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The Course Syllabus
Chemistry 251/253L and 252/254L
Combined Lecture/Laboratory Course in Organic Chemistry
(3+1 credits)
Instructors: Timm Knoerzer, Ph.D.
Laurie Freeman, M.S.
Office: S325
.Phone Number: 389-2588
Email: tknoerz7@naz.edu
Meeting Times/Location:
Tuesday and Thursday in
Smyth 327 (class)
from 8:00 - 9:15 am
and either
Monday from 1:30-4:30 pm, Tuesday
from 1:10 - 4:10 pm, or Thursday from 1:10-4:10 pm
in Smyth 321 (lab)
Office Hours:
TK: Typically by appointment, but the best times are on W and F.
I am not available between 12 and
1:45 pm on MWF.
LF:
Course Objectives:
Organic chemistry is taught in a two-semester sequence in CHM
251/253L and CHM 252/254L.
(A) The first semester course is designed to introduce some
of the basic concepts in organic chemistry to students planning science-related
careers in which some knowledge of organic chemistry is important. In addition,
students should gain an appreciation for the important role that organic
chemistry plays in life processes. We will cover chapters 1-8, 15 as well as
sections of chapters 12, 13, 16, 18 and 19 of the Jones text. In general, each
student, upon completion of the first semester of this course, should be able
to:
- recognize organic molecules and the various functional groups associated
with them
- understand how to name organic molecules using systematic and common organic nomenclature
- envision and evaluate the three-dimensional structure of organic
molecules
- describe and discuss the (basic) logistics of an organic reaction mechanism
- know the general categories of organic reactions
- develop a basic understanding of the theory underlying the various
spectroscopic methods
- interpret spectral data
- establish conceptual connections between topics of general chemistry with
organic chemistry (especially with regard to acid-base chemistry, kinetics,
thermodynamics, and structures)
- predict properties and/or reactivity of molecules based upon a given set
of information
- apply some basic knowledge of organic chemistry to molecules of biological
interest (e.g. amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, drugs,
etc.)
- learn the basic organic laboratory techniques
- design a laboratory research project that utilizes the techniques used by
organic chemists
(B) The second semester course is designed to build upon the
basic concepts in organic chemistry that you learned in the first semester. In
particular, we will expand our understanding of reaction mechanisms and begin to
learn specific reactions in order to tackle multistep syntheses. It is
absolutely imperative that you be constantly prepared to apply knowledge and to
employ critical thinking skills. Rote memorization is less important than
understanding the underlying chemical rationale in organic chemistry. Be on the
lookout for the application of most of the basic concepts that you learned last
semester. They will come up often and you need to know them (e.g. acid-base
concepts and stereochemistry). Upon completion of the second semester of this
course, each student, should be able to:
- develop a working "tool box" of organic reactions
- complete reaction schemes by predicting the reactants, products, or reagents
required to perform that particular transformation
- assemble a synthetic sequence that takes you from a given starting
material to a particular target molecule
- provide the rationale (using the curved arrow formalism and structures)
for the mechanism of a given reaction
- solve critical thinking problems by applying basic concepts in organic
chemistry (e.g. nomenclature, stereochemistry, spectroscopy, etc.)
- use acquired information to more clearly understand how biological systems
function at the molecular level
- propose and conduct an independent multistep synthesis research project involving organic
chemistry
Course Materials:
 | Organic Chemistry, Third Edition by Maitland Jones |
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| Study Guide and Solutions Manual to Accompany Organic Chemistry,
Third Edition
by Maitland Jones |
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| Molecular Visions Molecular Model Kit |
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| Laboratory notebook (hard bound and available in the bookstore) |
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| Safety Glasses (available in the bookstore) |
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| Organic Chemistry: A Guided Inquiry by Andrei Straumanis |
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| Student Lab Companion: Laboratory Techniques for Organic Chemistry, 2nd
edition by John W. Lehman |
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| SAM resource manual (available through TAK) |
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Grading:
| follow-up laboratory assignments (5) |
(100 points each) |
500 |
| laboratory notebook check (2) |
|
200 |
| laboratory report |
|
100 |
| poster |
|
100 |
| Laboratory Total |
|
900 points |
| homework notebook (collected 1x) |
|
100 |
| homework assignments (4) |
(100 points each) |
400 |
| exams (2) |
(150 points each) |
300 |
| final exam |
|
200 |
| Lecture Total |
|
1000 points |
Grading scale:
| 87.0% - 100.0% |
A |
| 75.0% - 86.9% |
B |
| 63.0% - 74.9% |
C |
| 55.0% - 62.9% |
D |
| less than 55.0% |
F |
Notes:
- LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
- Make-up exams will NOT be given, except under a very limited set of extraordinary
circumstances and only with explicit approval of the instructor.
- + and - grades are assigned at the discretion of the
instructor.
- Attendance will NOT be taken. It is your responsibility to initiate making up any
missed work.
- The final exam will be held on Wednesday, December 10, 2008 at 1:20 pm.
- Laboratory summaries and procedures, as well as homework assignments will be posted
online on the assessment page.
- Both your laboratory notebook and your laboratory technique
will be assessed.
You are expected to clean-up after yourself in lab and to have all
equipment/glassware put away in its proper location. The assessment of
your laboratory notebook will be done INDIVIDUALLY, AT RANDOM, and UNANNOUNCED.
- Laboratory experiences may be followed-up with post-laboratory
exercises. These exercises are to be completed as if they are a homework assignment and
are due according to the schedule provided.
- In addition to the routine laboratory follow-up exercises, you will be
asked to write a
formal report and (possibly) to create a
professional, scientific poster. These assignments are to be completed in lieu of the post-laboratory exercises for that
experiment.
- You need to pay $10 to our departmental secretary to cover the costs of
printing the SAM resource booklet and for the poster printing at the end of
the semester. This should be done by the end of the first week of
classes. Payments are made in cash to Fern Cardella (department
secretary) in S351. Once you have paid, you'll receive a copy of
SAM.
- Although you are not required to attend the weekly workshop, if you choose
not to do so you are likely putting yourself at a severe disadvantage in
doing well in the course.
- In order to best assist you, we would appreciate hearing from anyone who has a special
educational need that results from a documented disability. Please see the
instructor after class or
set up an appointment as soon as possible during the semester.
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