Biology

COURSE SYLLABUS

Mrs. Granquist

(760) 787-4162

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This is a general Biology course. At Ramona High School, two years of science are required for graduation. This course fulfills the one-year Life Science requirement.

COURSE OUTLINE

This course is based upon the textbook Modern Biology.

We will try to cover as much material as we can. It is impossible, however, to cover this entire book in nine months, so we will select the most important and interesting chapters as we go. The course is divided into three units:

I.  Biology of Cells-The biology of cells includes the structure and function of cells and organelles, energy flow, respiration, photosynthesis, genetics, meiosis, mitosis, and protein synthesis.

II.  Biology of Populations-The biology of populations includes ecology and evolution.

III.  Biology of Organisms-The biology of organisms includes the classification and study of organisms from the five taxonomic Kingdoms: bacteria, protists, fungi, plants, and animals.

GRADING POLICIES

Methods of instruction and learning will include lectures, discussions, reading, writing, demonstrations, labs, cooperative group work, video, study guides, textbook work, online assignments, and problem solving.

Students will be evaluated on the following criteria:

1)  ATTENDANCE/CLASS PARTICIPATION-Even though there are no points taken away for absences, attendance is certainly the most important indicator of a student’s ultimate success or failure. The bottom line is that students who are absent and/or unprepared for class frequently do not do well. This is because the methods of instruction and learning in this course include discussions, lectures, labs, and group work, all of which are impossible to make up. A missed worksheet can be made up, but a class discussion or a laboratory experiment cannot be recreated for an absent student.

With that said, all work missed due to an excused absence is the student’s responsibility to make up and hand in on time (see “HOMEWORK” below). Assignments and due dates will be posted in the classroom. I am available EVERY DAY at lunch and during ELT for questions about make-up work and for students who need help. It is the STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY to determine what assignments have been missed and arrange to make them up. Students will not be individually reminded to make up work. Missed TESTS must be made up AT ELT or LUNCH ON THE DAY THE STUDENT RETURNS TO SCHOOL AFTER AN EXCUSED ABSENCE (there are no make-ups for unexcused absences). This, too, is the student’s responsibility.

2)  NOTEBOOK-Each student is required to maintain a 3-ring binder notebook in which he or she will keep all work. This notebook does not have to be solely for Biology, but it must be three-ring style and it must have a special section for Biology only.

3)  HOMEWORK-Homework/classwork is due in the form of a PACKET on the day we complete each unit and take the unit exam. On these days, students will remove all assignments for a particular chapter or unit from their 3-ring binders and staple the papers in order. The packet will be handed in and work will be graded for neatness, completeness, and accuracy.

LATE PACKETS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED! Due dates will be posted in the classroom, so plan ahead and be responsible!

4)  QUIZZES and TESTS-At the end of each unit (units consist of one or more chapters from the text), a test will be given. Quizzes will also be given from time to time and will always be announced ahead of time. Students who have completed all assignments and who have studied these assignments should succeed on the quizzes and tests.

There will be multiple-choice final exams given at the end of each semester.

5)  PARTICIPATION-Students are expected to participate in class. Participation includes, but is not limited to, answering questions in class, adding in a positive way to a classroom discussion, or helping in class by setting up before or cleaning up after labs and other activities. Each student will be given 10 “Participation Cards.” When the student participates, he or she will hand in a card. A student can participate more than once per class, but only one card can be handed in a day. Each card is worth 10 points, so this is a 100-point assignment.

6)  LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS & ACTIVITIES-Biology is a laboratory science class. For most of the activities we do, students will be working with a group. However, each student will be required to hand in his or her own write-up/lab report. Sometimes these reports will be formal and sometimes they will be informal. Formal reports include a title, introduction, purpose/hypothesis, materials, detailed procedure including independent variables, dependent variables, and variables to be controlled, data, analysis, and conclusions. Informal reports may be something like filling out a data table and answering a set of analysis questions.

All packets, tests, and other projects will be given numeric scores.

The grading scale is 100-90% is an A, 89-80% is a B, 79-70% is a C, 69-60% is a D, and below 59% is failing. Grades will not be “rounded.”

CLASSROOM PROCEDURES

You are here to learn. The following rules of behavior are intended to provide every student with a safe and secure environment that is conducive to academic success. Be aware that failure to follow these classroom procedures and lab safety rules can result in a zero for that day’s assignment, removal from class for the day, or even permanent expulsion from class.

1)  All students should enter the classroom before the bell and be ready to begin work immediately when the bell rings.

2)  DO NOT TALK WHEN THE TEACHER (or a student recognized by the teacher) IS TALKING!

3)  COME TO CLASS PREPARED TO WORK! You must bring your 3-ring binder, paper, and pens/pencils. I also require the use of colored pencils on biological sketches.

4)  NO EATING OR DRINKING IN CLASS!

5)  NO CELL PHONES IN CLASS! Unless otherwise specified by the teacher, cell phones should be turned OFF and put away out of sight.

6)  Follow all RHS and LAB SAFETY rules. You are responsible for knowing these.

7)  Cheating is NOT TOLERATED in any form.

8)  DO NOT damage or write on any of the furniture in the classroom.