Life Science Syllabus

Mrs. Parks

September 2013

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Welcome

Welcome to 7th Grade Life Science! This course is one of two science courses that you will take in middle school. I try to make this as much of a hands-on class as possible. This class attempts to explain all elements of life and how science explains our natural world. We will be covering all of the middle school life science, some of the earth science, as well as inquiry and engineering Oregon Department of Education standards. You will be encouraged to question, investigate, and think throughout the year. I am excited to be teaching this course and look forward to our year together. In order to do my job well, I will need your cooperation. Accordingly I have set the following standards.

Student Expectations: B*E*S*T*

1.Be Safe—Keep hands, feet and other objects to yourself. Follow directions and safety procedures. Keep walkways clear.

2.Encourage Everyone—Point out positives. Celebrate accomplishments. Model Best behavior. Encourage others to follow rules.

3.Show Respect—Treat others’ property with respect. Follow directions and classroom assignments. Actively listen to designated speaker. Speak quietly. Use appropriate language.

4.Take Responsibility—Be on time and prepared. Stay on task. Resolve attendance issues before class. Sign in and sign out. Clean up after yourself. Take care of personal issues on break.

The 7th grade teachers have decided to add three behavior expectations to the BEST standards, and those are:

Be Prepared, Be Polite, and Participate!

In this course we also have safety expectations, which we will be going over very soon.

Consequencesfor not following the behavior standards: These may happen in any sequence, depending on the situation

  • Polite redirection
  • Seat change
  • “Work it out” worksheet/hall conference
  • Referral/lunch detention
  • Removal from activities and labs
  • Call home
  • Suspension, referral to the office
  • After-school conference with parents and administrator to discuss the issue

Attending Class

When class begins, I expect you to be in your seat, prepared for class, and working on the daily opener. Being prepared means that you have paper, a writing utensil, warm-up form, notebook, planner, and your brain, and I will consider you tardy if you do not have these things. If you are not in your seat, or walk in late, please sit down quietly and prepare to work as not to disrupt the rest of the class. Please consult the student handbook for consequences of frequent tardiness and the absence policy.

In order to get your attention for instruction or directions throughout the period, I will raise my hand and if need be say, “May I have your attention please”. When my hand is raised, your job is to face me, stop talking, and be ready to pay attention.

Leaving the Classroom

You will be given 4 hall passes at the beginning of each quarter. These hall passes can be used to use the restroom, get materials from your locker, visit another teacher/staff member for assistance, use the water fountain, being less than 10 minutes late, etc. In order to use one, you must fill out all the blank lines (except for the line where I will sign), bring it to my desk along with your planner, and I will get to you as soon as I can. Before you leave, you must sign the check-out sheet next to the door, and take your hall pass with you. When you return, please bring the pass back with you and place it on the media cart. If you have passes left at the end of the quarter, you may turn them in for extra credit.

Tardy

You are allowed to use your hall passes for tardiness, but once you are late for class and no longer have any passes, you will be given a referral (lunch detention) for each day you are tardy. If you are more than 10 minutes late, it is considered an unexcused absence/truancy, which is subject to stricter penalties.

Warm-ups

Each day you will have a warm-up on the board. The forms for these can be found in a paper holder next to the in-box. You will fill out the question in its entirety (unless otherwise indicated), and provide a thoughtful response to the question/prompt.

Assignments

The curriculum I have designed is intended to cover the state standards as well as help you understand how the world around you works. I expect you to take your work seriously – poor work will earn a poor grade. I guarantee that if your classwork is turned in regularly and you put effort into preparing for tests, you will pass this class.

I accept late work for up to 5 days. A partially completed assignment is better than handing in nothing. Written work which is difficult to read, does not have a name, or is done carelessly will be returned without a grade.

Turn-in assignments to the in-box. The process for this is to stack your completed assignments at the center of the group table, and the student who finishes first will turn them in to the basket. If the tables are in rows, pass them sideways toward the basket, and those at the ends of rows will turn in work.

Electronic Communication Devices

Devices used for communication are not allowed at Winston Middle School. If you have one out, it will be taken away and given to the administration/office for your parents to pick-up. If you are defiant and do not give it to me, you will be sent to the office for a possible suspension.

Class Dismissal

You will be allowed to leave the classroom when I verbally excuse the class. Do not line up at the door, or stand next to your desk waiting for the bell to ring. Please stay seated and wait for me to excuse the class.

Absences

Work missed due to an illness or other excused absence will be due after you have returned. You will have one day of grace for each day missed. When returning to class after an absence, please do not expect me to take class time to catch you up. It is your responsibility to make arrangements with me to make-up missed labs, films, lectures, and assignments.

If you are not in class due to other school activities, you are still accountable for any assignments made while you were gone. The assignment calendar above the extra handout folder will have assignments recorded, and the folder will have extra copies. The only exception will be, if your parent calls in asking for your assignments, I will have sent them home, so they will not be found in the folder. An unexcused absence will be subject to the regular late policy.

Grading

90-100% A

80-89% B

70-79% C

60-69% D

59% and below is an F

This class will consist of reading, writing, laboratory work, tests, quizzes, essays and projects. Each of these types of activities are weighted when calculating your grades. Daily assignments (including journals, projects, homework, notes, warm-ups, etc.) will constitute 25% of your grade, assessments (tests, quizzes, etc) will account for another 50%, and laboratory activities will be 25% of your grade.

A computerized printout will be posted on the handout folder bi-weekly, so you can check a secret ID number to see your current grades. Progress reports will be issued every mid-quarter to students. Grades can also be checked online through the school website.

Written Assignment Expectations

This class will have a variety of formats, most of which will require you to spend some time writing. Most assignments will be done on pieces of paper to be turned in.You may keep a calendar in the front of your notebook, in order to keep track of class work.

Organization Requirements

  • A small (1 inch) three-ring binder devoted entirely to science or an all subject binder with a science tab
  • Keep notes and assignments in order of occurrence, notes will be turned-in at the end of chapters.

Assignment Format

First and last name

Period (large #)Subject

Assignment TitleDate

  • Complete sentences that could be understood by someone not in the class every day
  • Class notes – do not have to be in complete sentences, but complete enough to study from
  • Organized labs – titling the question, introduction, materials, procedure, data, tables, graphs, and conclusions

Classroom Materials

We are fortunate to have materials in this room. The lab materials are dispersed throughout the laboratory, and I will go over their locations and proper use. Some materials need to be checked out: markers, colored pencils, group bins (which remain intact), pencils, pens, sharpies, rulers, calculators, and meter sticks. All you have to do is sign-up on the checkout sheet (green), and then return the item when you are finished, and put you initials under ‘returned’.

Blank warm-up sheets can be found on the right side of the in-box. You may check out pencils or pens from me, the procedure is to write your name on the lower left corner of the board and I will bring you one. At the end of the period you must return it and then erase your name. You may sharpen your pencil anytime I am not giving directions or lecturing. Please take care of it at the beginning of the period.

Finishing Early

When you finish early you may work on missing assignments for this course or from another class. You may read a book quietly or draw. The key to this is that you have to bring missing work or a reading book to class with you, because I do not want to let you out of the classroom to get it. Think about it, it’s better to haul homework around with you and finish it during the school day rather than lug it home.

Guest Teacher

I expect you to be on your best school behavior for a guest/substitute teacher. If I receive a negative note from a substitute about you, I will write you a referral and give you a lunch detention. If the indiscretion is severe, expect a much worse consequence.

Help

If something we are studying is not clear, and you are uncomfortable speaking-up in class; I encourage you to see me before or after school or during my 2ndperiod prep. I am usually at school by 6:45 A.M., and I will make every effort to clarify a difficult concept or help you get caught-up. You can ensure that I will be available by making an appointment. Please do not interrupt other classes when asking for help; make appointments in between classes, before or after school, or lunch.

Thank you!

Mrs. Parks