Honors Chemistry  Course Information 2024-25   Mrs. Lenz - SHS

Rm. 1012 Email:  clenz@lgsuhsd.org (408) 867-3411 x305

Course description:

Chemistry is the study of the composition and properties of matter, and the interactions between different types of matter.  Honors chemistry moves at a faster pace and is more in-depth than the regular chemistry class.  First semester topics will include properties of matter, the atomic and molecular structure, the periodic table, bonding, measurement and the mole, and stoichiometry.  Second semester topics will include gas laws, thermodynamics, solutions, chemical equilibrium, and electrochemistry.  Scientific skills such as observation, problem solving, laboratory techniques, graphing, and writing will be used throughout the course.

Materials – to be brought to class daily:

• 3 ring binder with at least 3 dividers, and lined paper • pencil, pen (black or blue), eraser

• non-programmable, non-graphing scientific calculator with “EXP”, “EE” or “10x” key 

- graphing calculators are not allowed on tests & quizzes

•  Internet-connected devices other than a phone- Please bring a laptop/chromebook/tablet, with charger, every day. A phone does NOT count.  If you do not have one of these, please visit the Tech Department to check out a laptop.  

Textbook (leave at home): Chemistry: Principles and Reactions, 5^th edition. Masterton & Hurley, Thomson Learning, Inc.  2004   ISBN #: 0-534-40878-8 

Assessment and Grading:

Types of Assignments 

1) Classwork/Homework  will be assigned daily.  Assignments should be self-corrected with a red pen for full credit.  To succeed in this class, you must be committed to doing the homework every night, as concepts build on each night’s homework.  Optional homework is not graded, but is strongly recommended.  All work must be handwritten, unless specified. 

2) Tests include multiple choice and short answer questions.  Tests may only be made up for excused absences (see Make up policy below).  Tests are not returned for students to keep, in order to ensure that the assessment instrument is an accurate measure of the individual student’s learning.  I encourage students to review tests during tutorial.

Before you start a test, make sure that you are of sound health and mind to take the exam, because once you start it, that will be your final score. There are no test retakes.

3) Quizzes are timed to the material and may not be made up.  If you miss a quiz, the percentage earned on the following unit test will be the percentage given for a missed quiz.  For missing quizzes, the score will be zero until the test is corrected.

4) Labs vary in format, from guided lab activities to inquiry labs. Labs must be made up within one week of an excused absence. It is your responsibility to set a time between you and the teacher or you will get a ZERO on the lab.   Tutorial on blue days is the best time to make up labs.  Formal lab reports will be submitted to Turnitin.com.  

5) Citizenship is contributing towards a positive class learning environment in attitude and action.  Students should be actively participating in class.  You should not be doing work for other classes.  During lab experiments, every student should be participating in the lab.  

Assignments are due at the beginning of the class, otherwise they are late. Late classwork/homework is accepted for ½ credit up to the unit test; late labs are penalized 10% per class period late. Questions about grading should be resolved within 2 weeks of an assignment’s return.

There is no extra credit, grade rounding, test corrections, test retakes, lab rewrites, or extra projects.

Classroom Policies

Class rules:

1.  Show respect to people in the classroom.

2.  Be ready to start class when the bell rings – be seated, with class materials out, phones/laptops put away.

3.  Respect the equipment and furnishings in the classroom.  You may be charged for equipment breakage.

4.  Be safe in the classroom.  Follow all lab safety rules.

5.  Food, beverages, gum, electronic equipment and hats belong outside of the classroom. Water is permitted in a sealed container.  Cell phones, earbuds & electronic equipment should be put away and are only permitted for use in class if I give permission (i.e. use of cell phones to time labs). Cell phones should be put in the pocket caddy before class starts.

Positive consequences:  Verbal acknowledgement, maintain citizenship pts, positive learning environment

Negative consequences:  Verbal warning, loss of citizenship pts, teacher conference, parent contact, parent conference, referral to administrator

Attendance/Tardies

Each day is a building block for the next day’s work, so attendance is critical.  Students are tardy if they are not in their seats and ready to learn when the bell rings.  Tardies and attendance follow the SHS Attendance Policy.  

Academic Integrity

CHEATING :  Copying others work as one’s own and copying/talking/or any other inappropriate behavior during tests constitutes cheating and will not be tolerated.  You will be signing a separate Academic Integrity Policy. 

What is considered cheating?  

1. Looking at someone else’s paper during a test, exam, or any other assessment activity.

2. Letting someone else see or use one’s work at any time during a test, exam, or any other assessment activity. 

3. Talking with another student during a test, exam, or any other assessment activity. (even if you have both finished the test yourselves)

4. Using any kind of cheat notes or unauthorized materials including personal technological devices on a test

5. Copying work assigned to be done independently or letting others copy one’s work or another’s work. This includes copying or sharing computer generated information.

6. Giving or receiving test information from other students. 

7. Fabricating or altering laboratory data. 

8. Submitting reports based on falsified or fictitious data or footnotes.

9. Reporting, without teacher permission, on a book read and reported on in a prior assignment.

10. Using deceitful practices to improve one’s grade or someone else’s grade. 

NOTE:  Lab reports are to be written in your own words - students will be working together on labs, however, the final lab report must be each student’s own work. Any lab reports that are the same will be considered evidence of cheating. Use of AI constitutes cheating as well.  Copying another's work as one’s own, talking or any other inappropriate behavior during tests constitutes cheating.   If caught cheating, both parties involved will receive a ZERO.  Ignorance is no defense.

Please do not discuss tests and quizzes with students in other periods.  The tests may be scaled, and sharing test information with people in later periods will have an adverse effect on your grade.

Make up exams

If you cut class on an exam day, you automatically receive a "ZERO" on the exam. If you have an excused absence the day of an exam, you will take a “quarterfinal” make-up exam during tutorial period or lunch to replace the missed exam.  If you miss multiple exams, the quarterfinal will replace the grade of all exams missed.    Quarterfinal make-up exam dates will be given once every 6-week grading period during tutorial.  Dates will be announced well in advance, so you can plan ahead to be there.  PARENTS AND STUDENTS:  Please be aware that your grade will be as if you earned a “zero” on the missed exam until you take the make-up exam.   If you know that you will be absent on a test day and do not want to take the make-up exam, you may arrange to take the exam early.

Any work or exams missed due to an unexcused absence will not receive credit.  If you have an excused absence, you may make up the work for full credit.  If you are absent, you are responsible for finding out what you missed in class - by talking to friends, checking the unit calendar or Daily Lesson plans posted on Canvas. Most handouts are posted on Canvas as well.  Make up work should be completed within the same number of days as the number of days of the excused absence (for up to 3 days – see me for longer absences).  

If you have chosen to take multiple Honors or AP classes, expect that sometimes you will have multiple tests on the same day.  Please do not expect teachers to change the test date to accommodate your individual test schedules.  Be advised not to take more Honors or AP classes than you can manage.

Requests for Letters of Recommendation

Any requests for letters of recommendation must be in person, at least 3 weeks prior to the due date.  Also, please see the letter of recommendation policy on Canvas.

Contact Information

I am available to meet with students during tutorial, or by individual appointment at lunch.  You can contact me by voice mail or email; however email is the best way to contact me.  I check voicemail & email regularly while at school, but rarely at home.

TENTATIVE Syllabus for Honors Chemistry 2024-2025

Chapters are based on Chemistry:  Principles & Reactions, 5^th ed.

 ***NOTE:  This is an APPROXIMATE timeline.