South Dakota Requirements for Passing High School Chemistry | General Chemistry 1

Is Chemistry Required in High School in South Dakota?

South Dakota High School Graduation Requirements state that students must complete a total of 22 units, with 3 units in Science. Of those 3 units:

  • 1 unit must be Biology
  • 2 units in electives 

While students will explore some chemistry concepts in Biology or one of their elective courses, there is no requirement for chemistry to be an elective. This is true regardless of whether students are pursuing the Standard Diploma, an Advanced Endorsement Diploma, or an Advanced Career Endorsement Diploma. However, if students are pursuing an Advanced Honors Endorsement Diploma are required to take Chemistry or Physics courses. 

If a student chooses Physical Science as an elective, the following Chemistry courses satisfy the requirements:

  • 03101 Chemistry
  • 03102 Chemistry – Advanced Studies 
  • 03103 Organic Chemistry 
  • 03104 Physical Chemistry 
  • 03105 Conceptual Chemistry 
  • 03106 AP Chemistry

The core ideas of the South Dakota High School Physical Science standards include:

  • Matter and Its Interactions
  • Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
  • Energy
  • Waves and Their Applications in Technology for Information Transfer

 

High School Physical Science Conceptual Understanding: Matter and its interactions is broken down into three sub-ideas: the structure and properties of matter, chemical reactions, and nuclear processes.  This includes the substructure of atoms, interactions between electric charges, interactions of matter, chemical reactions, nuclear processes, and properties of substances.  

Chemical reactions, including rates of reactions and energy changes, involve the collisions of molecules and the rearrangements of atoms. Repeating patterns of the periodic table can be used as a tool to explain and predict the properties of elements.  A stable molecule has less energy than the same set of atoms separated: one must provide at least this energy to take apart a molecule.  

Motion and stability focuses on building understanding of forces and interactions and Newton’s Second Law. The total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system. Newton’s Law of Gravitation and Coulomb’s Law describe and predict the gravitational and electrostatic forces between objects.

Forces at a distance are explained by fields that can transfer energy and can be described in terms of the arrangement and properties of the interacting objects and the distance between them. The forces can be used to describe the relationship between electrical and magnetic fields.  

Energy is broken down into four sub-core ideas: Definitions of Energy, Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer, the Relationship between Energy and Forces, and Energy in Chemical Process and Everyday Life. Energy is understood as a quantitative property of a system that depends on the motion and interactions of matter and radiation within that system, and the total change of energy in any system is always equal to the total energy transferred into or out of the system.

Energy at both the macroscopic and the atomic scale can be accounted for as either motions of particles or energy associated with relative position for configuration of particles. Photosynthesis is the primary biological means of capturing radiation from the sun. Fields contain energy that depend on the arrangement of objects in the field.  

Waves are broken down into Wave Properties, Electromagnetic Radiation, and Information Technologies and Instrumentation. Wave properties and the interactions of electromagnetic radiation with matter can transfer information across long distances, store information, and investigate nature on many scales. The wavelength and frequency of a wave are related to one another by the speed of the wave, which depends on the type of wave and the medium through which it is passing. Combining waves of different frequencies can make a wide variety of patterns and thereby encode and transmit information. Technological devices use the principles of wave behavior and wave interactions with matter to transmit and capture information and energy.

 

  • HS-PS1-1 Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms.
  • HS-PS1-2 Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties.
  • HS-PS1-3 Plan and carry out an investigation to gather evidence to compare the structure of substances at the bulk scale to infer the strength of electrical forces between particles.
  • HS-PS1-4 Develop a model to illustrate that the release or absorption of energy from a chemical reaction system depends upon the changes in total bond energy.
  • HS-PS1-5 Construct an explanation based on evidence about the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction occurs.
  • HS-PS1-6 Refine the design of a chemical system by specifying a change in conditions that would produce increased amounts of products at equilibrium.*
  • HS-PS1-7 Use mathematical representations to support the claim that atoms, and therefore mass, are conserved during a chemical reaction. 
  • HS-PS1-8 Develop models to illustrate the changes in the composition of the nucleus of the atom and the energy released during the processes of fission, fusion, and radioactive decay.
  • HS-PS2-1 Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s Second Law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration.
  • HS-PS2-2 Use mathematical representations to support the claim that the total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system.
  • HS-PS2-3 Design, evaluate, and refine a device that minimizes the force on a macroscopic object during a collision.
  • HS-PS2-4 Use mathematical representations of Newton’s Law of Gravitation and Coulomb’s Law to describe and predict the gravitational and electrostatic forces between objects.
  • HS-PS2-5 Plan and carry out an investigation to provide evidence that an electric current can produce a magnetic field and that a changing magnetic field can produce an electric current.
  • HS-PS2-6 Communicate scientific and technical information about why the molecular-level structure is important in the functioning of designed materials.
  • HS-PS3-1 Create a computational model to calculate the change in the energy of one component in a system when the change in energy of the other component(s) and energy flows in and out of the system are known.
  • HS-PS3-2 Develop and use models to illustrate that energy at the macroscopic scale can be accounted for as a combination of energy associated with the motions of particles (objects) and energy associated with the relative position of particles (objects).
  • HS-PS3-3 Design, build, and refine a device that works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into another form of energy.
  • HS-PS3-4 Plan and carry out an investigation to provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy when two components of different temperature are combined within a closed system results in a more uniform energy distribution among the components in the system (Second Law of Thermodynamics).
  • HS-PS3-5 Develop and use a model of two objects interacting through electric or magnetic fields to illustrate the forces between objects and the changes in energy of the objects due to the interaction.
  • HS-PS4-1 Use mathematical representations to support a claim regarding relationships among the frequency, wavelength, and speed of waves traveling in various media.
  • HS-PS4-2 Evaluate questions about the advantages of using a digital transmission and storage of information.
  • HS-PS4-3 Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning behind the idea that electromagnetic radiation can be described either by a wave model or a particle model, and that for some situations one model is more useful than the other.
  • HS-PS4-4 Evaluate the validity and reliability of claims in published materials of the effects that different frequencies of electromagnetic radiation have when absorbed by matter.
  • HS-PS4-5 Communicate technical information about how some technological devices use the principles of wave behavior and wave interactions with matter to transmit and capture information and energy.*
  • HS-ESS1-5 Evaluate evidence of the past and current movements of continental and oceanic crust and the theory of plate tectonics to explain the ages of crustal rocks. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the ability of plate tectonics to explain the ages of crustal rocks. Examples include evidence of the ages of oceanic crust increasing with distance from mid-ocean ridges (a result of plate spreading) and the ages of North American continental crust decreasing with distance away from a central ancient core of the continental plate (a result of past plate interactions).]  
  • HS-ESS2-2 Develop a model based on evidence of Earth’s interior to describe the cycling of matter by thermal convection. ([Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on both a one-dimensional model of Earth, with radial layers determined by density, and a three-dimensional model, which is controlled by mantle convection and the resulting plate tectonics. Examples of evidence include maps of Earth’s three-dimensional structure obtained from seismic waves, records of the rate of change of Earth’s magnetic field (as constraints on convection in the outer core), and identification of the composition of Earth’s layers from high-pressure laboratory experiments.]  
  • HS-ESS1-6 Apply scientific reasoning and evidence from ancient Earth materials, meteorites, and other planetary surfaces to construct an account of Earth’s formation and early history. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on using available evidence within the solar system to reconstruct the early history of Earth, which formed along with the rest of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago. Examples of evidence include the absolute ages of ancient materials (obtained by radiometric dating of meteorites, moon rocks, and Earth’s oldest minerals), the sizes and compositions of solar system objects, and the impact cratering record of planetary surfaces.]  
  • HS-ESS2-4 Plan and carry out an investigation of the properties of water and its effects on Earth materials and surface processes. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on mechanical and chemical investigations with water and a variety of solid materials to provide the evidence for connections between the hydrologic cycle and system interactions commonly known as the rock cycle. Examples of mechanical investigations include stream transportation and deposition using a stream table, erosion using variations in soil moisture content, or frost wedging by the expansion of water as it freezes. Examples of chemical investigations include chemical weathering and recrystallization (by testing the solubility of different materials) or melt generation (by examining how water lowers the melting temperature of most solids).]  
  • HS-ESS2-1 Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earth’s surface can create feedback that cause changes to other Earth systems. [Clarification Statement: Examples should include climate feedbacks, such as how an increase in greenhouse gases causes a rise in global temperatures that melts glacial ice, which reduces the amount of sunlight reflected from Earth's surface, increasing surface temperatures and further reducing the amount of ice. Examples could also be taken from other system interactions, such as how the loss of ground vegetation causes an increase in water runoff and soil erosion; how dammed rivers increase groundwater recharge, decrease sediment transport, and increase coastal erosion; or how the loss of wetlands causes a decrease in local humidity that further reduces the wetland extent.]  
  • HS-ESS3-2 Evaluate competing design solutions for developing, managing, and utilizing energy and mineral resources based on cost-benefit ratios. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the conservation, recycling, and reuse of resources (such as minerals and metals) where possible, and on minimizing impacts where it is not. Examples include developing best practices for agricultural soil use, mining (for coal, tar sands, and oil shales), and pumping (for petroleum and natural gas). Science knowledge indicates what can happen in natural systems—not what should happen.] 

 

Does South Dakota Award Credit for Passing the AP Chemistry Exam?

Advanced  Placement credit falls  within  Board of  Regents  Policy  2:5 Transfer  of  Credit  which specifies  that  “Credit  for  college-level  courses  granted through nationally  recognized examinations  such as  CLEP, AP,  DSST, etc.,  will  be evaluated  and  accepted  for  transfer  if equivalent  to  Regental  courses  and  the scores  are consistent  with  Regental  policies.”

 

The following colleges will typically AP Chemistry credit as follows:

  • BHSU
    • Minimum Score: 3 
      • Credit Hours: 4 
      • Course Equivalents:
        • CHEM 112/112L 
      • System General Education Requirement: Yes 
      • Institution Graduation Requirement: No  
    • Minimum Score: 5 
      • Credit Hours: 8 
      • Course Equivalents:
        • CHEM 112/112L
        • CHEM 114/114L
      • System General Education Requirement: Yes 
      • Institution Graduation Requirement: No  
  • DSU
    • Minimum Score: 3 
      • Credit Hours: 4 
      • Course Equivalents:
        • CHEM 112/112L 
      • System General Education Requirement: Yes 
      • Institution Graduation Requirement: No  
    • Minimum Score: 5 
      • Credit Hours: 8 
      • Course Equivalents:
        • CHEM 112/112L
        • CHEM 114/114L
      • System General Education Requirement: Yes 
      • Institution Graduation Requirement: No  
  • NSU
    • Minimum Score: 3 
      • Credit Hours: 4 
      • Course Equivalents:
        • CHEM 112/112L 
      • System General Education Requirement: Yes 
      • Institution Graduation Requirement: No  
    • Minimum Score: 5 
      • Credit Hours: 8 
      • Course Equivalents:
        • CHEM 112/112L
        • CHEM 114/114L
      • System General Education Requirement: Yes 
      • Institution Graduation Requirement: No  
  • SDSMT 
    • Minimum Score: 3 
      • Credit Hours: 4 
      • Course Equivalents:
        • CHEM 112/112L 
      • System General Education Requirement: Yes 
      • Institution Graduation Requirement: No  
    • Minimum Score: 5 
      • Credit Hours: 8 
      • Course Equivalents:
        • CHEM 112/112L
        • CHEM 114/114L
      • System General Education Requirement: Yes 
      • Institution Graduation Requirement: No  
  • SDSU
    • Minimum Score: 3 
      • Credit Hours: 4 
      • Course Equivalents:
        • CHEM 112/112L 
      • System General Education Requirement: Yes 
      • Institution Graduation Requirement: No  
    • Minimum Score: 5 
      • Credit Hours: 8 
      • Course Equivalents:
        • CHEM 112/112L
        • CHEM 114/114L
      • System General Education Requirement: Yes 
      • Institution Graduation Requirement: No  
  • USD 
    • Minimum Score: 3 
      • Credit Hours: 4 
      • Course Equivalents:
        • CHEM 112/112L 
      • System General Education Requirement: Yes 
      • Institution Graduation Requirement: No  
    • Minimum Score: 5 
      • Credit Hours: 10 
      • Course Equivalents:
        • CHEM 112/112L
        • CHEM 114/114L
      • System General Education Requirement: Yes 
      • Institution Graduation Requirement: No