CHEMISTRY
Chemistry Programs at West Coast Education
AP, IB, & Post-Secondary Chemistry
Online Courses & Continuing Ed
Chemistry is one of the sciences we find ourselves teaching the most at the high school and university level, and this is most likely because it is a science that the majority of students need or choose to take. Most of our students going into business, arts, or just looking for a credit for graduation, choose chemistry as the stream of science they wish to pursue as an elective, likely because it has a balance of math and memorizaton, as opposed to being extremely math focused like physics, or heavy on recall, like biology. As for students who are exploring a future in sciences, they find themselves needing to take chemistry regardless of what area of sciences they decide on, whether it be engineering, medicine, environmental sciences, and even most trades.
Chemistry really is the middle ground of science that not only has the most overlap with the other sciences, but also has applications in a wide array of fields and careers. So the good news, for you and us, is that we REALLY know our chemistry. With years of experience learning and teaching chemistry at the university level, and through working in chemistry research and laboratory environments, we have all the personal and professional experience necessary to help students succeed in chemistry. We are regularly reminded by our students that the way we teach chemistry is very different, and that it makes so much more sense than any other way it was taught to them before they found us. In fact, we continue to research and improve on the way we teach lessons and solve problems in chemistry, in order to ensure that we are only teaching students the most concise and complete methods possible.
We also have developed excellent materials for teaching chemistry, and for providing our students with practice and test preparation for all areas of the subject. And most importantly, we know that sometimes concepts and problems in chemistry are, literally, too microscopic to grasp without someone to shed some light on the bigger picture. West Coast Education is the best place for students to obtain all levels of support in chemistry from experts who provide quality, engaging explanations and who are consistently successful in putting chemical principles and problems into perspective for students of all levels.
We encourage you to explore our services pages to learn more about our many programs, and if you want to know more about how West Coast Education is your complete chemistry solution, take a look at what others have to say about us and contact us to book a free consultation!
Chemistry is the least represented science in early science courses in BC. Considering how many students end up needing to take chemistry at a high level, this has always puzzled and frustrated us as educators. For that reason, we emphasize the importance of ensuring that children have quality exposure to chemistry before high school. Whether that is through overall science enrichment, or through comprehensive support through their existing science classes, we make sure that children have the opportunity to develop the chemistry basics that will help them succeed in senior science courses.
Just like how other math and science courses build on earlier foundations, where each year begins with reinforcing previous knowledge and then introduces only a few new concepts, our goal is for students to have chemical principles under their belt at an early age. We want students to develop chemistry skills slowly and steadily off the foundations we have taught them. This way in their senior years, they do not experience a sudden surge in depth of material, nor are they shocked by elevated expectations!
Early Chemical Sciences
Chemistry in Science 10
We love when we have the opportunity to work with students in Science 10 because our specialty is ensuring that their first serious experience with chemistry is not a bad one. We understand that many students in Science 10 have had very little exposure to chemistry prior to meeting us, and unlike classes that throw students head first into some very complicated material, we establish the foundations of chemical principles first, and from there the rest always falls into place!
Science 10 is also a critical period where students begin to make decisions about which areas of science they might be interested in pursuing for their senior science courses, and even for their careers. This is also the time where students begin to doubt whether they can achieve the education and career goals they had set out for themselves, as they gain a concrete understanding of the material they will need to master, and the work and commitment required. We make a point of helping students have a positive experience with each of the sciences, so that they can make an informed decision about the stream that they enjoy and feel confident with. And since senior chemistry courses are a requirement for so many different institutions and programs, we think it is especially important that students finish Science 10 with an open mind about taking chemistry courses in the future. We do not want students to have a frustrating experience with this component of Science 10, because avoiding chemistry can lead to avoiding a lot of great opportunities.
We also know that chemistry represents four out of the total ten chapters that make up Science 10, which means that chemistry actually has the heaviest weight in a student's Science 10 grade. In fact, for many students, chemistry can either make or break their performance on the provincial exam and in the course. With that foresight, we are able to ensure that this heavily-weighted component goes well for our students.
Chemistry 11 and 12
Chemistry 11 and 12 are senior level science courses offered in BC. Students in BC require a grade 11 science course for graduation, and for admission to many post-secondary programs, a science 12 is also needed. In many ways, chemistry is one of the more useful science streams for students to choose, in order to keep many academic options available.
Chemistry 11 is a very broad course, exploring most areas of general chemistry, from properties of matter, to chemical equations and formulas, atomic theory, stoichiometry, and even organic chemistry. Chemistry 12, on the other hand, is a very focused course that relies on strong knowledge of Chemistry 11, but quickly moves away from any general topics, and dives deep into exploring the mechanics of chemistry. The entire course is essentially comprised of two repeating themes: reaction rates and equilibrium.
The BC Chemistry stream really confuses students and parents because Chemistry 12 is just so different from Chemistry 11. In fact, there is very little overlap in the two courses. That being said, students need to remember most of what they learned in Chemistry 11 in order to make it through even a day of Chemistry 12. There is practically no chance for review or recovery, because even on day one of Chemistry 12, teachers often assume that all Chemistry 11 material is already mastered, and so that material is immediately applied in new, challenging applications that feel very foreign, even to students who excelled in Chemistry 11. We also notice that chemistry curriculum can be very inconsistent from one district to another, and even from one school to another. With some classes learning topics that others do not, or learning them in completely different ways, this can cause even more confusion. For these reasons, students often tell us that they think chemistry is the hardest science to take.
The reason this upsets us is that we are firm believers that chemistry is the science that the most people can excel in. Unlike biology, which requires a lot of memory work and often a passion in order to pay attention to detail, and physics which, in a way, favours students with strong math skills, chemistry is a healthy medium, and people of various skillsets and backgrounds can succeed in chemistry with the right guidance. Fortunately, we know chemistry so well, that we are able to make chemistry a positive experience for all types of students, and we also know exactly how to prepare students earlier on, in Science 10 and Chemistry 11, so that the Chemistry 12 transition is not such a shock. For more information about how West Coast Education can be an amazing resource for you, please do not hesitate to contact us.
AP Physics, IB, and University level Chemistry
AP and IB Level Chemistry are two very challenging courses offered in BC that can provide students with university level credit before even graduating. These honours level chemistry courses build well from Chemistry 11 and 12, and are a great choice for students who enjoyed and excelled in these courses. Few tutors have inside-out knowledge of such challenging science courses, but because we regularly teach these topics at very high levels in post-secondary, supporting students with these courses is no problem for us, and we can assist students through every chapter and topic.
We are very experienced in teaching general, inorganic, organic. and biological chemistry courses at the post-secondary level. Whether you go to UBC, SFU, BCIT, TRU, Douglas, Langara, Capilano, or another insitution, we can help you work through assignments and labs, and can help you prepare for all aspects of your exams!
Online Courses, Continuing Education and Homeschool Programs
At West Coast Education, we are one of the most diverse facilitators of cross-curricular
BC online course tutoring in the Lower Mainland. We have thousands of hours of experience guiding students through distance-learning chemistry courses, so our students can enjoy all of the perks of flexible, self-paced education, which is especially valuable to our many student athletes, with the added benefit of the structure and facilitation that comes with professional, personalized tutoring and instructional support.
Students are taking more responsibility with their education than we have ever seen in the past, and as a result many choose to continue their schooling in the summer vacation. We help support students through intense summer school courses, facilitate our own online courses with students who register through us, and we also encourage prep for students anticipating difficulty in chemistry in the coming year, or for those who are just hoping to get ahead. We approach prep in an open and flexible way, so you can tell us what you need, or we can assess the situation ourselves.
