General Biology Syllabus

Mrs. Wright
Room C131
E-Mail:
Phone: 937-845-4500 #3613

Website:

Introduction:
Welcome back to Tecumseh High School! I am very much looking forward to sharing my passion for Biology with you throughout the upcoming year. Biology is the study of life, and together we will explore the different characteristics that make something a living being. Below is a brief overview of the material we will cover together as well as my classroom expectations, grading policies, and other important information.This course will be a lot of work and a rewarding experience for you. Your success in the course rests heavily upon your desire and ability to be an active and engaged member of the scientific community that will form in our class.It is a new year and you have the opportunity to start fresh. Show yourself (and your teacher) that you can rise to the challenge of this class by working hard from the start!

Class Overview:
This is a comprehensive course designed to give students exposure to the foundations of life and the interconnectedness between biological systems, species, and ecosystems.

Required Materials:

1. Three-ring binder

2. 10 dividers

3. Paper (loose leaf or notebook)

4. Writing utensil

Discipline Procedures:

Should any of the below expectations not be met, the process is as follows:

1. A verbal warning will be given to the student.

2. If action continues after warning, a detention is written and parents/guardians are contacted.

-If the particular action is not only disruptive to the student but the entire class, that student may be asked to sit in the hallway.

-During detentions, students must fill out a reflection form and discuss it with Mrs. Wright.

3. If action continues after 2 detentions are given, an office referral will be written and parents/guardians are contacted.

“If you treat a person as s/he is, s/he will stay as s/he is. But if you treat a person as if s/he were what s/he ought to be and could be, s/he will become the bigger and better person.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Policies to Know

Topic / My Policy
In-Class Work / In class assignments are meant to be completed IN CLASS. When these are given, they must be initialed by Mrs. Wright before the end of class in order to receive full credit and avoid disciplinary procedures.
Late work / Late work is accepted until the day of the test for that unit. After a unit test, no work is accepted.
Late work is automatically 50% off.
Cell Phones / Cell phones are not allowed to be used.
Permission to listen to music while working independently is a privilege and can be earned, but is not permitted at the beginning of the school year.
Backpacks / Backpacks may be kept at your seat, but are not allowed on top of the desks, they must be on the floor and under your desk out of the way of walking paths.
Lab Stations / While NOT in lab: Lab stations are off limits to students unless given permission.
While IN lab: Water, air and gas valves are to be used ONLY IF NECESSARY. DO NOT put anything down the drain except for water unless given permission to do so.
Bathroom Passes / You must have your agenda and my pass already filled out and ready to go before I sign it.
When asking for permission to go to the restroom, do so during respectful and appropriate times.
Absences / What to do if you are absent:
1. Give me your attendance slip.
2. See the “Absent work” folder
3. Let me know if you have questions
Extra Copies of Assignments / Extra copies of assignments can be found in the extra copies folder.
When the extra copies folder runs out, I will not print any more copies BUT you may go to my website (listed above) and download/print a copy on your own time.
Cheating and Plagiarism / Cheating and plagiarism are not acceptable. This occurs when a student engages in any behavior or uses any unauthorized device (including but not limited to cell phones, calculators, and other electronic devices), which gives the student an unfair advantage or represents another person’s work as his/her own. Examples of these behaviors include, but are not limited to: talking during assessments, using cheat sheets (paper or electronic), looking at or copying another student’s work, and/or relaying information to students in other classes about specific information covered in that class on a test or quiz. Should an incident of cheating occur, the student(s) will receive a zero and be sent to the principal’s office.