CHEM 1010
Introduction to Chemistry I and Lab
4 credit hours

Course Information

Course Description:
Introduction to Chemistry I, CHEM 1010, is a 4 cr. hr. lecture/laboratory course intended to:
  1. Provide the necessary background for continuing on to General Chemistry;
  2. Satisfy the chemistry requirement for several career programs; and
  3. Satisfy part of the general education science requirement.

The course will develop a variety of chemistry topics on an as needed basis in order to deal with a variety of societal issues.

Course Objectives:
As you read through the materials, perform the experiments and activities, and work through the assignments for this course you should:
  1. Become aware of the relationship between chemistry and the world around you;
  2. Develop and utilize the "analytical process" to explore the world around you;
  3. Understand and apply some of the basic principles and models of chemistry to various questions and issues;
  4. Appreciate the relationship between mathematics and science and learn to apply appropriate mathematics skills to solve problems of a chemical nature; and
  5. Develop the critical thinking skills needed to solve problems or deal with various issues.
Co-requisites:
While we do not feel that we over-emphasize mathematics skills in Introduction to Chemistry I, it is impossible to learn chemistry without using a variety of mathematics skills.  Thus Intermediate Algebra, MATH 0850 is a co-requisite for the course as it teaches the skills you will need for this course.  
Course Topics:
The course will deal with the following issues:
  1. The Air We Breathe
  2. Protecting the Ozone Layer
  3. The Chemistry of Global Warming
  4. Energy, Chemistry, and Society
  5. Take a Drink: The Wonder of Safe Drinking Water
  6. Neutralizing the Threat of Acid Rain
Specific Course Requirements:
A description of any special course requirements, such as knowledge of specific software, and why it is necessary for successful completion of the course.
Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements
Required Textbooks:

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course:  http://rodp.bkstr.com
Hardware Requirements:
The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm. 
Software Requirements:
The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm. Specific hardware requirements for this course include...(A list of software the student is required to purchase or download for the course, Real Player, Media Player, Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Office, etc).
Instructor Information
Please see the separate page inside the course to find instructor contact information as well as a statement of virtual office hours and other communication information.
Assessment and Grading
Testing Procedures:
A statement describing the process students will need to have in place for proctors, online testing, etc.
Grading Procedure:
A variety of assessment tools will be used to determine your understanding of the materials and issues raised in the course.  
 
Group Work:  You will be expected to gather experimental data or perform activities and share the results within your group of 3 to 4 students.  This allows you to compare your results with those of others and to do some self-assessment of your performance. Your results will normally be emailed to your instructor for assessment.
 
Unit Quizzes:  There will be a major online quiz upon the completion of each unit.  This quiz will focus on the chemistry learned to address the issue developed in the unit.  
 
Intermediate Quizzes:  There will be frequent small online quizzes to test your understanding of individual topics covered within the units.  About 75% of these quizzes will be used in determining your grade.  The lowest 25% will be dropped.
 
Unit Reports:  A specific written assignment will be given for each unit to determine how an understanding of the chemistry behind the issue has affected your understanding of the issue. 
 
Final Exam:  A proctored final exam will be given covering all of the materials from the semester.  The final exam will focus on your understanding of the chemistry developed in the course.
 
The breakdown of how these assessments will be used to determine your grade are shown in the table below.
Activities 5%
Laboratory Experiments

25%
Intermediate Quizzes 10%
Unit Quizzes 30%
Unit Discussions 10%
Final Exam 20%
Total 100%
Grading Scale:
90-100% --- A
80-89% ---- B
70-79% ---- C
65-69% ---- D
Assignments and Participation
Assignments and Projects:
A detailed list of topics and assignments can be found at the beginning of each unit.  You will have about 2 weeks to complete each unit.  All materials for the unit must be completed and submitted prior to taking the unit quiz.  The dates of the unit quizzes can be found on the course schedule.
Class Participation:
Students must participate in all interactive aspects of the course.  In particular, students are expected to communicate by email with the other students in their group on any experiment or activity that requires the exchange of information.  Students are expected to communicate with the instructor as a learning resource as well as email him all materials required for assessment.  Students must actively participate in the unit discussions. Students should check the course bulletin board frequently for announcements.
Course Ground Rules
A reiteration and emphasis of certain rules and course expectations.  For example, Participation is required, Expected to communicate with other students in team projects, Learn how to navigate in WebCT, Keep abreast of course announcements , Use the assigned college or university e-mail address as opposed a personal e-mail address, Address technical problems immediately, Observe course netiquette at all times. 
Guidelines for Communications
Email:
  • Always include a subject line.
  • Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emotions might be helpful in some cases.
  • Use standard fonts.
  • Do not send large attachments without permission.
  • Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
  • Respect the privacy of other class members
Discussion Groups:
  • Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
  • Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
  • Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other's ideas.
  • Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
  • Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
  • Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
  • Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.
Chat:
  • Introduce yourself to the other learners in the chat session.
  • Be polite. Choose your words carefully. Do not use derogatory statements.
  • Be concise in responding to others in the chat session.
  • Be prepared to open the chat session at the scheduled time.
  • Be constructive in your comments and suggestion
Web Resources:

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in the Regents Degree Program. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading must be included in all courses. 

Students With Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the left to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Technical Support

Telephone Support:
If you are having problems logging into your course,
timing out of your course, using your course web site tools, or other technical problems, please contact the AskRODP Help Desk by calling

1-866-550-7637 (toll free)

or go to the AskRODP website at:

http://help.rodp.org