Mr. Mannino's Regents Chemistry Syllabus
Materials Needed:
1) 3-ring binder (2 ½ - 3 inch) with LOTS of lined paper (Trust me, the whole binder will be filled) and the following sections:
NOTE: You should keep your papers in CHRONOLOGICAL order: This will make it
MUCH easier to find review sheets and practice packets
2) Index Cards – Flash cards will be one of your main study tools for this year. You will need around 800 cards for the year.
3) Pencils – You should be able to erase mistakes, especially on graphs.
4) TI30x or similar Scientific Calculator. Your calculator should be able to perform the scientific notation in addition to basic 4 functions. This usually means that your calculator will have a button that says either “EE” or “EXP”. If your calculator can not
perform scientific notation, you will be at a disadvantage in class. Likewise, if you
do not bring your calculator to class you will be at a disadvantage. Just because
we did not use calculators at all one day does not mean we will not use them the
next day.
5) School passbook: You will not be allowed to leave the classroom without a proper passbook. If you are late to class you must have a signature from the teacher, secretary, or administrator you just left. You may not use single pages out of your book and you must be using your own passbook. If you are caught using someone else’s passbook you will both be assigned detention.
Homework:
Chemistry is a math-intensive class. Your work will support general chemical theories and formulas by supporting learned information with many calculations. This combination of math and science in class will force you to put much effort into your studying.
You should be doing homework EVERY NIGHT. Nights without any other assignment should still be used to make and study flash cards or to review practice worksheets. Some of the best study techniques include describing HOW to arrive at correct answers and explaining WHY other answers are incorrect, summarizing and outlining recent notes from class, working in groups of 2 or 3 to try to explain material to each other, and, especially, studying basic information from your flashcards. If you need additional assistance as to how to spend your time, please come see me. Written homework assignments will either be graded or you will have a short, 5 minute quiz on that material. Therefore, it is in your best interest to put your full effort into your homework.
DAILY QUIZZES: You will have a short, 5-minute quiz at the beginning of class almost EVERY day. Each quiz will cover material that was learned in the previous 2 class days. You should make it a point to ask questions every day to ensure you have a full understanding of material.
Course Description:
Welcome to Regents-level Chemistry.
Chemistry is the study of the composition, structure and properties of matter, the changes that matter undergoes, and the energy accompanying these changes. Your main goal in this class is to be able to explain why certain natural phenomena happen.
Regents Chemistry is a college-preparation course that requires a considerable amount of work and effort as well as individual responsibility to complete the course objectives set forth by both New York State’s Board of Regents and myself. Throughout your course of study this year, we will all be responsible for participating in class discussions, performing all laboratory experiments, reading all assigned chapters, and completing all assigned homework. All work for this class must be completed on time or will be subject to late penalties where you will not receive as much credit for your work.
Chemistry is a fun and exciting topic that applies to many different areas of our everyday lives. This course will allow us to explore some of the applications of chemical principles while, at the same time, fine-tuning our basic math and science skills.
Effort and persistence are valuable skills in life. These skills are necessary in order to succeed in this class.
Student Rights/Responsibilities:
1) You have the Right to learn:
A few basic classroom rules will help everyone to maximize their learning…
- Food is not allowed in the classroom. You should wash your hands upon leaving our room as many surfaces (even desks) are contaminated with poisonous
chemicals.
- Drinks are only allowed in the room if they are in a screw-top bottle. You are not
allowed to drink anything while you are performing experiments.
- Cell phones are strictly prohibited. You should not have one on you. If I see you with one, even if it is only on your belt or on your desk, it is my job to take it away from you and write you up.
- Proper dressing is essential in a lab classroom: Guys are not allowed to wear anything considered to be an undergarment such as an undershirt or ribbed tank top. Any girl wearing a tank top must have straps at least ½” wide. No one is allowed to have their stomach exposed.
DURING LABS: All of the above rules apply plus:
- No one is allowed to wear open toed shoes.
- Anyone with long hair must tie it back into a ponytail.
- Any baggy sleeves must be rolled up or changed so they aren’t
accidentally set on fire during lab. Accidentally setting yourself on
fire would be a bad thing and would probably ruin your day.
2) You have the Right to be respected.
When you respect others, you are usually respected in return. As a result, you should
- always raise your hand when you need to speak.
- always ask for my permission before leave class.
- wait until the end of class before you throw garbage out.
3) You have the Right to receive extra help.
Official extra help times are Mondays and Thursdays from 2:26PM – 2:48PM. You will often need more time to practice material and get your questions answered. If you need, I will stay later than 2:48PM whenever possible. At your request I can also meet with you on Tuesday afternoons OR on any mutually free periods we may have.
Keep in mind that I may ask you to come for extra help I feel it is necessary. I don’t like wasting your time so I will only do so if I feel the extra work will improve both your understanding and your grade. Don’t be a passive learner so make sure you come to extra help if you have any questions and especially if I ask you to come.
4) You have the Right to Succeed!
This means that you should come to class fully prepared. This includes bringing your notebook, lots of paper, pencils, your calculator, homework, and your brain. If you do all of your work and prepare for tests according to my suggestions you will succeed in this class. People who do poorly in my class are often found to have multiple missing/late assignments, poor attendance in class, a fear of extra help, and usually forget to bring paper or pencils to class.
Grading:
You will have DAILY QUIZZES in class. If you are unsure of any material we cover on a particular day…see me THAT DAY to discuss it, even if you can only briefly stay. You will be responsible for all material we cover in the class immediately after we discuss it!
Grades will be determined as follows: Every assignment has a point value (ex. A test may be worth 50 points, quiz 10-20 points, homework 5-20 points (including flashcard assignments), labs 10 points, notebook checks 10 points. These point values are subject to change as class material demands). Your first formula in class will be the following:
Your grade = (# of points earned) x 100
Total possible points
Keeping accurate and neat notebooks will both allow you to earn EASY grades and keep track of your own marking period grade.
Assignments will only receive full credit if they are handed in ON TIME! If we cover the answers to an assignment in class before you hand it in, you will receive a grade of 0 for that assignment and need to spend a LOT of time after school doing a make-up assignment. Your time will be much better spent if you complete all assignments on time. If the assignment is a lab report, you will have to make the report up anyway to satisfy NYS requirements.
If you work hard and put your full effort into this class, you WILL SUCCEED!
Again, welcome to Regents Chemistry!