Chemistry Curriculum

Breaking down our Chemistry Curriculum

Chemistry is often called “the central science,” because it bridges physics with other natural sciences, such as geology and biology and applied sciences such as medicine and engineering. It is the science of matter and its transformations. Matter includes solids, liquids, and gases, as well as the atoms and molecules of which these substances are composed. Chemistry encompasses several big ideas among which chemists move to come up with explanations of how matter behaves.

The following table outlines the big ideas in chemistry that should be addressed in any curriculum. Within each of these big ideas, important additional topics are suggested. Those topics are represented by thirteen units, six of which are included in the course Chemistry I and the remaining seven are included in the course Chemistry II.

Chemistry I

Learning Objectives:

The student will understand the importance of the Periodic Table of Elements, how it came to be, and its role in organizing chemical information.
The student will understand the interdisciplinary nature of chemistry and will integrate knowledge of mathematics, physics and other disciplines to a wide variety of chemical problems.
The student will demonstrate knowledge of properties, forms, changes and interactions of physical and chemical systems.
The student will learn about alkanes, alkenes, fuels and combustion.

Units included in this course:

Unit 1: Matter & Measurements
Unit 2: Atoms & Atomic Theory
Unit 3: Periodicity & Electron Configuration
Unit 4: Chemical Bonding & Nomenclature
Unit 5: Chemical Reactions & Stoichiometry
Unit 6: Gases

Chemistry II

Learning Objectives:

The student will understand the importance of the Periodic Table of Elements, how it came to be, and its role in organizing chemical information.
The student will understand the interdisciplinary nature of chemistry and will integrate knowledge of mathematics, physics and other disciplines to a wide variety of chemical problems.
The student will demonstrate knowledge of properties, forms, changes and interactions of physical and chemical systems.
The student will learn about alkanes, alkenes, fuels and combustion.

Units included in this course:

Unit 1: Acids & Bases
Unit 2: Aqueous Solution
Unit 3: Thermochemistry
Unit 4: Reaction Kinetics & Chemical Equilibrium
Unit 5: Electrochemistry
Unit 6: Nuclear Chemistry
Unit 7: Organic Chemistry

Updated on: 06/12/2021