Mrs. Hill’s Class Syllabus

7th Grade Science

General Rules and Procedures

CLASSROOM RULES AND PROCEDURES

  1. Be on time. - Be in your seat when the bell rings. Be ready to work!
  2. Be prepared. - Bring all materials to class. (binder, science journal, planner, pens, sharpened pencils, etc.)
  3. Be courteous. - Raise your hand and wait for permission to speak.
  4. Be respectful. - Stay in your seat and keep your hands, feet, and objects to yourself. When others are speaking, you are listening.
  5. Follow directions the first time given.
  6. Follow lab safety rules and procedures.
  7. Follow guidelines in the LPJ Student Handbook and the LPISD Student Code of Conduct.

Classroom Procedures

Entering the Classroom and Beginning Class

  1. Enter the classroom quietly and be in your assigned seat when the bell rings. Be ready to go to work!You may not wander around the room once you have entered.
  2. Take out your planner and record objectives and assignments from the board daily.
  3. Complete daily warm-up assignment as directed.

End-of-Period Class Dismissal

  1. Stay seated when the bell rings until the class is dismissed.
  2. Leave your desk area clean. Check your area for any trash and throw it away on the way out of the classroom.
  3. Leave the classroom quietly and orderly.

Leaving the Room During Class:

  1. Students must get permission from the teacher to leave the room.
  2. Students will use hall passes in their LPJH planner.
  3. Once the student has used the passes in the planner, that student will be allowed to leave the room at teacher discretion. Save the passes for true emergencies. In addition, passes may not be used during instruction time.

LAB SAFETY

Lab safety is of the utmost importance. Safety procedures will be reviewed during the first six weeks and before each lab. Students must have a lab safety contract on file and will be required to make an 85 on the lab safety quiz prior to participating in any lab activities and/or experiments. Disregard for safety rules during science labs will result in removal and/or restrictions during lab activities and an alternative assignment on subsequent labs depending on the severity of the safety violation.

COURSE OVERVIEW

The following is a list of the topics that will be covered in 7th grade Science this year. These topics are prepared with the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) in mind. The topics below may not necessarily be covered in the order in which they are listed.

Science SafetyForce and Motion

HomeostasisGenetic Adaptations

Structure and Function of CellsPhysical and Chemical Changes

Structure and Function of Living SystemsHuman Body Systems

Organisms and the EnvironmentFactors Impacting Earth’s Systems

Solar SystemFlow of Energy

Genetics

In addition, LPJH is an AVID campus. This is a program designed to help students better prepare for their future using AVID strategies such as writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading.

CLASS PROJECTS

  1. Students will be given several projects throughout the year.
  2. Each project will relate directly to one of the TEKS and units of study.
  3. Students will be given guidelines for each project along with grading expectations.
  4. Assignments must be ontime or points will be deducted. (see below)
  5. Guidelines will be specific to the assignment. Students should complete a the checklist before turning in a project to assure all aspects are complete.

STUDENT RESOURCES

All materials that will need to be studied outside of class will be online and/or in the form of notes and assignments in the student’s science section of their binder and the science journal. It is the student’s responsibility to bring these items to class EVERY day. The online curriculum is Stemscopes. Students will use their district login to access Stemscopes both during and outside of class. There is a link on the student and parent portal for the Stemscopes login. This login is also located on my webpage under links. Students will have access to computers during class and will be responsible for maintaining their school email and one drive within Office 365.

WEB PAGE

Students will be required to access my teacher webpage in order to get assignments or view the class calendar on a regular basis. Parents are encouraged to access my webpage because there will be information listed about our six weeks’ assignments, along with educational websites that I encourage the students to access in school or at home. Please subscribe to my teacher webpage in order to get email updates.

PARENT CONTACT

I will use the email address listed in the school’s system to mass email information, due dates, upcoming tests, etc. to parents in addition to the information posted on my webpage. For individual contact, I will either call or email using the information in the school’s systems. Please keep this information updated with the office in order to receive these emails and phone calls.

TO CONTACT ME

Email is the best way to contact me as I am able to check email periodically throughout the day. Calling is also a good way to contact me, but I am only able to answer the phone before and after school and during my conference period.

Email –

Phone – 281-604-6691

GRADING POLICY

Progress reports will be sent home after the first 3 weeks of each six-week grading period. Report cards will be mailed every six weeks. Grades will be routinely updated. You may view your child’s grades by logging into the grading system through the district website:

50% Daily (classroom participation, lab performance, quiz grades, homework)

40% Major (projects, research, tests)

10% Writing (Science journal, notes, daily writing assignments, lab write-ups)

Turning in Assignments: Homework is due at the beginning of class. Homework will be turned in according to my instructions at the beginning of class when I call for it. Class work will be passed to the front at the end of the designated time for class work. Papers turned in after this point are considered to be late.

LATE WORK POLICY

The table below shows the percent of the earned grade that a student will be awarded for late work:

Days Late / Percent of Grade Received by Student / Example(s)
1st Day / 80% / 100 records as 80 (100x0.20 = 20 points off)
80 records as 64 (80x0.20 = 16 points off)
60 records as 48 (60x0.20 = 12 points off)
2ndDay / 60% / 100 records as 60 (100x0.40 = 40 points off)
80 records as 48 (80x0.40 = 32 points off)
60 records as 36 (60x0.40 = 24 points off)
3rdDay or after / 0% / No credit given- grade of zero (0)

CLASSROOM SUPPLIES

Students need to bring their 3-ring binder, science journal, pens, pencils, and paper to class every day.

Additional Information for PreAP and GT Classes

All PreAP students will participate in science fair as a major part of the science grade during the first semester.

GT students will participate in the Texas Performance Standards Project (TPSP) as both minor and major parts of the grades in both ELA and Science throughout the year.

Specific details on both of these projects will be provided to students at a later time.

Discipline Management Plan

Class Rules:

  1. Be on time. - Be in your seat when the bell rings. Be ready to work!
  2. Be prepared. - Bring all materials to class. (binder, science journal, planner, pens, sharpened pencils, etc.)
  3. Be courteous. - Raise your hand and wait for permission to speak.
  4. Be respectful. - Stay in your seat and keep your hands, feet, and objects to

yourself. When others are speaking, you are listening.

  1. Follow directions the first time given.
  2. Follow lab safety rules and procedures.
  3. Follow guidelines in the LPJ Student Handbook and the LPISD Student Code

of Conduct.

Discipline Procedures:

  1. The first will result in a verbal warning with documentation.
  2. On the second and third offense a student conference will be held, detention will be assigned, and the parent will be notified.
  3. If misbehavior persists, a parent conference will be scheduled and/or an office referral will be written.
  4. In addition, continued misbehavior will result in an office referral.
  5. Immediate office referrals will result for serious offenses.