Biology-HONORS-Mr. Brigman
Times available: Wednesday 3:40-4:40 and by appointment
Welcome to pre-AP Biology or HONORS Biology, this is the course syllabus that includes all rules, guidelines, grading procedures, and a general layout for the year. Please read this thoroughly, and have your parents/guardians read, sign, and return the bottom portion of this packet. Keep this syllabus in the front of your binder for reference.
Course Objectives
- Preparation for End of Course Testing in Biology
- Sufficient knowledge gained for real world application
- Gain necessary knowledge for further science courses
- Preparation for college level biology courses as well as demonstrate the appropriate workload for a college course
- This class will be taught as a pre-AP course with the idea that you will be going into AP biology in the near future. Even If you do not plan to do so, you will be taking it at a four year university.
Lab Safety Conduct
- No food or drink while conducting a lab
- No horseplay period.
- Always wear closed toed shoes when told to do so
- Always pull long hair and shirt sleeves back when told to do so
- Do not touch lab materials until instructed to do so
- You will be specified if any additional rules need to be added to specific lab activities
- If an emergency does occur, eye wash station is located at the back sink. If something else, notify teacher before you take action
- Failure to follow these rules will result in removal from lab and a zero for the daily grade for that assignment
Expectations of Behavior
- You are expected to obey all school and district rules
- Come to class prepared (ID, notebook, paper, writing utensil, and any work for the day), and in your seat ready to work when the bell rings. The bell does not dismiss you from class, I do.
- Be expected to work from bell to bell
- Respect yourself, the teacher, and other students in the room. Any behavior that prevents me from teaching and prevents students from learning will not be tolerated.
- Be polite towards others, and respect their opinions, comments, and remarks. Any inappropriate comments or disrespect toward other students or to the teacher will result in a referral.
- This class requires that everyone participate in order to learn properly. If you don’t participate, then you are preventing everyone else from learning, and consequences will be given for that behavior.
Absences, tardies, and missed work:
If you are absent or tardy from class, it is your responsibility to get your made up work. It is okay to ask other students what you have missed if you are tardy. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to arrange a time to get your make up work. DO NOT disrupt my class to ask me what you missed. Assignments, video links, and notes are also available on my website and are kept current. If this is not an option, you need to come to me afterschool or before school to get your work. I will NOT track you down to make sure you turn in late assignments. You are to personally place missed work in my hands so that I know you turned it in. Do not place it on my desk. You have two class periods from the day you return to school. Work that was due on the day you were absent is due the day you come back to my class. If you are absent for more than two class periods, come see me privately to discuss how we will handle the late work.
Class Procedures-consequences
Violations of these rules will result in a verbal warning for the first violation. A 15 minute detention will be issued for the second violation. For the third, a 30 minute detention will be issued for afterschool. If any repeated behavior occurs more than 3 times, a referral to the administration will be necessary. Detentions will be served on the weekly detention day that I will establish, with absolutely no exceptions. If you have to work or you participate in an extracurricular activity, I suggest you not receive a detention. If you miss your detention, your time will double, and if missed again, it will be turned over to the administration.
Classroom Procedures-student/teacher/parent relationship
It is very important that we communicate well with each other in order to achieve success. As a student in my class, it is expected that you will give your best, and I will promise to do the same. You will respect me, each other, and also yourself. If you cannot do these things, you will be referred to the administration. You will be required to keep a notebook in class.
You will be required to be on time, and participatory. If you show up late to my class, you will need a tardy pass from the office to get in. Three tardies equals an absence, and absences/tardies result in disciplinary action by the school. Also, repetitive tardiness will result in afterschool detentions served for me. If they become a problem, you will have to serve however long you were tardy with me afterschool. You will be required to participate in all class activities. We will be doing a lot of activities that require everyone’s participation, and if one person does not do their job correctly, then you have wasted my time, and that means that I will be wasting your time also.
As a teacher, I am not here to be your friend, but I am here because I care. If you or the parent/guardian ever needs my help with anything, you know where my classroom is. Don’t hesitate to talk to me about anything, even if it does not pertain to my class. If you do happen to get into trouble in my class, it doesn’t mean that I don’t like you; it just means that your behavior needs adjusting, and I am trying to help you become a better all-around person. Finally, success in my class does not mean you get an A; success means that you have improved as best as you possibly can in the time you have been in my class.
You as a student are required by the school to keep a powerschool account. I keep grades very current on powerschool. I encourage parents to log onto powerschool to view your child’s grades. The reason why the school has this program is for parents and the student to have a better idea what the grade is currently, and to be able to make necessary changes before report cards go out. I will keep in consistent contact with parents to ensure that you’re successful in my class.
Grading Procedures
Do not come to me when grades are due asking me what can you do to get a better grade, it’s too late. Late work will be accepted with a 50pt deduction for each day it is late. Homework will be due at the beginning of class, and if it is not turned in at the beginning of class, it will be considered late and 25 pts will be deducted
Tests and quizzes45%
Homework, class work, lab work30%
Projects and written lab reports15%
District Nine Weeks Exams10%
Grading Scale
F 0-69D 70-76C 77-84B 85-92A 93 or higher
Testing, Homework, and Projects
Unit tests will come from the notes given, lab activities, demonstrations, group activities, and the reading that is to be done outside of class. If there are parts in the textbook we are not covering, I will let you know in advance. You will not be required to read or understand that particular material. On average, we will cover about a chapter every two weeks, so be prepared for a test every two weeks. Since this is a pre-CP course, we will go into great amounts of detail, so the subject material will be difficult. One recommendation is for you to understand the vocabulary list prior to teaching that particular material. I good way to keep up with this will be the use of flashcards. Keep in mind that flashcards are only vocabulary, and you will be tested with critical thinking and discussion type questions, but knowing the vocabulary is a must. Also, every nine weeks will be a district wide nine weeks exam that counts 10% of your grade for that particular nine weeks. Keep in mind this is an EOC class and you will be taking an EOC exam that counts 20% of your entire year grade. That means that it counts as much as an entire nine weeks worth.
Homework will be given on a regular basis that reinforces what you learned in class. You will NOT be given a study guide that “looks similar to the test.” You will be required to make your own study guide that will be due on the day of the test. Most of your homework should come from you doing outside reading in the textbook in order for you to stay ahead of the material. HWK will be given class periods before it is due, and often times it will be due on test day. You will not be required to bring your textbook to class every day. I have a class set of the textbooks that will be used when needed in class. Projects will be assigned at least once per nine weeks. They will be in the form of posters, lab write ups, papers, etc. Project guidelines will be given in adequate enough time to be completed, and usually will have to be turned in in multiple parts. It is important that you complete the projects on time. They are 15% of your grade and will dramatically alter your grade if not completed.
Unit / dates / Textbook chapters and pages- Biological Themes and Inquiry Skills
- Biochemistry and Enzymes
- Cell Structure and Function
- Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration
- Cell Growth and Division
- Meiosis and Sexual Reproduction
- Mendelian Genetics
- Genetics
- Protein Synthesis
- Biotechnology
- Evolutionary Theory
- Ecology
- Human Body
Schedule for the Year
Syllabus and Lab Safety Contract
I, ______(student, print), and ______(parent/guardian, print name) understand the requirements of this syllabus, and agree to adhere to all policies and procedures set forth by the school, administration, and by Mr. Brigman. I, the student, also understand that if I do NOT follow these strict guidelines, I will be given consequences that are described above. I, the student, will follow all lab safety requirements in order to maintain a safe learning environment. And finally, I, the student, will have fun, and learn a lot about biology and what makes us who we are.
Parents: you must provide at least one method of contact 1st number:
Preferred contact information: 2nd number:
email address(s): ______
______
Student signature______Date: ______
Parent(s)/guardian(s) signatures______