AP Chemistry follows the provided by the . This course is designed to prepare students for the AP exam administered in May. It is equivalent to a first-year college chemistry course. The math-intensive course material is covered at a fast pace. A "summer" reading and work assignment is required so students are fully prepared to start the semester. Chemistry I with a B or better is a pre-requisite. This is a class for highly motivated students and is one of the more challenging classes you can take in high school.

 

Concepts and skills covered in Chemistry I will not be taught again in AP Chemistry. A comprehensive is available for review of these topics. Tutoring is available almost every day both before and after school.

 

Since this is a college-level class, college-level behavior, participation, and effort are expected. Students should be prepared to spend about 5 hours a week reading the textbook and doing homework for this class. After school tutoring will be available for students needing extra review on any topic. There are also links to extra resource pages on your syllabus.

 

Extensive laboratory experiences include college-level labs that have been adapted for the block schedule. There is a $20 lab fee which offsets the purchase of laboratory materials and supplies. A graphing calculator is also recommended, but not required. A scientific calculator with log and exponentiation functions is required.

 

Zumdahl Chemistry, 5th edition is the textbook and includes an interactive CD for each student.

 

The AP exam is scheduled for May ?, 2006. Since the class material is presented during the first semester, there will be time for after-school study and practice sessions during the second semester. AP exam questions from previous years are available for practice testing. These spring sessions are optional but highly recommended for anyone planning on taking the exam. With adequate practice, exam scores of 3 or higher are likely.