ELEMENTS OF CHEMISTRY AND CHEMISTRY DIDACTICS
ELEMENTI DI CHIMICA E DIDATTICA DELLA CHIMICA
A.Y. | Credits |
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2023/2024 | 4 |
Lecturer | Office hours for students | |
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Mauro Formica | Tuesday and Friday by previous appointment (email or phone) |
Teaching in foreign languages |
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Course with optional materials in a foreign language
English
This course is entirely taught in Italian. Study materials can be provided in the foreign language and the final exam can be taken in the foreign language. |
Assigned to the Degree Course
Date | Time | Classroom / Location |
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Date | Time | Classroom / Location |
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Learning Objectives
At the end of the course the student will: (a) understand the importance of the Chemistry, not only because it is a central science which enables to understand all the other scientific disciplines, but also because Chemistry is “our everyday life", by showing that it is all around us and in us; (b) understand, by using the comparison between language and Chemistry, the concepts of atom and molecule and know how to use them correctly; (c) be able to apply the scientific method to the observation of reality to explain the "why" and "how" of everyday life; (d) know how to build educational courses addressing topics of Chemistry particularly suitable for developing an interdisciplinary approach, such as water, light, energy.
Program
- Structure of the matter: atoms, atomic parameters, elements and compounds.
- Atomic weight, molecular weight, mole, composition percentage, molecular formula.
- Inorganic compounds: oxides, hydroxides, acids, hydrogen compounds, salts.
- Chemical reactions.
- Atomic structure: orbitals, electronic configuration.
- Periodic table of the elements, periodic properties, octet rule.
- Chemical bond: classification (intramolecular, intermolecular).
- Covalent bond, molecular geometry, molecular polarity.
- Ionic bond and metallic bond.
- Redox reactions.
- Intermolecular interactions: Van der Waals forces, hydrogen bond.
- Physical states: solid, liquid, gas. Changes of state. Water status diagram.
- Solutions: solute-solvent interactions, concentration measures.
- Strong electrolytes, colligative properties.
- Chemical equilibrium. Le Chatellier principles.
- Acid and bases in aqueous solution: pH calculation of solution containing strong or weak acids or bases.
- Saline hydrolysis.
- Buffer solutions and pH measurement techniques.
- Solubility equilibrium: saturated solutions, solubility and solubility product.
- Macromolecules: functional groups; structural isomers; polymers, carbohydrates; lipids; amino acids and proteins; nucleic acids: DNA and RNA.
- Methods in Chemistry Didactics. Some examples of educational path focused on subject matter.
Bridging Courses
None
Learning Achievements (Dublin Descriptors)
Knowledge and understanding ability. Student will have to know the basic principles of general chemistry and features of the macromolecules. Moreover, the student will have to know the methods of teaching the chemical sciences.
Application of knowledge and understanding. Student will have to be able to plan training projects about chemical sciences using the concepts presented during the course.
Judgement autonomy. Student will have to be able to critically formulate the concepts and to independently deepen his knowledge.
Communication ability. Student will have to be able to indipendently develop the knowledge acquired in the course.
Learning ability. Student will have to be able to grow autonomously and critically their scientific knowledges by using the teaching material provided by the teacher and any other book or scientific document provided by themselves.
Teaching Material
The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it
Supporting Activities
Self-evaluation test on completion of the course
Teaching, Attendance, Course Books and Assessment
- Teaching
The course will consist in lecturers.
- Attendance
Not mandatory.
- Course books
Giuseppe Valitutti, Alfredo Tifi, Antonino Gentile. Le idee della chimica. Seconda edizione (2009). pp 650 Zanichelli.
- Assessment
The exam is oral and consists in the discussion of a short thesis prepared by the student on one of the topics dealt with during the course. The thesis has to be presented to the teacher at least two weeks before the date selected for the exam. The short thesis has to contain a) the reasons why the specific topic has been selected; b) the scientific/chemical concepts at the basis of the selected topic; c) in which way these concepts can be explain to the children, with particular attention to experiments that can be carried out in class; d) the transdisciplinary links; e) the pertinent references.
- Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)
Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.
To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.
Additional Information for Non-Attending Students
- Teaching
The program and teaching materials are the same for both attending and non attending students. All this material is available on the institutional Web site.
The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended text books (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform > blended.uniurb.it
- Attendance
No
- Course books
Giuseppe Valitutti, Alfredo Tifi, Antonino Gentile. Le idee della chimica. Seconda edizione (2009). pp 650 Zanichelli.
- Assessment
The exam is oral and consists in the discussion of a short thesis prepared by the student on one of the topics dealt with during the course. The thesis has to be presented to the teacher at least two weeks before the date selected for the exam. The short thesis has to contain a) the reasons why the specific topic has been selected; b) the scientific/chemical concepts at the basis of the selected topic; c) in which way these concepts can be explain to the children, with particular attention to experiments that can be carried out in class; d) the transdisciplinary links; e) the pertinent references.
- Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)
Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.
To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.
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