Divisin Preparatoria

Campus Santa Fe
Departamento de
Ciencias

Matter and Sustainability

Course Information:
Course code and
group:
Weekly hours:
Course schedule:

PC-4018-xx

Classroom:

4404

5h/one hour per

day
D 2-3

Professor:

Meghan ODonnell

email:

meghan@itesm.m
x

Course description:
High school course in the natural science area that expects students to understand the
importance of carbon and its compounds in life and the impact they have in nature. In
the same way, they will know the structure, function, and importance of macromolecules
and the innovations and trends in this area of science for the XXI century. This course
requires students to have a basic knowledge of matter, its changes and behavior, by
means of the types of bonds, chemical reactions and ecology.
The exit competencies that the students will possess are that they understand the
impact the new technologies have on the various dimensions of human life and reflect
upon their ethical, legal, environmental, and social implications; analyze and reflect over
the issue environmental systems present and act as an agent for change; solve problems
in a creative way applying the knowledge, skills, and attitudes obtained in the different
academic areas. Solve problems in a creative kind of way applying the acquired
knowledge, skills, and attitudes in the different academic areas. As a result of what he
learned, the student will develop activity and experimental practice reports, as well as a
project to address, with a multi-disciplinary approach, an initiative in innovation of
materials with a focus in sustainability and involving several physical, mathematical, and
technological tools.
Along this course students will participate in a variety of activities and practical work
that will allow students to generate reports related to changes of matter and how they
can be measure. One of these activities is The PAS Project, which consists in the
participation of the students in three transversal types of activities per semester one
personal, one academic and one social in order to have an integrative approach to the
study of matter and the impact in the environment.
General objective:
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
Evaluate the impact organic compounds have in a daily interaction with their
environment.
Generate ideas and action to contribute to the sustainable development of their

environment.
Topic outline
1. Sustainability and the human activity
1.1 Fundamentals of sustainability
1.2 Environmental resources
1.3 The role of human activities on environmental perturbations
1.4 Environmental sustainability
2. Hydrocarbons and the organic molecules
2.1 Hydrocarbons
2.2 Properties and characteristics of the organic molecules
3. Polymers
3.1 Natural and synthetic polymers
3.2 Organic functional groups (properties and reactivity)
3.3 Biomolecules
3.4 Treatment and disposal of solid waste
3.5 4Rs Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Reject
4. Energy for sustainable development
4.1 Energy sources
4.2 Climate change and global warming
4.3 Redox reactions and the electrochemical energy
4.4 Organic redox reactions
5. New materials and their applications
5.1 Chemistry of the cleaning products and their role in hygiene
5.2 Super materials and the environment
5.3 Bioplastics and carbon fibers
5.4 Nanotechnology
Evaluation policies
Grading
First partial
Partial exam
Activities and homework
Quizzes
Laboratory activities

50
20
10
20

%
%
%
%

Second partial
Partial exam
Activities and homework
Quizzes
Project advance
Laboratory activities

50 %
20 %
10 %
10%
10 %
Final grading

Partial average
Activities and homework
Laboratory activities
Final Project
Quizzes
Final Project

40 %
10 %
5%
10 %
5%
30 %

Calendar:
Calendar
Project delivery
Project advance
Wednesday March 16th
Final project
Thursday April 21st
Scholar trip
Friday April 15th, 22nd
Laboratory activities
Experiment 1
Tuesday January 26th
Wednesday February
Experiment 2
3rd
Experiment 3
Tuesday February 23rd
Experiment 4
Tuesday March 8th
Experiment 5
Thuesday March 29th
Experiment 6
Tuesday April 12th
Experiment 7
Tuesday April 26th
Partial exams
First partial
Monday February 8th
Second partial
Monday April 4th

High School Final Exam Schedule

Term January May 2016
Class

Day

Date

Hour

14.00 D, 14.00
L

Friday

May 6th

08:00 h

14.30 M

Friday

May 6th

13:00 h

th

7:00 D, 7:00 L

Monday

May 9

08:00 h

7:00 M

Monday

May 9th

13:00 h

8:00 D, 8:00 L

Tuesday

May
10th

08:00 h

8:30 M

Tuesday

May
10th

13:00 h

9:00 D, 9:00 L

Wednesday

May
11th

08:00 h

10.00 D, 10.00
L

Wednesday

May
11th

13:00 h

10:00 M

Thursday

May
12th

08:00 h

11:30 M

Thursday

May
12th

13:00 h

12.00 D, 12:00
L

Friday

May
13th

08:00 h

11.00 D, 11:00
L

Friday

May
13th

13:00 h

13.00 M

Monday

May
16th

08:00 h

13:00 D,13:00
L

Monday

May
16th

13:00 h

15:00 D, 15:00
L

Thursday

May
17th

08:00 h

Bibliography:
Seager, Spencer L., Chemistry for today: general, organic, and biochemistry / Spencer L.
Seager, Michael R. Slabaugh. 7th ed., Australia : Brooks/Cole CENGAGE Learning, c2011.
Timberlake., Basic chemistry / Karen C. Timberlake, William Timberlake., 4., Pearson
Educacin de Mexico S.A. 2014.
McMurry., Fundamentals of general, organic, and biological chemistry / John McMurry., 7.,
Pearson Educacin de Mexico S.A. 2013.
General policies
GENERAL POLICIES

Attendance & Punctuality

1.
Classes will start punctually at the designated time. There is a 5 minutes rule
of tolerance in which you may still enter the class while the attendance is being
taken and the door remains open. Tardiness will not be permitted.
2.
Absences cannot be justified for any reason.
3.
The 5 minutes rule of tolerance apply for partial and final exams. After 5
minutes from the beginning of the class you will not be able to take the exam.
4.
If at any point you leave the classroom without any justified cause or reason
you will not be permitted to re-enter the class and you shall have an absence for
that class even though you had been in the class for some time.
5.
To have a right to present the final exam, you require a minimum of 88%
attendance throughout the entire course (two weeks classes of absences).
6.
If at the end of the second partial period your average is equal or higher than
83 then you are allowed to have a minimum of 83% attendance throughout the
entire course (three weeks classes of absences). Under no circumstances will a
student who has SD (SIN DERECHO) be permitted to present the final exam due to
the number of absences they had accumulated exceeds the course limit.
7.
The limit of absences for the entire course in the case of representative
teams has to be approved by the corresponding department.
8.
In case of illness you must provide the necessary documents to Direccin de
programas in order to have the opportunity to submit any assignments, which
were due during said illness. The limit for you to submit the missing assignments is
three working days. If the absences occurred in the last three days of the course,
the limit for you to submit the assignments is the day after the final exam.
9.
In the eventuality of your professor not arriving before fifteen minutes from
the beginning of the class, you are welcome to inform to MSc Hctor Ros Quiroz
(hector.rios@itesm.mx) coordinator of the class.
Grading policies
1.
The minimum grade to pass the course is 70. If you have a grade below and
nearby 70 it will NOT be consider as a PASSING GRADE.
2.
The partial exams will take place according to the official department
calendar. Under no circumstances will these dates be changed. Under no
circumstances will a student be able to present the exam outside of the specified
and scheduled dates.
3.
The partial exams are written exams and are 50 minutes and final exams are
thinking for 2 hours long.
4.
There is no exemption for final or partial exams.
5.
When a team member is not participating in the activities of an assignment
that was required for collaborative working, one of the team members is
responsible for talking with the professor in order for him or her explain the
situation to the team. If the behavior of the team member persists, the professor
must notify the team member that he or she will be excluded from the team and
ask the student for his or her signature. All the information and part of the work
which had been obtained as a result of the participation of the student that has
been excluded from the team has to be sent to the student in order for he or she
be able to complete the assignment even though the maximum grade for this
assignment is 80. Under no other circumstances is individual work allowed.
6.
In the case of having 3 exams the very same day, ask Seguimiento

Acadmico to re-schedule one of them. This process must be done at least 15

days prior to the exam.
7.
Please consider that extemporary exams are prepared for the department.
Discipline
1.
If you are not required for the use of electronic devices these must be turned
off. Under no circumstances will the use of electronic devises be allowed for partial
or final exams.
2.
Citations missing and the copy of unauthorized content will be penalized.
Any paper under these circumstances will be grade with DA desonestidad
acadmica mark. Students with DA mark are not awarded with any special
mention recognition also they are not allowed to participate in any international
program. Graduation candidates with DA mark are not permitted to take ERs
Exmenes de regularizacin.
3.
Due to a lack of respect toward your teacher or fellow classmates actions
shall be penalized following the Reglamento General de Alumnos in accordance
to the policies of discipline stipulated by the High School Academic Division.
4.
Classes cannot be interrupted for any reason; the only exception is if it is
done so by the personnel of Direccin General or Direccin Acadmica de
Preparatoria.
5.
Classes cannot be interrupted for handing in homework or projects.

Ethics Code
At the beginning of the term all students are required to sign the code of ethics of
Tecnolgico de Monterrey. Reading carefully the code of ethics before signing is highly
important; once it is signed deliver to your professor. Any violation to the code of ethics
will lead to disciplinary actions according with applicable regulations.
In case of cheating in the exams, it will be consider as an act of academic
dishonesty and will be mark as DA (deshonestidad acadmica) in you final
grade. Applicable academic regulations and particular policies will be considered in
these eventualities.
The use of any electronic device with out the permission of the invigilator
during the exam is strictly prohibited. In case of noncompliance with this rule, the
invigilator will retire the exam to the student and the student will be asked to leave the
classroom. Afterwards a committee will examine the case in greater detail and when
pertinent it will assign the academic sanctions.
Important Links
APA style format:
http://sitios.ruv.itesm.mx/portales/crea/identificar/como/formatosAPA.htm
Reglamento General de Alumnos: http://dae.itesm.mx/rga
Reglamento Acadmico:
http://www2.ccm.itesm.mx/rzmcm/rzmcm/reglamentosrzmcm