POWER POINT: THERMOCHEMISTRY (1st 15 SLIDES)

Students:

Here are the first 15 Power Point slides from Mr. Hatfield's Thermochemistry Notes.   Use these to 'catch up' on completing the first two pages of the Study Guide on Thermochemistry.  Click HERE or on the image to download these slides.

WELCOME BACK! MOVING FORWARD . . .

Students:  Welcome back from Winter Break!   

Of course, it would have  been better if you had received this message on the first day of instruction.  I will be discussing the professional and personal circumstances that have kept me from being with you for the last two months, and reflecting on what would be the best way to support you for the rest of the year.  In the meantime, since we haven't connected until now, I hope you had an opportunity to "recharge your batteries", and reconnect with family and friends during the Break.

Now, coming back to school, we have yet another outbreak in our community to deal with as well, on top of the disruption to our class.  I know it hasn't been easy.

But, as the saying goes, the future is where we are going to spend the rest of our lives, and to know how to deal with the future, we will need to assess what students have learned in Chemistry in the last two months.

POWER POINT NOTES: ELECTRON CONFIGURATION 2021

Students, here is the Power Point for the Unit 2 Notes on electron configuration, orbitals, models of the atom, and rules for electrons:

Students should use this to complete the Study Guide for next Tuesday's test (10/26), and along the way make sure that everything in the Study Guide does, in fact, appear in their notes inside their Composition Book.

HOW TO 'C.O.P.E.' WITH MR. HATFIELD'S TESTS

 

On Tuesday,  September 28th, Mr. Hatfield's students began taking their first Unit Test in Chemistry.  

The first test can be thought of as a 'lesson' on what to do, and what not to do.  Until students see the test for themselves, and know what it is like, it's difficult to prepare for.  

So, many students will be disappointed and discouraged by their first exam, when it is returned in class TODAY.  But know this: if you learn from the experience, you will improve, and you will even get opportunities to improve your original grade.    

Students who earn a percentage score higher than that earned on the first test can not only expect to earn a higher grade, but they are eligible for grade change on their previous test.

To achieve that, students need to consider the following, using the anagram 'COPE'.

C....(ontent)

Students need to know what's on the test. 

O....(rganization)

Students need to plan their time. 

Students should consider forming Study Groups with fellow students, perhaps after school on the day before the exam. They earn points by attending, and get valuable feedback about what is likely to be covered.  Students need to consider using time on lunch or after-school on the day of their exam as needed to complete their test. Plan ahead, students!

P...(reparation)

Students need to provide evidence that they have prepared for the test. 

One way to do this is to attend Study Hall during lunch, before the next test. Another, powerful way is to make sure that they bring their COMPLETED NOTES  to class on the day of the exam, inside their Lab Composition Book. To aid Students in completing their Notes, Mr. Hatfield makes them available on-line through this blog and gives a Study Guide for Students to complete to demonstrate that they have the Notes, and know what to do with them.  Bring evidence that you have prepared for the test, students, and you will be rewarded!

E...(ffort)

Students need to finish what they start. 

There is nothing more important than giving our best effort, all of the time. On an exam day, a good effort means that students attempt everything, even if that means they need to come back at lunch or after school. Show a work ethic, students, and you will not only do better on the test....you will do better in every aspect of your life.

PARENTS, ENCOURAGE YOUR STUDENT TO USE THESE STRATEGIES TO EXCEL!

VIDEO: FIREWORKS!

Students who were in Mr. Hatfield's classes on Tuesday, Oct. 5th, watched a PBS video entitled 'Fireworks!'  Students who need to watch it again, or who were not present on Tuesday, will find the video embedded below in this post.

The worksheet for this video can be obtained HERE.

Students should pay careful attention to TWO topics:

1) IONIC COMPOUNDS, which are described in Section 6.1 (pg. 158-163)

2)  ELECTRON CONFIGURATION (Section 4.4, pg. 124-127) 

VIDEO: THE FLAME TEST

If students were absent on Monday, Oct. 4th, they did not get to see the actual lab where we performed a 'flame test' on various ionic compounds.   

Here is a video that shows much the same sort of observations students made on Monday.   Unfortunately, it is not practical to 'make up' this particular lab. Watch the video, students, and compare it with observations that students who attended were able to make in order to understand the material:

VIDEO: BRIGHT LINE SPECTRUM CALCULATIONS

In this VIDEO, Mr. Hatfield models calculations that allow students to determine the frequency and the energy of a particular light wave seen in spectroscopy, as discussed in Section 4.2 of our text, and as seen in the Bright Line Spectra Lab.

BUT JUST AS IMPORTANT, Mr. Hatfield AGAIN models the use of a notation for displaying very large or small numbers that mimics with the 'EE' key found on many scientific calculators.

This method was previously taught in class. It is a SUPERIOR method that saves time, reduces the likelihood of student error and has students writing out these numbers in a form that matches the way they enter those numbers into a calculator!

And, since students will continue to use that method for the rest of the course, it is important that students master the use of that method for future success.