Science 3119: Revolutionary Ideas in Chemistry (Online Course)

Course Syllabus Summer 2022

Karlo M. Lopez, Ph.D.

Science Building 2: Room 271
Email: klopez@csub.edu Office Telephone: (661) 654-2762

Office Hours • I will be available, online every Monday through

Thursday from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
• By email. I will respond to your email within 12
hours of receiving it.
Class Meeting Times • Course is online.

Important Dates
Last Day to Drop Without a W • Wednesday, July 20, 2022
Short Paper Rough Draft • Sunday, July 17, 2022
Short Paper • Sunday, July 24, 2022
Final Paper Rough Draft 1 • Thursday, July 14, 2022
Final Paper Rough Draft 2 • Thursday, July 28, 2022
Final Paper • Thursday, August 4, 2022 (last day of classes)
Midterm Examination • Friday-Sunday, July 22-24, 2022
Final Examination • Tuesday/Wednesday, August 8-9, 2022
Course Description
This course is a survey of chemical history from the early Renaissance period to the present
including some philosophical analysis of those historical developments. Our main focus will be on
understanding how past chemists thought about and understood the world around them and how
they used this understanding to develop new (although not necessarily correct) theories and
practical methods. Attention will also be paid to the practical applications of chemistry and the
broader social, economic, and cultural contexts in which chemistry developed, as well as its
relation to other fields such as physics, biology and medicine.
Theme R: Revolutionary Ideas and Innovations
The goal of this course is to help students identify and evaluate the major consequences and
implications of the advancement of science and chemistry in particular. The course will focus on
the development of instrumentation and advancement in the understanding of chemical,
biochemical, and medicinal principles. Given that the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded
to Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna for their development of the gene editing method
CRISPR-Cas9, understanding not only the science but its ethical implications are of paramount
importance.
Outcome 1A: Students will identify the major consequences and implications of each
revolutionary idea presented.
 Outcome 1B: Students will critically evaluate the major consequences and implications of
each revolutionary idea presented within the context of science as well as its impact on
society.
Quantitative Reasoning Reinforcement
Goal 1: Students will demonstrate proficiency in quantitative reasoning.
Outcome 1A: Students will correctly utilize mathematical calculations and estimation
skills. Material for this outcome will be practiced in the “Poisons, gases, etc.” assignment
in the form of gas law calculations (basic algebra skills) and assessed in the midterm and
final examinations.
Outcome 1B: Students will demonstrate quantitative reasoning skills. Material for this
outcome will be practiced starting in the alchemy assignments and will be demonstrated in
the midterm and final examination.
Outcome 1C: Students will successfully apply quantitative reasoning skills to the real
world. Material for this outcome will practiced in the assignment “Growth and
Specialization” when students will evaluate dosages of medicine appropriate (or not) given
a person’s weight.
Please note that live office hours are available Monday through Thursday for help and feedback
on these assignments. Given the short time period, I will grade assignments as soon as they are
submitted to ensure you have the proper information and understanding for the examinations.
Writing Reinforcement
Goal 1: Students will read critically.
Outcome 1: Students will critique a writer’s rhetorical choices (e.g., bias, rhetorical
modes, organization, diction, etc.) and logic. This outcome will be met
through readings from multiple sources on the evolution of chemistry.
Greek and Arab beginnings will be compared.
Goal 2: Students will write critically.
All outcomes from this goal will be achieved through multiple writing assignments with
different foci. These assignments will ask students to persuade, to report, or to opine on a
variety of subjects. Feedback will be provided through Canvas and students must submit 1
rough draft and a final paper for the short assignment and two rough drafts and a final paper
on the term paper.
Outcome 2A: Students will create proficient thesis statements for various types of writing
tasks.
Outcome 2B: Students will use discourse-appropriate syntax.
Outcome 2C: Students will use logical reasoning, at the appropriate level, to develop and
organize ideas.
Goal 3: Students will research effectively.
This goal will be met through the two research papers students will write during the term.
 Outcome 3A: Students will find diverse, reputable sources for an academic research
paper.
Outcome 3B: Students will correctly use summary, paraphrase, and direct quotes to
synthesize sources into an academic research paper.
Please note that live office hours are available Monday through Thursday for help and feedback
on these assignments. Given the short time period, I will grade assignments as soon as they are
submitted to ensure you have the proper information and understanding for the examinations.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course students should be able to:
1. Understand the foundations of chemistry and alchemy.
2. Understand the fundamental theories of chemistry.
3. Describe the growth and specialization of the chemistry subdisciplines.
4. Understand the role of chemistry and biochemistry in medicine.
5. Understand basic radiochemistry and the role of atoms in the nuclear age.
6. Understand the use of chemistry in every day applications.
Attendance
This course is 100% online and deadlines will be strictly enforced. While I will try to be
accommodating for emergencies, the duration of the course makes it difficult to make last-minute
accommodations. Please get in touch with me as soon as possible if you will miss a deadline or
require additional accommodations.
Academic Integrity
Academic dishonesty, in all its forms, WILL NOT be tolerated in any of my classes. Any student
caught cheating or plagiarizing will receive an automatic grade of “F” for the course AND will be
reported for appropriate disciplinary action. Ignorance will not be accepted as an excuse for
plagiarism. If you don’t know, please ask.
Students with Disabilities
Students needing to request academic accommodations due to a disability should contact the Office
of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) as soon as possible. The office is located in SA
140 and they may be reached at (661) 654-3360 or (661) 654-6288 (TTD). If you have an
accommodations letter from the SSD office documenting that you have a disability, please present
the letter to me during on-campus office hours as soon as possible so we can discuss the specific
accommodations that you might need in this class. Do not give this letter to me in lecture.
PLEASE NOTE THAT NO ACCOMMODATION WILL BE GIVEN WITHOUT AN SSD
LETTER.
Canvas
Students are automatically enrolled in the appropriate Canvas section as it will be used to
disseminate course information and it is where all assignments will be posted.
Lectures
All lectures are prerecorded and available on Canvas. These must be viewed sequentially and will
be your source of information for examinations, especially the terminology portion.
Homework
Homework assignments will consist of one-page summaries on the assigned videos or short answer
worksheets and will account for 45% of your grade. Please do not take these lightly and be concise
and accurate in your writing. All homework assignments are due at 11:59 PM on the due date and
are submitted through Canvas.
Research Papers
You will write two research papers for this class. These papers are to be formatted in either the
Chicago or MLA style and must be written in Times New Roman, Arial, or Helvetica. The papers
should have a one-inch margin, be double spaced, and written in 12-point font.
The first paper, which will be due at 11:59 PM on Sunday, July 24th, will be a 5-page biographical
sketch on a prominent chemist of any time period. The rough draft for this paper is due at 11:59
PM on Sunday, July 17th.
The second paper, which will be due at 11:59 PM on Thursday, August 4th (the last day of class)
will be a 10-page research paper on the role chemistry has played in a specific innovation,
technology, or biotechnological advance. The rough drafts for this paper are due on Thursday, July
14th, for rough draft 1 and Thursday, July 28th for rough draft 2.
Both papers must be submitted to turnitin.com and on Canvas. Failure to submit to both
places by the 11:59 PM deadline will result in a grade of F being recorded for the assignment.
Examinations
All examinations will be done on Canvas. A 48-hour window will open for you to take the
examination. The midterm examination will be 50-minutes and the final examination 2.5 hours.
Once you start an examination, the clock will start and you must complete the examination during
the assigned time period (50 minutes for the midterm, 2.5 hours for the final). You may use your
notes, instructor recorded lectures, and the provided study guide.
Grading
• Biochemical Topics 45%
• 5-Page Paper 10 %
• 10-Page Paper 15%
• Midterm Examination 10%
• Final Examination 20%

The standard grading system below will be used. The grades will not be curved per se; however,
based on the statistics of class performance (primarily the standard deviation) and the discretion
of the instructor, the cut offs may be lowered slightly. Please note that extra credit assignments
(if any) will be credited as a raw score and incorporated equally to all grades.
100% to 95% A 94% to 90% A-
89% to 87% B+ 86% to 84% B 83% to 80% B-
79% to 77% C+ 76% to 74% C 73% to 70% C-
69% to 67% D+ 66% to 64% D 63% to 60% D-
59% or below F
Course Schedule (subject to change at the discretion of the instructor)
The Search for Fire Due: July 15th
Alchemy Due: July 19th
Cavendish, Priestly, and Davy Due: July 22nd
Chemistry Growth and Specialization Due: July 25th
Poisons, Gases, etc. Due: July 28th
Gas Law Worksheet (aka “the math worksheet”) Due: July 31st
Science and Religion (Inherit the Wind) Due: August 4th