8th Grade Science - 2015-2016 Course Syllabus

Class Conduct

The following expectations in my classroom are designed to ensure student success this year:

RESPECT: Students must respect the teacher, others, and themselves at all times.

RESPONSIBILITY: Students must follow all the rules in the student handbook and in the Student Code of Conduct.

READINESS TO LEARN: Students must have the necessary supplies/textbook and be prepared to work each day.

Students making inappropriate choices will face consequences which include: verbal warnings, parent contact, and referral to a counselor or administrator.

Class Description

In 8th grade science, students will study the concepts shown in the Quarterly Outline below. The focus of the curriculum will be inquiry based instruction designed to meet Florida state standards. When possible, students will engage in activities before content, meaning that they will observe a phenomenon prior to learning the abstract concepts contained in the course content.

Curriculum Quarterly Outline (With Associated Science Standards)

Quarter 1 / Practice of Science
Characteristics of Scientific Knowledge
Role of Theories, Laws, Hypotheses, and Models
Atoms
Physical and Chemical Changes
Quarter 2 / Atomic Structure
Periodic Table
Quarter 3 / Photosynthesis and Respiration
Stars, Galaxies and the Universe
FCAT Review
Quarter 4 / The Solar System
Space Exploration
Electromagnetic Spectrum
FCAT Review

Textbook

Each student will be issued a8th Grade Pearson Interactive Science, Course 2 textbook. This book is a consumable, write-in textbook. Students are responsible for their textbook for the duration of the school year. It will be used by students in and outside of the classroom (classwork, homework, studying, etc.). It is important to bring the textbook to class each day. An online version of the textbook is also available to each student at Usernames and passwords will be provided to students during the first few weeks of school.

Grading Policy

Students will master all academic standards set forth by the district and the state. Our grade distribution is:

•80% Summative Assessments: Given at the end of learning after ample practice to assess the mastery of appropriate benchmarks and standards. Examples may include (but are not limited to): chapter tests, unit tests, projects, and other assessments evaluated by a rubric.

•20% Formative Assessments: Given as ongoing and helpful feedback to allow for progress monitoring towards mastery of benchmarks and standards. Examples may include (but are not limited to): guided and independent practice activities, classwork, quizzes, lab write-ups, and observations.

At the end of each semester, a district-wide assessment will be administered to all science students. Each of these will count as 2.5% of the student’s grade for the year and there will be no opportunity to retest for them.

No extra credit will be given.

Retake

Grade recovery will be available for students scoring 69% or below on summative assessments (not including the DFAs). Students are responsible for requesting a retest by the means of a completed retesting contract which is available on the website or from me. All retesting must occur in the quarter in which the original assessment was given and students must complete a review of the material before retest. The highest grade entered in the grade book will be a 70% after retesting and students can only retest once.

Advanced Science

Students in advanced science, as part of a curriculum that reflects rigor and relevance, will be expected to perform a Science Fair Project during the first semester. More information on this will follow in the upcoming weeks. These students will also be learning additional material to meet the high school standards listed in the Quarterly Outline on the previous page. Concepts will be covered more in depth and at a faster pace.

Absences

When students are absent from class, it is their responsibility to obtain and complete any work that they missed. All students have the number of days missed plus one day to make up work once they return to school.

Edmodo

We will be utilizing the website help facilitate communication this year. I will have a class page on Edmodo and will be using it to keep everyone updated on class happenings. Each student will need to have an account and will be provided a code to be able to access the class page. This will help ensure their privacy. Further details will be sent home in the first few days of school.

Contacting Me

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. I will do my best to keep you informed of class happenings through Edmodo and email updates.

The best way to contact me is via email at If you prefer, you can reach me by phone through the school office during school hours. Please be aware that I check my email in the mornings and afternoons to allow me to focus on students during the day. Therefore, it may take up to 48 hours for a response.