Sanford "Sandy" Strunk

I am excited to join Utmost Academy as a Chemistry teacher. I have a Master’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Minnesota, 25 years experience as a professional chemist in private industry, and a passion for teaching. My wife and I run a shop in Dinwiddie County selling herbs, spices, & essential oils, and we grow vegetables, herbs, and flowers for sale in our greenhouse. I have tutored students from seventh grade to college level. In addition to teaching Chemistry, I hope to instill in my students a curiosity about the world around them. Why is the sky blue? Why is grass green? One of my spiritual mentors once said, “There is more theology in a blade of grass than all the books ever written.” The hand of God is everywhere in creation if you care to look for it. I see no conflict between science and the Word of God, and will do my utmost to nurture both in my students.

Chemistry

Course Description:

Wednesday: 9:00 - 10:55 A.M.

Our chemistry course provides a rigorous foundation in in high school to prepare your homeschool student for college-level studies. We recommend that students taking this course be proficient at an algebra math level. Topics include:

  • Significant figures

  • Units, classification, and the mole concept

  • Stoichiometry, thermochemistry, and thermodynamics

  • Kinetics, acids and bases, redox reactions, and solutions

  • Atomic structure, Lewis structures, and molecular geometry

  • Gas laws and equilibrium

Detailed Listing of Topics

Exploring Creation with Chemistry provides the homeschool high school student a detailed introduction to the methods and concepts of general chemistry, as well as a multitude of chemistry lab experiments that develop the concepts further.

The 16 modules and their experiments in this course cover:

  1. Measurement, Units, and the Scientific Method.

  2. Atoms and Molecules

  3. Atomic Structure

  4. Molecular Structure

  5. Polyatomic Ions and Molecular Geometry

  6. Changes in Matter and Chemical Reactions

  7. Describing Chemical Reactions

  8. Stoichiometry

  9. Acid-Base Chemistry

  10. The Chemistry of Solutions

  11. The Gas Phase

  12. Energy, Heat, and Temperature

  13. Thermodynamics

  14. Kinetics

  15. Chemical Equilibrium

Prerequisite: Algebra I

Minimum: 5 students

Textbook: Apologia Exploring Creation with Chemistry BASIC SET, 3rd Edition. INCLUDES TEXT & TEST/SOLUTIONS MANUAL - SKU 679

To purchase, visit: https://www.apologia.com/product/apologia-basic-set-chemistry-3rd-edition/

Lab fee: $50, by check made payable to Sanford Strunk on or before the first day of class.

Tuition: $60 monthly (9 months)