Chemistry Course Goals:

By actively participating in this course, students will. . .

• Demonstrate responsibility for their own learning by meeting course deadlines and by taking part in laboratories in a careful and responsible manner,
• Learn and practice problem solving skills, not only in solving mathematical problems, but in designing and carrying out experiments aimed at solving specific problems,
• Learn the major concepts of chemistry through active participation in laboratories, completion of assigned written work, and participation in class discussions,
• Demonstrate good peer interaction skills by interacting with other students and with the teacher in a respectful manner.

Letter grades will be assigned according to the scale specified below. Also provided is a detailed explanation of the above four grading areas. Points will be deducted for all work handed in late. Students receive a copy of their grade following the completion of each chapter. Parents may request a copy of the summary grades at any time.

CHEMISTRY GRADING POLICY

You will be evaluated in chemistry both in terms of the quality and the quantity of your work. We will operate on a sixteen point system in assigning grades. Every major assignment, which you complete, will be worth a maximum of 16 points. Each quarter exam will be worth 16 points, as will the term paper which you will be assigned. Each chapter which you will be completing will also be graded on this same 16 point scale. Students will receive a grade on each assigned chapter. They will also take a quarter exam at the end of each quarter covering the concepts studied throughout that quarter. Chapter grades will be based on the following four areas:

• Chapter Quiz: 4 points
• Responsibility/Use of Class Time: 4 points
• Written work: 4 points
• Extensions: 4 points

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  Total possible points per chapter: 16 points will be evenly divided between four major areas. These four areas are explained below:

1. Quizzes: After completing each chapter, including any extension material, you will be given a quiz covering the material in that particular chapter. The quizzes will be administered to the entire class at a designated time. If you do poorly on the first quiz, you may restudy and take the quiz a second time. The second quiz will not be the same as the first quiz. If taken twice, your two scores will be averaged in determining your overall quiz score. Quizzes may not be taken a third time.

It will be possible for you to earn up to 4 points on your quiz for each chapter. Quiz scores will be assigned as follows:

% Score	Point Value
100	4.0
90	3.0
82	2.2
80	2.0
70	1.0
60	0
50	0

As you can see, you must score greater than a 60% before you will receive any points for your efforts.

2. Written Work: Written work includes such things as writing all answers in complete sentences, writing neatly, answering questions correctly and in detail, constructing and labeling graphs correctly, showing your work where math problems are involved, and labeling all numbers with their appropriate units. Points will be lost if problems arise in any of the above mentioned areas.

3. Extensions: It will be possible for you to earn up to 4 points per chapter by completing extensions. The point value of each extension may vary, but most are worth one point each. If you are interested in trying to earn an "A" for a "B" in chemistry, it will be necessary for you to try to complete all of the extensions available. These exercises are designed to give you additional practice with some of the concepts and to introduce you to some new ideas not covered in the chapter. If you plan on attending college, you should definitely plan on completing as many of the extensions as you can.

4. Responsibility & Use of Time: This category represents how well you are able to use your time in class. Those individuals who spend time chatting with others rather than working, will lose points in this area. You will be expected to work for the entire class period. Students who feel the need to quit working five minutes before class ends will not receive full credit in this category. In addition to being responsible for your work time, you will also be responsible for cleaning up your lab area. This involves placing all equipment in its proper place, wiping the counter clean, and wearing safety goggles when required to do so. Another aspect of responsibility includes your courteous treatment of your classmates, your teacher, and any university students who are working in the classroom. Problems in any of these areas will result in the loss of points.

Your overall grade in chemistry will be determined on a strict point basis. There is no extra credit! This means that your grade depends on your work only, not on how well everyone else is doing. In case you wish to keep track of your grade as the quarter progresses, just calculate your average number of points per chapter and see where it fits on the above scale.