Chemistry 2016-2017

Marianne Fusselman – Charles Akins High School

Phone: (512) 841-9891

E-mail:

Course Objectives

This class is designed as a secondary level science class for high school students. This class is meant to prepare students for future science classes, standardized tests, and college and/or postsecondary fields of science. Students will also be able to practice safe and effective laboratory skills, as well as apply chemistry to everyday life.

Course Expectations

Students in Ms. Fusselman’s Chemistry class are expected to:

  • Be in class every day ready to work, putting the best effort forward.
  • Be respectful of the classroom, the teacher, other students, and themselves.
  • Practice safe and effective laboratory skills.
  • Achieve at the highest level, exceeding all expectations.

Course Layout

This class will follow the layout described below:

  • Students will be in their assigned seats when the bell rings working on warm-up.
  • Students must be prepared for lab every day, following all safety precautions.
  • Students must clean their tables, lab stations, etc. before leaving class.
  • Hall passes will only be issued to a student twice during a six weeks period.
  • Students must be in their assigned seats in order to be dismissed by the teacher when the bell rings.
  • Students must keep an organized composition notebook.

Course Evaluation

  1. Minor Grades-- Including daily quizzes, laboratory reports, homework………………………………….20%
  2. Major Grades-- Including major Lab Reports, Projects and Exams ………………………………………….50%
  3. TAKS/STAAR Assessments –A way to track student mastery of course standards……….………………20%
  4. Science Notebook – Interactive notebook assignments and checks……………………………………..………10%

Course Notebook

Students will be given a notebook to organize topics studied throughout the course. Notebook will need to be taken to class daily for class activities, notes, and labs; they also need to be taken home daily for flipped work.

Supplies:

Students are expected to buy and bring the following supplies by the second week of school:

BOLDED SUPPLIES: REQUIRED, NON-BOLDED: Extra Points! Thank you!!!.

  • College rule – 100 sheet – spiral bound notebook
  • Folder with brads
  • College ruled lined loose-leaf notebook paper (4 packets of 150 sheets)
  • Note cards
  • Dividers
  • Writing utensils (pens, pencils, highlighters, colored pencils or markers)
  • Pencil Sharpener (hand-held)
  • Glue stick
  • Printer/ Copy paper (white)
  • Paper Towels
  • Kleenex (tissues)
  • Expo (dry erase board) markers
  • Dry erase board eraser
  • Manila paper (large)
  • Construction paper
  • 1 poster board (white)
  • Manila file folders (1 packet)
  • Scissors

Make-Up Work Policy

Should a student miss class, he or she has 2 school days to make up daily work, regardless if they have class that day or not. Students will have one week to make up quizzes and/or tests. He or she will find the missed daily work in the prescribed folder. It is the student’s responsibility to find their make-up work in that folder. After the window for make-up work has passed, the late work policy takes effect.

Late-Work Policy

Should a student not turn in minor work (worksheets, homework, etc.) on time, 10 points will be deducted for each day the assignment is late, up to 5 days, after which the grade becomes a zero. All extra credit assignments will be posted on the webpage. No “emergency” extra credit will be offered.

Should a student not turn in major work (lab reports, projects) on time, he or she may turn in the work the next day for a maximum grade of a 70. Beyond that window of time, the grade will go to a zero.

Cheating of any sort will not be tolerated. If two people turn in identical or clearly copied work, both will receive a zero for the assignment. Do not let others see your work because you will be penalized if someone copies from you. Talking during a test is also considered cheating and will result in a zero. Copying papers from the internet or other sources is illegal act called plagiarism, and it too will result in a zero. Please remember that a zero on a major grade can mean the difference between passing and failing the six-weeks. Do not do anything that can be viewed as cheating.

Lab Safety

Safety for all students is of the utmost concern, especially when we are doing laboratory activities. All students and their parents/guardians must sign a lab safety contract in order for the student to participate in laboratory activities. Students without signed safety contracts on file will not be allowed to participate in the labs and will receive a zero on every lab assignment missed. If a student violates a safety rule during a laboratory activity, he/she will be removed from the lab and receive a zero for that lab assignment.

Electronics:

We all have, use, and love electronics! However, all of us also need to learn how to manage our attention. In accordance with the Akins High School Student Handbook, studentsmay NOT use cell phones or personal electronics during class time. Cell phones are to be checked into the shoe rack at the front of the class, upon arrival in the classroom. If the student is seen with the phone during class time, the student is given the option to put the phone in the front shoe rack pockets or to have the phone taken to the office. If the student does not choose to put the phone at the front of the room, then the cell phone is confiscated and returned to your parent or guardian after paying a $15.00 fine in the main office. A third violation will result in the electronic device being confiscated and returned to your guardian after a two week waiting period and the payment of a $15.00 fine.

Ms. Fusselman’s Chemistry Expectations:

********This page is to be signed and returned by August 30th ********

  • Your work will be thorough and complete. You will complete all the work that is assigned to you, to the best of your ability. Answers must be in complete sentences. They must answer the entire question.
  • Your work will be turned in on time. No late work will be accepted. Each student will have one technology pass each 6 weeks. This allows the student to turn an assignment that was computer based on class period later.
  • Your makeup work will be completed in a timely manner. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed. This does not mean interrupting the teacher in the middle of the class; find an appropriate time to speak to the teacher individually, or ask another student in the class. You have the same number of days to make up work as the number of days you were absent. For example, if you are absent one day, you have one day to make it up. If you are absent two days, you have two make up days, and so forth. If you are absent on the day of a test, you should be ready to take the test the day you return to school in the morning before school or after school.
  • Your work will be your own. Cheating of any sort will not be tolerated. If two people turn in identical or clearly copied work, both people will receive a zero for the assignment. Do not let others see your work because you will be penalized if someone copies from you. Talking during test is also considered cheating and will result in a zero. Copying papers form the internet or other sources is an illegal act called plagiarism, and it too will result in a zero. Please remember that a zero on a major grade can mean the difference between passing and failing the six-weeks. Do not do anything that can be viewed as cheating.
  • Your work will be something to be proud of. Sloppy, rushed, incomplete work will not be accepted. You will be asked to redo anything that is unacceptable.

I have read and understand the above guidelines.

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Student signature Student printed name

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Parent/Guardian signatureParent /Guardian printed name

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Parent/Guardian phone numberParent/Guardian email address