When you log in to the Classroom website, you will see a tab for each of the 16 chemistry units with the pacing guide (weeks) for completion. Behind each tab, you will find a list of assignments and study aids including textbook readings, chapter summaries, and videos. You will be able to easily navigate through the chemistry units as you work on your assignments. We will complete units AP01 through AP11 by the end of Semester 1 and units AP12 through AP16 by the end of Semester 2. The final exam grade is based on the completion of AP17 (MC review), AP18 (FRQ review), and AP19 (College Board AP Chemistry Exam). I have put together a comprehensive set of "Study Aids" (AP20) packed with exam advice and also flashcards to highlight and help you remember important parts of the AP Chemistry curriculum.
When you set up your study planner, you should schedule two hours a day for chemistry (not including labs). I will provide a weekly schedule based on the pacing guide above to help you with your scheduling. However, I recognize that students sometimes need to shift assignments due to illness, family emergencies, competitions, college visits, and extracurricular activities.
Therefore, I'm giving you some flexibility to progress through the assignments at your own pace, but it will be your responsibility to adjust your study planner so that you catch up and stay on track. You will need to be self-disciplined, well-organized, and able to manage your time efficiently. Think of your Student Study Planner as your best friend!
One of the strengths of my course is that all the assignments are designed to be formative so that students can learn chemistry without the penalties associated with summative assessments. All assignment questions have multiple submissions (tries) giving students several attempts to “noodle out” the solution and understand the reason behind the question before submitting their final answer. Many of the questions have explanations that are presented after the first submission. This approach allows students to learn by doing. The letter grade for each semester’s work is based on the completion of the formative assignments. By the end of the year, students take every AP® Chemistry exam ever released by the College Board. There is no busy work in my class!
You will do all your assignments using Cengage's WebAssign®, an online interactive homework and testing program. Used by over 2600 educational institutions, WebAssign® is considered to be the most sophisticated instructional system in the world. WebAssign is a great learning tool. As you answer the WebAssign questions, you will get immediate feedback on whether or not your answer is correct. Many questions have video explanations, hints, and solutions to further ensure that you understand every topic before you go on to the next one. My assignments are designed to allow you to practice as you are learning.
You and your fellow classmates will ALWAYS be able to get personalized help using my Discussion Board, a virtual classroom, which is available 24/7. With its multi-media capabilities, my forum makes it possible to have in-depth discussions on chemistry topics through the use of videos, diagrams, and links to other helpful resources. My virtual classroom acts as an instructional meeting place where students can stop in and chat about chemistry at any time. My TAs (all of whom received a “5” on the AP exam) and I monitor the discussion board five days a week to make sure that students get prompt, personalized help.
AND IT'S FUN TOO! Chemistry is a tough course, so I make sure my students know that they can have some fun on the forum. One of my TAs this year had this to say about my forum.
“The fact that our class did not have weekly live sessions was not at all a DisAdvantage: the legendary Discussion Board made up for everything. I say "legendary" because Mr. Moskaluk's students consistently rank it as the best part of the course, which is true! It provides a focused forum not only for asking questions but for answering the queries of classmates. I was surprised at how much I grew from simply answering questions! And wait till you see how Mr. Moskaluk plies himself on the forum... I greatly enjoyed simply scrolling through past questions and answers or through discussions started by other students so I could read through his highly detailed and helpful posts. I definitely felt his love of teaching come through in his responses.”
You will watch short, highly focused, and well-delivered video lectures and demonstrations that provide clear explanations of important chemistry topics. My students say that the instructional videos I have created and curated are one of the highlights of my AP® Chemistry class. The over 150 videos on my classroom (teacher) website provide full explanations for every topic in AP® Chemistry. Not only are they informative, but I also work hard to keep my students engaged by using humor and at times dazzling special effects. I have posted a few of my chemistry videos on my public website. I hope you will enjoy viewing them.
For each chapter in the textbook, I write a detailed summary with explanations and sample problems. My chapter summaries will guide your reading of the text by focusing on the important topics while skipping sections that are not part of the AP® curriculum. My chapter summaries also include topics that are on the AP® Chemistry Exam, but not covered in college textbooks. By the end of the year, you will have a binder that is a complete and perfect guide for your AP® Chemistry Exam review. Former students have used my chapter summaries to study for their MCATs!
The AP® Chemistry exam has very strict protocols and learning how to take the test is as important as knowing the material. I have carefully designed practice exams for every topic in AP® Chemistry. My multiple-choice (MC) and free-response (FRQ) practice tests look just like the real AP® Chemistry exam, so you will have many opportunities to work on the questions and get used to their unique format. After every test, there is a follow-up to fill in any gaps in your knowledge and sharpen your test-taking skills. In addition to the practice exams that I have written, you will take every AP® Chemistry exam that has been released by the College Board. And, you will have my comprehensive set of "Study Aids" which include AP Chemistry test-taking advice and flashcards to give you instant recall of key concepts. There are flashcards for every AP Chemistry unit.
Each student has a confidential online grade book in WebAssign that is updated daily. Students and parents will be able to access the online grade book at any time. The grade book shows the student’s progress during the course based on what they have completed. Upon request, I will also provide a detailed grade report. (Click on "Course Documents" below to see a sample grade report and Grading Scale.)
My dedicated teaching assistants (TAs) play an integral role in the course. As former students who earned an A+ in the course and a "5" on the AP® exam, they have demonstrated mastery of the AP® Chemistry content. In addition to providing academic support, my TAs provide insights about the AP® Chemistry Exam that only a former student can provide. They are a caring, supportive and enthusiastic team committed to helping students do well in the course and on the AP® exam.
Wherever you are, we are. I have taught AP® Chemistry to students from nearly every state in the US as well as other countries including Argentina, Canada, England, France, Italy, Germany, Brazil, the Bahamas, Malaysia, Ecuador, South Korea, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, China, Indonesia, Mexico, Lebanon, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, Albania, India, Hong Kong, Egypt, Qatar, Colombia, Turkey, Bolivia, Portugal, Philippines, Kyrgyzstan, the UAE, Romania, Kuwait, the Republic of Georgia, Uruguay, South Africa, Thailand, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Venezuela, and the list keeps growing.