratch out or
otherwise obscure your original entry! Indicate the correction only by carefully drawing a single line
through the erroneous entry (like a strikeout).
o Do not wait until later after the lab period to copy data from your lab partners’ Report Forms.
o If you and your lab partners divide up the data collection for the different parts of the experiment, do
your best to assure that everyone in your group can view the measurements for each part of the
experiment as they are being made.
o If it turns out not to be feasible for you to view all of the measurements made by your partners, be sure
to copy their data as soon as possible during the lab, to give you time to evaluate their reasonableness
and to see that the measurements are repeated if necessary. If you and your lab partners work this way,
no lab partner should be able to blame the other for bad data he used for his lab report.
Make sure that your Report Form is filled in completely; write in all requested explanations as well as all your
measured data. If you are not sure you have completed this form, refer to the details of the Experimental
Procedure for clarification of what is required to be put into the Report Form.
Write all math steps for calculations in the provided spaces on the Report Form. Always double check that you
have not omitted a calculation.
Some of the experiments’ Report Forms direct you to deduce the identity of an “unknown” substance based on
the data you have measured. Give your answer, and feel free to explain precisely how you derived that answer
(“conclusion”), even if the Report Form does not ask for it. Your thoughtful conclusions, if not asked for, will earn
you extra credit toward your lab report.
For the Post-Laboratory questions and exercises, answer all questions. Give explanations whenever they are
requested by the directions. Do not ignore the explanations; they give you opportunities to reveal your
understanding of the concepts and skills of the experiment. Remember, your demonstrated understanding of
the experiment is an important part of your lab grade!
For your lab report, turn in only the following things:
10
o
o
o
o
Title page – including i) experiment number, ii) experiment name, and iii) purpose – in the sequence as
indicated. And on the upper-right side of this page, write your name and your partners’ names (under
yours); and underneath the names, write the date you turned it in (not later than 1 week after finish
date of the experiment).
Completed Report Form (including all your data, calculations, and explanations that were requested).
Completed Post-Laboratory sheet (all your answers with their detailed solutions).
Do not attach any other pages, such as photocopies of first page, introduction, and experimental
procedure. I want the reports as compact and concise as possible, since I will be collecting and putting
them into my backpack for grading; plus not having to wade through excess pages makes my grading
process more efficient.
Exam and Makeup Policy
Examinations will consist of three non-cumulative regular exams, plus a comprehensive Final Exam. Each exam will cover
specific chapters in the required textbook. Information about the content and dates of the exams is provided in this
syllabus. Any changes will be announced in class in advance during class and/or at my Q & A Chem Help website (see
above section near top of this document). For your answers to exam problems, you must thoroughly show your work,
including all intermediate steps; no credit will be given for your answers if their intermediate steps are not shown.
Exams will be based on problems and questions similar to those provided during lectures, practice exercises, and
homework assignments.
Special Restrictions
• Makeup exams are not normally provided, so make every effort to take the exams, including the
Final Exam, on their scheduled dates (See my Lecture & Laboratory Schedule (including exams, below).
•
•
Come to the exam on time; no student may begin to take an exam after any student has completed
the exam and left the room.
No student may leave the room during the exam and return to the room and continue taking the
exam. To assure that you can stay in the testing room for the duration of the whole testing time on
exam day, make the necessary personal adjustments in your daily routine.
Schedule Conflict – Your Own Personal Schedule versus Course Exam and Lab Schedule
If, after reading this information, you become aware that your personal schedule will conflict with any of the dates of
the exams or labs, please meet with me, or contact me by email or at my website, to discuss your schedule problem. If
you have a valid excuse and can document it, I will do my best to accommodate you with a makeup; click here for
details on the "valid excuse." [Go Back] Otherwise, unfortunately, we will probably have to conclude that you need to
rearrange your personal schedule or arrange for an instructor-approved drop from the course, so you may reregister for
this course at a later time when schedule conflicts won’t occur. If you delay in taking appropriate and timely action (e.g.,
changing your personal schedule) in the first weeks of the semester, this could result in your missing exams – a situation
that would result in a low course average for you, or even a failing grade. [back]
Final Exam To Replace the Lowest of the Three Regular Exam Grades, IF …
If you do not miss any of the three regular exams: I will replace your lowest exam score with your Final Exam score, if
the Final Exam grade is higher. This process is intended exclusively as a privilege for students who have taken all three
exams and is not for students who have missed an exam due to an absence. It is meant to give you a "second chance" if
you do not do well on one of the three regular exams you have taken. This replace-lowest-exam-grade privilege shall not
apply to a student who has received an exam grade due to scholastic dishonesty; in that case, no regular exam grade will
be replaced by the final exam grade. Therefore, if you miss one exam due to an unexcused absence, you will have a
zero on that exam, and you will not qualify for the privilege described in the first sentence of this paragraph.
How long are the exams?
11
Exams sessions are anticipated to require only about one and a half hours each. However the session could be extended
to up to 2 hours, if the instructor decides it’s necessary. The remaining one to one and a half hours will be used in a way
to maximize its benefit to your successful learning in the course. So do plan to stay after each exam for further activities,
the first one being a Q & A survey about the exam and an informative whole- class discussion conducted by the
instructor.
Missed Exam?
When a student misses an exam due to an absence, it is never a small routine matter, for practical reasons,
including the inconvenience to the busy instructor, who would have to interrupt his planning of ongoing lessons
to write a different version of the exam and grade it. It cannot just be replaced by the Final Exam and let go at
that, because there would always be the risk that the student had not even prepared for the content on which
the exam was based! That would not be in the best interest of the student, because that would mean the
student would have a large gap in his knowledge of three chapters; and he would be at great risk for doing
poorly on the comprehensive Final Exam.
In fairness to the truly misfortunate student who has experienced a severe illness or traumatic accident, I will do
my best to accommodate him or her with a makeup for the missed exam; but I will still expect the student to
present a valid excuse for the absence. See the “Valid Excuse” section immediately below for a description of a
valid excuse. A makeup exam must be taken as soon as possible after the originally scheduled exam, the exact
date to be specified by the instructor – no later than one week after, if the nature of the illness or accident does
not preclude that timing.
Valid Excuse for a Missed Exam (or lab) [Go Back]
A missed exam or lab can be classified as “excused” only if the student can satisfactorily document personal/family illness
or trauma. Assuming that the nature of the unfortunate event or illness does not clearly preclude timely documentation
specified by the instructor, the affected student must, in the case of one of the regular exams, present that
documentation within seven days from the day of the exam; and in the case of the Final Exam, he must present it in no
fewer than two weeks prior to the Final Exam.
To be considered for a makeup, it is your responsibility to provide proper documentation* to validate your excuse, and
no excuses will be accepted after that week.
*Examples of proper documentation: Doctor’s official note and contact information; court records, police
report; other pertinent records, including time and place of accident, telephone numbers, email
addresses; name and addresses of officials, hospital, etc.. If you do not have a valid, acceptable excuse,
your missed exam cannot be replaced by your Final Exam grade, and would therefore be recorded as a zero
exam grade.
Excuses will not be accepted for any absence-causing personal affairs that could reasonably have instead been scheduled
(or rescheduled) to occur on non-exam (or non-lab) days.
The Final Exam
The Final Exam will be comprehensive, meaning that it will be cumulative and cover all of the material from the whole
semester, not just the last part.
Special Restrictions
All students are required to take the final exam. No student can be exempted.
There will be no makeup for the Final Exam. An absence for the Final Exam will result in a F grade for the course.
See the section, “Schedule Conflicts” (above) for information about the one rarely used exception for a makeup.
Come to the exam on time; no student may begin to take an exam after any student has completed
the exam and left the room.
12
No student may leave the room during the exam and return to the room and continue taking the exam. To
assure that you can stay in the testing room for the duration of the whole testing time on exam day, take the
necessary personal adjustments in your daily routine.
A student who completes the course by taking the Final Exam cannot receive a "W" in the course.
Assignments
Except for laboratory reports, including one paper and pencil lab (Exp. 14) done in lab, at home, and in small groups at
the class website (Q&A CHEM Help), no other special assignments are graded. I could have required you to work and
submit sets of problems for homework grades, but I decided you will already have plenty of deadlines and grades in this
course. I am confident that you will be able to do just fine if you heed my advice as to what to study in order to best
prepare for the three regular exams (see also below in next paragraphs). I recommend that you work all of the
“Practice Exercises” in each chapter no later than soon after each lecture on the chapter – earlier would be excellent,
too, since that would have you following my advice given in the fourth item under the General Suggestions section
below. Equally important, and probably even more important, is for you to work the end of chapter problems, which
are highly beneficial, indeed essential, to learning chemistry. I recommend that you strive to work all of the even
numbered end-of-chapter problems (answers at back of textbook.
I recommend the following sequence guide for your self-imposed problem-solving practice (HOMEWORK):
(The indicated problems will not be graded; but they are too important for your success in this course not to do. I will be available
during office hours and online at my website each week to address your questions and keep updated on your progress. You should
work all of these problems, and visit me during my office hours to ask questions, or send a private message at my website. Always
bring your chemistry homework notebook with you to lectures and labs.)
Read the chapter for the scheduled lecture ahead of time, and take notes on it; don’t copy the text book, or
even highlight it. Instead, think about what you have read and write your notes in summary form in a special
notebook that you have designated for chemistry homework. More guidance in reading and taking notes mayb e
found in the Science Study Skills Cycle, which I have posted at my Q & A CHEM Help website. Be prepared for the
instructor’s questions, which he will ask as you participate in small groups, or individually, at the beginning of
each lecture meeting.
Work all “Practice Exercises.” You can find and check your answers since they are listed on the very last page of
each chapter. Be sure to always show your intermediate steps for each exercise; never just give the answers!
This is important for all types of problems you work (a good style to practice for the exams)!
Work the “similar problems” (even-numbered) that are indicated in the left margin (in red) at the end of each
worked out Example’s solution. These similar problems are located under the end-of-chapter sections labeled,
“Problems.” (There are several different Problems sections at the end of each chapter.)
Work the other even-numbered Problems that were not listed as being similar to the Practice Exercises. You can
find the answers to most even-numbered problems at the back of the textbook. However, only the answers are
given; not the solutions (that is, how they are worked). Remember to seek help if you have questions on the
solutions to these problems – at my Q & A CHEM Help website and/or during my office hours before and after
class.
Work a few of the “Interpreting, Modeling & Estimating” problems.
Work all “Review Questions.”
Manage to work at least one of the even-numbered “Additional Problems” each day. Again, you can usually find
the answers at the back of the book (but not their detailed solutions).
If you feel you need more practice, start all over with the above sequence, but with the odd-numbered
problems (but their answers are not at the baack of the book). Often the adjacent even and odd problems are
very similar, differing only by the numbers or the substances involved. But regardless of that fact, the various
kinds of problems offer many opportunities to practice the skill of problem-solving – up to the degree of effort
you are willing to apply to meet your personal standards.
For students wanting good achievement in this course (A or B), frequent practice times outside of class are
important. However, if you are not able or willing to apply this kind of effort throughout the course, it is still
13
possible to earn at least a C, which for a hard science course like chemistry, is generally considered to be fair and
respectable achievement. Good luck.
I also recommend that you get a spiral leaf notebook just for working the above self-imposed chemistry Homework
problems – to keep your work more organized so you can easily review your work, and to have them with you during
lab and lecture when moments are available for me to check your progress. [back]
[Back]
Grading Policy
The overall score is based on the following:
Three regular exams 60% (20% per each)  100 points (maximum) for each exam.
Laboratory 20%  100 points
Final Exam 20%  100 points
Total possible earned points = 500 points (3 x 100 + 100 + 100).
The overall score may be calculated in two ways as follows:
1. Overall Score = 0.60(Average of three regular exams) + 0.20(Laboratory grade) + 0.20(Final Exam),
OR
2. By using earned points: (Total Earned points)/5 = your grade (as percent).
For example, if you earned a total of 450 points, your course average would be 90 or A- (450/5). I will be
reporting your grades in both % and points for every graded exam and lab report.
The course grade is then obtained from the overall score:
90 - 100 A
80 - 89 B
70 - 79 C
60 - 69 D
< 60 F, FX*
“FX is a grade assigned to students who attend partially but do not complete the course, or who fail to withdraw and still
appear on the final grade roster, and whose resulting average is below 60. This is a new HCC policy and the grade
assignment of FX is subject to the instructor’s discretion.
How much studying is necessary per week? See first bulleted statement under “General Suggestions” (below).
Tracking your own grade: Students are requested to keep track of their grades throughout the semester and
can use the given grading scheme (as described above) to roughly know their letter grade during the semester.
Final course grade will be available at your “Student System‟ account on May 16 , 2014.
Incomplete Grade (“I”): An incomplete grade can be awarded under extraordinary circumstances, and only
when 90% of the course has been completed. For example, at the end of the semester, if you miss one exam,
one lab or the final exam due to sudden illness, family emergency, catastrophic accident etc., you can request
for incomplete grade with proper documentation. The student must sign a written contract before the “I‟ is
given. Without paperwork, no Incomplete will be given. If the missing work is not completed within the specified
time, a grade of “F‟ will be recorded. An Incomplete grade does not allow a student to retake the entire course
to improve his grade.
How long are the exams? Exams will be 1½ to 2 hours long, which leaves 1 to 1½ hours remaining for
instructional time for either lab or lecture; you are expected to remain in the classroom after you finish the
exam, so you will not miss these activities which will be needed for your success in the course.
14
Other Information and Reminders
My Q & A CHEM Help website is available for you, http://piazza.com/hccs/spring2014/q_a_chemhelp (sign up).
Refer to the first page of this syllabus for more details. In addition to other useful information that your
classmates and I have posted there, you will find practice problems and sample exams.
Free Departmental Tutors available at Spring Branch and Katy Campus; check with the Student Learning Center
for specific days and times.
Free online tutoring is also available. For registration go to www.hccs.askonline.net.
Also remember that your best immediate source of information is your textbook – make thorough use of it.
Meet with me if you are considering withdrawal, or if you are not receiving passing grades.
Chemistry Department Tutor (a free service)
Professor Vera Cheng, a long-time college classroom chemistry teacher, will be available for tutoring students at the
Spring Branch campus (and at Alief). Her long experience has her very tuned in to the needs of HCC students. Out of her
concern for students, she offers a comprehensive service that includes help on study habits, self-confidence,
organization skill, time management, and math skill. She believes a lack of one or more of the foregoing skills is often the
reason for students’ poor performance in Chemistry. Along with her tutoring, she will help students identify and improve
those skills to improve their Chemistry study.
Professor Cheng’s tutoring schedule is as follows:
At Spring Branch in the Library: Mondays 10:00 am – 6:00 pm; Lunch break: 12 – 12:30 pm.
At Alief, Room C-106: Tuesdays 10:00 am – 6:00 pm; Lunch break: 12 – 12:30 pm.
General Suggestions
Chemistry is a vast field, ranging from the study of simple inorganic salts to enormously complex molecules such as
enzymes and nucleic acids in living organisms. By reading the textbook in this course, you will get a taste of some of the
many relevant applications and special areas of chemistry. In my lectures and in your homework, your major focus in
this course will be on the basics or fundamentals (from atoms to intermolecular forces), which comprise the foundation
for all of the aforementioned applications and special areas. As you might suspect, it can be easy to fall behind and, as a
result, to not be ready for the exams. Following are some general tips that may be helpful:
 Learning chemistry takes time. A reasonable guide is to allow yourself at least two hours of study for each
hour of lecture. For this course, there is on average about 4 hours* of lecture per week, which translates to a
minimum of 8 hours of student study time per week outside of class. (This study time is in addition to the
study time you would need to write your lab reports.) As you can see, heavy work and/or class loads for the
semester are not compatible with learning chemistry! *This is an average; for some weeks there are up to 6
hours of lecture. [Back]
 Attend class regularly (!) and take generous notes during class. Ask questions (either during or before class,
and even after class).
 Participate in class discussions and activities. For example, if I call for students to get into small groups for
discussions or other group work, do that right away while attentively listening to my instructions for the
discussion or activity.
 Read and comprehend the textbook: When beginning a new chapter, I recommend that you read through it
quickly the first time, just to give yourself a good feel for what it is about; then read the chapter in depth,
making annotations, and noting which content is hard to understand. If you are really on the job you will
have done this before the class lecture on the chapter! You will understand what's going on in class much
better if you do this, and be primed to ask questions and make the most of the lectures! For more guidance
detail on how to prepare for each class and for studying chemistry in general, see the handout, the
“Science Study Skills Cycle,” which I have posted at my website. [back]
15
 Be aware that your success on the exams for this class requires that you develop skills of quantitative
problem solving. Obviously your math skills (use of exponential notation, logarithms, simple Algebra) will be
important – but no more important than your skills at setting up (organizing) and solving problems, most of
which involve more than one step. So regular practice on recommended HW problems is important.
Consider your persistent efforts at working on your HW assignments well spent!
 Also start tackling the assigned “Practice Exercises” (inside chapters) and end-of-chapter problems! Often,
working problems facilitates understanding much better than just reading and rereading the chapter itself.
Chemistry is a "hands on" course – working problems is essential. However, do not spend an inordinate
amount of time on a single problem – skip it for the time being and go on to another. Try working some of
the sample exercises. They are worked out in the chapter and are very helpful.
 Keep a copy of the syllabus and any handouts handy so you can refer to them whenever you need to
confirm dates, times, policies, and other useful information. Also keep copies of all your paperwork resulting
from your efforts on your assignments. This habit will be very useful to you, because these papers will give
you good reference points for reviewing what you have learned, and identifying where your gaps of
knowledge are – such as when you want to bring your questions forth in discussion with your classmates, or
when you want to clarify what you need help on during tutoring sessions, or during office visits with me.
 You should already have a good, scientific calculator that has scientific notation ("EE" or "EXP" key),log, ln,
x2, √, etc. Business calculators usually do not have all of these features.
 Review basic math operations such as properties of logarithms, if you are rusty. For this purpose, study
Appendix 4 starting on page A-13 at the back of the required textbook.
 Study groups can be very helpful. Keep the group small though, no more than three or four students in a
group, total. You may use my website, Q&A CHEM Help, to find compatible study groups members. It has a
feature designed specifically for this purpose! I can set up a private group for you and your group members
at my website, if you’d like. Let me know.
 Finally, keep a positive attitude! Chemistry can be hard, but with the right attitude and approach, you will
succeed in mastering it!
[back]
Lecture & Laboratory Schedule - Spring 2014
Please note that this is a tentative schedule and the instructor will notify you of any changes in advance. If you arrive
late or miss a class, it is your responsibility to get the missed information from the instructor or from your fellow
classmates.
For maximum benefit to you: For each of the chapters listed below, do the recommended reading and paper-andpencil practice, and connect with your classmates online at the instructor’s website, Q & A CHEM Help
(http://piazza.com/hccs/spring2014/q_a_chemhelp).
The purpose of connecting with your classmates is to make use of their collective energy and organization; also to
provide a free and convenient collaborative forum for each learner’s quest for greater understanding and reinforcement
of this course’s chemical concepts and skills. For my recommendations about how to use this website most effectively,
take a look at my “How to Get the Most Out of the Q & A CHEM Help website.”
Feel free to use the instructor’s website (anytime) as you are reviewing lecture notes, reading the different textbook
sections, studying each chapter’s worked out Example problems, working textbook practice exercises, and working any
of the various kinds of end-of-chapter problems.
Continued on next page.
16
Week
Monday
Lecture/Lab
Wednesday
Lecture Only
Key Topics
1
1/13
Course Introduction
Safety Video, Safety Contract
Begin Chapter 1: “Chemistry: The
Study of Change”
1/15
Chapter 1, continued
The Scientific Method
classification of matter;
characterization of a
substance; SI units; proper
handling of data; scientific
notation; dimensional
analysis
2
1/20
MLK Holiday
1/22
Chapter 1, continued
Chapter 2: “Atoms,
Molecules and Ions”
Department Tutor (Professor Vera
Cheng) will make up this day’s tutoring
on Wed., Jan. 22.
3
1/27
Experiment 1: Measuring Techniques
and Calculations
Experiment 3: Separation of the
Components of a Mixture
1/29
Chapter 2, continued
4
2/3
Chapter 2, continued
Begin Chapter 3: “Mass Relationships
in Chemical Reactions”
2/5
Chapter 3
5
2/10
Chapter 3, continued
Begin Chapter 4: “Reactions in
Aqueous Solutions”
2/12
Chapter 4, continued
6
2/17
Presidents’ Holiday
2/19
Begin Chapter 5: “Gases”
Department Tutor (Professor Vera
Cheng) will make up this day’s tutoring
on Wed., Feb. 19.
The Review for Exam I (1, 2, 3)
will be done only online at
Q&A CHEM Help website.
2/24
EXAM I (1, 2, 3)
6:00 to 8:00 PM
After-exam Q & A survey/ discussion
2/26
Chapter 5, continued
Begin Chapter 6: Thermochemistry”
7
“
Dalton’s Law, atomic
structure, ways of
representing atoms; the
Periodic Table; molecular
compounds, ionic
compounds; chemical
formulas, naming chemical
compounds; writing chemical
formulas
“
More lists of Key Terms to be
added later; I will attach an
updated syllabus as soon as I
can.
17
8
3/3
Chapter 6, continued
Exp. 8: Reactions in Aqueous Solution
– Single and Double Displacement
Reactions
3/10 – 3/16
9
3/5
Chapter 6, continued
Begin Chapter 7: “Quantum
Theory and the Electronic
Structure of Atoms”
SPRING BREAK
3/17
Chapter 7, continued
Experiment 13: Ideal Gas Law –
Determination of the Molar Mass of
a Volatile Compound
3/19
Chapter 7, continued
Review for Exam II (4, 5, 6)
10
3/24
Exam II (4, 5, 6)
6:00 to 8:00 PM
After-exam Q & A survey/ discussion
3/26
Begin Chapter 8: “Periodic
Relationships Among the
Elements”
11
3/31
Experiment 9: Reactivity of Metals
(Activity Series)
Experiment 11: Heat of Acid-Base
Neutralization
4/2
Chapter 8, continued
Begin Chapter 9: “Chemical
Bonding I: Basic Concepts”
– This review may be done
online at the Q&A website.
Last Day for Administrative/Student
Withdrawals-4:30 PM
12
4/7
Chapter 9, continued
4/9
Chapter 9, continued
Begin Chapter 10: “Chemical
Bonding II: Molecular
Geometry and Hybridization
of Atomic Orbitals”
13
4/14
Chapter 10, continued
Experiment 14: The VSEPR Theory of
Molecular Geometry (a “dry” lab,
using pen, paper, molecular models)
4/16
Chapter 10, continued
Review/Exam III (7, 8, 9)
4/21
Exam III (7, 8, 9, 10)
6:00 – 8:00 PM
After-exam Q & A survey/discussion
4/23
Begin Chapter 11:
“Intermolecular Forces and
Liquids and Solids”
14
– This review may be done
online at the Q&A website.
18
15
4/28
Experiment 18: UV-Vis Spectroscopy
Detection of Caffeine in Beverages
Checkout
16
5/5
No class
4/30
Chapter 11, continued
Review for Final Exam
Last Day of Instruction
5/7
FINAL EXAM
(all chapters, 1 – 11)
6:30 – 8:30 PM
Your final course grade will be available at your Student System account on May 16, 2014.
How to Get the Most Out of the Q & A CHEM Help Website
Sign up at this website at http://piazza.com/hccs/spring2014/q_a_chemhelp. You can do this by following the prompts
that were given in the invitation I sent to your email address. After you have signed up, log in soon after at the same
website, but with the backslash “home” (/home) after it, like this:
http://piazza.com/hccs/spring2014/q_a_chemhelp/home. Time-saving tip: Paste a short-cut icon on your desktop for
convenient access from your home computer; and/or use Piazza’s free iPhone and Android apps.
Log in as many times as you can during each week – as frequently as needed for you to maintain an awareness of the
main threads of your classmates’ interactions, probably at least several different days over each week; for example, 5
times over 3 different days.
For an active level of contribution, do one or more of the following each time you log in:
• On your first visit, start out by reading some or all of the helpful practical information posted at the website by
the Piazza Team on how best to use their website. Explore the website’s features and tools by posting a “Hello”
message, either a “Question” or a “Note.” If you don’t want to post your trial message, you could either “edit”
or “delete” it after you “preview” it. Be sure to try out all of the commands on the toolbar attached above the
message window. Before you can post your message, you will have to click on one of the category folders (for
example, “HW1”). And, although not absolutely necessary, it would be very helpful later for other users, if you
would type the pound sign (#), and a key word next to it (without a space), for example, #matter or #physicalchanges, and place it below the last line of your message. All key words preceded by the pound sign would be
searchable!
• Read all of the questions and notes that have already been posted by your classmates and/or instructor. If you
keep up with the posted messages at a reasonable login rate each week, this action will always be easily
manageable for you.
• Look for a posted question by one of your classmates, and type in your best answer for it. Just click in the
narrow rectangular “Student Answer” window below the posted question. A larger window will appear which is
topped by a rich-text toolbar. In some cases you could answer it using only simple text. Most other times, you
will want to use the Format button, or other toolbar buttons, to open menus that allow you to select other
options for clearer expression, such as would be needed to write chemical formulas and equations. The Table
button would be very helpful for setting up math equations. Feel free to use your creativity and ingenuity with
the various size tables and with the image button. Unless you are already familiar with the LaTeX equation
editor, you may ignore it.
• Initiate or contribute to a “followup discussion” for the already answered question. Just click in the narrow
rectangular “followup discussion” window below the already posted student answer or previously posted
followup discussion. In your followup, make a comment, type a question, or write a clarifying chemical or math
equation. If you see what looks like an error in a classmate’s note, explain the error and suggest a correction.
19
•
•
•
•
Look for a posted “Note” by a classmate or the instructor. Post a followup discussion to the note. In your
followup, make a comment, type a question, or write a clarifying chemical or math equation. If you see what
looks like an error in a classmate’s note, explain the error and suggest a correction. Please notice: This activity
seems almost identical to the one described above. That’s OK, because the previous followup discussion is
addressing a “question,” and this one is addressing a “note.” The question requires an answer; but the note does
not. The note is usually either a comment or some other kind of statement. Each type of message can usually be
improved by followup discussions; so you and your classmates will have plenty of opportunities for active
participation that supports effective learning.
Post your own “question” – for example, about one of the recommended homework problems outlined in this
syllabus, or about a lecture topic or review problem.
Post your own “note.” For example, list facts or concepts that impressed you as you were reading the textbook;
or post a note about a homework problem or a sample test problem. You could even include your attempted
solution to a problem, showing chemical equations and/or math expressions. If you make a mistake, Ta-dahhh!
That’s OK! Consider it making an important contribution to the learning process. You are among your fellow
learners who are all also making errors as they learn!
If others have said enough in their discussion followups to thoroughly satisfy your posted question, indicate that
status by selecting “Resolved.”
[Back].
Thoughtful Student Feedback for Improved Teaching
At Houston Community College, the EGLS (Evaluation for Greater Learning Student System) is used because professors
believe that thoughtful student feedback is necessary to improve teaching and learning. During a designated time,
students will be asked to answer a short online survey of research-based questions related to instruction. The
anonymous results of the survey will be made available to the professors and division chairs for continual improvement
of instruction. Look for the survey as part of Houston Community College System online near the end of the semester.