SCH 3U1 COURSE INFORMATION AND EVALUATION POLICY

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE, DUNBARTONHIGH SCHOOL

EXPECTATIONS

  1. Class Absences
  • Since class absences could lead to a significant drop in academic performance, it is advisable for the student to minimize class absences. Students must provide the appropriate documentation to the teacher for any class absences, which may include lates, absences due to illness, planned absences, and others.
  • It is the student’s responsibility to catch up on any class notes, labs, assignments, tests, etc. Students will be encouraged and supported to develop working partnerships with other students in order to compare class notes. Students should also refer to the student agenda for further information on class absences and the school’s policy on truancy.
  1. Organization Skills and Work Ethics
  • Students must come to class prepared. Specifically, students are expected to bring to class their science books, notebooks, pens, pencils, paper and their scientific calculator.
  • Students are expected to know previous covered knowledge and participate/contribute constructively into the classroom, since they would be questioned randomly during each class.
  • It is expected that students complete the homework assigned fully and daily, since notebook and homework will be evaluated randomly.
  • Since students are given class work to complete, it is expected that students work efficiently and effectively for the remainder of the period until the bell rings. Failure to be on task will result in a disciplinary measure namely after school detention, and/or parental phone calls, and/or administrative referrals, and/or in-school-suspensions.
  1. Assignments and Labs
  • Since assignments and labs constitute a major part of the final mark, students are expected to complete them fully, on time, and on consistent basis. Failure to do that could result in poor academic performance. It is the student’s responsibility to approach and consult the teacher for any missed work. Periodically the teacher will inform and consult the student of his/her academic progress and ways of improving it.
  • Students must adhere to the laboratory procedures and safety protocols outlined previously by the teacher.
  • Late work submitted after the absolute deadline will be subjected to a 2% late penalty per day up to a maximum of 5 days or 10%. On the 6th and final day the assignment will be worth only to a maximum of 50%. Beyond the 6th day the assignment will not be given a credit completion value. Work will not be accepted after the marked assignment is returned to the class.
  • The teacher would follow up if there is evidence of work plagiarism, and appropriate action will be taken according to the school’s policy. Therefore students should familiarize with its definition and refer to the consequences in the student agenda.
  1. Quizzes, Tests, and Summative Exam
  • Quizzes will be frequent and short in length. Some of them could be announced in advance to the student, and some of them could be pop quizzes. Students are expected not to miss such quizzes since they provide excellent review for key course concepts, which would be tested on tests.
  • Since written tests constitute a significant proportion of the term mark, students are encouraged to prepare ahead of time by studying their notes, work and quizzes. There will be at least three to four major tests for this course. It is vital for students not to miss the review class/lesson prior to the test, since the teacher will be making announcements about the test format.
  • Missed tests will be assigned a mark of zero unless a student provides evidence of a legitimate absence (eg illness and medical appointments) and completes a make up test; usually when the student returns to school. Therefore students should be prepared to write the test either in-class or after school at the teacher’s convenience.
  • Please refer to the student agenda for policy regarding missed exams.
  1. Code of Conduct
  • Students are expected to fully abide with the Durham District School Board policies and the school’s code of conduct, since they will be strictly enforced.
  • Students are expected to conduct themselves in a mature, responsible, and safe manner so that the classroom can be a safe learning environment for everyone.

EVALUATION

CATEGORY WEIGHTINGS

  1. Knowledge and Understanding (K/U)40%
  • Understanding of facts and concepts
  1. Thinking(T)40%
  • Problem solving, collecting and interpreting lab data
  1. Communication (Com)10%
  • Using appropriate language, diagrams, graphs and units to communicate your understanding
  1. Application (App)10%
  • Applying your understanding to relate aspects of science, technology, society and the environment

LEARNING SKILLS

Learning skills will be assessed on an ongoing basis for the following 6 parameters:

1)Responsibility, 2) Organization, 3) Independent Work, 4) Collaboration, 5) Initiative, and 6) Self-Regulation

MARK ALLOCATION

  1. TERM WORK (70%)
  • Comprised mainly of assignments, quizzes, tests, labs, and other performance tasks

2.SUMMATIVE EVALUATION (30%)

  • Final Exam (20%)
  • Final Project (10%)

UNITS OF STUDY

The following units will be covered in this course (the order of these units may change as needed):

  1. Matter, Chemical Trends, and Chemical Bonding
  1. Chemical Reactions
  2. Quantities in Chemical Reactions
  1. Solutions and Solubility
  1. Gases and Atmospheric Chemistry

SUPPLIES

A resource textbook may be issued. Students are expected to treat it with care since other students will use it in the future. The monetary replacement for a lost or severely damaged textbook is $100. A scientific calculator would be essential to bring in class.

EXTRA HELP

Students are encouraged to seek help, advice, or counseling with course material. Extra help is available by appointment with your teacher. Students are urged to clarify potential problems, which might interfere with their academic progress early in the semester. The science office is room 434.