Honors Chemistry

Back to All Courses

Course option: Live

Grades: 9th-12th | Successful completion of Algebra 1*

Course dates: August 24, 2026 to May 7, 2027

Course length: Traditional, full year

Live sessions - attendance required: (choose 1)

Section 1: Tuesdays | 1-2:30 p.m. Eastern
Section 2: Wednesdays | 1-2:30 p.m. Eastern

Course size: 10-12 students per section

Instructor: Marcy Swisher

Costs:

Tuition: $800
Digital website access: $50 (include course eBook)
Custom lab kit: approximately $115 - instructor will provide ordering instructions

More about Marcy Swisher

With teaching certification in both science and English language education, Marcy applies literary skills to her science classes to help students gain the most from information in multiple formats. She brings literary expertise to her science classes, creating opportunities for students to practice science communication. After years of hearing “science is too hard,” she seeks out novel and engaging ways for students to find science accessible and meaningful. Fostering a scientific mindset, and encouraging inquiry and exploration, helps students recognize how much science is a part of their daily lives.

Marcy understands that discussion is the best way for students to grasp scientific concepts. She creates a welcoming classroom with her approachable teaching style and encourages students to "talk" about science. She loves getting questions from students and relishes in the moments when they make connections to their own lives.

Marcy has homeschooled her two college-aged daughters since early elementary school, graduating her first in 2022. She is passionate about working with teens and is thrilled to be sharing her love of teaching science through Blue Tent.

When not working on “school stuff,” Marcy reads. A lot! She also enjoys running, playing tennis, listening to music, and just hanging out with her family.

Required

Your digital website access ($50) purchased through Blue Tent Online includes:
- An eBook of Pearson's Introductory Chemistry (7th edition, 2024) by Nivaldo Tro.
  - This textbook is used as a primary source in some one-semester college chemistry courses. We will use this as our full-year text.
  - The eBook also has audio capability; it can read pages aloud to a student if that is desired.
- Pearson's interactive, text-aligned tools offer representations, videos, models, and activities that instruct, explain, and reinforce scientific phenomena and help students explore and solve scientific problems.
- A variety of virtual and hands-on labs will be interwoven throughout the course. We will strive to connect ideas and concepts in chemistry to relevant, real-world applications.
Other requirements:
- Scientific calculator
- Student Lab Notebook - carbonless duplicate set - $16.99; instructor will provide ordering instructions.
- Zoom: a free teleconferencing application
Technical resources - required for live sessions
- A reliable internet connection
- A computer with a web cam
- A working microphone (computer microphone will work)

"Marcy is an incredible teacher!! She was very easy to follow along and prompted us to engage in class, which was super fun! The amount of materials and homework each week was perfect, I didn’t feel burdened by chemistry. I always looked forward to class, as Marcy always knows how to make us smile. I will miss this class!"

"Mrs. Marcy’s honors chemistry class was an incredible experience! Mrs. Marcy’s teaching methods helped us grasp the chemistry concepts and topics thoroughly. We had several labs throughout the year and worked on various assignments, including case studies, question trails, and Kahoot, and the group of students were super smart and fun. Mrs. Marcy is an amazing teacher who answers questions, clarifies concepts, and is an overall amazing person. If anyone needs to take chemistry, honors chemistry with Mrs. Marcy should definitely be considered!"

"Marcy is an amazing teacher and very fun to be around. Her classes are fun, engaging, and she teaches the material in a really good way. She is always striving to make sure each student understands the topics and performs at their best."

"Are you ready for a challenge? A challenge where you are supported to success through the whole process? Marcy Swisher’s chemistry class is a phenomenal class. Whether chemistry is a subject that you have been interested in for a long time, or a subject that you simply have to take as a high school requirement, you will come out of this class with a greater appreciation for the subject. This class does not feel repetitive. It does not feel like content is being hurled at your face. It does not feel boring or like simply completing work from a textbook (it isn’t!). From each week’s subjects and work to the labs to the entirety of this hand-picked, assembled, and tailored course, the entire course is built around making sure that each student understands the materials. If you have questions about anything, Marcy is there to help you succeed...an understand the whys and hows. This chemistry class is not one simply to check off the list. This chemistry class is a journey of learning that you will not forget."

"This chemistry class was my favorite out of all of my Blue Tent classes. With Mrs. Marcy’s excellent teaching, even the most complex chemistry concepts were approachable and easy to understand. Her love for chemistry is infectious. This course made me love the subject so much that I want to continue learning about it–now I’m going to take AP chem next year. I highly recommend this course for any student!"

"This was the best bluetent class I’ve taken so far, Mrs. Marcy was an amazing teacher and without a good teacher I don’t think I would have done very well in this class at all. She was super helpful to everyone in the class and was willing to work with us if we needed extensions or help with something. Overall she used multiple different ways to teach us the content like structured notes, the zooms, labs, and videos, as well as other things that made it easy to absorb the material regardless of what method of learning was ideal for you. If you are going to take a chemistry class, take this one! 5 out of 5 stars!!"

"I really enjoyed the class and learned so much! It was a lot of work but worth it all!"

Course Details

In this live online Honors Chemistry course, high school homeschoolers will collaborate with their teacher and peers to develop a foundational understanding of chemistry and to prepare them for an AP or college-level chemistry course.

Chemistry is a course filled with new concepts for students. The challenge is that many of these concepts are not easily observed. We will work to connect chemistry to everyday phenomena, making the subject matter more relatable to students’ lives.

A successful chemistry class is more than a lecture. Students need to feel comfortable asking questions, working with partners, and discussing concepts as a group. Chemistry is new for everyone in this class! I know from experience what it takes to be successful in chemistry: working with partners to discuss material and calculate problems. We will utilize group work extensively in class. I encourage students to speak up! Ask questions! Come to class with questions you need answered!

Format

*Prerequisite:
- A strong grasp of basic algebra is essential.
- A prior physical science class would be helpful but is not required
Expectations:
- Students share an interactive online classroom and meet live on Zoom.
- Attendance is REQUIRED for live classes.
- Cameras must stay on during live classes
- Assignments open every Sunday, and students must complete all reading and videos before coming to class. This is the reasonable expectation for all AP courses and for all college courses.
- Students will gain more from live classes by having already engaged with the week's concepts. This base knowledge helps students make sense of and contribute to class discussion.
Average weekly time estimate: 8-12 hours, including live class
All Blue Tent science courses are NCAA-approved.
See our FAQs for:
- age/grade guidelines, prerequisites, and class fit recommendations
- a complete list of days, times, and breaks
- a list of CA charter schools where this course is a-g approved

Foundational Elements

Chemistry has a stigma of being a "difficult" course. To help students overcome this mindset and to feel successful, we will discuss concepts as a class, moving beyond basic lectures.

Chemistry requires math; a solid grasp of algebra is required.
The study of chemistry is linear; everything builds on itself. It’s important that students devote the time to stay on track with assigned work. This prevents stress as students struggle to catch up.
Chemistry is best understood and practiced by writing notes and calculations using pen and paper.
Repeated practice is KEY. Students will be expected to hand write all lab reports as well as practice problems. This is the expectation of any college chemistry course.
Chemistry is best learned with consistent practice and a sufficient amount of time devoted to the subject every week: 8-12 hours per week is a good expectation for an honors chemistry class.

Learning Outcomes

Students will:

Recognize the International System of Units (SI) and how to convert between units using dimensional analysis.
Recognize periodic trends and interpret patterns of elements
Recognize intermolecular forces and bonding
Classify and name elements, ions, and compounds
Explain different structures of matter as well as different states of matter.
Calculate proportions using stoichiometry
Recognize relationships between energy and chemical processes
Carry out scientific experiments and accurately record and analyze results
Master problem solving techniques
Recognize the importance of peer study groups and work cooperatively as a member of such a group.