Welcome to Physical Science 9A: Introduction to Chemistry !
Class Goals
Whenever people undertake a worthy cause, there must be goals that guide the intents and actions of everyone involved. It is important that each person understand the goals and what their part is in accomplishing them. Some large goals need to be broken down into smaller pieces because they can't be accomplished easily all at once or by one person.
So, what are our class goals?
Here are the 4 things I hope we can accomplish together this trimester:
(1) Each student will practice and demonstrate general science process skills throughout the course (questioning, gathering information, constructing useful resources, forming hypotheses, experimenting, measuring and estimating using lab equipment properly, collecting data with precision, analysis of data using tables and graphs, describing relationships using equations , inferring cause and effect relationships as they relate to specific principles, etc.)
(2) Each student will develop and demonstrate a working understanding of basic Chemistry principles by the end of the course ( properties of matter, physical vs. chemical changes, matter and its classification, atomic structures and forces, and the Periodic Table.)
(3) Each student will participate in activities designed to help them develop an appreciation for the value of Chemistry in everyday life (current science events, student-selected projects, activities, community links, etc.)
(4) Each student will practice and develop general academic skills (choices and consequences, personal responsibility, organizing, listening, speaking, reading, writing, calculating, developing and locating resources, problem-solving, test-taking, etc.)
I encourage each of you to make as much progress as you can during the trimester! Evidence of this progress will be visible' in the difference between your pre-test and final test scores. I will also be using other forms of assessment, such as project-scoring rubrics, formative test scores, lab performance, and performance on daily problem-solving assignments to evaluate your progress.
Each of you should also pick something that you feel you need to work on individually as part of the class...perhaps a weakness that I could help you overcome. If you are sincere and really want to improve, great things can be done.
Let's work together to do something great...
Mr. Hayes