Your CHM 1B Course Grade (lecture and lab) will be based on your mastery of the 17 Course Objectives.
A = demonstrate knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of concepts and principles
B = demonstrate knowledge, comprehension, application, and analysis of concepts and principles
C = demonstrate knowledge and comprehension of concepts and principles
Your mastery of each Course Objective will be evaluated with these Graded Assignments you will do each week:
- Lecture Quiz (15-20 minutes) or Exam (30-45 minutes).
- Lab Activity.
- OLI Module Reading and Quiz for Homework. These Quizzes are generally easier than Lecture Quizzes.
- Consumer Product of the Week for Homework.
- You are expected to work/study/practice 15 hours per week in this class.
Your Chem 1B grade consists of 13 Lecture Quizzes, 2 Exams, Final Exam, 15 OLI Module Quizzes for homework, 15 Lab assignments, and 6 Consumer Product assignments. Every student will have an Incomplete Grade in this course until every assignment has been completed. Your Course Grade will be determined at the end of the semester when you have completed all course assignments based on the following criteria:
| Grade | Lecture Quizzes | Two Exams and Final Exam | OLI Quizzes | Consumer Product | Lab |
| A | Pass 11 of 13 | B+ average (≥ 85%) and A (≥ 87.5%) on 1 of 3 Exams | ≥ 87.5% | ≥ 87.5% | ≥ 87.5% |
| B | Pass 10 of 13 | B- average (≥ 75%) and B (≥ 80%) on 2 of 3 Exams | ≥ 75% | ≥ 75% | ≥ 75% |
| C | Pass 7 of 13 | OR C average (≥ 60%) | ≥ 60% | ||
| D or F | Pass less than 7 |
A ≥ 87.5%, B range (75-87.5%), B- = 75-79.9%, B = 80-84.9%, B+ = 85-87.4%, C = 60-74.9%.
Example: A student passes 11 Lecture Quizzes, earns 70% on the 2 Exams and Final Exam, earns 65% on OLI Quizzes, 70% on Science News, and 80% on Lab assignments earns an overall C grade.
13 Quizzes (weekly)
Each Quiz will evaluate one or two Course Objectives and will be given every Friday. Make sure you are available to take the Quiz on Fridays between noon and 6 pm. You will be allowed to use your book and notes. Each Quiz is designed to take 20-30 minutes to complete, will consist of 4 or 5 questions, and will be graded Pass (Master)/Not Pass (Master). A Pass (Master) Grade (80% or higher) means you have mastered that Course Objective.
If you do not pass a quiz, i.e., do not master a Course Objective, you can retake you can retake Quizzes 1-5 on 3/3/23, after Exam 1, Quizzes 6-8 on 3/31/23 after Exam 2, and Quizzes 9-12 on 5/12/23 after Quiz 13, and Quiz 13 after the Final Exam on 5/18/23.
Two (2) Exams
Each Exam will evaluate three or more Course Objectives and will be given on Friday, 3/3/23 and Friday, 3/31/23. Make sure you are available to take each Exam on these days between noon and 6 pm. You can use your book and notes. Exams are designed to take about 45 minutes to complete and are graded A-F.
Final Exam
The Final Exam will cover all Course Objectives and will be on Thursday, 5/18/23. Make sure you are available to take the Final Exam on this day between noon and 6 pm. You can use your book and notes. The Final Exam is designed to take 45-60 minutes to complete and is graded A-F.
NOTE: Do NOT miss Exams, Quizzes, or the Final Exam. If you know you cannot take an exam on the scheduled date and time, inform me as soon as possible before the exam in writing and reschedule the exam. Missing an exam without valid reasons will result in a F grade.
Homework
You have to put in the study time (2 hours of deliberate, active work for every lecture hour) to learn and perform well in this course.
Homework includes:
- OLI Quizzes on the Open Learning Initiative General Chemistry 2 website. As you read/study a module, try the “Did I Get This” question to practice retrieval of the information you just learned. When you finish a module, take the OLI Quiz. The OLI Quiz is graded. You will have three attempts; your best attempt score will be your grade. OLI Quizzes for the modules covered that week will be due Friday at noon. Self-testing is an extremely effective way to learn faster and retain more.
- Consumer Product assignment (graded) will increase our awareness of chemistry and science and its effect on and relevance to us and society. This assignment will be ongoing during the semester.
- Retrieval and Deliberate Practice of course material. While reviewing course material, practice retrieving the information and develop your problem solving skills by doing the Quiz Practice Problems (with solutions) spaced over time on the Chem 1B website. This will help your long term retention of these concepts.
Laboratory
In science, observations are made to discover, learn, and understand what’s going on in nature. In a science course, hands-on activities are the best way to make observations and learn science. As such, the laboratory is a very important part of this course. Lectures and labs will be coordinated so you will be able to relate what you do in lab to what you do in lecture and vice versa. You will learn chemistry lab techniques and develop skills to collect data, analyze data to obtain results, and interpret results to draw conclusions. All laboratory assignments must be completed to pass Chem 1B. Guidelines for lab procedures and lab safety are described in the Chem 1B Lab web page.
Science is a collaborative endeavor. Employers value employees who know how to work as a team. In Chem 1B Lab, you will work in a group of 2 to 4. When you work in a larger group, assign a team leader, communicator, record keeper, and counselor for each lab and rotate roles for each lab. Each role is described in the Chem 1B Lab web page. Make sure each team member contributes equally to each lab activity.
Your Lab Grade consists of a Weekly Lab Assignment and Lab Safety Factor.