Chemistry Honors

Banks
Grading Policy

Introduction: Welcome to the world of Chemistry! Chemistry is the study of matter. Like physicists, chemists study the fundamental properties of
matter and they also explore the interactions between matter and energy. Chemistry is a subject many students prefer to avoid, even if they have an
interest in science --- probably because of its reputation for lowering grade point averages. However, it isn't as bad as it seems. Many faced the same
fears and trepidations that you feel now. They learned, as many of you will, that with hard work and a positive attitude this class can actually be fun
and perhaps a favorite. In fact, many of you, without even knowing it now, will be eager to sign up for University of Utah chemistry next year.
Close to half of all sophomores or juniors here today will be here a year from now listening to Doctor Kelly introduce the U of U chemistry class.

Many college majors now require chemistry. It is the primary weed out course for just about any major involving medicine (i.e. medical doctor,
dentistry, nursing, etc). Here are a few tips to help keep you from being weeded out.

1) Dont Procrastinate. Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow, right? Wrong! The first few days in this class may be very
easy and could lull you into a false sense of security. Don't put off doing homework or studying. Mastering chemistry requires you to build
concept upon concept. If you miss the basics, you'll get yourself into trouble. Pace yourself. Set aside a small segment of time each day for
chemistry. It will help you to gain long-term mastery. Don't cram. Videos have been created to help you. Review these each night we have
class. They are short (usually 15-20 minutes) and will help your recall throughout the year. Perhaps you can even use them to help you get
ahead in the class. That way the material discussed during class will not be so intimidating or new.

2) Read the Text. Yes, there are classes in which the text is optional or completely useless. This isn't one of those classes. Take the text
home often. Read it! Ditto for any labs. Even if the lectures are fantastic, you'll need the book for the homework assignments.

3) Psyching Yourself Out. I think I can, I think I can... you have to have a positive attitude toward chemistry. If you truly believe you
will fail you may be setting yourself up for a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you have prepared yourself for the class, you have to believe that
you can be successful. Also, it's easier to study a topic you like than one you hate. Don't hate chemistry. Make your peace with it and
master it. Remember, practically no one in this class has ever had chemistry before. Just about everything will be new to everyone. Dont
think you will be the only one who doesnt understand a particular concept. Relax; the average grade in this class has been a B. Some
classes will have over 50% As. You can do it.

4) Do Your Own Work. Often times I will give answers to assigned questions or the book has some answers in the back. This is great,
right? Yes, but only if you use them for help and not as an easy way to get your homework done. Don't let a book or classmates do your
work for you. They won't be available during the tests, which will count for a big portion of your grade. Also, people caught cheating on
any assignment, quiz, or exam will be given a 0 on that assessment. Dont cheat we all know where cheaters go

5) Show Up. Possibly one of the easiest ways to ensure failure is to not attend class. It's possible for an exceptional student to teach
themselves chemistry without ever setting foot in a classroom, but learning a subject isn't the same as passing a class. If you don't put in the
time, you probably won't know what is expected of you for exams. You won't know what problem sets are due. You can't do labs if you
aren't there.

6) Practice Problems. Some of chemistry is understanding how things work. Some of it is outright memorization. Most of chemistry is
learning how to set up and balance equations and work various types of problems. The best way to master these skills is to practice. The
worst thing you can do is just copy another student's work or the answers from the back of the book. Do your work. Show your work.
Practice different types of problems (often). Throughout this manual and your text there are several problems you can use for practice.
Use them.

7) Get Help. I am available after both before and after school. Please use me as a resource. I am happy to help this doesnt mean I will
complete the assignment or give you all of the answers, but I will be glad to steer you in the proper direction and give you a good start.
Literally hundreds of students have done this. Dont be afraid that you will be the only one or that only dumb people come in for help.
There are lots of kids that like to receive this help and many are exceptional students. Once again, remember help is usually NOT just
giving an answer.

8) Have Fun. You will find that I try to make the class fun and something to look forward to. I know that you are all teenagers. I was a
teenager once. I know that you dont want to sit in your chair and listen to me drone on and on for an hour and a half every day. So I try to
do different things throughout the period. We will have a demonstration as much as possible. We have several days that we will spend in
the lab. We take time to tease the sophomores, football players, cheerleaders, and chemistry geeks. We may even have time for an exam
or two every term. You are only a high school student once; lets try to have a good time while at the same time we learn something that
we just may use for the rest of our lives.

Tardy Policy- Students not in their seats when the tardy bell rings will be considered tardy. Notes excusing tardies will only be accepted
 from the AMES office, AMES administrators, AMES counselors or AMES/ Cottonwood faculty members.

Note: Work missed when tardy will NOT be able to be made up. This includes homework when graded at the beginning of the class period.
BE ON TIME.

Absences: Obviously material is missed when you miss school. The impact is much more pronounced in this class. Please, if possible, schedule
doctor and dentists appointments after school. I know this is difficult, but have your parents try their best. Broken bones, illnesses, and family
emergencies happen. When they do, make sure your work is turned in the first day you return to my class. This means if you miss one day, you
must have the assignment due the day you missed as well as the one due the day you return. Once again, the online videos will help in this matter. If
you are gone for an extended period of time, please look on my website for the assignments and when they are due, or better yet, email me! I will
give additional time to complete the work (usually the same number of days you miss). In all cases, you must have a note from the attendance office
excusing your absence. If you are more than 15 minutes late to any class, it is considered to be an absence.

Your two lowest assignment and quiz scores will be dropped every quarter. (Quizzes can be re-taken ONCE and need to be re-taken before the unit
exam)

Note: Absences due to school activities are not counted in this category.

Exams and labs that are missed due to an excused absence (hand written note from your parent/guardian with explaination) will need to be
completed within three school days of the original date.

Other Concerns: There are other behaviors that can affect your grade. If you are caught cheating, you will be given a 0 for not only the assignment,
quiz, or exam. There are other unacceptable behaviors that will result in poor participation grades. These include but are not limited to the
following: swearing, cell phone use during class, fighting, ignoring or not following laboratory safety procedures, listening to electronic devices,
sexual harassment, etc.
Note: These things usually do not occur in my class. Id like to keep it that way.

Grade Policy: A > 87.5 % A percentage below 54.5% will result in an F. In rare cases a
A- > 84.5 D grade or no grade will be given. These are highly unusual.
B+ > 79.9 Your grades are usually posted online weekly. It is your
B > 74.5 responsibility (and your parents too) to keep track of your progress.
B- > 69.9 There should never be a surprise at the end of the term. Please do
C+ > 64.5 not come in at the end of the term and expect me to alter your grade
C > 59.5 from anything other than what you have earned.
C- > 54.5

Your grade will consist of your homework (35%), lab (10%), quiz (20%), and exam (35%) scores averaged together.

Students will be exchanging homework assignments and grading each others work. I find that it is beneficial for students to be exposed to other
peoples work, see how things can be done in different ways, and see good examples of work and poor examples of work and everything in between.
All of this helps your student understand the process of chemistry problem solving better.

Miscellaneous:
- The replacement cost of your text book is $150.00. If they are damaged, lost, or stolen, you are responsible for the cost of the book.
- Calculators are a must. I would prefer that everyone have a TI graphing calculator. These range in price from $85 to over $150. They are not
required, but they will make your life easier- not only in my class but also in your math and future science classes. If you do not have a TI graphing
calculator, a good scientific calculator will suffice. Cell phones or ipod devices may not be used as a calculator.
- My email address is sbanks@ames-slc.org . This is far and away the best way for you or your parents to contact me.
- The best time to receive help is before school. I am here every day about 7:15am. I also am available during lunch and afterschool. I do like to eat
my lunch during lunch time, so please be considerate and allow some time for me to eat. Afterschool is also a good time to meet with me most days.
There are days that we have faculty or team meetings-so please check first.

Parent Signature:________________________________ Date:_______________

Student Signature:_______________________________ Date:_______________