Course Description: Chemistry

 

Theresa Amabile, Harvard University professor, states that creativity arises through the confluence of knowledge, creative thinking skills and motivation. This course will provide a level of chemistry knowledge to help you with science-based creative thinking skills so that you will develop your ability to think clearly, logically and express your ideas many different ways. Intrinsic motivation is up to you, the student! The more motivated a you are to learn independently and think creatively the more likely they are to obtain a higher level of gratification and a deeper understanding of the world in which you live. After all… “Creativity is just intelligence having fun!” -- Albert Einstein

 

The course will be centered on six big ideas: Big Idea 1: The chemical elements are fundamental building blocks of matter, and all matter can be understood in terms of arrangements of atoms. These atoms retain their identity in chemical reactions. Big Idea 2: Chemical and physical properties of materials can be explained by the structure and the arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules and the forces between them. Big Idea 3: Changes in matter involve the rearrangement and/or reorganization of atoms and/or the transfer of electrons. Big Idea 4: Rates of chemical reactions are determined by details of the molecular collisions. Big Idea 5: The laws of thermodynamics describe the essential role of energy and explain and predict the direction of changes in matter. Big Idea 6: Any bond or intermolecular attraction that can be formed can be broken.

 

*This class fulfills a lab science requirement.

 

*Prerequisites: Biology, Algebra II (or teacher permission)