PREREQUISTE
This is Session 2 of 2 in the full year of high school chemistry. Session 2 is only offered in spring each year.
It is required to complete Session 1 before taking Session 2. NO EXCEPTIONS.
CLASS DESCRIPTION
This course will be an in depth study of the foundations of Chemistry at a high school level. Younger students (12-14) need to be academically advanced. My goal is to create a course that is accessible, engaging, and enjoyable for all students. I am NOT going to get crazy with the chemistry math and make a course that requires students to have taken Algeocalcutrig before they take it! That said, there will be quite a bit of math. Students who have completed Algebra I will be able to handle the math in this class. At that stage, they will understand how variables, scientific notation, exponents, percentages, decimals, and units work, and that’s all they really need to know. When there is math involved, I will be detailing out the steps so it is easily understood. Just know that I am not going to include convoluted word problems as part of this course. There will be word problems, but they will be straightforward and easy to understand. Again, my goal is for students to grasp the foundations of chemistry (including the math) without getting bogged down in the tedium of it.
CLASS FORMAT
No live classes—view lessons on YOUR schedule. In general, expect 1.5-2.5 hours to work through the lesson plan each week, and an additional 2-5 hours working on assignments (it really depends what assignment your child chooses to do and how they manage their time).
Each lesson consists of a fully narrated PowerPoint presentation with images and videos to enhance the topics. Students will have access to our learning management system, Canvas, for viewing their lesson, printing worksheets, taking quizzes, viewing/submitting assignments, participating in discussions, and viewing grades/feedback.
Week 13 States of Matter:
We’ll be going in depth on the states of matter, what define them, their properties, and how phase changes occur.
Week 14 Gas Laws:
We will cover Boyle’s Law, Charles’ Law, Gay-Lussac’s Law, Combination Law, Avogadro’s Law, Variations on the Ideal Gas Law, and Gas Stoichiometry.
Week 15 Solutions:
We’ll learn the types and characteristics of solutions, factors that affect solubility, and how solutes define colligative properties.
Week 16 Reaction Energy:
We’ll cover exothermic and endothermic reactions and how they relate to enthalpy and entropy- including the calculations necessary to determine heat energy during chemical reactions.
Week 17 Reaction Rates:
We’ll learn about the factors that affect reaction rates and the rate laws that govern them.
Week 18 Chemical Equilibrium:
We’ll learn what chemical equilibrium is, how it is achieved, how it can be shifted, and how to calculate various equilibria states and ionic concentrations.
Week 19 Acids and Bases:
We’ll discuss what acids and bases are from both physical characteristics and chemical makeup. We’ll learn the difference between Arrhenius and Bronsted-Lowry acids and bases, ionization steps for mono and polyprotic acids, the pH scale, and neutralization reactions.
Week 20 Redox Reactions:
We’ll explore oxidation reactions, including the rules for assigning oxidation numbers and how to balance them based on the oxidation number method and the half reaction method. Plus labs to see oxidation and reduction up close and personal!
Week 21 Electrochemistry:
Last week’s study of oxidation/reduction reactions will “flow” into this week’s unit on electrochemistry- how electrons flow. We’ll focus on cathodes, anodes, electrodes, and reduction potential. We’ll then discuss the chemistry of batteries, learning the different types and how they work.
Week 22 Hydrocarbons:
We’ll begin a two week study of the basis of organic chemistry- hydrocarbons. We’ll learn what they are, what their chemical structure is, the different types including their chemical structures and formulas, and how to name them.
Week 23 Substituted Hydrocarbons:
We’ll continue our study of hydrocarbons, focusing on the different types functional groups, their chemical composition, and properties. We’ll learn how to name hydrocarbons based on the functional groups they contain, and what their real life uses are. We’ll end the lesson with synthetic polymers and monomers.
Week 24 Chemistry meets Biology:
We’re combining Chemistry and Biology this week, focusing on biomolecules. We’ll learn about amino acids and their structure and bonding, peptide bonds, proteins, enzymes, carbohydrates, fatty acids, DNA and more.
Week 25 Nuclear Chemistry:
We’ll learn about the elements involved in nuclear chemistry and what makes them “different”. We’ll discuss radioisotopes, radioactive decay, the different types of radioactive decay and the changes it can cause to an element, how half lives work, transmutation, and how nuclear chemistry is used to create manmade elements in the lab. Then we’ll cover nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, and the harmful effects of radiation.
Week 26 Environmental Chemistry:
This week we conclude our full year of chemistry with a unit on environmental chemistry, learning about the chemistry all around us! We’ll cover the atmosphere, the gases found in the different layers, and how they affect what happens there. We’ll discuss the hydrosphere, and the chemistry of the fresh water and salt water that make up most of our planet. Then we’ll move to the lithosphere and discuss the chemistry of Earth’s crust, mantle, and core. We’ll discuss the nitrogen cycle and carbon cycle, and how the latter is involved in climate change.
Doing labs at home is OPTIONAL!
However, I feel like chemistry is an extremely hands on science, and doing the experiments rather than just watching them adds an entirely new layer and deeper understanding to the material. I try to use household items for labs whenever I can, but that’s not always possible. And I do realize that some of these chemicals and equipment can get a little pricey. You don’t have to do every lab or not do every lab! You can absolutely do some of them and skip others (ones that are more hazardous or require expensive equipment). Remember—any lab you don’t do yourself, I’ll be doing on video so you won’t miss anything. I film every lab for the students so they can see the procedure and the result if they are unable to do the lab at home.
The spreadsheet is sortable by the Week Number, the Lab Number (so you know exactly what is needed for each lab within a single week), and the material (sort by this to see how often we use a certain item). You can even create a column to check off what you’ve ordered to keep track. Many things you can buy at your local store. Things that may need to be ordered I have listed one or two sources for: Amazon and Homesciencetools. There are multiple sources for most items—these are just the ones I recommend.
If you order from Homesciencetools, use THIS LINK to create your account and you’ll get $10 off!
