Syllabus: Course Expectations and Guidelines

Suggested Supplies:

  1. 3-ring binder to hold your interactive notebook (intNB)
  2. Dividers or tabs to separate units in your interactive notebook
  3. Set of colored pencils (12 set required, 24 recommended) – these will be used often!
  4. Pencils, and ball-point pens for note-taking and lab use (navy blue or black ink)
  5. * red ink pen, multiple colored highlighters
  6. Scientific Calculator
  7. College Ruled, Loose-leaf notebook paper for taking notes
  8. Ruler with metric measurement (cm.) on one side.
  9. Several Glue Sticks
  10. Calendar/Agenda for recording class assignments
  11. Index cards and 10 blank envelopes for holding these
  12. Clear see-through sheet protectors to hold study aids and projects
  13. Storage pouch for pencils, pens, glue sticks, unused index cards, etc.

Grading System:

Notice that your grades are weightedand are not based on a straight point-scale. Each point you earn in each category is multiplied by the percent weight for each category to determine your overall grade.

Categories: Class Assignments/intNB/Study Guides/Labs

Projects and Scientific Papers………………………………………40%

Quizzes, Exams……………………………………………………………. 40%

Final Exam …………………………………………………………………..20%

Grade Distribution:90% – 100% A

80% – 89%B

70% – 79%C

60% – 69%D

0 - 59%F

HOMEWORK:

Homework will be related to the curriculum and will be assigned to strengthen skills, reinforce concepts, and/or prepare for a lesson, unit, or activity. Students should expect some homework on a daily basis.

There are two general categories of homework:

1.Peer evaluated: In cooperative groups, students will evaluate work in Interactive Notebooks as either following or not following the guidelines. Students will also, on occasion, evaluate the quality of another student’s work.

2.Instructor evaluated: This includes online assessments, projects, concept-mastery worksheets,and lab conclusions.

Syllabus: Course Expectations and Guidelines

Late Work Policy:

Science students will be responsible and will complete and turn in required assignments when they are due at the beginning of class. Late work, generally, is NOT accepted, with a few exceptions, to be determined on a case by case basis.

Late E-mailed Assignments (only for long-term projects and papers, with prior approval):

You should make every attempt to turn in your long-term projects and papers on the day it is due; however, if there is an unforeseen problem with a project, these can be turned in by 8:00 PM via e-mail on the due-date with 1-day prior notification. Your teacher will determine if this option is available to you, depending on the nature of the emergency. Include your name, class, date, and assignment title in your e-mail.

Note: A hard-copy of the e-mailed assignments must come in the following class day, and you must also staple a print-out of your sent e-mail with the assignment. Failure to do so will result in a blank-zero score.

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Absences:

Attendance will be crucial for success. Students will be dropped from the course due to excessive absences or tardies (see school attendance policy). Students who are absent are responsible for finding out what he/she missed.

1. If you are absent on the day an assignment is given:

You have the same number of days to make up the assignment as the number of days you are absent. Please write “ABSENT” on the top of the assignment prior to handing it in. If the assignment is in your intNB, present this assignment to your teacher during FIRE for grading.

2. If you are absent on a day a project is due:

You do not get additional days to make-up major projects. You must find a way to get projects turned in on time, even if you absent, either by e-mail or delivered to school with a parent or friend.

3. If you are absent on a day anquiz or exam is given:

Make-up exams will only be allowed if your absent is cleared and excused through attendance. You must make-up exams and quizzes within 1- week of the absence. It is YOUR responsibility to schedule a make-up exam with your teacher.

  1. If you are absent on a day of alab:

On most occasions, labs will not be able to be made up, due to availability of supplies and equipment. You will need to get a data set from a reliable classmate and complete the lab write-up based on this data. You are still responsible for the material presented in the lab as well as understand how the lab was conducted, despite your absence.

Syllabus: Course Expectations and Guidelines

Classroom Rules:

  1. Allow yourself and others to learn and allow your teacher to teach.
  2. Behave responsibly and safely at all times, especially during labs.
  3. Follow the lab rules.
  4. Be respectful at all times, including respecting personal space and personal property. Be kind to others and treat everybody with dignity.
  5. Communicate responsibly. Never argue. Watch your tone of voice and body language.
  6. No drinks, food, or gum.

Discipline:

1st Offense:phone call home or verbal warning during class.

2nd Offense:“detention,” community-service duty, and parent notification.

3rd Offense:conduct referral to the office, and parent notification.

Copying, Cheating, Plagiarism:

If you copy work from another student or cheat during an exam, both you and the other student will receive zero credit for the work, without the ability to make-up that work. Know the difference between “copying” each other’s work and working on an assignment together. It is acceptable for students to work in groups, discuss answers, and come to the same conclusion. But each student must present his/her own work in his/her own words. Any direct copying will produce a zero for you and your friend.

Plagiarism is very serious. Plagiarism means to take credit for someone else’s research by copying the writing and thinking done by another author. If a paper is turned in and was written by an encyclopedia, professor, Internet author, etc., you will be given no credit for that assignment. Copying word – for – word is only acceptable when you are citing a direct quote. A direct quote should not be more than a sentence or two, for which you will cite the author or the source and provide a works-cited list. Copying and pasting from internet sources will not be tolerated! Of course, a paper should NOT be made up entirely of direct quotes. (yes, this has happened before)

All cheating, copying, and plagiarism offenses will be dealt with seriously and a permanent record of the offense will be placed in your permanent file.

Lab Donations:

This is a lab and dissection-intensive class. There is, however, little money in the budget to cover the costs for lab supplies and specimens needed for this class. Although not required, we are asking for a lab donation from every student whose families are able to monetarily contribute, to help offset the costs for these specimens and supplies. Please understand that these lab and dissection experiences will be limited or may be eliminated entirely, due to limited funds.

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