CHEMISTRY 110 - 51 ON-LINE OPTION

The course materials for CHM 110 are available on the Internet at:

http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/CHM110/CHM110.html

Please bookmark the link.

Textbook available at the Elmhurst College Bookstore - Goebel Hall:
Text: "Chemistry Fundamentals: An Environmental Perspective", 2nd Ed., Phyllis Buell, James Girard, Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2003

Catalog Course Description:  CHM 110 Chemistry and Issues in the Environment

The operations of natural physical environmental systems are studied. Alterations to environmental systems are caused by the use of energy and mineral resources. Use and abuse of these resources lead to air pollution, water pollution and solid waste disposal. Solutions to these problems depend on the progress in science and technology, as well as political decisions and prevailing ethical value systems. No prerequisite. No previous knowledge of chemistry is required.

Meets the General Education Requirement in Inquiry and Issues in Science and Technology

On-Line Course Description:

The On-Line Course version is available to anyone accepted and enrolled at Elmhurst College. The On-Line Course does not require attendance in class except for an initial orientation class.

The On-Line Course is a good option for those students that are highly motivated, have a good work ethic, and find it necessary to miss classes due to work, schedule conflicts, or family commitments. It is not a good choice if you really do not have the time somewhere in your schedule to do the course as the course requires a time commitment of 8-10 hours per week.  So if you are not really motivated and really have little or no time to devote to the course, then you probably should not be taking this course.

Another major difference in the On-Line Course will be more extensive written online discussions regarding the lecture material and the issue discussion. The On-Line Course version will miss the verbal lectures, videos, overhead diagrams, and verbal discussion. As a substitute, the On-Line Course will have access to detailed hyperlinked outlines for each lecture. Therefore the student will have to make more extensive use of the textbook and other Internet resources.  In other words, an online course is more like independent study with deadlines.

Brief Course Requirements:

The course is divided in 13 main lecture topic discussions for one week each. Then on most weeks there is a laboratory (including a prelab), or an exam.  So there are generally two activities to be completed each week.

Lecture Topic Discussions:

Each main topic in the outline will be explored from a variety of viewpoints by text, instructor designed notes and graphics- denoted as ProfO Notes, many other internet sites, and on-line group discussion. It would be to your advantage to look at some of the materials that I have spent time in designing - denoted with ProfO Notes. Otherwise do not be overly concerned by the fairly large number of internet links that I have found. I have just tried to find you more material such as would be given in a lecture to supplement what is in the text book. You may use these, skim them, or omit as you have or do not have time. The On-Line Course requires that students will be more proactive in postings to a discussion board of lecture topic discussions/instructor comments/student questions and comments. A much more complete discussion of How to do a Lecture Topic is found in this link.

Also as part of each Topic there is a technological issue to be examined from many points of view by assigning students a "role" to research and examine from the scientific, economic, social, and ethical viewpoints. Informational searches use Internet sites  "on-line". The students then engage in a debate type discussion (using on-line discussion board postings) of the issue. This type of exercise ensures that all sides of an issue are examined.  Examples: World views, Fluoride in water, Chlorine Ban in Industrial Synthesis, Mining on Public lands, Nuclear Power Plants, Global Warming, Biofuels, Sulfur Dioxide Trading,  Ozone Depletion,  Tap vs. Bottled Water, Paper vs. Plastic, the Dead Zone,  and  a case study of A Civil Action.

Laboratories:

In this course there are seven laboratory experiences which include the process and inquiry methods of science. These are "take home" kitchen chemistry labs for the On-Line Course students. Some of the lab manipulations are done for you on the internet.  You have to gather and interpret the data from them.  To get complete credit for a lab you will need to get your hands wet. A few materials will be provided to the students, other materials need to be assembled from home, grocery or drug store materials.
A much more complete discussion of How to do a Laboratory is found in this link.

    Pre-lab resource assessments are related to the laboratory experiences. These assessments are designed to calculate the personal quantities of resources and personal impacts on the environment. For each assessment, specific uses of resources are measured on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis and projected for one year. Graphs and other statistics are provided to make comparisons to average per capita uses for the United States. A couple of the assessments may require outside class use of the Internet.  Examples include: Elements and Compounds Used in Everyday Living, Energy Use, Energy Assessment, Solar Energy - Greenhouse Effect, Acid Rain, Water Use, Solid and Hazardous Household Waste.

Exams:

Learning occurs in the 13 main topics and by consultation with the text book.  The information in the text is tested using four take home exams due on the date indicated.  A major part of the points in the course is weighted heavily in the exams. The exams may be completed by appropriate reading and interpretation of the textbook and the N.Y. Times supplement newspaper articles. Exams will be posted as text files about two weeks prior to the due dates. A much more complete discussion of How to do an Exam is found in this link.

Elmhurst Blackboard: THIS IS NOT THE MAIN STARTING POINT FOR THE COURSE.
This will bring you to the Elmhurst Blackboard Log-on page. Click on User Login. Log in using your Elmhurst ID and password. Next you should see the page with your name, a mid section with announcements, and on the right side a list of My courses - a list of all of your Blackboard courses. Then Click on Chemistry: CHM 110. This brings you to the CHM 110 course page for Blackboard.  This is the REPORTING place for your work after you have completed your work and research. Then click on DISCUSSION BOARD, then the Topic or Issue desired, and finally select the appropriate questions in the topic or issue. Use the Labs button for reporting a laboratory. Use the Course Material button and then the Exams link to report the results of your exams.  Use the Tools button to Check My Grades.

Only in cases of extreme emergency, you may email the lab reports and exams: When finished writing the report or exam in the word processor, SAVE IT, use the cursor or select All command to select and copy the entire text. Then open your internet browser program to send mail:  charleso at elmhurst.edu   Finally, paste the entire report into the email message space.

DO NOT USE ATTACHED FILES, unless it is a Microsoft Word Doc, as most others do not open properly.

Email Accounts:

1. Elmhurst College provides you with an email account or user ID and password. If you do not already know this, you must appear in person with a valid ID at the computer lab aid office in the first floor lobby of the Computer Science Building. This is the ID, password, and email address that is automatically entered into Blackboard. Once you have accessed Blackboard the first time, you may change your email address to one that you regularly use by clicking on Tools, and then Personal Information.
Blackboard Personal Info Help.

2. If you want to forward your Elmhurst email to another email account here is a procedure to forward email: Forward Email. Then enter your EC ID and password, then click on Edit, and type in your forwarding email address.

Internet Access:  If you lose internet access at home, you may use the computers in the Elmhurst College Computer Science Building Labs 108, 110, 111 or the Library to gain free Internet access or you can go to your local library.

GRADING:

 Final Exam              100

 3 Exams @ 100       300

 7 Labs @ 15            105

13 Topics @ 18        234

 Total                       739

The final grade is based on a percentage of the total points:
The College faculty recently passed a grading scale with + and - grades.  The GPAs associated with these changes are as follows:  A = 4.0, A- = 3.67, B+ = 3.33, B = 3.0, B- = 2.67, C+ = 2.33, C = 2.00, C- = 1.67, D+ = 1.33, D = 1.0, F = 0

The following is my implementation of this new grading scale. Various other professors will have other interpretations that fit their assignments and examinations.  I do not grade on a curve as I have been teaching this course for many years and know what most students are capable of doing for the type of assignments and exams given. The final course grades for Spring 2011 were: 13 A, 5 B, 5 C. These may change slightly with the additional breakdown of the +/- grading.

The percentages are calculated to the nearest tenth and translated to points as follows:

   %                  Points needed for the bottom of the scale
100-92 = A       680
91-90 = A-        665
88-89 = B+       650
82-87 = B         606
80-81 = B-        591
78-79 = C+       576
72-77 = C         532
70-71 = C-        517
68-69 = D+       503
60-67 = D         443
<59 = F

If you keep up with all of the work on time and do an adequate job on all topic responses, labs, and exams, most students in the past have been able to make either A or B grades.  Please do not ask about moving up a grade even if one or two points shy of the line, as there are very few points that separate the various grades.  The only extra credit to be offered in the course will equal 26 points and comes by doing two extra responses in each of the thirteen topics.

If you do not complete all of the assignments, your grade will end up in the B, C, D or F range. You will probably not pass the course if you do not turn in all four of the exams for grading. If you get behind, always complete the exam on time. It is to your advantage to at least complete some of each assignment for partial credit.

ASSIGNMENT COMPLETION AND GRADE RESPONSES:
From Blackboard use the Tool Menu and Check Grades. Labs and Exams will automatically show up when they are graded. I will update completion of topics and issue discussions about every week or two. After each exam, I will prepare a full grade report "to date" on all assignments completed and those that are incomplete and send that to you by email.

LATE ASSIGNMENTS:
All assignments are to be turned in on the dates as indicated by midnight. There will be a "one day grace period" - Thursday at midnight, but any late assignments beyond one day will result in deduction of points unless "prior" arrangements have been made. Late exams lose up to 5-10 points; Topics lose 2 point for being late. "Prior" means before an assignment is actually late. "Prior" arrangements include illness, heavier than normal work load, and business trips - it is up to you to make a compelling case as to why your work is or will be late. In cases of extended computer down times, I will be lenient.

"One day grace period" = Assignments are due on Wednesdays including into the evening - midnight - which effectively means by 9 AM Phoenix time on Thursday morning. The one day grace period ends by 9 AM Phoenix time on Friday morning. Anything turned in after that date is late.

General Education: CATEGORY: INQUIRY AND ISSUES IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

These courses develop students' knowledge of content and process in the natural sciences. They also emphasize science's impact on the world. These courses seek to raise students' awareness of sciences role in the development of technology and of issues in science and technology. These courses foster responsible citizenship in an increasingly technological society through critical examination of a scientific knowledge base.

OBJECTIVES OF THESE COURSES INCLUDE:

1. Development of critical thinking and problem solving skills through active exploration of natural science concepts and methods within a scientific discipline.
2. Explicit identification and consideration of social, philosophical, and ethical questions associated with scientific and technological topics.
3. Recognition of the strength and power of scientific and technological knowledge, as well as, its limitations.
4. Internalization of scientific values such as intellectual integrity, curiosity, skepticism, tolerance for ambiguity, and openness to new ideas.


Objective 1. Development of critical thinking and problem solving skills through active exploration of natural science concepts and methods within a scientific discipline.

Natural Science Concepts:
Conservation of Matter, Mineral Resources , Renewable and nonrenewable energy sources, pollution, composition of atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, biosphere.

Methods of Science: The laboratory experiences give practice in the process and methods of science.

Analysis and Measurements of Compounds: A major function of chemistry is to answer qualitative and quantitative questions about the properties of matter. Quantitative procedures usually follow well developed techniques. Numerical data is subjected to the assessment of the precision (repeatability) and accuracy (reliability) of the measurement. Qualitative methods may be developed by the student based upon a discovery/classification approach. Examples include: Combustion, Heat, and Calories ; Acid Rain-Air Pollution; Water Analysis

Scientific Method: This process involves the classic cause and effect approach to problem solving. The process is: question, hypothesis, control variables, experiment, collect data, repeat the cycle with a change of variable, draw conclusions. Examples include: Physical & Chemical Properties of Household Substances; Properties, Classification, and Recycling of Plastics

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills:

Topical Issues: Debates and Role Plays: A technological issue is examined from many points of view. The process of identifying the issues, cause/effect relations, and possible solutions to a problem involves critical thinking and problem solving skills. See below for more information.

Objective 2. Explicit identification and consideration of social, philosophical, and ethical questions associated with scientific and technological topics.

Every technological advance creates side effects that detract from the benefits it bestows. The future promise of technology may be limited by expense, increasing amounts of energy needed, development time, and unacceptable side effects. Ethical values will be examined in the discussions and role plays of the technological issues of risks versus benefits.

Topical Issues: Debates and Role Plays: A technological issue is examined from many points of view by assigning students a "role" to research and examine from the scientific, economic, political, social, and ethical viewpoints. The students then engage in a role play type discussion of the issue. This type of exercise ensures that all sides of an issue are examined. One method to put everyone on an equal knowledge base is the use of the computer generator discussion programs. Examples are: World views, Fluoride in water, Chlorine Ban in Industrial Synthesis, Mining on Public lands, Nuclear Power Plants, Global Warming, Biofuels, Sulfur Dioxide Trading,  Ozone Depletion,  Tap vs. Bottled Water, Paper vs. Plastic, the Dead Zone,  and  a case study of A Civil Action.

Pre-Laboratory Resource Assessments: This assignment is to ensure that students become personally aware of the quantity of resources they use and their personal impacts on the environment. For each assessment, specific uses of resources are measured on a weekly, or monthly basis are projected for one year. Graphs and other statistics are provided to make comparisons to average per capita uses for the United States. Examples include: Energy Use, Water Use, Solid and Hazardous Household Waste.

Discussions: Each topic in the outline will be explored from a variety of viewpoints. Whole class or small group discussions will be used to examine a variety of issues.

Objective 3. Recognition of the strength and power of scientific and technological knowledge, as well as, its limitations.

This objective is met by a consideration of the results of quantitative measurements in the laboratory with some application of statistical analysis. In addition, this limitation is observed when studying graphs, tables, and other data in the analysis of technological problems.

One powerful aspect of the scientific method is in the use of formal logical reasoning based on observations and control of variables. A goal of science is to quantify causes and effects with the highest degree of accuracy possible. However a limitation in science is that of being incapable of fully controlling all variables. The "answers" provided by science may not be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. What occurs is that increasing amounts of evidence are accumulated which support an "answer" and tend to refute other possible alternatives. Somewhere along this line most people will decide (a value judgment, not science) that the evidence is strong enough and will act accordingly.

The power and limitations of science will become evident from the discussions of the technological issues.

Objective 4.  Internalization of scientific values such as intellectual integrity, curiosity, skepticism, tolerance for ambiguity, and openness to new ideas.

Students will demonstrate scientific values in process of conducting experiments and discussions/debates/role plays. The discussion questions and issues are designed to foster the examination, evaluation, and internalization of values.

GENERAL ASSESSMENT OF OBJECTIVES:
1. Science content areas are assessed by normal objective style exams.
2. Laboratories are evaluated from written reports.
3. Role Plays and Discussions may be evaluated by subjective rating scales and/or written notes.


ACROSS THE CURRICULUM INITIATIVES:

1. Writing: Several short position papers and two longer papers on a proposed energy plan and the worldview philosophy are required.
2. Oral Communication: In addition to general class discussion, six debates/role plays are conducted.
3. Quantitative Reasoning: Various calculations are required to understand chemistry concepts, as well as, necessary for the energy, water, and solid waste assessments.
Math concepts: exponential growth, analysis of various types of graphs.
4. Computer Literacy: Internet searching and simulations.
5. Technological Literacy: Environmental impacts associated with energy production, chemical industry, transportation, and other use of resources are discussed.
6. Problem Solving, Critical Thinking : Used in laboratory, debates/role plays, general discussion.
7. Values and Ethics: Developed in debates/role plays, general discussion, personal assessments.
8. Life Long Learning: Developed from general awareness of issues, personal resource assessments, development of a world view philosophy, and ability to read and understand science issues in the popular media.