O’Connor 1
O’Connor
Biology
20 August 2014
Biology Course Syllabus
Ms. O’Connor
Course Description
Biology is the study of life. During this course, we will be investigating the major characteristics of living things and the biochemical processes that allow us to be alive. The attached Biology Timeline gives a more detailed view of the topics that we will be studying.
Instructor Contact Information
My school email address is . Parents can also reach me by leaving a message at the school (365-6158).
We use Infinite Campus for grading. Use your student number and your birthdate to access your records. Parents and students, I hope you will both please check this regularly to keep track of how you are progressing in class.
Instructional Philosophy
I will strive to present the material in this course in a manner that will help students at all levels of learning to be successful and to be challenged. I will expect my students to come to class prepared to participate in class each day, and to complete their work in a timely manner and at a high level of quality. Work that is late or that does not meet specified standards will earn half credit. In addition to tests, quizzes, written work, group projects, and lab work, students will occasionally be required to make oral presentations to the class about a particular lesson or a project on which they have worked.
Learning Activities and Assessments
1. Expect to work in class every day.
2. Expect to have written homework at least three nights per week.
3. Expect to read a lot.
4. Expect to write a lot.
5. Expect frequent quizzes and unit tests. Quizzes may be announced or unannounced, but we will always review for a test as a class. Opportunities may be given for students to re-do parts of their tests after school or at lunch to improve a low grade.
6. Expect to complete one major project per grading period. One of these will be an individual research paper, and one of these will be a group project including an oral presentation.
7. Expect the course final exam to be comprehensive.
Grading Scale
The district has adopted a new grading scale including +/- grades. You can see this scale on p.8-9 of your student handbook, or online at the district’s website. My class grades reflect various types of grades, which are weighted as follows:
Tests & Quizes: 45%
Homework & Classwork: 45%
Project Grade: 10%
Missing work can still be made up for half credit – but only until the test for that unit or chapter is given. If you need help, I am available after school Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30 – 4:00; additionally, I am available at lunch most days.
Rules & Policies
A weekly syllabus will be provided. Daily papers will be kept in the file for your class.
Attendance matters!! It is your responsibility to get missed notes and work when you return from an absence. Most of what you need will be available in the file for your class, but be sure to ask the teacher if there is anything else you need. You must make up missed work and tests within the number of days that you were absent. The school policy regarding class absences will be followed. Please be sure to bring official excuses after any absence. Being in class means being there for the entire period. Tardiness will result in a Wednesday school, and you are limited to three hall passes per quarter. Unused hall pass coupons can be turned in for extra credit at the end of the quarter.
Doing your work on time is important!! There is a positive correlation between doing your work and doing well on tests and quizzes. Class work and homework that is turned in late will receive half credit up until the chapter or unit test is given. Little or no credit may be given for an assignment after we have reviewed it in class.
Doing your own work is important!! Work that is copied will receive no credit. The work that was copied will also receive a zero. Don’t copy. Don’t let others copy your work. In addition, school policy regarding plagiarism will be followed. We will talk more about that when a major project or paper is assigned.
Required Course Materials
1. Your textbook, Biology, by Glencoe Science
2. A notebook or paper to write on and a pencil or pen – NOT RED – to write with.
3. A quadrille-ruled (graph paper grid) composition notebook.
4. A folder to keep all class papers in.
5. A flash drive for saving your work when we are in the computer lab. Keep it in your backpack to have it available all the time!
6. All Biology students must pay a lab fee of $5.00 (cash or check made out to Eastmoor Academy Science) by October 1. We cannot purchase materials for labs without collecting these fees. However, if this presents a hardship for your family, please have a parent contact me.
7. Goggles (available for purchase for $5.00 or you can borrow goggles on lab days.)
8. Please also provide one box of Kleenex or Puffs tissues, or one bottle of hand sanitizer. Thank you!
I am very happy to have you in my class this year and I look forward to communicating with your parents frequently as together we work towards your achieving success in Biology.