HYBRID -- Chemistry with Lab (with Honors option)
NOTE: This course will be HYBRID for the 2023- 2024 academic year.
Class Time: 9:00-11:00am Tuesdays, 45% in-person and 55% online
Grade Level: 9th - 12th
Prerequisite Courses: Algebra I
Prerequisite Skills: Comfort with logical thought and basic mathematical problem solving combined with solid independent study habits and note taking skills
Instructor: Cheri Faley
Contact Information: molesrkool@gmail.com
Course Description:
Focusing on scientific methodology and inquiry, a mastery of chemical concepts, and cultivating the skill of scientific problem-solving using mathematics, this exciting course in high school chemistry will introduce students to a variety of chemical principles and how these apply to the wonderful world around them on both an atomic and molecular level. Topics covered include biological chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, and physical chemistry, including organization and classification of matter, atomic structure, bonding and intermolecular forces, stoichiometry, solubility, equilibrium, kinetics, acids and bases, and electrochemistry.
The laboratory component of the course (18 - 20 labs) is structured around the conceptual topics covered throughout the year, related to density, solubility, endothermic and exothermic reactions, acids and bases, chemical precipitation, etc. Labs and demonstrations will provide students experience with scientific inquiry and technical writing along with practicing precision in experimental design. Furthermore, the course includes ongoing study to incorporate current university, industrial research, and global impact topics in chemistry, resulting in written synthesis and evaluation as well as data analysis and prediction.
Outside of class, students will be responsible for memorizing and internalizing vocabulary, watching vodcasts, completing written and computer-based assignments/simulations, as well as checking their own work for accuracy. Students will also be required to research a topic of interest in the winter. Grades will be calculated based on homework completion, class participation, labs, projects, presentations, and tests. To ensure a basic comfort level with course material and the successful understanding of material that follows, each student should expect to spend 45-60 minutes, four to five days a week outside of class to reinforce concepts by studying and/or completing homework.
NOTE: This course will follow a hybrid format for the 2023- 2024 academic year - 45% of classes will be in-person and 55% of classes will be online through Zoom. Testimonials available.
Tuition: $440
Honors option: additional $45
Class Size: 10 - 20 students
Estimated Homework Time: 3 to 5 hours each week. This will depend on the difficulty of the topics being mastered. Every effort is made by the instructor to balance the class so each student will be prepared for the next level of complexity they will encounter.
Course Materials: Chemistry Materials: TBA
Lab Materials: TBD (around $110 for a chemistry kit). You will need to purchase a specific kit.
Teacher Qualifications: Cheri Faley graduated Summa Cum Laude from George Mason University in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry. She also holds an AAS in Nursing and a Masters of Education. Before teaching high school for 33 years, Mrs. Faley worked in Washington D.C as a registered nurse in the ICU and ER and as a shock trauma helicopter nurse. Certified in AYA Science as a National Board Teacher, she has had the privilege of teaching an online pre-engineering college course for the past 11 years through the Virginia Space Grant and NASA, along with being a Master Teacher at the elite Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars Summer Academy at Langley Air Force Base. A majority of her former students have successfully pursued STEM careers. She has tutored at the high school and college level in the sciences, mathematics, and SAT prep. Mrs. Faley has two grown children, a wonderful husband who enjoys relaxing at the beach or hiking in our national parks, a loving Golden Retriever, and four wonderful granddogs.