Advanced Biology 2007-08

Advanced Biology – 2007-08

Mr. Hames

Room 114

Textbook:

Course Packet as compiled by Ms. Amy Koch, Ms. Lara Pacifici, Mr. Scott Caudill, Dr. Andree Genez, and Mr. Hames

Supplies:

One section in your 3 ring binder.

Planner: used for all classes

Folder for homework: used for all classes

Colored pencils: optional

Course description:

Advanced Biology is a first-year course designed to introduce you to basic biological concepts. Topics that will be covered include ecology, biochemistry, cellular biology, bioenergetics, molecular biology, evolution, taxonomy, microbiology, botany, zoology, and human anatomy and physiology. In addition, this course is designed to increase your scientific literacy by exposing you to the latest in biological research and by teaching you to analyze and interpret scientific studies on your own. In order to succeed in this class, it is important that you try your best and keep up on a daily basis. Those that pay attention in class, do their homework regularly, and make up work from absences are successful in this class. You can expect about 20-30 minutes of homework per night. Not all homework assignments will be written! Doing well in this class requires that you take time to read, review, and study on a daily basis.

Rules

Come to class on time and ready to work.
Pay attention in class and behave responsibly.
Treat everyone in the class with respect.
No food or drink in class, except water in capped container.
Help to keep the community clean even when it is not your mess.
Help others learn through explaining what you know, asking what you don’t know,

working effectively in groups, and being aware of the expectations each day.

Attendance

Get any assignments that you missed into me in a reasonable amount of time. If you miss notes, you should copy them from a classmate. If you miss a test, see me the day you return to set up a time to make up the test. Make up tests are often not the same test as the original test. For some class activities (such as labs and projects), you may have to complete an alternative assignment. Work assigned before you were absent is due the day you return. It is difficult to be successful in high school without excellent attendance.

Grades

Your grades will be determined as follows:

Tests50%Quizzes/Homework/Labs50%

The midterm will count as 20% of your first semester grade.

The standardized End-of-Course test will count as 25% of your yearly grade.

Operating Procedures

You are expected to be in your desk ready to work when class begins. If tardy, you will have a lunch detention on first offense. Extenuating circumstances may cause you to be late. Talk to me, if you want to explain your tardiness before leaving the class that day. If you have a reason that you were late that was out of your control, then I will not consider you tardy. Often I will not accept late daily homework assignments and if it is accepted it can only earn ½ credit. One minute late is the same as 1 month late. Doing homework during the first five minutes of class or just before class is NOT acceptable. I will accept late labs and projects (within reason), but deductions will be taken from the grade. Generally speaking it is one grade per day for these bigger assignments. Cheating or copying off another student is unacceptable, as is plagiarizing from the Internet or any other source. Any student caught cheating will receive a zero for his or her work, and this information will be passed on to any organizations that require information on character including Honor Council, National Honor Society, and Student Government. BOTH students will receive a zero in any case of sharing work. If one of your friends needs help, please help them. It doesn’t help them to give your work to them. Please use the bathroom before or after class. I will give extra credit with limits (I’ll explain in class). Suggested extra credit assignments include: tutoring other biology students, summarizing interesting science articles, making up biology games or activities, making a model, arranging to bring in an unusual organism for show-and-tell, or writing a report on what you learn on a visit to a zoo or science museum. Please get your extra credit idea approved before doing it to make sure it will be ok.

Labs and Projects Rubric

Scientific research requires originality, meticulousness, insight, grace, and persistence. When I grade your labs (both formal and informal reports), I will be looking for all of these qualities. The following rubric describes how grades will be assigned.

A – Work shows thought and a complex understanding of the concepts studied. Often include elaboration or original examples and thoughts. Work is very neat with diagrams, tables, and/or graphs labeled clearly. Details such as axis labels on graphs, magnification of microscope, sources for information are included throughout the work

B – Work is accurate but does not reveal depth of understanding. Work may lack neatness and/or tables, graphs, etc. are not properly labeled. Minimal detail given.

C – Work shows a few misunderstandings of the concepts and definitely lack elaboration with minimal detail. OR work lacks depth AND is sloppy.

D – Work includes major misunderstandings of the material OR work show a few misunderstandings AND is sloppy.

F – Work is clearly incomplete and shows very little evidence of effort or thought.

Resources

This class has a large number of extra resources available to the student in case they need extra help. There is no excuse for not being successful in this class. This includes not knowing what the homework is, not completing it on time, not getting explanations in a timely fashion, and not making up work in a timely fashion. Take advantage of the help that is available to be a star.

Mr. Hames’ website:

Mr. Hames email :

Mr. Hames phone (no later than 930 please): 325-7844

Mr. Hames has a library of books available for checkout if needed.

The internet has a whole array of sites available for help when needed.

Tutoring with Mr. Hames is available on Tuesdays at Lunch.

Make up days for labs and tests are Tuesdays and Thursdays at lunch, along with Tuesdays after school. Let me know you are coming, so I can have your materials ready. (Sometimes help is available on those days too)

I have read and understand the class procedures above.

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