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Syllabus for Organic Chemistry CHEM S220

YSS 2021

INSTRUCTOR OF RECORD: Christine DiMeglio, Ph.D., christine.dimeglio@yale.edu

TA/CO-INSTRUCTOR: Aaron Clark, Ph.D., aaron.m.clark@yale.edu

Welcome to organic chemistry lecture

This class welcomes participation from any student who has met the prerequisites, described below. Students
journey to this course along many different pathways with a range of abilities, skills, knowledge, experiences,
and expectations. We invite students to ask questions. Your input is necessary to a healthy teaching and learning
environment. If you are experiencing a barrier that prevents your full participation in this course, contact me,
christine.dimeglio@yale.edu, to discuss strategies for your best performance.

Canvas
Course content is delivered using a variety of teaching technologies, methodologies, and best practices.
Canvas, the learning management system employed at Yale, allows delivery of quality content through its
student centered functions.

Canvas/Modules is the central hub for accessing all course content. Each day of the term has its own
Module, which acts an organizational file folder for daily curricular content. Each Module contains instructions
to help you engage with the material.

Prerequisites
After two terms of college level general chemistry or exam placement into organic chemistry

Attendance
Attendance is mandatory in Yale Summer Sessions. Students are expected to be available for course lecture
sessions (asynchronous) and problem solving sessions (synchronous) at the posted times (ET). Student
engage with the asynchronous lecture material in the appointed time slot. Directly following each lecture,
students submit a daily participation problem based on the lecture material. On M, W and F, students
participate in zoom problem solving sessions at the posted times (ET). Informal, drop-in, synchronous, zoom
office hours are available T and Th at the posted times. Other office hours may become available based on
teaching resources.

Course Scheduled Events (Eastern Time)

• Asynchronous Lectures: M, T, W, T, F: 9:30-10:45 AM. Narrated

presentation of course content. Slides will also be available at Canvas/Modules. Facilitated by Dr.
DiMeglio

• Zoom Problem Solving Discussion Session: M, W, F 11am-noon. Live, required, and not recorded in
order to promote free expression. Link to the zoom sessions in Modules. Lead by Dr. Clark.

• Zoom Drop in Office Hours: Tu, TH times TBA. Live and not recorded. Lead by Dr.
DiMeglio. More hours will become available based on teaching resources.

• Daily Participation Assignment: Accessed through Canvas/Modules. A short assignment based

on asynchronous material, due as a Canvas upload after lecture. Full credit for a good faith effort. Late
submissions are not accepted, for points but will be evaluated at the student’s request for feedback.
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• Email: a great way to engage in Q and A. Questions of interest to the group will be made available to
all using the Canvas/Announcements feature.

Required Materials
A) Textbook: Organic Chemistry by Marc Louden and Jim Parise, Roberts and Company publishers, 2016
6th ed. ISBN 978-1-936221-34-9
B) Corresponding Solutions Manual: ISBN 978-1-936221-86-8

Suggested Materials
A) Organic molecular modeling kits at amazon.com for inexpensive options (by Mega Molecules as an
example).
B) Organic Chemistry as a Second Language; David Klein, ISBN-13: 978-1118010402
Past students found this helpful.

Canvas Media Library Lecture Schedule; Exam Schedule (Tentative)

Problem solving sessions and discussion sessions are based on lecture topics
Topics Textbook Chapter
June 7 Lewis Structures, Electronegativity, Bond Polarity 1A

8 Resonance, Bonding Theories 1B

9 Alkanes 2

10 Acids and Bases 3A

11 Acids and Bases 3B

June 14 Alkenes 4A
Acidity trends alkanes, alkenes, alkynes

15 Continued, and Transition States 4B

16 Addition Reactions of Alkenes 5A

17 Continued, from previous lecture 5B

Keto-enol tautomerization; free radical bromination

18 Exam 1: CH 1-5A; Delivered using Canvas

Exam instructions provided in advance of the exam

June 21 Stereochemistry, Stereoisomer, R/S 6A

22 6A cont., and EE, and Inversion 6B

23 Cyclic Compounds and Stereochemistry 7A

24 Stereochemistry of Reactions 7B

25 Intermolecular Interactions 8

June 28 Alkyl Halides and SN2 9A

29 Alkyl Halides E2, 9B

30 Exam 2: CH 5B-9A; Delivered using Canvas

Exam instructions provided in advance of the exam
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July 1 SN1/E1, Alkyl Halides, Other Reactions 9C

2 Alcohols and Thiols 10 A

Required viewing/submission for lecture students not taking lab: Video IR spectroscopy and problem set
Link from July 2 Module

July 5 Reactions of Alcohols; 10 B

6 Ethers, Epoxides CH11A

7 Epoxides, Glycols CH11B

8 Organic Chemistry Problem Solving Review Comprehensive

9 Exam 3: Comprehensive:
CH 9A-11A and B; selected topics, CH1-8; Delivered using Canvas
Exam instructions provided in advance of the exam

Exams will be delivered/submitted using Canvas, with auto graded and hand-graded components. The hand-
graded elements may include a chemistry problem to be uploaded as a pdf file. Students are required to have
appropriate technology to convert handwritten material to pdf files.

Details about an exam and practice exam questions will be made available closer to the exam dates. The
exams cannot be reschedule.

STUDENTS WITH EXAM ACCOMMODATIONS SHOULD COMMUNICATE WITH THE INSTRUCTORS BY EMAIL THE
FIRST WEEK OF CLASS.

Exam 1 (25%) and Exam 2 (25%):

The first and second exams will be 1-1.5 hours in length.

Exam 3 (35%): The exam will be ~2 -2.5 hours in length and will be delivered/submitted using Canvas.

Participation (15%): Daily Participation Problems are mutually beneficial. They allow your instructors to
take the pulse of the class each day. They inspire you to stay abreast of course content.

Letter Grades
Scenario 1: Exam 1 (25%) + Exam 2 (25%) + Exam 3 (35%) + Participation (15%)

Scenario 2: A Student may drop their lower exam score from Exam 1 or Exam 2 if this improves their letter
grade, in which case letter grades are calculated as Exam X (35%) + Exam 3 (50%) + Participation (15%)

Policy regarding missed Exam 1 or Exam 2: Students who miss Exam 1 or Exam 2 drop the missed exam.
The letter grade will be calculated according to Scenario 2. Students missing both Exam 1 and Exam 2 will
need to discuss their status with YSS Dean Jeanne Follansbee.

Midterm assessment: Daily Participation problems will be used to provide midterm feedback to any student
missing Exam 1.

Honor Code and Academic Integrity:

Students are welcome use any resources they choose, anytime they choose, except during Exams. On exams,
students must work independently, without communicating with other people in any form whatsoever.
Students may use their notes and textbook. They may use their phone to scan handwritten exam questions,
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convert them to pdf files, email them to themselves, then upload the file into Canvas. Students MAY NOT use
Safari as their browser with Canvas quiz tools. Students must have appropriate technology for this course.

Useful websites
http://www.chem.wisc.edu/areas/organic/index-chem.htm
http://www.organic-chemistry.org/
http://www2.chemistry.msu.edu/faculty/reusch/VirtTxtJml/intro1.htm (some practice problems with answers)
http://www.departments.bucknell.edu/chemistry/courses/chem211/problem_sets/ (practice problems with answers for org. chem I)
http://www.aceorganicchem.com/organic-chemistry-practice-exams.html (test bank of questions and answers in organic chemistry)
https://legacyweb.chemistry.ohio-state.edu/flashcards/ (organic chemistry flash cards)
http://evans.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/problems/search2a_selectKeywords.cgi (challenging problems in organic chemistry)