Chemistry 103 (1)—For Freshmen Only
Fall 2004
MWF 12-1 and F 1-2 Room 243 PSB
Instructor—Professor Susan White
Room 202 PSB
X5107
course web page—
http://www.brynmawr.edu/Acads/Chem/Chem103sw04/chem103sw04index.html
Textbook—Chemistry by Jerry Bell (and the American Chemical Society). Purchase of the model kit with the text is highly recommended and this kit will be used during designated class and laboratory sessions. Please read or skim the indicated sections BEFORE coming to class.
Course Philosophy—We will adopt a discovery approach to learning about chemistry and its applications to medicine, environmental studies, physics, and biology. Beginning with concrete observations of experiments or data we will generalize to formulate chemical principles.
Lunch and Lecture—You are welcome to eat your lunch during Chem. 103. But please clean up after yourself and use common sense if chemicals are present. Food and chemicals should be kept separate at all times and if you are handling one, wash your hands before touching the other. If you have a chemical spill, however minor, please tell an instructor so it may be cleaned up properly.
Collaborative Learning—During some class sessions you will be asked to work as small groups to make experimental observations, complete worksheets, or brainstorm. Listening to your colleagues and explaining concepts yourself excellent ways to learn. For maximum benefit, please make sure that your group completes and understands each exercise. Some in-class worksheets will be handed in and graded.
Peer-Led-Instructors—Several highly qualified and trained Bryn Mawr chemistry students will be your PLIs. These students will attend class, help with group work, grade homework, hold conferences with students and run evening sessions. These sessions are designed to give you additional practice with key concepts discussed in lecture. You must attend these sessions in person to benefit.
Friday recitations—Your chance to work together on questions that sum up our weekly progress. Time will be set aside for questions about homework assignments.
Homework—Assigned exercises from the text will be collected and graded on a weekly basis. Most assignments will be due in class on Monday. To guide your work, numerical answers to many problems are listed at the back of the text. You may work as individual or in small groups, but should write your solutions independently. You must acknowledge your collaborators! Solutions must be written clearly and logically and written answers should be in complete sentences. Remember that drawings and outlines of problem-solving strategies are often helpful. Complete solutions will be posted electronically and it is your responsibility to check your work against them in a timely fashion. Late homework will not be accepted, but your two lowest HW grades will be dropped.
Conferences and Office Hours—During the semester, the instructor will schedule several individual conferences with each student to discuss homework assignments and test results. Please bring all completed assignments with you. Individuals or groups may come to office hours for help with homework or other matters. Be sure to bring specific problems and questions. Electronic help is available in the late evening and over the weekend.
Final Conference—Following the Thanksgiving holiday, each student will independently prepare written solutions for five problems including at least two “General Problems” that have not been assigned or discussed in class or PLI sessions. There must be one problem from each chapter covered. At the conference, the instructor will choose one or two problems for you to explain.
Exams—There will be 4 midterm exams and a self-scheduled final examination. Please note the dates of the exams as there will be no make-up or early exams. The lowest exam score will be dropped. Understanding chemistry requires several types of reasoning—verbal, visual and spatial, and mathematical and analytical and exam questions will require demonstration of these skills. At least one exam question will closely resemble a homework problem or an in-class exercise. Exams will be closed book and notes and you will be expected to use a calculator.
Extra-credit—Attendance at PLI sessions can be used to partially offset exam scores below 70 (up to 5 points for attending 5 sessions per exam). Any student may earn up 10 extra points by e-mailing a critical summary paragraph of a class or PLI session to the instructor within 48 hours. Complete sentences are a must! If you need a challenge you may hand in solution to designated “Extra for Experts” problems.
Grading (Class 66.7% and Laboratory 33.3%)
HW-- Best 7 assignments (10 points each)—70 points
3 Conferences + Final Conference—40 points
In-class exercises, attendance and participation—40 points
Exams—Best of 3
Exam 1—100 points
Exam 2—100 points
Exam 3—100 points
Exam 4—100 points
Final exam—cumulative with accent on Chapter 5—150 points