Chemistry A
Why This Class
As you know, chemicals are all around us—including in the foods we eat, the medicines we take, and the household products we use every day. You want your student to understand how these substances interact to create their day-to-day experiences, and also know when to use caution. This course helps by guiding your student into the fascinating world of chemistry.
Mentors in this course begin by introducing students to chemistry’s most important tool: the periodic table of elements. From there, students explore concepts including matter, energy, atoms, and electrons and learn to recognize the trends found throughout the periodic table. With the guidance of a mentor, students use scientific notation and the law of conservation of matter to balance chemical equations, identify reaction types, and notice limiting reactants.
By completing this course, students gain a new awareness of the critical role played by chemical elements and their reactions in everyday life. They are more conscious of how and why the world works—and more excited than ever to keep exploring.
Overarching Questions
How do chemists measure and describe matter and its properties?
How can I represent the structure of an atom and its electrons?
What information does the periodic table contain?
What are moles? Ions? Bonds?
How do I write a balanced chemical equation?
Reading List
The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean
This course requires additional supplies. Please see the book list in SIS for details.
Course Details
Recommended Grade: 11th (Junior)
Prerequisites: Required – Algebra 1A and 1B
Estimated Weekly Hours: 5-7
Format: Live, self-paced
Credits: 0.5