Course description - This course is designed to introduce the student to the chemistry of organic compounds and survey various classes of biomolecules with regard to their structure and biological activity.  The laboroatory component of this course is designed to reinforce topics discussed in the lecture as well as examine some basic techniques of the two disciplines.

Faculty                             Responsibilities                   Office
Dr. Chriss McDonald*      lectures, lab, recitations         HBC 233

*321-4186 (work), 433-4493 (home, call up to 10 PM [no kidding]), or e-mail (mcdonald@lycoming.edu)

Texts etc.
a. Fundamentals of General, Organic and Biochemistry, Fifth Edition by John Holum^#
b. Chemistry 115 Lab Manual, by McDonald^#
c. Bound laboratory notebook by Freeman^#
d. Lab safety glasses^#
e. Calculator (add, subtract, multiply, divide, logs)
f. Lab deposit, $5 at lab check-in, (refundable upon checkout). There is also a $3 nonrefundable copying fee for lab.

^#available at the bookstore

Course format
Lectures - MWF, 11:30 – 12:20, HBC G11, Attendance required.

Recitations - Tuesday, 7:45 - 8:35 am and 1:00 - 1:50 PM, HBC G09. The primary method for evaluating chemistry students in testing situations is to have them work problems. In recitation we will practice the same sort of problems you will see in testing situations. Attendance expected. I will not take attendance but I might use some of the examples discussed in recitation as exam and quiz questions. I have found, that on the average, students who attend recitation in my courses get an average of one full letter grade higher than those who don’t attend.

Assigned homework - Problems designed to enhance your understanding and prepare you for testing situations. A key will be posted in the secretary’s office and outside the lab. Homework will not be collected. A large chunk of recitation will be devoted to working these problems.

Laboratory - T: 8:45-11:35 am, Tuesday, U: 2:00-4:50pm Tuesday, HBC 220, 239.  Attendance required.  Makeups for missed lbas are usually not possible.  Here you will experience what chemists actually do. Your labwork will be evaluated as described in the lab syllabus as well as on the lecture exams.  Approximeately 5% of each exam will be drawn from the labwork.  A lab syllabus will be distributed at the first lab session. Make sure and show up with your $10 lab deposit (cash only) that first week.
 
Grading scheme

a. The final grade is based on the number of points obtained out of a possible 600 points. The points will be distributed as follows:
            intro/biography                    5 points (01%)
            quizzes                              80 points (12%)
            hour exams                      300 points (46%)
            final exam (cumulative)     100 points (15%)
            laboratory                        165 points (26%)
            total                                650 points (100%)

b. Assignment of letter grades is based on the following scale: 540 - 600 A, 480 - 539 B, 420 - 479 C, 360 - 419 D, < 360 F.

c. A word about learning chemistry. Studying chemistry is hard work for most people (this is certainly true for me). I would recommend that you work on the lecture material one hour per day outside of class for starters. Once you see how things are going this amount can be adjusted as needed (I suggest a significant increase in study time prior to an exam). If you are having trouble make sure and come and see me. I’m easy to talk to and will do whatever I can to help you. A chem 115 study coordinator is also available (Melissa Seidel) You will be responsible for all of the material listed on the following schedule for the indicated exams and quizzes. It is not sufficient to learn the material from the lecture alone. You are expected to read and think about the material prior to the lecture. We must necessarily cover a large amount of material so our pace must be geared towards those who are ready to learn. The hour exams will be somewhat cumulative in the sense that we need to know the earlier material to comprehend the latter. For an idea of what my exams are like in Chem 115 see Appendix C in the Lab Manual.
 

Policy on attendance
Attendance at quizzes and exams is mandatory. Makeups will be administered only if I deem the reason for absence to be legitimate and I am made aware of the absence beforehand. Each documented, unexcused lecture absence beyond the first two will cost you one point from your total.