| Unit name | Core Concepts in Chemistry 1 |
|---|---|
| Unit code | CHEM20015 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. Wyatt |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
Building Blocks of Chemistry 1 & 2 Quantitative Chemistry I or II |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Chemistry |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
Why is this unit important?
This unit forms the first part of the core of the second year chemistry content. It’s in this unit that you start to learn some of the important core ideas of chemistry that you will need through the rest of your programme of study. Ideas introduced here will be built upon in subsequent units this year and you will find you need to draw upon those ideas even if you end up doing a PhD in chemistry. Fundamental mechanistic ideas are introduced that you need in subsequent units and years. Ideas of metals, their electrons, how we count them and what this means as well as central ideas such as structure and disorder underpin future more complex ideas.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
The chemistry in this unit builds upon ideas in the first year and will be built upon in subsequent units this year (in TB2) and future years. Chemistry introduced in the main first year themes of Structure, Change, and Analysis is built upon here though the content described below. While chemistry can start to diverge in the third year and beyond, the second year core units are where the crucial foundations are built
An overview of content
We will develop a thorough and interconnected understanding of core chemistry through the 3 key themes expressed in the core Year 1 unit (Building Blocks of Chemistry) which were Structure, Change, and Analysis. We will continue to build upon these themes based around the structure in the following components:
•Structure
•C-C bond formation
•d-block chemistry
•Periodicity
•Carbonyl substitution
•Molecular shape and orbitals
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
It’s not just a matter of what you know and what you will be able to do that will change. How you think will begin to develop more strategically. We will encourage you to become more analytical in your approach to situations and try to see the big picture as well as the detail.
Learning Outcomes
•Identify features of molecules and thus predict reactivity and properties
•Recall chemistry from first year and combine with new ideas to infer outcomes
•Communicate chemistry ideas orally and verbally
•Analyse and interpret data and solve problems creatively in chemistry and wider contexts
You will learn through a blended approach with a mix of asynchronous and synchronous lecture, online resources, individual student-led enquiry and team-based student-led enquiry. Some lecturers will encourage in-class active learning sessions to compliment asynchronous lectures and embed student agency by invite students to direct the direction the instruction takes. Formative workshops provide a safe space to explore chemistry, discuss it with the lecturers and other students and become familiar with the sorts of questions that might be asked in examinations.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare for summative tasks (formative) The workshops are the main formative activity which take place to support the more summative activities. These take place on an almost weekly basis. Many tasks are set in a way that mirrors exam formats so students can become familiar. Students are free, and encouraged, to discuss their work. Rich and personal feedback takes place live in the workshops through individual one to one discussions.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative): Summative tasks include traditional examination and coursework. In this TB1 unit these are equally weighted. Some summative coursework is
designed to support future examination skill with discussion, groupwork and feedback which will take place in-session. Part of the examination will assess chemistry in a more synoptic manner. That is, while some questions might relate directly to a series of lectures, others may require bringing material from different strands together or draw upon chemistry from earlier years or asking questions set in a deliberately unfamiliar context. Other summative coursework includes MCQ tests.
The unit will be assessed by a mixture of continuous assessment: workshop activities (25%) & MCQs (25%) and end-of-unit examination (50%)
When assessment does not go to plan
Traditional examinations will be reassessed by resit examination in the usual way. Coursework based on MCQs can be reassessed in the same manner. Coursework based on discussion and groupwork will be assessed in an alternative manner that will be based on the individual. Since the groupwork is not an ILO but a method of discussion there is no need to include groupwork in the reassessment.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. CHEM20015).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
