The following is taken/ adapted from the AP Chemistry Course Description.
AP Chemistry is built around six big ideas and seven science practices.
Big Ideas
The big ideas are:
Big Idea 1: The chemical elements are fundamental building materials of matter, and all matter can be understood in terms of arrangements of atoms. These atoms retain their identity in chemical reactions.
Big Idea 2: Chemical and physical properties of materials can be explained by the structure and the arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules and the forces between them.
Big Idea 3: Changes in matter involve the rearrangement and/or reorganization of atoms and/or the transfer of electrons.
Big Idea 4: Rates of chemical reactions are determined by details of the molecular collisions.
Big Idea 5: The laws of thermodynamics describe the essential role of energy and explain and predict the direction of changes in matter.
Big Idea 6: Any bond or intermolecular attraction that can be formed can be broken. These two processes are in a dynamic competition, sensitive to initial conditions and external perturbations.
Big Idea 1: The chemical elements are fundamental building materials of matter, and all matter can be understood in terms of arrangements of atoms. These atoms retain their identity in chemical reactions.
Big Idea 2: Chemical and physical properties of materials can be explained by the structure and the arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules and the forces between them.
Big Idea 3: Changes in matter involve the rearrangement and/or reorganization of atoms and/or the transfer of electrons.
Big Idea 4: Rates of chemical reactions are determined by details of the molecular collisions.
Big Idea 5: The laws of thermodynamics describe the essential role of energy and explain and predict the direction of changes in matter.
Big Idea 6: Any bond or intermolecular attraction that can be formed can be broken. These two processes are in a dynamic competition, sensitive to initial conditions and external perturbations.
Science Practices
The science practices for AP Chemistry are designed to get the students to think and act like scientists. The science practices are:
Science Practice 1: The student can use representations and models to communicate scientific phenomena and solve scientific problems.
Science Practice 2: The student can use mathematics appropriately.
Science Practice 3: The student can engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking or to guide investigations within the context of the AP course.
Science Practice 4: The student can plan and implement data collection strategies in relation to a particular scientific question.
Science Practice 5: The student can perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence.
Science Practice 6: The student can work with scientific explanations and theories.
Science Practice 7: The student is able to connect and relate knowledge across various scales, concepts, and representations in and across domains.
Science Practice 1: The student can use representations and models to communicate scientific phenomena and solve scientific problems.
Science Practice 2: The student can use mathematics appropriately.
Science Practice 3: The student can engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking or to guide investigations within the context of the AP course.
Science Practice 4: The student can plan and implement data collection strategies in relation to a particular scientific question.
Science Practice 5: The student can perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence.
Science Practice 6: The student can work with scientific explanations and theories.
Science Practice 7: The student is able to connect and relate knowledge across various scales, concepts, and representations in and across domains.
Overview of the Concept Outline (in course description)
• Exclusion statements define content or specific details about the content, which do not need to be included in the course because teaching this level of detail does not foster students’ conceptual understanding, or the level of detail represents knowledge students should have acquired prior to participating in this course•
• Learning objectives provide clear and detailed articulation of what students should know and be able to do. Questions for the AP Chemistry Exam will be
written based upon both the content and the science practice designated in the learning objectives.
• Learning objectives provide clear and detailed articulation of what students should know and be able to do. Questions for the AP Chemistry Exam will be
written based upon both the content and the science practice designated in the learning objectives.
Emphasis on developing conceptual understanding
It is essential that the student can draw connections between concepts and engage in reasoning that combines essential knowledge components from across the curriculum framework.