Monday, February 23, 2009
Mon-Day 2
AP Chem- Starting tomorrow and running up to our AP exam review, I will be assigning one official, released AP question per night (and a few per weekend). Each question has a self-imposed 15 minute time limit because it is important for you to diagnose what topics/skills you do not remember quickly and relatively easily. I will post the answer on the subsequent night so be sure to check your work. When similar questions show up on quizzes and tests (AND on the AP exam!), your daily time put in to doing and checking these questions will pay off.
We have about 10 weeks to finish the course AND repeatedly take as many AP exams as possible so that we are prepared for a 5 on the 2009 AP Chem exam.
When you receive your solid-gas equilibrium exams, make sure that you seek extra help for ANY errors that you made because you will be making these same errors AND MORE in the next 3 exams. You cannot cram for equilibrium; you cannot just "read about" equilibrium. You must do MANY problems forward, reverse, and sideways; that experience is the only thing that will make these problems feasible for you; it is strongly advised that you solve the problems exactly as you see them in our notes and hw. Already those who are not following "our" method are making the typical common errors that "our" method avoids.
Of course, the same goes for Descriptive Chem. There are still those who have not yet committed to learning the 5 reaction types covered so far (and there are at least 3 more to come!). I will be hosting a TWO HOUR review of just that topic after school; the date will be determined by class majority availability. I intend to do TEN problems in a row of each type (the exact study technique that you all should have employed). You will then, completely on your own, do an eleventh problem of the same type and you will see magically how quickly and accurately you can spot and do these problems.
Competition News: Jericho HS is inviting six of our top AP Chem students to take the "Chemistry Olympiad" exam. The exam is a good test experience and even a prep for the AP exam so, if you are interested in taking the exam, let me know tomorrow (Tuesday).
Today, we began our Acids/Bases/Equilibrium unit by defining acids and focusing on Bronsted Acid-Base conjugate pairs. The stronger a given acid, the weaker its conjugate base and vice-versa.
Bio 6- we began our unit on Regulation via the nervous system. We compared and contrasted regulation via the nervous sytem versus via the endocrine system.
We discussed the structure of the neuron/nerve cell and showed how an electrochemical impulse is transmitted from one neuron to another.* I have one correction to make regarding that tomorrow, though. Apparently, one or more of my neurons was not firing on our first day back!
Bio 7- we began our unit on Regulation via the nervous system. We compared and contrasted regulation via the nervous sytem versus via the endocrine system.
We discussed the structure of the neuron/nerve cell and showed how an electrochemical impulse is transmitted from one neuron to another.* I have one correction to make regarding that tomorrow, though. Apparently, one or more of my neurons was not firing on our first day back!
We further developed the "Making Connections" lab, which we will wrap up next time.
We have about 10 weeks to finish the course AND repeatedly take as many AP exams as possible so that we are prepared for a 5 on the 2009 AP Chem exam.
When you receive your solid-gas equilibrium exams, make sure that you seek extra help for ANY errors that you made because you will be making these same errors AND MORE in the next 3 exams. You cannot cram for equilibrium; you cannot just "read about" equilibrium. You must do MANY problems forward, reverse, and sideways; that experience is the only thing that will make these problems feasible for you; it is strongly advised that you solve the problems exactly as you see them in our notes and hw. Already those who are not following "our" method are making the typical common errors that "our" method avoids.
Of course, the same goes for Descriptive Chem. There are still those who have not yet committed to learning the 5 reaction types covered so far (and there are at least 3 more to come!). I will be hosting a TWO HOUR review of just that topic after school; the date will be determined by class majority availability. I intend to do TEN problems in a row of each type (the exact study technique that you all should have employed). You will then, completely on your own, do an eleventh problem of the same type and you will see magically how quickly and accurately you can spot and do these problems.
Competition News: Jericho HS is inviting six of our top AP Chem students to take the "Chemistry Olympiad" exam. The exam is a good test experience and even a prep for the AP exam so, if you are interested in taking the exam, let me know tomorrow (Tuesday).
Today, we began our Acids/Bases/Equilibrium unit by defining acids and focusing on Bronsted Acid-Base conjugate pairs. The stronger a given acid, the weaker its conjugate base and vice-versa.
Bio 6- we began our unit on Regulation via the nervous system. We compared and contrasted regulation via the nervous sytem versus via the endocrine system.
We discussed the structure of the neuron/nerve cell and showed how an electrochemical impulse is transmitted from one neuron to another.* I have one correction to make regarding that tomorrow, though. Apparently, one or more of my neurons was not firing on our first day back!
Bio 7- we began our unit on Regulation via the nervous system. We compared and contrasted regulation via the nervous sytem versus via the endocrine system.
We discussed the structure of the neuron/nerve cell and showed how an electrochemical impulse is transmitted from one neuron to another.* I have one correction to make regarding that tomorrow, though. Apparently, one or more of my neurons was not firing on our first day back!
We further developed the "Making Connections" lab, which we will wrap up next time.
# posted by C @ 12:03 PM 
