Welcome to 8th Grade PhysicalScience!

INSTRUCTOR: Mrs. Emily EllsmoreRoom 4 email:

GOAL: All students will learn SCIENCE and experience success in a caring environment where learning is active and relevant.

REQUIRED MATERIALS that you need to have with you every class:

  • Textbook (issued first day of class)
  • 3-ring binder (1”-2”) with dividers (specifically for science)
  • Lined binder paper
  • Pencils and/or pens

CLASS RULES

  • Be respectful of others, classroom and school
  • Be prepared, positive and productive
  • BESAFE!

Absolutely NO eating or drinking in the classroom!

ELECTRONICS POLICY In accordance with the school Electronics Policy; cell phones, IPods, or any other electronic devices should be TURNED OFF and OUT OF SIGHT when you are in the classroom. The consequences for violating these rules are as follows:

  • First Offense: the device will be taken to the office and the student can pick it up after school.
  • Second Offense: a parent will need to pick it up and student will serve detention/campus clean-up.
  • Third-Fourth Offenses: a parent will need to pick it up and studentwill serve SaturdaySchool.
  • Fifth Offense: the student will be suspended.

IF YOU NEED TO LEAVE CLASS … Four (4) hall passes are issued per semester. You can use a pass to go to your locker, use the bathroom, or go to the office. Students that do not use all of their passes by the end of the semester will receive 10 points extra credit for each unused pass. This is to reward students that plan ahead and are prepared for class.

LABORATORY SAFETY

ALWAYS!!!!

  • WEAR EYE PROTECTION AND APRONS (from set up to clean up)
  • KEEP LONG HAIR & LOOSE CLOTHING TIED BACK
  • FOLLOW ALL LAB PROCEDURES AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR CLEAN UP
  • REPORT ALL ACCIDENTS AND SPILLS IMMEDIATELY TO THE TEACHER
  • AVOID SKIN CONACT WITH CHEMICALS (remove materials from skin by flushing with water and alert teacher immediately)
  • WIPE LAB TABLE AND WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER ALL LABS
  • KNOW THE LOCATION OF THE SAFETY EQUIPMENT

NEVER!!!!

  • CONDUCT UNAUTHORIZED EXPERIMENTS
  • PLACE ANY MATERIALS IN THE SINK WITHOUT PERMISSION
  • TASTE THINGS IN THE LAB (unless instructed to do so)
  • THROW OBJECTS, RUN, OR HORSE-PLAY IN THE CLASSROOM

FAILURE TO OBEY THE SAFETY RULES WILL RESULT IN DISMISSAL FROM THE CLASSROOM AND POSSIBLY THE COURSE

GRADING POLICY Your grade will be calculated as follows:

Projects & Labs (40%)

Exams & Quizzes (30%)

Assignments (20%)

Science Binder (10%)

OVERALL GRADE:

100-90% = A 89-80%= B 79-70%= C 69-60% = D Less than 60% = F

  • All exams (except for cumulative semester finals) can be retaken once to raise your grade.
  • Cheating on quizzes or exams, copying or allowing others to copy your workwill result in a score of ZERO and will necessitate a student-teacher conference.
  • Updated grades will be posted in the classroom and on Aries Online Gradebookat the beginning of each week.If you have a question about your grade, please ask me privately, not during class. Students that regularly monitor their grade progress typically do better in the class.
  • Late work will be worth50%, at most, of the original scoreand will NOT be accepted if later than two weeks past the due date.
  • If you are absent, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to make up the assigned work. You will be given a one day extension to complete make-up work for each day missed. Consult the “What did I miss in Science?” binder to get assignments and worksheets. Class notes need to be borrowed from a classmate and transferredin your own writinginto your binder. Lab experiments often cannot be made up and therefore alternative assignments will be given.

DAILY ROUTINE

  • Start of Class:
  • Please be in your seat before the bell rings with all of the required materials, otherwise you will be marked tardy.
  • Begin writing down the homework on your Science 2-Week Planner worksheet. Next, work on the Warm Up problems by writing out each question. Make sure to show ALL of your workfor the answers.
  • End of Class:
  • When lab tables and room are clean, everyone needs to be sitting quietly in their seats.
  • The teacher dismisses the class, not the bell!

TEACHER AVAILABILITY

I am ALWAYS happy to answer questions about assignments and grades or address other concerns. I am available during lunch and after school on most days. Scheduling a time to meet with me in advanced will ensure that I am available.

Check out the Science Webpage!!!(calendar of classwork, homework and project due dates)

Go to mjusdcharter.ss4.sharpschool.com Academics Staff Directory Teachers Ellsmore

*************CUT HERE & RETURN BOTTOM SECTION TO THE INSTRUCTOR***********

KEEP OTHER PAGES IN YOUR BINDER FOR REFERENCE!

Student’s Name (Print)______Date ______Block______

I have been informed of the required materials, class rules, grading policy and laboratory safety rules for Mrs. Ellsmore’s Science Class.

______

Student SignatureParent/Guardian Signature

SKILLS FOR SUCCESS

Work Ethic(responsibility and effort)

Effective Communication (written and oral)

Critical Thinking (problem solving, analysis and application)

Comprehension and Understanding (LEARNING SCIENCE!!!)

Cooperative Collaboration (group activities, labs and projects)

BINDER INFORMATION

Your binder is a very important learning and organizational tool that will help you be successful in this class. Your full name should be written clearly on the front and/or spine of your binder. You will take binder quizzes and be turning in your binder periodically throughout the semester with or without notice. Bring your binder to class every day, keep it up to date and stay organized!

ORGANIZE the sections of your binder with dividers (or sticky notes)as follows:

Section 1. 2-WeekPlanners – There will always be homework to write down and warm-up questions on the board to complete and discuss at the beginning of class. You must neatly write out the questions and show ALL work on answers to get full credit for each question.

Section 2. Notes– Date and title all class notes and keep them in order according to date. The Syllabus, Binder Information and Safety Sheet will be kept in the front of this section for the entire year.

Section 3. Graded Work –Keep graded work until the end of the semester and use the questions as a source of study material. Always make sure that you have received full credit for each assignment when grades are posted (Aries and classroom) at the beginning of the week. Mistakes can happen! Please let me know if I have made a mistake in grading and I will gladly fix it.

8th GRADE PHYSICAL SCIENCE CLASS OUTLINE(may be subject to change)

Semester 1:

  • Laboratory Safety and Techniques
  • Chapter 3: Properties of Matter
  • Chapter 4: States of Matter
  • Chapter 5: Elements, Compounds and Mixtures
  • Chapter 6: Introduction to Atoms
  • Chapter 7: The Periodic Table
  • Chapter 8: Chemical Bonding

Semester 2:

  • Chapter 9: Chemical Reactions
  • Chapter 10: Chemical Compounds
  • Chapter 11: Chemistry of Living Things
  • Chapter 12: Matter in Motion
  • Chapter 13-14: Forces in Motion and Fluids
  • Chapter 15: Stars, Galaxies and the Universe
  • Chapter 16: Our Solar System

Check out the Science Webpage!!!

Go to mjusdcharter.ss4.sharpschool.com Academics Staff Directory Teachers Ellsmore