Chemistry Syllabus

Leaving Certificate Chemistry Syllabus (Ordinary and Higher Level)

Aims and Principles

  1. General Aim of Education: The general aim is to contribute to all aspects of the individual, emphasizing personal, social, and vocational development.
  2. Leaving Certificate Programmes: They aim to prepare students for further education, training, and to be active citizens. Programmes offer continuity and progression from Junior Certificate.
  3. Program Duration and Forms: The Leaving Certificate is a two-year programme with three forms:
    • The Leaving Certificate (Established)
    • The Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP)
    • The Leaving Certificate Applied
  4. Quality Education: Emphasizing self-directed learning, critical thinking, problem-solving, and lifelong learning.

Leaving Certificate Programmes

  • The Leaving Certificate (Established): Offers broad education with some specialization. Available subjects at Ordinary, Higher, and Foundation levels.
  • The Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP): Combines academic and vocational studies, requiring a minimum of five subjects and Link Modules on enterprise education, preparation for work, and work experience.
  • The Leaving Certificate Applied: Designed for students not pursuing third-level education, focusing on practical learning and integration of vocational and general education.

Preamble: Policy Context

  • Science Education: Should adapt to the changing needs of students and be relevant for national development. Syllabuses include pure science, applications of science, and issues affecting society. 70% for pure science and 30% for applied aspects.
  • Class Time: Approximately 180 hours of class contact time is recommended over two years, emphasizing practical approaches.

Structure of the Syllabus

  • The syllabus consists of core content and optional topics, with mandatory experiments highlighted. The recommended teaching order is flexible.
  • Each section addresses content, depth of treatment, suitable activities, and social/applications aspects.
  • Examinable Content: 70% is pure chemistry; 30% covers social and applied aspects.
  • Class Period Recommendations:
    • Ordinary level recommends 187 class periods for the syllabus, and 83 for supplementary work.
    • Higher level recommends 258 class periods, with time for revision.

Common Aims for Both Levels

  1. Stimulating interest and enjoyment in chemistry.
  2. Establishing a relevant course for students completing chemistry at this level.
  3. Providing foundational knowledge for further studies.
  4. Encouraging appreciation of chemistry's social, economic, and environmental aspects.
  5. Developing skills in laboratory safety, procedures, and data evaluation.
  6. Fostering skills in scientific communication and problem-solving.

Practical Work

  • Safety: Use of appropriate safety equipment (fume cupboards, safety glasses).
  • Mandatory Experiments: Records of practical work must be retained, supplemented by teacher demonstrations.
  • Differentiation Between Levels: Ordinary level focuses on overview; Higher level requires quantitative treatment. Both levels contain similar core content, with additional subjects and depth at Higher level.
  • Assessment: All syllabus material is examinable, including practical work, which may be assessed in written examinations.

Ordinary Level Syllabus Objectives

  1. Knowledge: Basic chemical terminology; scientific theories; social and historical contexts of chemistry.
  2. Understanding: Relation of chemistry to everyday life; scientific information in various forms.
  3. Skills: Safe experiment execution; accurate measurements and observations; data interpretation.
  4. Competence: Reporting results accurately; performing simple calculations; discussing public chemistry issues.
  5. Attitudes: Appreciating chemistry’s advancements and their societal impact; understanding vocational opportunities in chemistry.

Higher Level Syllabus Objectives

  1. Knowledge: Fundamental concepts and principles of chemistry.
  2. Understanding: Application of chemistry in life, including the scientific method.
  3. Skills: Safe and cooperative experiment execution; accurate data handling.
  4. Competence: Conducting calculations and critically analyzing issues relating to chemistry.
  5. Attitudes: Appreciation of the role of chemistry in society and vocational practices.

Content Overview

  1. Core Content for Ordinary Level:
    • Periodic Table and Atomic Structure: Organization of elements, trends in properties, historical contributions to chemistry (4 core sections).
    • Chemical Bonding: Ionic and covalent bonding, electronegativity, molecular shapes (seven sections).
    • Stoichiometry, Formulas, and Equations: The mole concept, gas laws, chemical equations, volumetric analysis (four sections).
    • Fuels and Heats of Reaction: Various sources of hydrocarbons, reaction types, calorimetry, oil refining (five sections).
    • Rates of Reaction: Factors affecting reaction rates, activation energy, catalysts (two sections).
    • Organic Chemistry: Structure and nomenclature of organic compounds, reaction types (three sections).
    • Chemical Equilibrium: Dynamic equilibrium concepts, Le Chatelier's principle (two sections).
    • Environmental Chemistry - Water: pH scale, water hardness, treatment, and analysis (four sections).
  2. Optional Subjects: Students select one from the Industrial Chemistry, Atmospheric Chemistry, Materials, or Electrochemistry.
  3. Mathematical Requirements: Basic arithmetic and algebra are essential; higher-level students use more complex mathematics.

Appendix

  • Traditional and systematic names of organic compounds are specified for examination purposes. Only systematic names are required for inorganic compounds.

Conclusion

  • The Leaving Certificate Chemistry syllabus not only covers essential theoretical and practical aspects of chemistry but also integrates social and applied contexts, encouraging relevance and real-world application of chemical knowledge.