The second week in May is always an odd time of year for me. With the administration of the AP exam behind me, the whole purpose of the majority of my teaching for the year has passed, and I am left to reflect. It’s this same time of year that I see my ex-colleagues across […]
LO 6.25….AGAIN!
March 2, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Having looked at the “thermal energy” nonsense in LO 6.25 for around 5 years, and having written this blog post in Feb 2016, and this blog post in Feb 2015 (you should read them both), I still feel lost when it comes how TE might ultimately be assessed. With only one MCQ ever written about […]
Online AP Chemistry Review Courses 2017
December 27, 2016 by 6 Comments
In the Spring of 2017 I will be offering the inaugural, Online AP Chemistry Review Courses for AP Chemistry STUDENTS. For many years I have offered the very popular Online AP Chemistry Summer Workshops for teachers, and now it’s time to boost AP scores from a student point of view. I will offer two, independent, six […]
AP Chemistry Summer Workshops 2017 Online
December 27, 2016 by 1 Comment
AP Chemistry Summer Workshops 2017 Online: Once again this summer, I plan to offer two, AP Chemistry Teacher Workshops, and I’d love to have you join me. These courses will be the 7th and 8th respectively, that I have offered online. Below you will find details of the workshops but, if after reading this post […]
Another ∆G° mystery
February 27, 2016 by 11 Comments
We’ve lived through the nonsense of the inclusion of PES in the new AP Chemistry curriculum. Many think the exclusion of quantum numbers, stinks. Some people HATE the removal of colligative properties from the course. For me, these (and other things) provoke varying degrees of outrage that range from complete indifference to utter incredulity. Then […]
What do I need to score on the MCQ’s in order to get a 5?
February 11, 2016 by Leave a Comment
I get this question a lot; “What do I need to score on the MCQ’s in order to get a 5?” It’s a question that doesn’t really have an entirely straightforward answer, but nevertheless the answer is fairly simple to understand. Here it is. Firstly, you really need to consider the exam as a whole. […]
Fewer calculations on the AP chemistry exam?
February 10, 2016 by 8 Comments
Are there really fewer calculations on the new AP chemistry exam? Ever since the new AP exam came into existence, there’s been a lot of talk about the removal of a large chunk of quantitative (calculator based) questions from the new AP curriculum when compared to the legacy course. People have been bemoaning the lack […]
AP Chemistry Summer Workshops 2016 Online
December 30, 2015 by 2 Comments
AP Chemistry Summer Workshops 2016 Online: Once again this summer, I plan to offer two, AP Chemistry Teacher Workshops, and I’d love to have you join me. These courses will be the 5th and 6th respectively, that I have offered online. Below you will find details of the workshops but, if after reading this post […]
The utter folly of Big Ideas in AP Chemistry
November 28, 2015 by 5 Comments
Before reading the remainder of this post, please make careful note of the following. I KNOW, and fully understand that, the CB does not intend for the content within the Big Ideas in AP Chemistry to necessarily be taught in the sequence that they currently provide in the curriculum document – I get that, I […]
Want #apchem success in 2016? Ironically, see 2013!
November 15, 2015 by 12 Comments
The College Board/AP Chemistry Test Development Committee (TDC) ‘cheated’ a bit. No, I’m not talking about the debacle of the 2015 scores, nor about my general dislike of many aspects of the new curriculum, but rather this gripe relates to a question that appeared on the 2013 exam, that is a really important one for […]
