A Teaching Portfolio for General Chemistry Harry Pang, Ph.D.

Transcription

1 A Teaching Portfolio for General Chemistry Harry Pang, Ph.D. Table of Content I. Teaching Philosophy II. Critical Thinking Practices III. Course Syllabus IV. Student Evaluation V. Final Report I. My Teaching Philosophy We are all influenced by our upbringing. The way we teach is largely determined by the way we were taught. At least I know this is true in my case. Most of the courses that I have taken had a similar approach: the instructor lectured most, if not all of the period. If I could not follow the lecture, I would figure it out myself later myself. It worked for me. I think that this was the approach that I took when I started teaching about five years ago. I tried several different technologies; blackboard, whiteboard, PowerPoint, Smart Classroom, but used the same approach. It has had limited success. Students now are different from my student days. Our Lee College students come with the full range of academic abilities. Some are very good, but some are very weak. They also may have time constrains due to work and/or families. Many of them seem to come from high schools that focus on passing The Test rather than emphasize learning the academic material. Everybody wants to do a good job. As an instructor, I wanted to be a good teacher. My belief was that I could do this by polishing up by lectures and building a good set of PowerPoint slides. I became involved with FLC III mainly out of curiosity. During my first semester of FLC, I was exposed to several ideals that I wanted to try. I used some of these ideas, to a limited extend, during my second semester of FLC, the fall of One of my courses is a one semester survey course designed for non-science majors, CHEM1405. In general these students have a very weak math and science background. They generally have a poor attitude toward chemistry and tend to do poorly. I changed the textbook to one in which chemical principles are introduced on a need to know basis with the primary emphasis on environment/global issues. The idea here was that students would be more interested in these topics and would learn chemistry in context with these issues. Unfortunately the textbook went into such depth on these issues that many students became detached from both environmental/global issues as well as chemistry! However the information that I got from this course will be used during my final FLC semester with the higher level course, CHEM1411. I still believe that the lecture approach is the best way to teach general chemistry. However there are several ideas that I think will improve the course. One method is to incorporate the SEE-I approach 1

2 to new concepts during the lecture. Another is to emphasize the elements of reasoning. The lab would be the ideal place for this attempt. II. Critical Thinking Practices A laboratory experiment is done each week. I will change the lab write-up to utilize the elements of thought. All elements are used except for Point of View. In this approach critical thinking is emphasized without the label of critical thinking. An example of the format is shown below: Laboratory Write-up Purpose: Problem: Assumptions: Chemical Concepts: Procedure: Data: Calculations: Results: Conclusion:

3 III. COURSE SYLLABUS CHEM GENERAL CHEMISTRY I Instructor: Dr. Harry Pang Office: Science Building 143 Phone: (office) hpang@lee.edu Office Hours: Mon, Wed: 9:00-10:00am Tues, Wed, Thurs: 3:00-5:00pm. Division Chairman: Required Materials: Thomas O Kuma Science Building 206B Principles of Chemistry, Nivaldo Tro, 1 st ed. Experiments in General Chemistry, Wodetzki et.al. Safety glasses, lab notebook, calculator Online access for homework: Course ID: MCPANG1050MW 10:50am-12:05pm MW Course ID: MCPANG1050TT 10:50am-12:05pm TTh Course ID: MCPANG545TT 5:45pm-7:00pm TTh Enrollment Requirement: Prerequisite: Pre/Corequisite: READ 302 or equivalent MATH 1414 or equivalent This course is intended for the student majoring in one of the natural sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, etc.), engineering, or mathematics, who needs general college level chemistry in preparation for higher level science courses in their respective curricula. Chemical concepts are emphasized from a mathematical approach. This course consists of 3 hours per week of lecture and 3 hours per week of lab. The course will cover chapters 1 through 10 in the text with possible topics from chapters 11, 12, and 18. Specific learning objectives for each chapter are at the end of this syllabus. These objectives should be used to prepare for each exam and the comprehensive final exam. A single course grade will be awarded as described in the grading procedures. Please inform the instructor if you are a student with a disability and need any special accommodations for this class. 3

4 Schedule: Subject to change as needed. Week of Lecture Laboratory Jan 18 Chapter 1 Check-in Jan 25 Chapter 2 No Lab Feb 01 Chapter 2,3 Exp. 1 Feb 08 Chapter 3 Exp. 2 Feb 15 Chapter 3,4 Exam 1 Feb 22 Chapter 4 Exp 5 Mar 01 Chapter 5 Exp. 3 Mar 08 Chapter 5,6 Exp. 8 Mar 15 Spring Break Mar 22 Chapter 6 Exam 2 Mar 29 Chapter 7 Exp. 00 Apr 05 Chapter 7,8 Exp 9 Apr 12 Chapter 8 Exam 3 Apr 19 Chapter 9 Exp 10 Apr 26 Chapter 9,10 Exp. 12 May 03 Chapter 10 Exam 4 May 10 Final Exam Course Grading System: Labs 25% 25% 4 Exams 10% each 40% Homework/Quizzes 10% 10% Final Exam 25% 25% 100% Notes: 1. There is one lab makeup session. A grade of zero is assigned any missed lab beyond the first missed lab. 2. For labs that are split over two days, student must be present for both sessions to receive lab credit. 2. There are no makeup exams. A grade for a missed exam will be determined by the next scheduled exam. 3. All homework is done online. Student must have online access. 4

5 Objectives Chapter 1: Matter, Measurement, and Problem Solving o Define atoms, molecules, and chemistry o Understand the scientific method and its steps and process. o Define matter, states of matter, gases, liquids, solids. o Define and differentiate between pure substance and mixture; element and compound; heterogeneous and homogeneous mixture. o Define and understand the difference between physical and chemical changes and the difference between physical and chemical properties. o Define energy, work, kinetic energy, potential energy, thermal energy. o State and understand the law of conservation of energy. o Know the SI base units for length, mass, time, temperature. o Know the temperature scales (Fahrenheit, Celsius, Kelvin), the freezing and boiling points of water on each scale, and the relationships between them. o Know the prefixes that define powers of ten in scientific notation. o Determine the number of significant figures or digits using a set of rules. o Determine and predict significant figures in calculations. o Define and understand the difference between precision and accuracy. o Know and understand the process of dimensional analysis. o Understand the textbook problem solving plan sort, strategize, solve, check. Chapter 2: Atoms and Elements o State and understand the law of conservation of mass. o State and understand the law of definite proportions. o State and understand the law of multiple proportions. o Describe John Dalton s atomic theory. o Define radioactivity, nucleus, protons, and neutrons. o Define atom mass units (amu), atomic number, and chemical symbol isotopes, mass number, and natural abundance. o Define ions, anions, and cations. o Understand how the periodic table groups elements that have similar properties into columns(or families or groups): noble gases, alkali metals, alkali earth metals, halogens. o Define and differentiate among metals, nonmetals, and metalloids; main-group and transition elements. o Know & understand origin of elements that form ions with predictable charges. o Understand the relationship between mole and Avogadro s number. o Calculate and interconvert between mass, number of moles and number of atoms. Chapter 3: Molecules, Compounds, and Chemical Equations o Define and understand chemical bonds. o Define and understand the difference between ionic and covalent bonds. 5

6 o Define and understand empirical formula, molecular formula, and structural formula. o Know and understand that ionic compounds are composed of formula units. o Know and understand the rules for writing formulas for ionic compounds. o Know and understand the rules for naming ionic compounds. o Know and understand the rules for naming molecular compounds. o Write names for acids, binary acids, and oxyacids. o Calculate the molar mass (formula mass, molecular weight) of a compound. o Calculate and interconvert between mass, moles, and molecules of a compound. o Define and understand mass percent (mass percent composition). o Calculate mass percent from a formula. o Calculate using mass percent composition as a conversion factor. o Calculate and understand using ratios of atoms in formulas. o Calculate using chemical formulas as conversion factors. o Calculate and understand conversion of mass of atoms into a chemical formula. o Calculate an empirical formula from experimental data. o Calculate a molecular formula from an empirical formula and molar mass. o Know and understand a combustion analysis. o Define reactants, products, chemical reaction, and chemical equation. o Know and understand how stoichiometric coefficients are used to account for all atoms in a chemical equation. o Write and balance chemical equations. Chapter 4: Chemical Quantities and Aqueous Reactions o Understand and calculate the relationships between grams and moles for substances in a balanced chemical equation. o Calculate and determine a theoretical yield and percent yield. o Define a solvent, solute, solution, and aqueous solution. o Understand and calculate the molarity, the amount of solute in moles (mol) in volume of solution in liters (L), and its unit molarity (M). o Understand and calculate the dilution of a solution. o Understand and calculate reaction component amounts using volume, moles, and concentration. o Understand the interactions between water as a solvent and solutes dissolved in it. o Define and understand strong electrolytes, weak electrolytes, and nonelectrolytes. o Define strong and weak acids, strong and weak bases. o Define soluble and insoluble compounds. o Learn the solubility rules for compounds made from common anions and cations that render them soluble or insoluble. o Define a precipitate and precipitation reactions. Understand and predict how the ions from soluble salts combine to form precipitates. o Define and differentiate between a molecular equation, a complete ionic equation and a net ionic equation. Define and identify spectator ions. 6

7 o Define and understand an acid H + and base OH - in aqueous solutions. o Identify and name some common acids and bases. o Describe an acid-base reaction. o Identify and predict the gases formed during gas-evolution reactions. o Define and describe oxidation reduction or redox reactions. o Define, understand, and assign oxidation states or numbers to atoms in a structure or reaction. Chapter 5: Gases o Compare solids, liquids, gases. o Understand pressure. o Describe the relationship between pressure, volume, temperature & amount of gas using Boyle s, Charles s, Avogadro s, the combined, and the ideal gas laws o Understand STP and standard molar volume. o Understand Dalton s Law of Partial Pressures. o Understand the Kinetic-Molecular theory. o Understand nonideal gas behavior. Chapter 6: Thermochemistry o Define the chemical meanings of energy, work, and heat. o Know the law of conservation of energy. o Know that energy changes can be defined to be part of a system and surroundings. o Define and understand the first law of thermodynamics, internal energy, state functions. o Perform calculations with energy, work and heat. o Understand and perform calculations involving temperature changes and heat capacity. o Define pressure-volume work and understand how chemical reactions can lead to pressure-volume work. o Understand and perform calculations involving heat released in a bomb calorimeter. o Define enthalpy and changes in enthalpy in terms of internal energy, pressure & volume. o Define and understand exothermic and endothermic processes depending on whether they release or absorb heat, respectively. o Understand and perform calculations involving enthalpy changes and stoichiometry expressed in chemical equations. o Understand and perform calculations involving heats or enthalpies of reaction in a coffee-cup calorimeter. o Understand and use Hess s Law to calculate the enthalpy of reaction of an overall reaction from a series of steps. 7

8 o Define standard states and standard enthalpy changes. o Use standard enthalpies of formation of elements to write equations for enthalpies of formation of compounds. o Understand and calculate the enthalpy change during a reaction like combustion. o Perform calculations involving enthalpies of reaction and standard enthalpies of formation. Chapter 7: The Quantum-Mechanical Model of the Atom o Understand evidence for existence & properties of electrons, protons, & neutrons. o Describe wave properties of light & the relationship of wavelength, frequency & speed. o Describe the main features of the quantum mechanical picture of the atom. o Describe the four quantum numbers and give possible combinations of their values for specific atomic orbitals. o Describe the shapes of orbitals and recall the usual order of their relative energies. Chapter 8: Periodic Properties of the Elements o Understand electron spin and the Pauli Exclusion Principle. o Write the electronic configuration of atoms. o Relate the electron configuration of an atom to its position in the periodic table. o Understand and effectively use the periodic table. o Understand effective nuclear charge. o Discuss chemical periodicity of the following properties: atomic radii, ionization energy, electron affinity, ionic radii, and electronegativity. Chapter 9 - Chemical Bonding I: Lewis Theory o Write Lewis dot representations of atoms. o Understand the formation of ionic and covalent bonds. o Be able to write Lewis formulas for molecules & poly atomic ions. o Know the octet rule and its limitations. o Determine if a bond is polar or non-polar. o Understand dipole moments. Chapter 10 - Chemical Bonding II: Molecular Shapes, Valence Bond Theory and Molecular Orbital theory 8

9 o Use VSEPR theory to predict electronic geometry and bond angles. o Determine if a molecule is polar or non-polar. o Understand Valence Bond theory. o Identify hybrid orbitals in a molecule. Compare and contrast hybrid orbital theory with VSEPR theory. o Use VSEPR, VB, and the existence of lone pairs to make predictions about the shapes of molecules. These molecules may have, single, double, or triple bonds. o Understand the basic concepts of molecular orbital theory. o Distinguish between bonding and antibonding orbitals. o Find the bonding order in diatomic molecules using molecular orbital theory. o Relate bond order to bond stability. o Use the MO concept of delocalization to predict relative stability. Chapter 11, 12, 18 Select Topics o Intermolecular Forces o Surface Tension,Viscosity and Capillary Action o Mass Percent o Molality o Colligative Properties o Balancing oxidation-reduction reactions 9