LET'S FINISH THIS STRESSFUL UNIT

This week we will be finishing up the most difficult unit in Chemistry 30, and then its onto the best unit of all time... Organic Chemistry! Last week, some of the chem 30s struggled with the moodle quiz (topic 1-5), however students are able to rewrite that quiz during Flex, Spare or Lunch this week to improve their mark. It is important that students completely understand the concepts in this unit, as it is worth 33% of their mark (and therefore 30-35% of the diploma will touch on this topic). 

This week in chem 30, we will be performing our final Chemistry 30 full laboratory (finally an end to the long lab report season!) The students will be performing an acid base titration, an important although repetitive topic in chemistry. Students will also have 2 work periods during this week, in order for them to complete their studying, as well as any labs they have due. I would like to encourage students to not get behind on their labs, as this is a hectic time, and with 3 labs in the past 3 weeks, students will get very behind if they leave their work to the last minute. I feel I have been more than accommodating to the students with their due dates, and the extension requests have begun to get quite frustrating, I must say. The equilibrium project that the chem 30s have due this Monday, was assigned Friday, November 31. The students had 2 class periods to work on this project, that was originally due Monday, November 17. The due date has been moved twice since then, and the project is officially due November 24. The fact that I am getting requests for extensions astonishes me, as students have had multiple work periods and 10 Flex periods between the time of assignment and the due date... I understand students are busy and have other classes, but we provide 400 minutes of free work time during these Flex periods, and I have truly started to question what the chem 30s have been doing during these flex times, because they have definitely not increased the number of students handing things in on time... I will simply remind the chemistry 30s that although this unit is quite stressful, next unit has zero lab reports and only one project. This is meant to alleviate the stress of chemistry during a time that most other classes are increasing the pressure to get things done. (Just think if this was the final unit and these labs were right around Christmas... just saying). 

Please remember the Chestermere High School Showcase of Learning will be occurring Wednesday, November 26 from 5pm-8pm. This semester, the science department will be displaying many projects from different areas of learning, including Chem 20 Molecule Projects and Ideal Gas Labs, Chem 30 Equilibrium and Redox Projects, Bio 30 Gene to Protein Projects, Science 24 Mouse-Trap Cars and Physics 20 Force Labs. These displays will demonstrate the outstanding Project Based Learning going on in the Science Department. We will also have Chem 30s on hand to teach visitors how to perform a titration lab, which is a common technique in any chemistry class! Please stop by Room 1028 (Ms. Mogck's Classroom) during your visit to learn some exciting new science techniques! 

This week in Chem 30: 
Monday: Acid Base Titrations (theory)
Tuesday: Acid Base Titration Lab
Wednesday: Work Period
Thursday: Work Period / Unit Review
Friday: Acid Base Equilibrium Exam


Upcoming Due Dates: 
Monday November 24: Acid Base Equilibrium Project Due
Wednesday November 26: CHS Exhibition of Learning
Friday November 28: Acid Base Equilibrium Exam
Tuesday December 2: Buffer Lab Due
Thursday December 4: Titration Lab Due (NO LATES)
Monday December 8: Acid Base Equilbrium Exam Rewrite 
(on own time, only available for students who did not hand in their labs late)

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