The Write Chemistry Fall 2003 / Spokane Falls Community College
Instructors:
Ms. Molly Gunderson Office: 5-143D Phone: 533-4332 Email: mollyg@spokanefalls.edu
Dr. M. Rachel Wang Office: 8-102 Phone: 533-3654 Email: rachelw@spokanefalls.edu
Class Meets: Bldg 18-129 Chemistry Lab: Bldg 8-118
MTRF 10:30-12:30 3 hours per week during
W 10:30-11:30 open hours: MTWRF 8:30 -3:00
Required Texts:
Required Supplies:
· Course content include writing assignments on topics involving the nature and application of chemistry in the physical environment, hand-on exercises, seminars, quizzes, unit tests and a research project.
· Successful completion of this combined course counts towards 5 credits of lab science distribution and 5 credits of English requirement (a total of 10 credits) for the Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree.
· You are expected to positively contribute to all class activities. Anticipate in-class work by bringing a scientific calculator, pencil & paper and appropriate workbook/Learning Activity Packet to each class.
· Plan to spend at least three hours every week in the chemistry lab to complete assigned lab exercises. Chemistry lab is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM. Note that chemistry is a laboratory science. The goal of lab exercises is not right answers, but to gain experiential knowledge in working with chemicals and scientific equipment. It is crucial that you pay close attention to proper laboratory procedures and strictly observe all safety rules.
· A monthly calendar of day-to-day activities, related textbook sections, chapter learning objectives, assignments due and test dates will guide this paired course through the quarter. There may be changes in the calendar as the quarter progresses. You should stay tuned for announcements in class.
Course Objectives:
1. To provide students of the liberal arts with a working knowledge of chemistry while emphasizing first-hand experiences in scientific inquiry and practical applications.
2. To develop writing skills which enhance the learning of chemistry concepts and essay writing in general.
3. To develop quantitative skills necessary for analyzing experimental data & solving numerical problems.
4. To develop oral and written communication skills on scientific subjects.
5. To use texts, seminars, Internet and community facilities to enhance learning and research base.
Assignments and Grading Policy:
Assessment and grades will encompass both chemistry and English skills. You can earn up to 800 points from the following assignments, which will be evaluated by BOTH instructors and counted toward both English and Chemistry:
ή Hands-on Chemistry Learning Activity Packets . 200 points
ή Film paper .. 25 points
ή Narrative paper . .. 100 points
ή Reflective paper . .. 75 points
ή Assorted in-class and taken-home work . .. 100 points
ή Research Project (field trip, presentation and final paper) 300 points
Up to 200 additional points are awarded for English only from the following assessments. Your final grade for English will therefore depend on the points you earn out of the 1000 points total possible.
ή Quizzes and in-class English exercises . 50 points
ή Writing Process (drafts, conferences, peer editing, etc.) . 150 points
Up to 700 additional points are awarded for Chemistry only from the following assessments. Your final grade for Chemistry will therefore depend on the points you earn out of 1500 points total possible.
ή Practice problems from the Problem Solving Workbook .. 100 points
ή Arranged laboratory exercises and selected Learning Activity Packets . 300 points
ή Bi-weekly tests . .. . 300 points
Add your scores and divide by the total possible at any given time during the quarter to obtain a percentage. Match the percentage with respective grade point in the table below to find your grade.
More Details on Assignments and Tests:
o Because papers have a bad habit of getting misplaced or lost, save copies of all final drafts of your essays.
o All out-of-class essays are to be typed, carefully proofread and turned in by specified dates.
o You must bring your working drafts the days they are due for in-class editing. Sorry, if you come to class without your drafts, you will not receive credits for the editing activity.
o English Composition 101 and 201 essays, although meeting the same general criteria of writing in Focus, Development & Support, Organization, and Mechanics, will also be graded according to the writing assignment specific to their course.
o Portfolio for English Composition 101 students: In the middle and at the end of the quarter, English instructors at SFCC--other than your own--meet and evaluate your writing according to uniform standards. Three of the major writing assignments will be used as a writing sample unit. Your work will receive one of the following: Pass--writing representing standards set for a grade point of 2.0 or higher on all three essays, Fail for one which means two essays have received a pass and you have a chance to revise one essay and be reevaluated, and Fail--writing for 2-3 papers that do not meet the standards, thus, requiring further writing instruction before going on to English Composition 201. *You may also fall below a 2.0 grade even if your portfolio receives a pass if your other work or attendance is failing; therefore, do not underestimate your minor writing assignments and attendance. It is the sincere wishes of the SFCC English Department and your instructor that you pass portfolio and the class!
o Chemistry Hands-on learning activity packets (LAPs): These are taken from the Fundamental Concepts in Chemistry and Chemistry in the Environment LAP books, These are usually completed as in-class group activities, and are checked for completion at the end of class.
o Chemistry laboratory exercises (LAB) are completed individually in the Chem Lab during open lab hours (8:30-3:00, M-F). You usually have up to one week to perform a LAB, and the completed handout is due at the end of the week: Friday at 12:30 PM.
o The bi-weekly chemistry tests usually take about 30 minutes of class time on Mondays, and cover only the subjects completed in two-week periods. The last test is comprehensive, scheduled on December 8th per college final exam schedule. There is no make-up test under any circumstances. You can earn up to 60 points for each test; the test with the lowest score will be dropped.
o For all in-class work, points are lost if you are absent or fail to complete the work in-class for any reason. For all take-home assignments, you are encouraged to discuss strategies with other students or consult text and reference books. However, the answers you submit must be of your own understanding and in your own words. In particular, to earn points for doing the practice exercises assigned from the Problem Solving Workbook, you must show steps for finding final answers, since the book provides solutions to all practice problems at the end.
o All assignments should have your name clearly written on the upper right corner. Staple the pages together if there is more than one page to submit. Your score may be lowered by 20% if the assignment is turned in without name or is not stapled.
o Observe all assignment due dates at the specified time. Your score will be lowered by 20% if the assignment missed the deadline up to one day, by 50% for being late up to two days and it is not accepted after two days.
Plagiarism policy:
· Plagiarism (from the Latin word for kidnapper) is the presentation of someone elses ideas or words as your own. You plagiarize deliberately if you copy a sentence from a book and pass it off as your writing, if you summarize or paraphrase someone elses ideas without acknowledging your debt, or if you buy a term paper to hand in as your own. You plagiarize accidentally if you carelessly forget quotation marks around another writers words or mistakenly omit a source citation for anothers idea because you are unaware of the need to acknowledge the idea. Whether deliberate or accidental, plagiarism is a serious and often punishable offense. (Fowler, H. Ramsey. Little Brown Handbook. Third Edition. Boston: Little, 1986: 570.)
· Please review the SFCC English Department policy on plagiarism. Be sure you understand the significance of this policy.
· To encourage academic excellence and honesty, we have established the following policy for this paired course:
First offense: Automatic failure of the paper/test and possible failure of the course
Second offense: Automatic failure of the course
Withdrawals:
· It is recommended that you see your instructors and/or advisor if you consider withdrawing from this class. In the event you stop attending, have not formally withdrawn, and do not complete the course, you will receive a grade of 0.0 (F).
Student Learning Outcomes and Assessment:
As a part of a college-wide effort, this paired course supports the college learning outcomes: responsibility, communications, analysis/problem solving and worldviews. Abilities in these four areas are vital for your future success as a productive member in society. The following briefly describe how each Ability is assessed in this course.
* Responsibility: Students will develop the ability to recognize, understand and accept ownership of their actions.
This ability is assessed in this Chemistry/English course by how you: (1) follow through commitments by reading text sections prior to each class session, regular class attendance, and turning in assignments on time, and (2) support class learning atmosphere by active and positive participation. Disruptive classroom behaviors will not be tolerated.
* Communications: Students will make connections that create meaning between themselves and their audience.
This ability is assessed in this course by how well you express yourself in: (1) writing (summaries, paragraphs, essays, tests, and take-home quizzes), (2) collecting and organizing data (lab exercises), and (3) class/group discussions.
* Analysis/Problem Solving: Students will access, evaluate and apply information from a variety of sources and in a variety of contexts.
This ability is assessed in this course by how you formulate reasoned solutions and interpret them to others in class discussions, tests, and assignments. Note that making errors is part of the process of problem solving and meaningful trial-and-error experiences lead to proper understanding.
* World Views: Students will demonstrate an awareness and appreciation of the world in its scientific complexity, its social diversity and its artistic variety.
This ability is assessed in this course by how you respond constructively to views and practices different from our own in various settings of lecture, lab and group work. This includes your ability to adapt to the complexity of chemical studies and be able to see issues from a scientific perspective.
Additional Notes:
· Contact either of us as soon as possible if you need special accommodations due to learning disabilities, physical handicaps, language barriers, etc. We will gladly accommodate your needs according to recommendations from specialists on campus.
· If you have any concerns with subject matter or personal issues, do not hesitate to contact us and arrange a time to meet. Upon request, we may suggest extra help through peer tutoring or in-office conference.
· Consult with us ahead of time if you want to bring a visitor to class. As a rule, no children are allowed in lecture rooms unless they can sit quietly through the whole period. For safety reasons, no visitors are allowed in lab rooms.
· A college class or lab is a team effort to achieve specific learning goals. You, as an adult learner, are responsible to support an uplifted learning atmosphere. This learning atmosphere demands respectful language, behavior, and attitude toward everyone in class. During class sessions, we both protect this group-learning atmosphere by all means. Outside class, we are more than happy to focus on special needs or concerns of individuals during office hours or by appointment.
· We look forward to working with you both as an individual and as a class. Together, we can take the rigor of this combined course as a challenge. Let's have a successful and rewarding learning experience!