Open
2 segments / 36 weeks
This course provides a foundation of chemistry concepts, including scientific inquiry, interactive experiences, higher-order thinking, collaborative projects, real-world applications, and a variety of assessments. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts are integrated throughout the course.
Note: content varies depending on the course version. For currently enrolled students, please refer to the syllabus located in the course information area for curriculum specifics.
Required Materials:
Honors:
Module 1
Module 2
Module 3
Module 4
Module 5
Module 6
Module 7
Module 8
Project Designer
Open
3-4 Weeks
Students will demonstrate an understanding of matter by explaining the nature of matter and its evaluation, assessing the properties of matter and the changes it undergoes, and differentiating pure substances from mixtures.
You are a product designer and you work for a company that designs kids STEM science kits! You work on a team that sends out boxes monthly as a part of a subscription program. Each box has a variety of STEM building activities. Each team member (that’s you), contributes two activities with instructions and connections to science. Your project will guide you through this process and culminate in the design of real experiments! Experiments that kids, ages 6-8, worldwide can use to engage in scientific learning and explore the concepts of matter!!!
Physical Science Researcher
Open
3 - 4 Weeks
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the foundations of chemistry by describing atomic theory and the nature of subatomic particles, explaining electromagnetic radiation and its relationship to quantized energy and the quantum model, and assessing the value of the periodic table.
You are a physical science researcher working for the National Security Agency, as a member of their science of security team! You will be developing technology that NSA field agents will be using to help keep America safe! Your specialty will be geared towards travel labs. They will function on fundamental principles of the atom, it’s structure and properties, as it relates to energy.
Molecular Interactions - Entrepreneur
Open
3 - 4 Weeks
Students will demonstrate an understanding of elemental and molecular interactions by explaining ionic and covalent bonding and evaluating molecular structure and the associated forces.
You are a highly motivated individual who has decided to combine a love of physical activity, health, and science into entrepreneurism! Your product will be electrolyte drinks! Not the sugar laden, salty, and expensive options of your parents generation and not the trendy, name only, and expensive options of the hip whole food variety! Yours will be marketed and produced based on your knowledge of elemental interactions through ionic and covalent bonding. You will educate your base on the ions; what they do and how they interact! You will educate your base on the forces that exist between the molecules in your body and describe how these factors influenced your formulation! Your platform to present your product can be a website page, blog post, social media collateral for a platform of your choice, or some other option based on a discussion with your instructor.
Photographer
Open
3 - 4 Weeks
Students will demonstrate an understanding of chemical reactions by describing the law of conservation of mass and establishing that mass is conserved, explaining the ways in which reactants interact to form products, and assessing redox and nuclear reactions.
You are a photographer and your specialty is developing film art. An art gallery would like to showcase your work, and has requested a description of the chemical methods that you use to create and store your film art. You will create a film chemistry pamphlet on the types of reactions that take place during the development and storage of your film. You will show how subatomic interaction and the conservation of mass are critical to the development of your film art.
Fragrance Chemist
Open
3 - 4 Weeks
Students will demonstrate an understanding of Stoichiometry by describing and calculating the components required for a stoichiometric evaluation and performing stoichiometric evaluations for determining the limiting reactant and percent yield.
You are a fragrance chemist working in the scent laboratory for a novelty item manufacturer. You develop synthetic scents for novelty items, such as candles, candy and potpourri. You use empirical formulas, mole equations, and percent yield calculations to make scents. You have been asked to calculate synthetic scents that you make, using stoichiometry. You will summarize why calculations are used for new chemists in training. Your team leader has asked that you share your lab notebook calculations with them so that they can check and approve them.
Professional Baker
Open
3 - 4 Weeks
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the phases of matter by explaining the Kinetic Molecular Theory, evaluating phase changes, and applying the gas laws and the ideal gas law.
You are a professional baker in Denver, Colorado where the altitude is high. As a baker, you know that at high altitudes the air pressure is lower so foods take longer to cook. Liquid evaporates much faster at high altitude. Water boils at a lower temperature, and gas expands more so than at low altitude. Temperatures, and often even baking times, need to be increased. You are in charge of making an altitude adjustment chart. The chart will include the adjustments and considerations that need to be made, and to ensure all recipes will be cooked properly.
Personal Trainer
Open
3 - 4 Weeks
Students will demonstrate an understanding of energy in reactions by explaining enthalpy, assessing the factors impacting the rate of a reaction, and evaluating equilibrium and the role of Le Chateliers Principle.
You are a personal trainer for a hockey player, soccer player, skier, or a sport of your choice. You will be examining energy, rates of reaction and equilibrium concepts. You will be applying them to concepts associated with physical movement as a way to enhance your athlete’s ability. Your cutting edge incorporation of chemistry allows your athlete to optimize energy and movement when competing. You’ll present this information to your athlete as an annotated picture, graphic, digital drawing, or animation.
Soil ScientistYou are a soil scientist who specializes in developing optimal soil for coffee growth. Your strengths lie in making recommendations on soil and water needed to grow coffee beans. You have been hired by a new boutique company that wants to diversify and grow coffee! You will create a resource for growing that includes proper ph, water for optimal growth. You will need to take into account a variety of factors when creating this coffee growth chart. It will be imperative to have knowledge of water, concentrations and acids and bases.
Open
3 - 4 Weeks
Students will demonstrate an understanding of solutions by evaluating the properties of water, calculating molarity and dilution, and assessing acids and bases.
You are a soil scientist who specializes in developing optimal soil for coffee growth. Your strengths lie in making recommendations on soil and water needed to grow coffee beans. You have been hired by a new boutique company that wants to diversify and grow coffee! You will create a resource for growing that includes proper ph, water for optimal growth. You will need to take into account a variety of factors when creating this coffee growth chart. It will be imperative to have knowledge of water, concentrations and acids and bases.
Meets physical science graduation requirement
Successful completion of Algebra 1
Course: To complete the honors version of this offering, you must discuss this with your instructor during your welcome call.
Project/Experience: Honors is awarded by earning "Exceeds" on all rubric assessments.
We offer regular online open house webinars where VLACS staff members provide parents and students with an overview of our programs and answer questions about online learning.