Things you may want to know |
Students Often wonder About |
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Keeping a Journal |
Writing Assignments |
A Few Matters of Policy | |
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Other Useful Links (*) | |
Course Description: The title of the text, Chemistry in Context: Applying Chemistry to Society describes the objective of the course. You will learn chemistry (a lot of significant and relevant chemistry) and you will learn how chemistry is intricately linked to societal, political, economical and ethical issues of our daily lives. There are two major goals: The first is to equip you with the basic tools to understand the chemistry of our everyday lives. The second is to help you develop the critical thinking skills that will allow you to assess the risks and benefits of chemical developments. As Lucy Eubanks says in the Preface, the goal of this course is to empower you make informed and, reasonable decisions about technology-based issues. The core of the course will cover the first six chapters of the text. The first three chapters look at the composition of air, the ozone layer and the chemistry in the atmosphere, and how naturally occurring gases (and those produced by modern society) affect the composition of the atmosphere. The next topic, energy, follows logically. What is chemical energy? What are natural and “alternative” sources of energy? The second half of the semester we will focus on water (structure and properties, water as rain, and acid rain). In the remaining weeks we will examine alternate sources of energy. Back to Top
WWW, BlackBoard and Email: The resources of the Internet are powerful teaching tools; this course uses many of them. Much of the course material will be available exclusively through CourseInfo, a web-based container for course material. You will find an expanded course outline and course documents (lecture notes as PowerPoint slides, homework assignments, links to other general chemistry web sites, etc.). It also has a chat room, a threaded discussion board and you can check your grade. This link will take you directly to your personal page on CourseWeb. Use your Pitt user id and password to access some of the pages ... from any computer, connected to any internet provider! If you don’t have an account see Dr. Bell-Loncella.
The authors and publisher of this text have collaborated to set up a special Chemistry in Context Web site. In addition to these links, the class will maintain a list of links relevant to each chapter. The web page for this course links to the Course Web page, the Chemistry in Context page, the list of links and other helpful sites. Be sure to locate and book-mark the following links:
The importance of vocabulary … To understand science, you must understand the vocabulary. You should keep a section of your study notes (or your journal - see below) where you record the words you do not know (or even the words in bold-face in the text). Write a definition and then a phrase that helps you keep the word in context. This will really help with the exam questions!
Writing Assignments: I do not expect you to be a math genius to pass this course, but I do expect you to write. This section of Chem 0080 has been designated as a "Writing Enhanced" course, which means that at lest 20% of your grade is based on written work. You will have many opportunities to develop and refine your writing skills. There is a writing assignment for every other chapter about a provocative question raised during class discussion. You will want to research the topic so that you can write intelligently on the topic. The resources at your disposal include the popular science literature (e.g. - Scientific American, Popular Mechanics, Discover, Chemical and Engineering News) and the Web. Specific details will be provided with the first assignment. The grade is based on the scientific content (1/3), the logic and organization of your argument (1/3) and your writing style (1/3). Complete details are available on the Course web site. In addition, the exams (mid-term and final) feature essay questions, and you will keep a journal.
A word about .... Plagiarism and Writing Assignments – You will need to consult outside sources (reference books, periodicals, the Internet) to collect necessary information for your writing assignments. The web is an excellent resource for this kind of information. Be aware that there is a big difference between summarizing/paraphrasing information taken from a source to incorporate in the text of your paper and copying the information directly from the web browser to paste it directly into your document. The former is common practice in research. The latter is plagiarism. Be forewarned that if I suspect that sections of a paper have been lifted directly from a web page, I will submit the document to Turn-It-In, a web site that check papers for plagiarism. Please understand that my goal is not to catch cheaters. Instead, I want to encourage and support you as you learn to become good writers.Keep a Journal: A composition book is perfect for this. Make an entry at least once a week. Sometimes I will give you a specific topic on which to write and sometimes your entry can be a "free write". There are many things that you can write for your "free write" entries. Use the journal to summarize the key ideas presented in each chapter. Summarize how a principle discussed in class relates to something you have experienced in your daily life. Write your responses to the "Consider This" boxes. Use your journal to make notes for the "Sceptical Chymist" writings. You will find that taking the journal assignments seriously will help prepare you for the mid-term and final exams. I will collect the journals randomly once or twice during the semester. Each time I review your journal, you will receive 5 points for each entry. Many of your journal entries will be subjective; hence the points will reflect the quality of the thinking and the writing not the accuracy or the point of view.
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My Teaching Style: If you talk to my former students, some will tell you that I have an unorthodox style. Others will tell you that I expect you to learn the material on your own. Both statements are true. However, I do not expect you to do it entirely on your own. I am also there to help you every step of the way. I assume that you can read the text book, learn the definitions of terms and think about the questions posed. Therefore, if I were to paraphrase the text in my lectures, you would probably lose interest, tune out and (perhaps) stop coming. My role is to clarify difficult concepts, help you learn to synthesize the information you extracted from the text and give you the tools to think critically and assess risks and benefits. This is the difficult part of learning; however, I'll be there to coach you -- all the way.
Sometimes I will lecture in the traditional fashion. That is, I stand at the front of the room, my notes in hand, talking and writing lots things on the overhead while you sit at your seats attentively listening and writing down as much of what I write, and say, as you possibly can. This method works very well when I want to focus on content. You can be guaranteed that you will have lots of "good notes." But this method doesn't always work. This method also doesn't do a very good job of helping you synthesize information or develop the tools to think critically. Much of this kind of learning happens in class discussions and you probably won't have lots of "good notes". Back to Top, Back to the CiCPage
Chemistry is very visual -- and three-dimensional. I use a lot of three-dimensional models and visual examples in class. You will note that this class room is equipped for high-tech. You will see this high-tech in action this semester.
Sometimes I do demonstrations; I expect you to pay careful attention and make note of what you observe. I will provide questions in advance and you will do it as a group assignment. I want you to think about what is happening, why it is happening and how it relates to the assigned chapter material. I want you to gain an understanding of how we can use experimental results to draw conclusions and develop "rules". We will use a similar approaach for many of the discussion questions in the text (Consider This). Since it's difficult to "take notes" during this kind of class, I will try to give you time to summarize your ideas, observations and conclusions.
Sometimes I'll start class by asking a series of questions. The questions may seem totally unconnected and not at all related. In fact, they are very much related. My objective is to encourage you to think about these presumably abstract chemical principles by relating them to familiar things in your everyday life. You'll find that I ask a lot of questions. Sometimes, I think that you really do understand and I want to give you a chance to explain it. Sometimes I ask questions, because I sense that you don't understand and I need to know where I lost you. And sometimes I ask really stupid or redundant questions -- just to keep you on your toes. Often I'll ask a series of related questions -- to help you learn to reason ideas. There is an important rule to this: There is no such thing as a wrong answer! Your answer may not be what I had in mind, or it may not be correct. That's OK. Knowing why an answer is not correct is much more valuable than knowing the correct answer!
Now, this back and forth dialogue can seem intimidating -- especially if I happen to call on you and you haven't a clue about what I want. One approach we'll use to overcome this is by collaboration. You will be part of a group that will work together throughout the semester. You can trust your group members to help you out in a pinch. Back to Top , Back to the CiCPage
Preparation for Class: Ideally you always want to be prepared. Given what you've read so far, it could be very uncomfortable if you weren't prepared. Admittedly this isn't always possible. A good rule of thumb is:
"Two hours of studying for every hour spent in class -- MINIMUM!"
Be sure to read the booklet Reading and Learning Scientific Material by Helen Allen and the section "Tracing the Web" in your text book. The Table of Contents, with the detailed headings for each section of the chapter, serves as an outline. As you read each chapter, work the Your Turn boxes and make notes of your response to the Consider This boxes. The major issues and applications, concepts and skills are summarized at the end of each chapter. The Concept Web will help you pull all the pieces together (See Concept Maps, p 23 of the booklet by Allen). It's a good idea to look over these study guides before you begin to read the chapter; they can serve as a road map pointing out the important landmarks along the way. Back to Top, Back to the CiCPage
Class Participation: Class participation will not directly affect your grade. However, it could likely have a profound impact on your understanding of the material. This should be self-evident based on what you have just read about my teaching style. Furthermore, if your final grade falls in that gray area your class participation may count in your favor. Class participation is a willingness to be actively involved: to answer questions, to volunteer a different explanation or point of view, to ask questions. Back to Top, Back to the CiCPage
Academic Integrity: Honesty and integrity are qualities we respect in ourselves and others. Therefore, you are expected to be fully aware of your responsibility to maintain a high quality of integrity in all of your work. Furthermore, you are expected to have read and understood the University Guidelines for Academic Integrity.
The following should help to define the term cheating. 1) Sharing information on a problem set such that two or more answers are identical; 2) using unauthorized materials during a test or exam; 3) passing off as your own the ideas, words or products from some other source (better known as plagiarism). Cheating of any form will not be tolerated!
If you are suspected of cheating, you will be allowed due process as established by the Academic Integrity Guidelines. If the accusation is found true, a first offense will result in a grade of zero on that assignment. Verification of a second offense, will result in a failing grade for the entire course. In either case, the Assistant V.P. for Academic Affairs, your advisor and the Disciplinary Board will be notified in writing. Back to Top, Back to the CiCPage
Attendance: When you registered for this class you agreed to attempt all of the work that may be assigned. Attendance is not mandatory. However you will find that punctual and regular attendance is vital to carry out this commitment. Roe example, the group discussion exercises are worth 10 (to 15 points). Missing these exercises will cost you! Moreover, cutting class -- for whatever reason -- shows a lack of respect for your fellow students and the professor. You are expected to attend and participate in the lecture and discussion period, read all of the assigned chapters, turn in homework and, of course, pass the quizzes, tests and final exam. You are responsible for all work assigned in this course. You are responsible for obtaining materials or instructions given in a class that you missed. An excused absence is one where you have obtained prior permission from the instructor, or have a doctor's certificate in case of illness. To become eligible for an excused absence from an examination, you must communicate the reason for your absence to the instructor before the examination, if possible. Back to Top, Back to the CiCPage
Special Accommodations: If you have a disability for which you may be requesting academic accommodation, you are encouraged to contact both your instructor and the Office of Health & Wellness (OHW), G-10 Student Union Building, (814) 269-7119 as early as possible in the term. OHW will verify your disability and determine reasonable accommodations for this course.
Withdrawing from Class: There are several dates to keep in mind regarding dropping a class from your schedule. The first is January 18, 2011, the end of the Add/Drop period. The next important date is March 4, 2011, the last date when you can withdraw from an individual class with a grade of W on your transcript. If you are not performing as well as you would like, you may consider dropping the class no later than this date. After that date, you must obtain a “Late Withdrawal” form from the Office of Academic Affairs to receive permission. Permission for “Late Withdrawal” is allowed only under extreme circumstances outside of a student’s control.
Grading -- Exams, Quizzes & Homework: There will be one midterm exam and a comprehensive final. In addition, there will be four to six quizzes (10 to 15 points), one writing assignment per chapter (20 points each), in-class group exercises (10 to 15 points each) and the journal worth a total of 200 points. The total number of points earned for the journal, these short assignments, writing exercises ( 2 to 4 per chapter -- 10 Pts each) and quizzes will be normalized to 200 and added to the final numerical score.
I will not allow you to make up a quiz or group discussion. I will handle missed deadlines for writing assignments on an individual basis. All students must take exams (midterm and final) at the scheduled times. Make-up exams will be allowed only in cases of documented illness or unavoidable absences (see above), and will be handled on an individual basis. Failure to abide by these rules will result in a grade of zero.
The total number of points collected by a student will be divided by the total possible points (400) to compute a percentage. Letter grades, based on the percentage, will be determined according to a ten-point scale. The +/- system is used for grades from A to C.
| Elisabeth T. Bell-Loncella | ||
| 112B Engineering & Science Bldg | Department of Chemistry | |
| Voice: 814.269.2904 | University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown | |
| FAX: 814.269.7261 | Johnstown, PA 15904 |
| Last Updated: 01/09/2011 |
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