Pierce College

Joint Base Lewis-McChord

Course Syllabus
COURSE TITLE: Preparatory Chemistry
ABBREVIATION: CHEM&100
CREDIT HOURS: 5

INSTRUCTIONAL HOURS: 50

INSTRUCTOR: Erin T. Kaech

INSTRUCTOR INTRODUCTION:
I have been a part of the Pierce College Military Program since 2006 working in the science labs on both
McChord Field and Ft. Lewis-Main. My educational background includes a BA in Biology and Chemistry with
a minor in Global Studies from Drury University and an MS in Bioinformatics from NYU-POLY. I enjoy
spending time with my family and working in my yard on those rare, sunny days.
COMMUNICATIONS: Through Conversations via the course Inbox.
CATALOG DESCRIPTION: Introductory course in chemistry for students intending to take CHEM& 121 and
CHEM& 131. Discussion of basic chemical concepts, including atomic structure, periodic properties,
chemical bonding, and chemical nomenclature.
th

REQUIRED TEXT AND MATERIALS: Foundations of College Chemistry, Alternate 14 Ed.,by Hein, Peisen,
& Miner, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2014 - Textbooks are available at
http://bookstore.mbsdirect.net/piercemilitary.htm
COURSE OUTLINE ON WHICH SYLLABUS IS BASED: January 25, 2012
COURSE GUIDANCE:
1. Course Expectations: As a student, you can expect that I will respond to your e-mail within 48 hours
and will grade assignments/tests/quizzes within four (4) days. Please contact me immediately if you have
not heard from me within these timelines.
2. Introductions: Students are expected to post a short (one paragraph) introduction to the course
Discussions Area during the first week of the course. Your instructor will have guidelines within the
course for the introduction.
3. Discussions: This course may have discussions as part of the curriculum. Students may also desire to
discuss topics with other students in an unscheduled manner. Your instructor, as part of the course, may
publish discussion questions/topics and require your input. Should you desire to hold a discussion with
other students enrolled in your course, you may be authorized to create your own discussion topics.
4. Course Extensions are not automatic and must be requested from your instructor. Extensions must be
approved and arranged with your instructor. Extensions can only be considered if you have completed at
least half of the material in the course. In other words, you must have completed all material up to and
including the Midterm Exam in order for an extension to be considered. Extensions cannot be
considered in the final week of the course (i.e. extensions will not be considered in Week 10 of a 10week course). Please remember that it is the student's responsibility to notify faculty of major changes in
your circumstances (e.g. deployment) that affect your ability to complete all course work within the
course timeline.
5. Plagiarism software may be in use during your course.
6. Etiquette for classroom and online courses is the same. Treat others as you would like to be treated,
respectfully and compassionately.
STUDENT OUTCOMES: Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:
1. Recognize and use chemical symbols for elements and compounds.
2. Balance simple chemical equations.
3. Solve problems using units in dimensional analysis including kilo-, centi-, milli- metric prefixes, along with
simple English/metric conversions.
4. Express and manipulate numbers using scientific notation and significant figures.
5. Appreciate why measured quantities need to be expressed using significant figures.
KAECH CHEM&100

6. Relate energy changes to chemical equations.

7. Describe the basic structure of atoms and ions and relate them to their location on the Periodic Table, their
charge, and the number of fundamental particles.
8. Relate physical and chemical properties to the Periodic Table, including metals, non-metals, metalloids,
group names, ionic charge, and valence electrons.
9. Demonstrate an understanding of the basics of chemical bonding including polarity of diatomic molecules.
10. Demonstrate a working knowledge of inorganic nomenclature.
11. Describe the states and properties of matter.
12. Demonstrate an understanding of the mole and Avogadros number.
13. Perform gram/mole conversions and perform mole/mole stoichiometric calculations.
14. Make and interpret graphs.
15. Use chemical vocabulary appropriately.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1. Students will read the lecture(s) and any supplemental material for each Module.
2. Each Module will consist of one or more chapters from the text, depending on the complexity of the
material.
3. Each Module will consist of an assignment (20 points) based on questions assigned at the end of the
chapters. Please use the provided answer sheet attached to each assignment as a template for submitting
your answers. It is a good idea to finish the assignment before taking the accompanying quiz. Assignments
are graded on attempting the assigned problems (10 points) and correctness of the answers (10 points). It is
suggested that you complete at least one assignment a week as per the Course Schedule.
4. Each Module will consist of a Quiz worth 10 points. Quizzes are based on the lecture and text-book
readings. There will be only one opportunity to take each quiz and each quiz has a time limit (time limit
varies for each quiz). Your quiz time will expire once the time limit has been reached. It is recommended to
take each quiz after reading the lectures, chapters, and finishing the assignment accompanying that quiz. It
is suggested that you complete at least one quiz a week as per the Course Schedule. Please send a
message to your instructor once you have completed a quiz.
5. There will be a midterm exam and a cumulative final exam covering key points in the course. A study
guide with general concept listings will be provided prior to each exam. The midterm and final exams will be
worth 100 points each. There will only be one opportunity to take each of these exams. Both exams have a
time limit of 2.5-hours. Your exam will expire once the time limit has been reached. Please send a message
to your instructor once you have completed an exam.
6. Some modules have Discussion Pin Boards which are non-graded discussions that require only a short
response. Instructions are provided.

POINT VALUES:
Quizzes: Eight (8)
Assignments: Eight (8)
Midterm/Final: Two (2)
Total Points

80 points
160 points
200 points
440 points

COURSE SCHEDULE:
(Based on your course start date)
Module

Chapters

Requirements

Outcomes

Week 1

Module 1

1, 4,: Intro to Chemistry, Properties Assignment 1

of Matter (Sections 4.1 - 4.2)
Quiz 1

11

Week 2

Module 2

3: Elements & Compounds

Assignment 2
Quiz 2

1, 8

Week 3

Module 3

5, 10: Atomic Structure, Atomic

Theory

Assignment 3
Quiz 3

1, 7

Module 4

6, 11, 13: Nomenclature, Chemical

Assignment 4
Bonds (Skip Section 11.10), Liquids
Quiz 4
(Section 13.5 only)

1, 7 - 10, 13, 15

Week 4

Review

Review Chapters 1, 3, 4 (4.1 - 4.2),

Mid-Term Exam
5, 6, 10,11 (no 11.10), 13 (13.5)
Review All Supplemental Materials

1, 7 - 10, 13, 15

Week 5

KAECH CHEM&100

Week 6

Module 5

8: Chemical Equations

Assignment 5
Quiz 5

Week 7

Module 6

4 cont., 2: Properties of Matter

(Sections 4.3 - 4.6), Standards of
Measurement

Assignment 6
Quiz 6

Week 8

Module 7

7, 9: Composition of Compounds,
Calculations from Chemical
Equations

Assignment 7
Quiz 7

Week 9

Module 8

Review of Chapters 2, 7, & 9

Assignment 8
Quiz 8

Week 10

Review

Review Chapters 1-11 & 13.5

Review All Supplemental Materials

Final Exam

1, 2, 6, 9, 15
1, 3 - 6, 12, 13, 15

1 - 5, 10, 11, 13, 14,

15
1 5, 12, 13, 15
1-15

CONSENT AGREEMENT:
A Pierce College course requires frequent interaction with your instructor. It is, therefore, essential that you
agree to the conditions set forth in the course syllabus. After you have read the course syllabus, let us know
(do not wait) if you do not agree with the course conditions and requirements. If we do not hear from you
within three (3) days from the start of the course, we will assume you agree with the conditions set forth in
this syllabus.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

ACCESSING CANVAS:
The following instructions are critical for successful connection to your Pierce College online course:
1. Access your course by going to http://piercemil.instructure.com
2. Your USER NAME is based on your Student ID. For most Pierce College students, it will normally
start with 925xxxxxx. Do not use hyphens or dashes between number groups.
3. Your default PASSWORD is the FIRST six (6) letters of your last name in lower case characters.
If your last name has fewer than 6 letters, repeat from the start of your last name until you have
entered six (6) characters and then click Login. Change your password as soon as you have logged
on successfully.
4. If you have any problems accessing your course, contact the helpdesk at (253) 964-6567. The
helpdesk is available from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (Pacific), M-Th, 8:00 pm to 2:00 pm, Fridays.
PURPOSE OF PIERCE COLLEGE: The purpose of Pierce College is to provide opportunities for all who
desire to pursue educational goals. As an educational institution, the College commits to the enhancement of
individual, social, cultural and economic growth. The educational program is designed to provide quality
instruction, individual support and personal service in fulfillment of each students academic needs.
ACCESS and DISABILITY SERVICES: Students with disabilities who believe they may need academic
adjustments, auxiliary aids or services to fully participate in course activities or meet course requirements are
encouraged to register with the Access and Disability Services (ADS) Office, Room ADM115 in the Gaspard
th
Administration Building on the Puyallup campus 1601 39 Ave SE, Puyallup, WA 98374-2222. You may also
call the ADS Office to make an appointment to meet with the ADS Coordinator at (253) 840-8335 or (253)
864-3301. Visit http://www.pierce.ctc.edu/dist/supportservices/ads for more information
Students requesting accommodations must obtain the Approved Quarterly Academic Adjustments, Auxiliary
Aids or Services (green) form provided by ADS.
GRADING:
Each assignment and assessment will be given a specific point value (see course schedule for more detailed
information pertaining course grading). The earned value of all possible points will determine grade, per
Pierce College published policy:
KAECH CHEM&100

GRADE SCALE:
See http://www.pierce.ctc.edu/about/policy/grading for District grading policy.
Grade Point

Letter
Grade

100 95%

2.1 1.9

76 74%

A-

94 90%

1.8 1.5

C-

73 70%

3.4 3.2

B+

89 87%

1.4 1.2

D+

69 65%

3.1 2.9

86 84%

1.1 1.0

64 60%

2.8 2.5

B-

83 80%

0.0

< 59%

2.4 2.2

C+

79 77%

Grade Point

Letter
Grade

4.0 - 3.9

3.8 - 3.5

PLAGIARISM/ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: If you use another persons ideas, words, music, artwork,
computations, models, etc., in such a manner as to imply that the thing used was your own; or if you use
notes, tests or memory aids during tests when such use was not expressly authorized; or if you steal or
knowingly use test master copies to gain information prior to an examination date; or knowingly allow another
person to use your work as if it were that other persons work; or otherwise act in such a manner as to gain
for yourself or another an unfair advantage over other students, you may face disciplinary actions as stated
in the Student Rights and Responsibilities Policy/Code of Conduct.
http://www.pierce.ctc.edu/about/policy/studentrr

KAECH CHEM&100