Upward Bound Chemistry, Summer 2006 at Bowdoin College

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Chemistry Links
Periodic Table
Examples of Chemistry Problems
A fully-functional scientific calculator for chemistry including a table of useful constants.
And here’s a useful download: a program that will quickly and easily convert units for you. Download and unzip to use.

At the moment it seems to me that the best course of action is to meet by default in the lab (Druckenmiller 148) and then move to Rm 16 only when we are not doing anything in the lab. This gives me the chance to do demonstrations in the safest possible place.

At the bottom of this page is the date of the most recent update to this page. Note the day you print this document and come back periodically to see if things have changed.

Quick Links to the schedule below:
Week 1, starting Monday, June 26, 2006
Week 2, starting Monday, July 3, 2006
Week 3, starting Monday, July 10, 2006
Week 4, starting Monday, July 24, 2006
Week 5, starting Monday, July 31, 2006

Course Overview

Instructor: Aaron Keller

In this course you will learn about some of the basic, important topics in chemistry. This should prepare you to approach a school-year chemistry course with some real confidence in conceptual knowledge, mathematical skills, and laboratory technique. I intend to cover the Ideal Gas Laws, the Periodic Table, Scientific Notation and the mole.

As with all the Upward Bound courses, you are not given a final grade. Instead, I will write a narrative evaluation which assesses:

undestanding of factual information
understanding of conceptual information
laboratory technique
math skills as applied to chemistry
cooperation with classmates, TAs and the teacher for purposes of learning the material
individual achievement, such as on tests and lab reports
completion of assignments
use of safety equipment as required by law
organization of learning materials
lab notebook technique
communication skills

This evaluation will be based, in part, on the grades you earn on the work you do. I will give grades for each assignment and test so that we can both keep track of your progress in the course.

Problem Solving

This course emphasizes problem solving skills. Most people learn concepts better when they can apply them immediately. Problems are a way for you to apply new knowledge in a way that helps you to remember it. Having good problem solving skills is also of general value since problems of all kinds constantly crop up in everyone’s lives. We will be solving problems mostly in small groups but you will also be required to solve problems on your own (especially in tests). I have designed a method for working in groups and a separate set of documents describes this in detail.

Group Work

Working in small groups to solve problems is a great way to learn chemistry. We will work in small groups throughout this course both in and hopefully outside of class. Here are a few documents to give group work some shape and definition so that it can be a self-regulating learning tool:
Definitions | Process | Observer Form | Recorder Form

Lab Notebooks

Keeping an accurate and complete lab notebook is essential to being a good scientist. It is also essential to earning a good notebook grade in this course. In a separate document I have outlined what you need to know about keeping a good lab notebook.

Scientific Writing

Many people do not realize that knowledge does not really fall into neat little compartments like ‘science’, ‘english’, ‘social studies’, ‘math’, etc. In our heads all of it is jumbled together in a meaningful and important way. In order to help you to draw connections between the compartments of knowledge we are all familiar with I require you to do some scientific writing. You will need to be able to put scientific concepts in your own words and to tell me about your observations and what they mean in a scientific context. Good writing is essential in science since science can give precise information that should not be written about sloppily or ambiguously. Throughout the course we will spend class time on writing lab reports.

Schedule

Week 1 top
- Monday, June 26, 2006
  - Demonstration(s): Mentos
  - Safety in the Lab—Contract handout, return one copy signed, keep 2^nd copy for reference
  - Classroom rules: keywords are respect, trust, cooperation
  - Things needed in every class:
    1. Textbook
    2. Lab Notebook (you will be given a composition book)
    3. Scientific Calculator (if you own one)
    4. A Pen: never use a pencil in lab notebooks
      (pencils are OK for group work)
- Assignments
  1. Sign one copy of the safety contract and return it at the next class mtg.
  2. Read the Group Activity definitions carefully
  3. An introductory essay like the one I gave you about myself. Short is OK. You will not get these back and they are not graded: I just want to get to know you.
  4. Read pp. 451 - 462 in the text by Thursday; refer to summary points 1 - 10 on pg. 471.
- Tuesday, June 27, 2006
  - Lab Notebook discussion
  - Lab: Observing a Candle
    - We will use this lab to learn
      - How to write in a lab notebook
      - How to be a good scientific observer
      - A little about combustion reactions
  - Assignments
    1. During class: write good observations in your notebook
    2. After class: make an outline of what you will write in your report, guidelines for the report are included with the lab procedure. Due tomorrow, Wednesday, June 28, 2006
    3. Sample Lab Report for Observing a Candle (doc)
- Wednesday, June 28, 2006
  - Today you will be choosing the groups that you will work with for the rest of the summer. Give your group a cool name. (Group assignments are not necessarily permanent but it’s best if they can be kept together as much as possible)
  - Work on writing the lab report in small groups
    This class emphasizes not just scientific concepts and mathematical skills but also good writing skills. Today we will be learning a little about how to write a good scientific report.
- Assignments
  1. Finish the lab report on your own as individual work: due Monday, July 3, 2006
    Typing the report would be ideal but if you do not have sufficient time in front of a computer to do it then written reports will be accepted…if they are neat and legible!
- Thursday, June 29, 2006
  - Demonstration: Can Crush and the Upside-down Glass of Water
  - Group Activity Definitions discussion (brief)
  - Group Activity: Introduction to the Ideal Gas Laws
- Assignments
  1. Work on the group activity over the weekend, ideally in your usual groups
    we will complete the activity on Monday with presentations from today’s presenters
  2. Remember: your Observing a Candle lab report is due Monday as well!

Week 2 top
- Monday, July 3, 2006
  - Presenters from each group present at least one problem for class discussion
  - A second problem from each presenter if there is time: each group presents one problem before anyone goes up for a 2^nd time
  - Discussion of the concepts and problems throughout class
- Assignments
  1. The completed Intro. to Gas Laws Group Activity: due tomorrow, Tuesday, July 4, 2006
- Tuesday, July 4, 2006
  - Lab: The Gas Laws in Action
    - We will use this lab to
      - practice our scientific observational skills
      - practice good lab notebook technique
      - observe the ideal gas laws and put our work in context
- Assignments
  1. During class: write good observations in your notebook
  2. After class: make an outline of what you will write in your report, guidelines for the report are included with the lab procedure. Due tomorrow, Wednesday, July 5, 2006
- Wednesday, July 5, 2006
  - Work on writing the lab report in small groups
- Assignments
  1. Finish the lab report on your own as individual work: due Monday, July 10, 2006
- Thursday, July 6, 2006
  - Group Activity: Gas Laws Problem Set
    This activity introduces the concept of the Kinetic Theory of Gases and Dalton’s Law of Partial Pressures
- Assignments
  1. Presenters (different from last time) will present at least one problem each on Monday, July 10, 2006. There will be a test on the gas laws, including the information in this problem set, on Thursday, July 13, 2006. The activity itself must be turned in on the day of the test.
  2. This problem set will be completed Monday, either in class, or as homework Monday
  3. Remember: your Gas Law in Action lab report is due Monday as well!

Week 4 top
- Monday, July 24, 2006
  - Begin the group activity about Atomic Structure
- Assignments
  1. Read Chapter Four in the text, skipping anything titled Chemistry in Depth or similar boxes
  2. Read the summary on page 104 of the text
  3. Answer the following questions in the text on pp. 105 - 107:
    22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 31, 37, and 41
    These questions tell you what I think is important for you to learn from the text.
- Tuesday, July 25, 2006
  - Presentations from yesterday’s group work
  - Work on the problem set in class: Atomic Structure
- Assignments
  1. Make sure you finish the book-work tonight!
- Wednesday, July 26, 2006
  - Finish problem set in class
  - Discuss the answers to the problems in the book
- Assignments
  1. Hand in the Atomic Theory group activity during class
  2. Hand in the book work during class
  3. Wear the right kind of shoes and bring your lab notebook tomorrow!
- Thursday, July 27, 2006
  - Lab: Glurch and Oobleck
- Assignments
  1. Answer the questions in the lab procedure to hand in on Monday, July 31, 2006

Week 5 top
- Monday, July 31, 2006
  - Quiz on Atomic Structure (10 minutes)
  - Begin the group activity about Scientific Notation and the Mole
- Assignments
  1. Read Chapter Eight in the text: only read pages 189 - 203.
  2. Hand in your answers to the lab questions from Thursday.
- Tuesday, August 1, 2006
  - Work on the problem set in class: Scientific Notation and the Mole
- Assignments
  1. Answer the following questions in the text on pp. 216 - 218:
    
    These questions tell you what I think is important for you to learn from the text.
- Wednesday, August 2, 2006
  - SLIME!
  - Discuss the answers to the problems in the book
- Assignments
  1. Complete any remaining missing work.
- Thursday, August 3, 2006: Last Day of Classes!
  - Quiz on Scientific Notation and the Mole (10 minutes)
- Assignments
  1. Hand in the Scientific Notation and the Mole group activity during class
  2. Hand in the book work during class