David Hakim
E-mail:
Class wikispace: fieldbio.wikispaces.com
Course Overview:
This course deals with the some of the main ecological factors that have or will have a direct effect on your life. This class lasts one semester (two marking periods). This course is designed to help you succeed on the PSSA and/or keystone exam and to help make you a more well rounded individual and better able to make intelligent decisions on tough issues that are facing our planet. This course will be fairly fast paced due to the fact that we only have a short period of time to cover a fairly large amount of information. If you start to fall behind it is your responsibility to come to me for help, and please do.
Rules and Policies:
- BE PREPARED FOR CLASS! You must bring your notebook (binder), and writing utensil EVERY day.
- IN ORDER TO BE ON TIME, you must be in your seat and beginning the “at the bell” question when the bell rings. (3 lates to class = detention and one detention for each later after that).
- IF YOU ARE ABSENT, you are responsible for missed work. See fieldbio.wikispaces.com. If you are absent for an extended period of time (3 or more days) you have as much time as was originally allotted to complete missed work. Test make-ups must be completed on your own time NOT during class time. Missing school the day before a test does not exempt you from taking it!
- IF I AM ABSENT, whatever you are doing will be graded. I expect you to be perfect on these days.
- Cheating and/or plagiarizing will result in an immediate zero for the assignment / activity / test / lab / etc. “Working together” doesn’t mean you should have the same exact answers.
- Be respectful and courteous to your classmates!
- Absolutely NO cell phones. Check your messages after class.
Grading:
· You will be graded based on a point total. You will always know your grade; simply add up all of your points and divide by the point total.
Your point total will include 50 points of class participation or APP (Appropriate and Productive Participation). This is about the same as one test grade (productive participation is a must!).
100% = 50 points – student gets help when needed, completes ALL make up work, gives help to classmates when needed, appropriately and productively participates in classroom discussions and group work, and NEVER interrupts the learning of classmates
90% = 45 points – student gets help when needed, completes make up work, appropriately and productively participates in classroom discussions and group work most of the time, and does not interrupt the learning of classmates
80% = 40 points – student usually gets help when needed, usually completes make up work, appropriately and productively participates in classroom discussions and group work most of the time, and almost never interrupts the learning of classmates
70% = 35 points – student usually gets help when needed, and usually does not interrupt the learning of classmates
· What are “At The Bells”?
o ATB’s are questions that will be posted on the whiteboard…and it should be the first thing you do every day. These are to be completed daily and placed in your notebook! – Question, answer, and date! They may be used as: extra credit, a regular grade, a quiz, and/or a test question. You may use your notes, textbook, etc. to answer them. You may NOT talk during this time unless instructed to!!!
· What’s graded? …Basically everything
o Class participation points
o Question(s) of the Day
o In-class assignments and/or activities
o Homework (IE: review sheets)
o Quizzes
o Tests
Extra Credit?
· Extra credit is random and pops up frequently…but don’t count on it to make you pass the course.
What you will need:
· Notebook (binder): You will be required to keep a three-ring binder. This MUST include 3 sections:
· At the Bells (the question and answer with the date)
· Notes (organized fashion)
· Tests and Major Quizzes
· Homework (optional section)
A Word of Advice
You MUST pass this course to graduate! If you do not understand something or having any sort of problem please let me know right away.