Geosciences CP Syllabus
Contact Information:
Mrs. Stillwagon
Room C-7
Email:
Phone #: 498-3676 x1207
Class Website: http://www.newburyparkhighschool.net/stillwagon/
Required Text and Workbook:
Earth Science (Prentice Hall Publishing, © 2006)
Earth Science Reading and Study Workbook A (Prentice Hall Publishing, © Pearson Education, Inc.)
Class Expectations:
* You need to bring your textbook, workbook, and other materials daily
* Take care of your restroom needs before class
* Have your homework on your desk at the beginning of class
* Start working on the daily warm up after setting out your homework
* You are expected to study your notes every night
* You are required to take notes
* You have to keep all work organized in a binder until the end of the sub-term
* You are not allowed to work on homework for this class or any other class unless you have permission
Course Description:
In the first sub-term we will focus on what Science is, Astronomy, Earth’s Crust, and Plate Tectonics. In the second sub-term we will explore Earthquakes and Volcanoes, Atmosphere and Wind, California Geology, and Oceans.
Materials:
* Textbook and Workbook
* 3 ring binder that is at least 1”
* Pencils and 3 different colored pens
* College ruled lined paper (lots)/ graphing paper
* Color pencils (optional)
* Scissors and glue (optional)
Absent Work:
If you are absent, it is your responsibility to make up all your work, quizzes, and tests. Since there is a Class Website the excuse “I didn’t know” will not work!
Making up Class Work and Homework: Use the Class Website to find out what your missing assignments are and make them up within one day of your absence. Any work not made up within one day will be considered Late Work. It is your responsibility to ask for any worksheets that you need to make up work.
Making up Quizzes and Tests: Use the Class Website to find out if you missed a quiz or test and the day you come back to school, make an appointment to make up your quiz or test. Make ups are held during lunch or after school, never during class. If you choose to make up a quiz or test during lunch you must be in my classroom within the first 2 minutes of the lunch period and you must complete your test during the lunch period. You cannot stop and start again after you begin your test, so if you are a slow test taker, do not choose to make up tests at lunch. If you choose to take your test after school, you can take all the time you need to complete your test or quiz. If you miss a lunch time appointment your only other option will be to do your make up after school that day. You will lose 5% from your quiz or test grade for every day you forget to make an appointment and you will lose 10% if you miss an appointment. Don’t Forget!
Late Work:
If you miss an assignment, you have until the day before the test to turn in that assignment for up to half credit. Assignments not turned in by the day before the test will not receive any credit. You will be given two passes for computer problems, but once those are used up you will not be excused from anymore assignments
Tardiness and Truancies:
You have three days to have you parents excuse your missed classes. If they fail to do so any missed assignments will count as zeros, any makeup work will receive zero credit, and any quizzes or exams will receive zeros, so make sure you are excused. If you have an unexcused tardy, missed information will not be explained to you and missed quizzes cannot be made up. You will receive warnings for your first and second tardy, you will receive an after school detention for the third and fourth tardy, you will receive a SWS and a call home for the fifth tardy, and the sixth tardy you will be dropped from the class with an “F”. The only way that I will excuse a tardy is to receive a note or email from the office. If you are more than 30 minutes late to class you will be marked absent, not tardy. You will be issued a detention for the first two truancies, a SWS for the third truancy, and dropped from the class with an “F” for the fourth truancy.
Grades: Grading will be based on the following percentages, using category weights:
97-100% = A+ / 83-86% = B / 69-72% = C- / 0-59% = Fno credit
93-96% = A / 79-82% = B- / 67-68% = D+
89-92% = A- / 77-78% = C+ / 63-66% = D
87-88% = B+ / 73-76% = C / 60-62% = D-
*Stamped Work = 10% / *Exams = 40% / *Binder = 10%
*Collected Work= 20% / *Participation= 5% / *Final = 15%
Electronic Devices:
You are not allowed to use any electronic devices in this class unless they have been approved. You are never allowed to use a cell phone for any reason. In other words, no phone calls, no texting, no internet use, no games, no videos, and no music (you can’t even use one to check the time). You will receive an after school detention for the first three times I have to take away an unapproved electronic device. After your third violation your parent or guardian will have to come to my classroom to pick up your device and you will be assigned a Saturday Work/Study (SWS).
Other Class Rules:
* There is no eating or drinking with the exception of sugar-free bottled/capped drinks.
* Keep the classroom clean, no throwing paper or trash on the floor.
* If you are not in your seat when the bell rings, you are tardy, and running to your chair will earn you a detention.
* If my TA or I have to wait for you to get your homework and stamp card on your desk the most you will receive is ½ credit.
* If you fail to start your warm up after you have set out your homework you can receive a detention.
* If you turn in your work after I have collected it from the rest of the class it is late.
* If you are doing your homework during lecture, you will receive a zero on that assignment.
* If you are doing or completing your homework at the beginning of class you will receive a zero on that assignment.
* If you do not stay on task (including note taking) you can receive a detention.
* You may not pack up your bag until the bell rings or I give you permission.
* If your property is taken away from you because you were using it at an inappropriate time, I will not be responsible if it is lost stolen or damaged, so do not break the rules and there will not be any problems.
* Any detentions not served by the assigned dead line will turn into SWS.
CVUSD- Academic Dishonesty Policy & How is Applies to Science:
§ Cheating and plagiarism are intolerable and any infringement will result in a zero on that homework, lab, exam, etc. and a referral will be turned in to administration.
§ All work MUST be in your own words even if you and a friend are “discussing it/working together.” This includes homework study questions, labs (ex: conclusion questions), article questions, video questions, etc. If work is either identical or near identical (not completely your own), it is defined as cheating unless I explicitly state that an assignment is to be completed in pairs or groups and one product is to be turned in.
§ Labs are NEVER to be e-mailed to lab partners unless specifically mentioned as allowable.
o Possible exception for non-IB classes: If a lab was missed due to illness or sports event and a teacher tells you to get the data from another student, then raw data ONLY can be shared (numbers & observations). No other part of the lab can be discussed, shared, or copied. If you are confused about an aspect of the lab make-up, see the teacher.
§ Summary of consequences: 1st infraction at NPHS results in a zero on the assignment and an academic contract; 2nd infraction at NPHS within 2 years results in a drop/fail from that 2nd class)