CHM 1215 Honors General Chemistry Laboratory

Spring 2018 Syllabus

Instructional team contact information-this is a multi-section coordinated course

Your Lab TA/Peer facilitator (email)____________________________________________
For routine communication please contact your section TA/Peer facilitator directly
Lab Section and Meeting Time: ___________________________________
Office Hours for TA: ________________________________________
Your TA contact (will be shared in first day)_______________________________

CHEM 1215 Honors Laboratory

Course description
Welcome to the department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology! This course will be the continuation of the first
semester laboratory CHEM 1215 continuing on your introduction to the science of chemistry from the point of view
of practicing chemists-all of us working and researching in the department and the discipline. Based on the premise
that science should be taught as it is practiced, the lab will be a place where you and your group members will have
an opportunity to get familiar and confident with chemistry methods by applying them to address practical
questions. Moreover, during your introduction to chemistry you will have the opportunity to gain familiarity with
the fundamentals of many exciting projects our faculty conduct research on in the department.
You will work on several projects throughout the semester in which you will plan, experiment and evaluate your
own chemical procedures and results. Each of these projects revolves around human activities and ways in which
the science of chemistry is involved in their advancement, such as:

Design of materials, product quality control, prediction of chemical and physical behavior of
substances, principles of green chemistry.
1
US National Research Council (NRC) Report, Beyond the Molecular Frontier, 2003.

You will engage in activities in and out the laboratory that aim to help you meet the learning goals of the
chemistry laboratory.2

enhancing mastery of subject matter;

developing scientific reasoning;
understanding the complexity and ambiguity of empirical work;
developing practical skills; understanding the nature of science;
cultivating interest in science and interest in learning science;
developing teamwork abilities.
2 US National Research Council (NRC) Report, America’s Lab Report.

Make sure you read the documents and media posted for you on Blackboard as directed in your recitation sessions;
time will be allotted there for detail description of the course objectives and activities in the chemistry laboratory.
These documents are created to help you succeed in this class so take advantage of them!

Required material and supplies

1. Project documents: posted in your Blackboard section.
2. Laboratory Notebook: You laboratory notebook must have duplicate sheets.
3. Safety goggles of the chemical-splash goggle design are required. If you do not have splash-proof goggles, you
will be asked to leave the lab.
4. Lab Attire: Lab coats are required and will be provided to you by the department.
5. Laptop and calculator: When possible bring a laptop to class. Many times you will be asked to look for
information online and the more resources your group has the easier it will become to get the work done.
 CHM 1215 Honors General Chemistry Laboratory
Spring 2018 Syllabus

Safety Rules
The departmental safety rules, explained during the first meeting, must be followed when working in the laboratory.
You will not be allowed to work in the laboratory if you violate any of the safety rules.
Attendance
CHEM 1215 is scheduled for a 2-hour and 50 minute period once a week. Students may attend laboratory only in
the section for which they are registered. The laboratory course requires your weekly presence and completion of
hands on work. A single absence due to documented illness, deaths in the immediate family, call to active military
duty, court-imposed legal obligations (e.g., jury duty and subpoenas), religious days, special requirements of other
courses and university sponsored events (e.g., performances, games/meets, judging trips, field trips), and severe
weather condition will be allowed. Employment schedules of students do not comprise a valid excuse. If you have
a significant overlap of other university sponsored events or athletic schedules with your laboratory course please
contact the instruction team to make us aware of this and seek alternative arrangements (switch section).
Excessive tardiness is not acceptable. It is important to be on time and ready to work when your laboratory begins.
Your instructor will take attendance as soon as your class period starts. Moreover, it is necessary for students to be
present and participate in class work in the entirety of the class duration. Any students arriving more than 10 minutes
late will be counted absent.

Detailed description of student activities and evaluation

Project preparation and pre-lab planning

Student groups are provided with a summary of each project on blackboard. Using the guiding questions
within each project, the ‘lab tools’ on blackboard, discussion session notes, your textbook and other sources
you consider useful you must prepare a detailed research plan prior to working in each upcoming session.
Group collaboration prior and during class will be essential. Note that project preparation work will precede
all laboratory sessions and time will be allocated to allow more group planning at the latest part of the lab
session and prior to leaving the lab in anticipation of the next session (see detailed Laboratory schedule last
page). Students are to stay in the lab and work as a group to utilize this class time. Note that even though
this is an outcome of much group effort students will receive an individual evaluation from their instructor
per project.
In class
Experimental work: The majority of your time in the lab will be spent engaged in hands-on
experimental work. During this time, you will carry out your plans to meet the objectives of the
specific projects.
Laboratory notebook: Proper notebook keeping, detailed record of amounts used, pre and post lab
planning, observations, data tables and processing, useful group discussion points, must be
recorded in your laboratory notebook. Your Instructor will provide much guidance in good
notebook practices and carbon copies of all work will be collected at the end of each lab session.
Peer Evaluation: At the end of each project, you will assess the performance and contributions of
each member of your group. They will do likewise for you. These evaluations will only be shared
between you and your instructor and will be evaluated by your instructor after completion.
Lab Reports
You will be instructed by your TA about specific guidelines, expectations and guidance to good
writing and presenting practices in the sciences. Even though collaborative group work and data
sharing is strongly encouraged and is essential in each lab activity, each student must produce their
own initial and final report for which they will be graded individually. These must be typed and
are due as indicated in the schedule below. Specific details, guidance and resources will be
provided to all students via blackboard to support learning how to write effective reports.
Initial Report: Students will have the opportunity to obtain feedback on their report by their
instructor or two of their peers outside their group selected by their instructor in a ‘blind’ peer
 CHM 1215 Honors General Chemistry Laboratory
Spring 2018 Syllabus

evaluation process.
Final Report: The final report will be due after completion of all laboratory work and the return of
the instructor or peer review comments to the student. You will be required to submit an electronic
copy via safeassign and a hard copy for grading. You should attach your own typed report, peer
reviewed copies with comments and all copies of your lab notebook pages to your Final Report
(including the safety, instruments and pre-planning portions).

Oral Presentations and Posters

These presentations will be completed per group, however each student will receive individual
evaluation by the instructor and peers. Handouts with detailed descriptions of Oral or Poster
evaluation criteria will be shared with all students before these presentations take place.
Presentation resources will be shared through BlackBoard and in weekly recitations to aid all
students in preparing to present their work.

Student Evaluation

Important note: to earn full number of points per project as outlined below each student must
come prepared every week in accordance to the project handout and actively participate in all
weekly prelab planning, data collection and post planning as well as remain for the entirety of the
lab. Oral and poster presentations and report grades will reflect weekly total individual effort and
it is determined by your TA and coordinator who will evaluate your weekly pre-laboratory
preparation, effort and participation in class and your final report or oral presentation for all weeks
allocated per project. It is a holistic grade.

Project grading outline

Project 3
Project 1 Project 2 PLA
Food dyes, Fe-TAML recycling and Project4
proteins and drug catalysis and buffers Biofuels extraction
molecules analysis reaction kinetics function and and identification
applications
Notebook 10 10 10 10
Prelab 2x10=20 20 20 20
Initial Lab Report 20 - 20 -
Lab Report Peer Review 10 - 10 -
Final Report 40 - 40 -
Oral/Poster Presentation 60 60
Oral presentation evaluation 10 10
Total Points 100 100 100 100
Percentage to final grade 20% 20% 30% 30%
*students will be required to complete either Project 1or 2 (TA will assign in each class)

The overall course percentage and letter grade for the course will be determined by the total points earned per
student divided by the total points possible as follows:

A = 90 – 100 % D = 55 – 64 %
B = 80 – 89 % F = 0 – 54 %
C = 65 – 79 %

Grades will be posted on Blackboard for each student after the completion of all parts of each project.
 CHM 1215 Honors General Chemistry Laboratory
Spring 2018 Syllabus

Incompletes: The grade of "I" will be given only under exceptional circumstances, such as an extended illness,
which must be certified by a practicing physician. To receive an incomplete the student must have a passing grade
on all completed work up to that point and only if the student is missing a small part of the course. Thus, students
who are projected to fail the course cannot receive an incomplete and are advised to drop the course before the
appropriate deadline to receive a W. To remove an incomplete grade from the student's records, all requirements
must be completed within one academic semester; otherwise the "I" will automatically be replaced with an "IF." Be
advised that an incomplete contract MUST be signed by the laboratory coordinator Dr Lykourinou and the student
prior to obtaining an incomplete grade otherwise the student will receive an failing grade regardless of the
circumstances.

S/U policy: no S or U grades will be given for this course.

Academic Dishonesty: will be dealt with as described in the student handbook.

Any student with a disability is encouraged to meet with their instructor and coordinator privately during the first
week of class to discuss accommodations. Each student must bring a current Memorandum of Accommodations
from the Office of Student Disability Services, which is prerequisite for receiving accommodations.
Accommodated examinations through the Office of Student Disability Services require two weeks’ notice. All
course documents are available in alternate format if requested in the student’s Memorandum of Accommodations.
 CHM 1215 Honors General Chemistry Laboratory
Spring 2018 Syllabus

Class Activities week of Laboratory Activity*

Honors Lab Course

January 8 No Labs

January 15 Project 1 planning

‘Food dyes proteins and drug molecules’

January 22 Continue Project 1

January 29 Complete Project 1

Peer review (reports)
Planning for project 2
‘Fe-TAML catalysis and reaction kinetics’

February 5 Continue working on Project 2

Lab report Project 1 due via ‘Safe assign’
on Bb (by end of week)

February 12 Complete Project 2

Data processing and preparing group
presentations

February 19 Oral presentations for Project 2

Project 3 planning
‘PLA recycling and buffer function and
applications’

February 26 Continue Project 3

March 5 No labs-spring break

March 19 Continue Project 3

March 26 Complete Project 3

Peer review (reports)
 CHM 1215 Honors General Chemistry Laboratory
Spring 2018 Syllabus

Planning Project 4
‘Biofuels from algae extraction and
identification’

April 2 Continue Project 4

Report project 3 due via ‘safe assign’ on
Bb (by end of week)

April 9 Complete Project 4

Presentations for Project 4

*Any changes to the schedule will be announced in class or through Blackboard.