| Week | Dates | Topic(s) | Reading | Writing |
| 1 | 2/17-2/19 | Writing, grammar, and style | PDFs | |
| 2 | 2/23-2/25 | Physical chemistry; the meaning of research; philosophies of science; communication | Laidler 1 | Paper 1 due no later than 2/23 |
| 3 | 3/2-3/4 | Scientific communication in early science | Laidler 2 | |
| 4 | 3/9-3/11 | Early physical science | Laidler 3 | Paper 1 revision due no later than 3/9 |
| 5 | 3/16- 3/18 | Thermodynamics | Laidler 4 | Paper 2 due no later than 3/16 |
| 6 | 3/23-3/25 | Thermodynamics; The Conquest of Cold | Laidler 4 | Paper 3 topic assignment |
| 7 | 3/30-4/1 | Race for Absolute Zero; thermodynamics | Laidler 4 | NO CLASS 3/30; Paper 2 revision due no later than 3/16 |
| 8 | 4/6-4/8 | Statistical ideas in science | Laidler 5 | Paper 3 outline due no later than 3/30 |
| 9 | 4/13-4/15 | Bunsen, Kirchoff, chemical spectroscopy | Laidler 6 | EXAM 1 4/15 |
| 10 | 4/20-4/22 | Spectroscopy; electrochemistry and the Ionists | Laidler 6,7 | |
| 11 | 4/27-4/29 | Chemical kinetics | Laidler 8 | Topic of paper 4 (and outline) due no later than 4/27 |
| 12 | 5/4-5/6 | Americans in Europe; rise of physical chemistry in America; Noyes at MIT | Servos 1-3 | Paper 3 due no later than 5/4 |
| 13 | 5/11-5/13 | Two directions; Bancroft at Cornell, Noyes at Caltech; Industrial basic research | Servos 4-7 | Paper 4 due no later than 5/11 |
| 14 | 5/18 | EXAM 2 5/18 |
Last updated: January 19, 2021