Chemistry

AP Summer Institute – Chemistry Course Description

University of Louisville

July 20 – July 24, 2015

The AP Summer Institute in chemistry will focus on techniques for introducing and reinforcing the “Big Ideas” of the AP chemistry curriculum framework, emphasizing connections between atomic/particulate level descriptions of model systems and macroscopic properties and chemical reactions.   The updated AP chemistry curriculum framework will be examined, with emphasis on content that has been introduced and updated (photoelectron spectroscopy, hybridization, molecular orbital formalism).  Content that has been reduced in scope or eliminated will be noted.

 

Electrons and electron transfer will be the broad focus of this year’s institute.  Significant time will be devoted to important topics that go beyond the standard treatment in the introductory chemistry curriculum – the role (and meaning) of charge, atomic structure and periodicity, chemical bonding, intermolecular forces and their manifestation,, and electrochemistry.

 

Appropriate for new and experienced teachers, extensive laboratory work that focuses on the expectation of student inquiry will be performed.  Connections among the Big Ideas, and the importance of building models to describe chemical phenomena will be explored.  Additional, participants who are new to the AP chemistry course will be guided in syllabus development and will begin the process of preparing the course audit, as required by the college board.

Topics will include the following:

  • An introduction to the redesigned AP Chemistry Syllabus
  • Prior knowledge and Pre-AP Chemistry
  • Resources for AP Chemistry
  • Electrons, charge, and fundamental electrostatics
  • Quantum (well, almost) models of the atom – periodicity and atomic structure
  • Forces between atoms – bonding and intermolecular forces
  • Oxidation/Reduction reactions and electron transfer
  • Thermodynamics and Electrochemistry, work in chemical reactions

What participants should bring:

  • AP Chemistry Textbook
  • Scientific calculator and lab safety glasses.  Participants should be prepared with laboratory appropriate clothing (i.e. closed toe shoes).
  • Notes and laboratory exercises are provided for participants

 

In addition, participants will find it convenient to bring a laptop computer or iPad equipped with a spreadsheet utility and capable of accessing on-line resources.

Consultant

After teaching AP Chemistry, Physics, and Calculus at independent schools in North Carolina, California, and Kentucky, Lew Acampora is currently the living in Louisville and acts as the statewide (KY) Science Content Director for the National Math and Science Initiative.  Mr. Acampora has been involved in the AP Chemistry reading for 18 years, first as a reader, table leader, and most recently as a question leader.  He has written questions for the AP Chemistry test, and has served on the PRAXIS test development committee.  Mr. Acampora graduated with a B.A. in chemistry from Harvard University, and has done graduate work in chemistry at Brandeis University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

MONDAY MORNING


Introduction to AP Chemistry

  • AP Chemistry Syllabus and Redesign
    • Why the redesign
    • What’s new?  What’s out? Breadth and depth
  • Laboratory expectations and resources
    • The AP Chemistry Lab Manual
    • Guided Inquiry – selecting appropriate laboratory exercises
  • The AP Audit
    • Expectations
    • Resources
    • Timeline

 

Prior Knowledge and Fundamental Concepts

  • Pre-AP Expectations
  • AP Chemistry in the science sequence

 

LAB – Coulomb’s Law and the meaning of “Charge”

 

 

MONDAY AFTERNOON

 

The AP Chemistry Exam

  • Format
  • Resources for teachers, for students
  • Retired exams, practice exam

 

Lab Resources and Inquiry

  • Selecting a laboratory program
  • Equipping the AP Chemistry lab

LAB – Voltage, Charge, Energy, Frequency.  Determination of Planck’s Constant

 

Practice Exam Deconstruction

Multiple Choice Questions (in groups)

 

 

TUESDAY MORNING

 

On-Line Resources for AP Chemistry – Teachers

  • CollegeBoard.com
  • AP Chemistry Community Pages

Atomic Structure

  • Bound States/Orbitals
    • The Bohr Model – Emission Spectra of Hydrogen
    • Breakdown of the Bohr model
  • Electron Configurations for Polyelectronic Particles
  • PhotoElectronSpectroscopy
    • Principles
    • Predicting and Interpreting PES data
  • Computational Chemistry – Visualizing Orbitals and Electron Density

LAB – RedOx Titration (AP Chem Lab Manual No. 08 and alternative)

 

TUESDAY AFTERNOON

 

Periodicity and the Periodic Table

  • Why Periodicity?
  • Periodic Properties and Coulomb’s Law

 

LAB – Spectrophotometry and Concentration (AP Chem Lab Manual No. 01)

LAB – Determination of %Cu in an Alloy (AP Chem Lab Manual No. 02 and alternative)

Practice Exam Review/Scoring

Free Response Questions (in groups)

WEDNESDAY MORNING

 

On-Line Resources for AP Chemistry – Students

  • OCW@MIT
  • EdX, etc...

Chemical Bonding and Intermolecular Forces

  • Ionic Bonding, Covalent Bonding, and Model Particles
    • Covalent Bonding and Molecular Orbitals
    • Structure of Matter
  • Particulate Level Models of Substances
    • Qualitative and Quantitative
    • Odyssey Simulations
  • Intermolecular Forces and Properties of Substances
    • Melting/Boiling Points
    • Solubility
    • Conductivity

 

LABBonding and Properties of Substances (AP Chem Lab Manual No. 08 and alternative)

 

Exam Deconstruction

2015 AP Chemistry Exam Q1, Q2, Q4

 

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

 

More Properties of Substances

  • Mass, Volume, Density
  • Boiling Point
  • Phase Equilibria and Heating/Cooling Curves

 

LAB – Distillation Separation of a Homogeneous Mixture

 

Exam Deconstruction

2015 AP Chemistry Exam Q3, Q5, Q6, Q7

 

THURSDAY MORNING

More Properties of Substances

  • Solutions and Solubility
    • DHsol’n, DSsol’n
  • Structure and Partition Coefficients

 

LAB – Chromatographic Separation of a Mixture (AP Chem Lab Manual No. 05 and alternative)

 

Exam Deconstruction

2015 AP Chemistry Exam Q3, Q5, Q6, Q7

 

THURSDAY AFTERNOON

Electrochemistry and Thermodynamics

  • Work and Spontaneity
  • RedOx and Electrochemistry – the Table of Standard Reduction Potentials
  • Stoichiometry and Thermodynamics of Electrochemical Cells
    • Galvanic and Electrolytic Cells

 

LAB1 – An Electrochemical Series

Demo – Daniell Cell

LAB2 – An Aluminum-Oxygen Cell

 

Course Syllabus/Audit Development

 

FRIDAY MORNING

Electrochemistry at Non-Standard Conditions

  • Non-Spontaneous Reactions
  • E vs Eo, LeChatelier and the Gibbs-Helmholtz relation

 

LAB – Electrolysis, Quantitative and Qualitative

 

Putting things together for AP

  • Building on the ideas and techniques presented throughout the week, we will conclude with reviewing the scope and depth of the AP curriculum.  Participants will generate a syllabus appropriate to their course.