Chemistry 211
EVALUATION

Grades:

All grades will be determine on an absolute scale, so there is no disadvantage to any student for helping another. In fact, often students develop a much better understanding of the concepts and material in the course by dealing with the different problems and viewpoints of other students.

Grade Distribution:

Your grade will be given as a letter grade. The contribution of each aspect of course activities to your final grade is listed below.

Group Work
Quizzes (12) [Sept. 3, 10, 17, 24, Oct. 8, 15, 22, 29, Nov. 12,  19, Dec. 3, 10] 
Mid-term Exams (2) [Oct. 1 & Nov. 5] 
Laboratory (See the Lab Manual for an explanation)
Final Exam
TOTAL		   15 %
  10 %
  30 %
  25 %
  20 %
100 %
Group Work

At the end of each class each group places three reports in the group folder:
1.    Activity Report including the group responses to activity questions (See Recorder)
2.    Response Report with the group’s general comments and questions (See Recorder).
3.    Reflector’s Report assessing the group’s work for the day. (See Reflector)

Group Work Grade: Evaluation of your contribution to group work will be based upon:

Group Work Grades will be given out upon each change in the compositions of the groups.  It should be noted that an absent student cannot earn a contribution to a group grade on the day of an absence.

 

Quizzes

There will be 5 minute individual in-class quizzes  each week.  The quizzes are designed to provide some encouragement for everyone to get involved in the group activities and stay up with the development of new material throughout the semester.  They also serve to give me feedback on what each student understands.  

Mid-term Exams

The two major exams during the semester will be in-class closed-book exams on Friday, October 1 and Friday, November 5.  The exams will consist of some specific "simpler" questions, and 2 or 3 "more complex" questions, which will require you to apply of concepts developed in class to new situations.  However, one week prior to each exam (Friday, September 24 and Friday, October 29) a list of "simpler" questions, and 4 or 5 specific "more complex" questions will be distributed.  The "simpler" questions will be representative of the type of "simpler" questions that are likely to be on the exam.  However, the "more complex" questions on the exam will be taken verbatim from the list distributed.  You will then have one week to work alone, with your group members, or anyone else in the class to devise answers to the questions.  The exams will be written in class on Friday, October 1 and Friday, November 5.  A periodic table of the elements will be provided and you may bring molecular models, a calculator and writing implements to the exam, but NO notes, books or handouts may be used and there will be NO consultation or collaboration among students during the exam.  Thus, you can work together in devising answers, but the final copy of your exam should express your own understanding of the material.

Final Exam:

The final exam will be given during the 3 hour final exam period assigned by the registrar. The list of questions for the final exam will be distributed approximately one week before the assigned examination period. Rules for preparing for and writing the final exam are the same as for the mid-term exams.