Course Syllabus

Chemistry 110: Chemical Concepts with Lab (6.0 credits)

Course Instructor

Sonya Remington Doucette (call me Sonya or Dr. Doucette)

Office Location: S-340I on BC Main Campus

Office Phone: 425 564-2264 (email is the best way to contact me initially)

Email: sonya.doucette@bellevuecollege.edu (this is the best way to contact me initially)

Office Hours: M, W, F 9:50 – 11:15 am; F 8:30 – 9:30* (*in Science Study Center, S114, on Fridays)

Email expectations:

What you can expect from me: I will check email at least once a day Monday through Friday between 8 am and 5 pm. I will get back to you within 24 hours, excluding weekends. 

What I expect of you: Check your email once a day Monday through Friday. Please compose your emails using your name and proper email etiquette (use grammar and full sentences)!

Course Information

Course Description:

Chemistry 110 is a six credit online course intended for students looking for a fairly non-mathematical survey of chemistry with lab activities that can be performed at home. There will be an occasional use of basic arithmetic and ratios. Emphasis will be placed on the atomic and molecular level interpretation of matter and energy, and practical applications. This course will not require on-campus visits. You can view course outcomes here.

Work Involved in Meeting Course Outcomes:

There is a lot of reading, doing, thinking, and responding in this course!  You should plan to spend at least 1-2 hours of time every day on this class to keep up with discussion postings, lab activities, assignments, and your project. Taking an online course often requires more work than a traditional course. You should be taking this course because you need the flexibility it offers, not because you expect it to be easy or less demanding than an on-campus course.

Online Access is Required!
Access to reliable internet service is expected. All students have access to internet in N250 open lab on campus, and in some public places (coffee shops, public library, etc.)  This course will be very challenging for students who don’t have consistent and reliable access to the internet. Please email/call me if you have any issues with internet access during the course of the quarter. Go here for help with Canvas.

Required Materials:

• Molecules at an Exhibition (MAAE) by John Emsley  (available at the bookstore or can be purchased online - Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.) http://alturl.com/h2i42
• Science 101: Chemistry by Kiernan and D'Agnese, published by Harper-Collins (available at the bookstore or can be purchased online - Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.) http://alturl.com/ej3r9
• An inexpensive, simple four-function (+, -, ´, ÷) calculator. You can also use the calculator on your computer or phone if you are comfortable with it.
• Household/food items, to be purchased at a grocery store, for lab assignments. Here is list to get you started: GroceryList.pdf

Optional Materials:  If you are having any difficulty in this course, any introductory chemistry book may come in handy. There are several on reserve in the library and in the Science Study Center (S-114).                                                                     

Assignments and Grading 

Week 1 assignments: Orientation Quiz, Top Ten, Curious Chem, Activity 0                      30 pts

Weekly discussion postings, usually MAAE (6 weeks @ 10 pts each)                               60 pts
15 Class Activities/Labs/Quizzes (10 pts each)                                                                150 pts

Writing Assignment and Peer Evaluation (70 pts for your paper; 25 pts for reviews)         95 pts

Canvas online course evaluation (@ 10 pts)                                                                      10 pts

5 Reading Quizzes on ten chapters of textbook                                                               50 pts
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                                                                                                                            subtotal = 395 pts

Grade Scale (%)

A   94-100%  B+ 85-89%    B-  78-80%    C 70-74%    D 60-65%

A- 90-93%     B   81-84%    C+ 75-77%    C- 66-69%   F 59% and below

Topics Covered:   The course is divided into modules. Each module covers a “big” topic in chemistry: atomic structure and chemical bonding, matter and its changes (chemical reactions), energy and the atom (radioactivity), materials and organic chemistry, household chemistry (solutions, acids and bases) and chemistry of the environment.

For a listing of the assigned reading, access the Modules link. 

TYPES OF ASSIGNMENTS:

(a)  First week activities: These are assignments for orientation purposes – a biography assignment (top ten about you), an orientation quiz reviewing course policies and site navigation, an activity to get setup for course communications (Activity 0), and a chance to ask a question about chemistry you have now at the beginning of the course.

(b) Reading Quizzes: There will be short quizzes on your readings in your Science 101: Chemistry textbook. There will be 5 over the course of the quarter, most during the first part of the quarter. These quizzes will be in Canvas and will be due on Mondays.   

(c) Class Activities:  There are weekly assignments due, including short writing assignments, hands-on labs to be done at home, and computer simulations.  Students will be expected to complete the laboratory experiments and submit the accompanying assignments online via Canvas. Lab activities will be done with materials in your home and a list of the grocery items to buy for each lab is included in each lab.  Check the “Calendar” within Canvas for the due dates.  Activities are due on Mondays and Wednesdays.

(d) Weekly Discussion on “Molecules at an Exhibition” (MAAE):  We will read the book “Molecules at an Exhibition” by John Emsley. The book is arranged into chapters that are referred to as "galleries". A discussion prompt based on your reading will be provided each week in Canvas. You will be required to post your own discussion about the readings in response to the week's discussion prompt and then reply to classmates.  Individual discussion posts are due on Mondays and replies to classmates' discussion posts are due on Wednesdays. (See below for a detail description of individual discussions posts and replies to classmates.)

          General Requirements for discussion posts on MAAE:

          *Note: Not all of the prompts are the same. Read carefully and follow the specific directions for each post or reply!

          Your individual MAAE discussion posts: Due weekly by Monday (6 pts). Use the prompt for each week to guide the topic of your discussion post. Type at least 250 words and remember to cite your sources. Include the citation from the text (including page numbers) and at least ONE other internet source.

          Your replies to other classmates’ discussion posts: Due weekly by Wednesday (4 pts). Write and post replies to discussion posts by classmates. Type at least 150 words and include at least TWO internet sources.

(e) Project and Peer Evaluation:

A 60 point writing project and a 25 point peer review assignment is described in Canvas, on the Project Page (got to Modules in Canvas for details).  Most project-related due dates are on Fridays, but there may be exceptions.

(f) Course evaluation and exit survey:  The course evaluation is the official college course evaluation form and any questions I may ask for feedback about the course. If you complete this, you receive 3 pts of extra credit. If 90 % or more of the students in the course completes it, each student earns an additional 3 pts.

Course Policies 

Deadlines: All activities/discussions/project-related assignments are due at 11:59PM on the date listed on the calendar.

Late Policy: You will start the quarter with 5 free late passes that can be used within 1 week of deadlines. You must indicate that you are using the late pass as a comment submitted on the assignment page. No penalty and no questions asked! To keep track of your use of late passes, I will create an extra credit grade category in which you will start the quarter with 5 points. When you turn in a late assignment, I will deduct 1 point from this extra credit category and your assignment wild be graded as if it was on time. Assignments turned in up to 1 week late with a late pass will earn full credit. Assignments turned in more than 1 week late with a late pass will receive zero points.

COMMUNICATION: Discussion Board / Email / Phone  Please try to post any general questions you have on the "Questions about this course" discussion board. It’s really helpful when we share our questions and answers as a class.  If you need individual attention or have issues of a personal nature, please contact me by email or phone or visit my office. Feel free to contact me anytime to set up time for a phone/online meeting. 

Need help with chemistry?  A list of places to go for help and other resources will be posted in our class site. Please let me know as soon as you encounter difficulties and we will arrange to meet.

Disability Resource Center

The Disability Resource Center serves students with a wide array of learning challenges and disabilities. If you are a student who has a disability or learning challenge for which you have documentation or have seen someone for treatment and if you feel you may need accommodations in order to be successful in college, please contact us as soon as possible. 

If you are a person who requires assistance in case of an emergency situation, such as a fire, earthquake, etc, please meet with your individual instructors to develop a safety plan within the first week of the quarter.

If you are a student with a documented autism spectrum disorder, there is an additional access program available to you. Contact Autism Spectrum Navigators Email and phone number is on the web page. ASN is located in the Library Media Center in D125.   

The DRC office is located in B132 or you can call our reception desk at 425.564.2498. Deaf students can reach us by Skype: the address is DRCatBC (NOTE: There is no @ sign...it is actually DRCatBC).  Please visit our website at Disability Resource Center for application information into our program and other helpful links.

Accessibility

The online elements of this course are designed to be welcoming to, accessible to, and usable by everyone, including students who are English-language learners, have a variety of learning styles, have disabilities, or are new to online learning. Be sure to let me know immediately if you encounter a required element or resource in the course that is not accessible to you. Also, let me know of changes I can make to the course so that it is more welcoming to, accessible to, or usable by students who take this course in the future.

Public Safety and Emergencies

Public Safety is located in the K building and can be reached at 425-564-2400 (easy to remember because it’s the only office on campus open 24 hours a day—2400).  Among other things, Public Safety serves as our Parking Permits, Lost and Found, and Emergency Notification center.  Please ensure you are signed up to receive alerts through our campus alerting system by registering at RAVE Alert Registration

If you work late and are uneasy about going to your car, Public Safety will escort you to your vehicle. To coordinate this, please phone ahead and let Public Safety know when and where you will need an escort.

Please familiarize yourself with the emergency postings by the door of every classroom and know where to go in the event of an evacuation.  Your instructor will be asked if anyone might still be in the building, so check in before you do anything else.  Emergency responders will search for anyone unaccounted for.

If a major emergency occurs, please follow these three rules:

1) Take directions from those in charge of the response -We all need to be working together.

2) Do not get in your car and leave campus (unless directed to) - Doing so will clog streets and prevent emergency vehicles from entering the scene.  Instead, follow directions from those in charge.

3) In an emergency, call 911 first, then Public Safety.

Please do not hesitate to call Public Safety if you have safety questions or concerns at any time. You may also visit the Public Safety web page for answers to your questions.

Affirmation of Inclusion

Bellevue College is committed to maintaining an environment in which every member of the campus community feels welcome to participate in the life of the college, free from harassment and discrimination.

We value our different backgrounds at Bellevue College, and students, faculty, staff members, and administrators are to treat one another with dignity and respect.

Religious Holidays

Students who expect to miss classes, examinations, or any other assignments as a consequence of their religious observance should be provided with a reasonable alternative opportunity to complete such academic responsibilities. It is the obligation of students to provide faculty with reasonable notice of the dates of religious holidays on which they will be absent, preferably at the beginning of the term. Students who are absent on days of examinations or class assignments should be offered an opportunity to make up the work without penalty (if they have previously arranged to be absent), unless it can be demonstrated that a makeup opportunity would constitute an unreasonable burden on a member of the faculty. Should disagreement arise over what constitutes an unreasonable burden or any element of this policy, parties involved should consult the department chair, or Dean.

College Anti-Discrimination Statement (Title IX)

Bellevue College does not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity; color; creed; national origin; sex; marital status; sexual orientation; age; religion; genetic information; the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability; gender identity or veteran status in educational programs and activities which it operates.

For further information and contacts, please consult College Anti-Discrimination Statements.

 

Science Division Policy on Cheating:

Students are expected to behave honestly. It’s ok if you want to work with other people to discuss the ideas but the writing should be your own. One suggestion I have is that when you work with others, you do not write anything down. Just discuss ideas but do not write down the same thing or exchange/share documents.

If I find files which look very similar to each other, I will be suspicious of the integrity of your work and will give you a warning. If the files are extremely similar, you may receive a zero the first time. Please, do not use someone else’s work!

Cheating includes, but is not limited to, copying answers on exams or assignments, swapping papers, PLAGIARIZING, and illicitly giving or receiving help on assignments. PLAGIARIZING includes copying classmates' homework, from this quarter or previous quarters, or coordinating with anyone else to gain an unfair advantage in the course. Everyone is expected to his or her own work, both in class and on the homework.

Consequences of Cheating:

1) You will receive a 0 on the assignment where the cheating occurred.

2) I will send a report of the incident to the Dean of Students who may place it on your permanent record or may decide on suspension or expulsion from school.

Information about Bellevue College's copyright guidelines can be found at: College Copyright Policy

This link provides a good, short summary of how to avoid plagiarism: Avoiding Plagiarism

This 22-minute video also provides a good overview of how to avoid trouble when using sources: From the college home page select SERVICES, then LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER, then DATABASES, then FILMS ON DEMAND. At their site, search by title for PLAGIARISM 2.0: ETHICS IN THE DIGITAL AGE.

TurnItIn plagiarism-checking software will be used by the instructor to check your work for plagiarism.

Student Code of Conduct and Academic Integrity

Any act of academic dishonesty, including cheating, plagiarism (using the ideas or words of another as one’s own without crediting the source), and fabrication and inappropriate/disruptive classroom behavior are violations of the Student Code of Conduct at Bellevue College.  Examples of unacceptable behavior include, but are not limited to, talking out of turn, arriving late or leaving early without a valid reason, allowing cell phones/pagers to ring, and inappropriate behavior toward the instructor or classmates.  The instructor can refer any violation of the Student Code of Conduct to the Dean of Student Success for investigation.  Specific student rights, responsibilities, and appeal procedures are listed in the Student Code of Conduct at: Student Code

Academic Calendar

The Bellevue College Academic Calendar is separated into two calendars. They provide information about holidays, closures and important enrollment dates such as the finals schedule.

• Enrollment Calendar On this calendar you will find admissions and registration dates and important dates for withdrawing and receiving tuition refunds.
• College CalendarThis calendar gives you the year at a glance and includes college holidays, scheduled closures, quarter end and start dates, and final exam dates.