Dickerson Middle School

High School Physical ScienceSyllabus

2016-2017

Ms. Ruehman

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Class Description

This is a High School Physical Science class that will include topics from chemistry and physics. Students have the opportunity to earn high school credit therefore a state mandated end of course test will be administered in May. This test will be 20% of the student’s final grade.

Textbook: Holt Physical Science

WEBSITE: my.hrw.com (username: dickerson8th) (password: raiders)

Specific units of study for Physical Scienceinclude:

  • Matter Types: Compounds and Mixtures
  • Heat, Temperature, Phases of Matter
  • Atomic Structure, Periodic Trends, Radioactivity
  • Chemical Bonding and Naming, Chemical Reaction Types, Law of Conservation of Mass
  • Force and Motion
  • Work and Power/ Transformations of Energy
  • Magnets, Electricity/Circuits, Electromagnetism.
  • Sound, Light, Wave Types and Characteristics.

Academic Expectations

This class will be conducted at a high school level with the student being responsible for his or her own learning. Each student is expected to come to class prepared with appropriate supplies to complete his or her work everyday. I require a science notebook, blue or black pens, pencils, index cards, markers or color pencils each day. The 3 subject science notebook will be left in the classroom and used daily.

Absences and Make-Up Work

It is the student’s responsibility to completeallwork missed during an absence. It is expected that students check the blog daily– especially if absent. Any work due the day of the absence is expected to be turned in the day the student returns to school. In accordance with Cobb County policy, for each day that the student is absent they will have one day to make up work that was assigned while they were absent. This does not apply to work that was assigned prior to the absence, nor does it apply to work assigned during an unexcused absence. Some assignments, such as labs, may not be able to be made up because they involved materials that can only be used in class. An alternative assignment will be assigned. Any test given the day of the student’s absence must be made up on the assigned make-up test day, which will be posted on the blog. Make-up tests will be a different format than the original test.

Grading

The grading for this class is based on the following grade distribution:

40% - Tests / Projects

20% - Quizzes

10% - Labs / Classwork

10% - Homework

20% -End of Course Test

Notebook

Each student is required to keep a Science notebook. We will follow an interactive notebook format. It should have the following sections:

  1. General Information (Syllabus should be included in this section)
  2. Opening / Warm-Up Activities (Notebook checks will happen two to four times a semester)
  3. Notes and student-created work.

Student Responsibilities:

  1. Be on time for class.
  2. Be prepared for class; that includes assignments and supplies.
  3. Be respectful and responsible to your classmates – don’t interfere with the learning of others.
  4. Follow all safety procedures and rules during labs. Unsafe behavior will result in a zero for that activity.
  5. Please remember that attendance is essential for success. High School Science is a very fast paced, active class. A lot of material will be missed each day the student is absent.
  6. If you are absent, check the blog for your assignments. You will have the number of days that you were absent to make up your work if it is an EXCUSEDabsence. All make-up tests are essay tests. Going out of town is not an excused absence. All assignments must be collected prior to leaving town and turned in the day the student returns to school. If the student missed a test while out for an unexcused absence, they may be responsible for taking the test the morning of their return to school. It will also be the student’s responsibility to pick up any missed handouts.
  7. Students that copy another’s work on ANY assignment will earn a zero on that assignment. The student whose work was copied will also earn a zero on the assignment. Do not give anyone your work because it could put your grade in jeopardy.

Student Photographs: Please read and complete the attached permission to photograph form and return to your science teacher.

PLEASE SIGN NEXT PAGETO ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF SYLLABUS AND RETURN