Syllabus for Coach Blackburn (Boswell High School)

BIOLOGY

Syllabus for Coach Blackburn
(Boswell High School)

E-mail: Phone: 817-237-3314 ext. 8218

Text Book: Houghton Mifflin Biology 2014 edition e-book

(The one with the sharks on the cover)

Intro: Welcome to Biology! This syllabus will outline my basic grading and classroom policies. Success in this class will require class-work, lab participation, daily assignments, co-operative learning, and yes . . . a little homework. I believe that science can and will be fun, interesting, and informative so long as you continue to be actively involved, are serious about your time here, and take responsibility for your own learning.

Critical Content: Upon leaving this class you will be able to use and apply the scientific method, interpret and evaluate data to reach conclusions, read and write scientific material, and have an in depth understanding of biological processes.

My Expectations:

• Attend class prepared to work.
• Follow all school policies.
• Participate in class discussions.
• Students will respect themselves, others, and school property.
• Students will be in their assigned seats and prepared for class when class is scheduled to begin.
• Students will be dismissed from class by the teacher (not the bell), and only when work areas are clean.

Attendance: One of the most important aspects of success in this class, as with any, is attendance. You have been in school long enough to know that it is your responsibility to make-up missed work and get work beforehand if you know days will be missed.

Pre-Arranged Absences: It is your responsibility to see me at least two days prior to absence to make arrangements for missed work.

Unplanned Absences: You are responsible for seeing me upon your return to school.

Tardiness: After three tardies, you get to spend an mornings before school with me making up missed work.

It is my responsibility to help you be successful by informing you of what is expected and what you need to do to earn the grade you want . . . the rest is up to you.

Grading and BHS Expectations for Students

Grades Numeric Equivalent Description

A 90 – 100 Excellent (Complete Mastery)

B 80 – 89 Good (Mastery)

C 75 – 79 Average (partial mastered)

D 70 – 74 Poor (Not yet mastered)

Grade Based On:

Major Grades 60% (minimum of 3 per six weeks)

Summative Assessments – measurements of mastery learning

- Tests ( Material will come from the lecture notes, textbook, class activities and labs)

- Projects

- Research Papers

- Presentations

Minor Grades 40% (multiple opportunities prior to each summative)

Formative Assignments – check points leading to mastery

- Daily Warm Ups

- Classwork

- Quizzes

- Homework

Semester Exams will count as 1/7th of your semester grade

*You may be able to earn exemption from semester exams for SPRING Semester only based on Semester Average, Attendance, and Compliance with BHS student policies.

Extra Credit: Opportunities may arise throughout the year. Take advantage of them!

Late Work: At this level, you must be held accountable for your actions. It is believed that to be successful at other activities through life, deadlines MUST be respected. If an assignment is not handed in on time, an alternate assignment (may be in a different format from the original assignment) may be given in order to measure a student’s mastery of skills taught. Extenuating circumstances will be at the discretion of the teacher. If you feel you will have difficulty completing an assignment due to extreme hardships, you should contact me before the due date. Each day an assignment is late there is a decrease in the total percentage of points they can earn on the assignment.

- Day 1 = 85% of the total points earned (ex. 70 x 85% = 60 goes in the gradebook)

- Day 2 = 70% of the total points earned (ex. 70 x 70% = 49 goes in the gradebook)

- Day 3 = 60% of the total points earned (ex. 70 x 60% = 42 goes in the gradebook)

Tutorials: Tutorials will be held in the morning from 8:30-8:50am, 4:30-5:
You will also be able to come to BOS time which is the last 20 minutes of their 50 minute lunch.

Being prepared for class: Materials needed

- A composition notebook or a 3 ring binder (1 or 2in).

- A pen & pencil – I suggest bringing a variety of colored pens.

- I can provide a moderate amount of glue, colored pencils, markers, and highlighters but I encourage you to have your own available for daily use.

Procedures for Entering Class Each Day:

1. Enter the room through the front door (closest to my desk)
2. Look at the front desk or board for instructions/handouts
3. Retrieve your notebook
4. Take your assigned seat
5. Begin the daily warm up when the question is revealed

Behavior Policy: In order to be successful in Biology, you must conduct yourself as a respectful adult – per our classroom rules:

1. Respect Yourself & Others
2. Be On Time & Prepared to Work
3. Follow Directions the 1st time they are given
4. Water will be permitted in non-lab areas
5. Must be consumed without disrupting the learning environment
6. For personal nourishment (no sharing)
7. Electronic Devices may be utilized per teacher direction on occasion * Electronic Device Policy as per District

Your choice not to follow these rules will result in the following consequences:

1stVerbal Warning

2ndTeacher Conference

3rdLunch Detention

4thParent Contact

5thReferral to AP

**Your parents may be contacted at any or all of these instances, at my discretion

A Few Highlighted Rules for the Classroom

Lab safety is essential! Listen to all instructions and use the safety equipment provided. Goofing around during a lab will result in removal from the lab and you will receive an alternative desk based assignment!

Be respectful of your classmates and instructors. Guest speakers and substitutes are to be treated as special guests. Disrespect for either will result in disciplinary action!

No hall/bathroom pass will be granted 10 minutes from the start or finish of the class. Take care of getting drinks, using the restroom, etc. before class. You will be given THREE (3) Hall passes per semester. Those not used may be exchanged at the end of the semester for a reward opportunity! Woohoo! Your passes will be tracked inside your Biology notebook: No Notebook = No Pass!

Cheating:

Cheating hurts everyone. Claiming someone else’s work as your own will not be tolerated. It is expected that all work turned in by you is completely your own. This includes copying assignments when you are absent. Your first offense will result in a zero on that assignment and a referral to your house principal!

Please Note: If anyone in this class has a unique problem that would impair her/his full demonstration of abilities on any of the exams or other assignments, please see me so we can work out alternative methods testing/grading.

Study Tips for Students:

1. A textbook cannot be read the way you would read a novel! Begin by pre-reading the chapter; glance at the section headings, charts and tables in order to organize the material in your mind and stimulate your curiosity. This will make it easier to read the chapter and extract more information from it.
2. Be an active, not passive reader, by stopping frequently (at least every paragraph) and consider what you have just read. What is the concept being discussed? Put it in your own words (out loud or by writing it down); by doing so you are reprocessing and using the information presented in the text. Place a few key notes in you notebook; make sure these notes include all new terms and illustrative examples.
3. Become a note taker and not a note copier! Simply writing down what is written on the board is passive learning (it's a start, but is not as effective as it could be). To get the most out of taking lecture notes, do it in a systematic manner. Before class read the textbook material to be covered in lecture. You will then use class time more efficiently because you will learn more from the lecture, and you will be able to take better notes having been introduced to many of the concepts in the text. During lecture do not attempt to write down every word that is said; that approach is futile and unnecessary. Instead, focus on the major ideas.
4. Summarize information by making your own diagrams and tables which will allow you to rehearse and test yourself on the material.
5. Relate new information to other, related information.
6. Study with a friend in the class and at home! Take turns explaining the material to each other.
7. There is too much new material in any class to be able to learn two weeks' worth of material the night before an exam! Review your text material and lecture notes daily so that you can avoid cramming at test time. Daily studying and rehearsal helps get information into long-term memory.
8. Make the most of your time in lab by arriving fully prepared.

How Can Parents Help:

1. Quiet structured study time! Help your child to establish a study routine by setting up a quiet study area and a consistent quiet study time nightly. The routine will help them practice good study habits for college. Should the study area be their bedroom or a family area, like the dining room? That depends on your household and your child. If your child is self-motivated and can work steadily without supervision, then a quiet desk space in their bedroom would work well. However, if their bedroom is equipped with distractions then this might not be conducive to concentrating on homework and the family area may work better.

1. Work on the content EVERY night! For your child to stay up-to-date in this course they need to spend some time on studying every night. The ideal would be about thirty (30) minutes per night or approximately three (3) hours per week. This would include textbook reading, lecture review, lab notebook assignments, extra credit assignments, and test preparation. On weeks when they cannot devote that half hour on a weeknight, they should put in extra time on weekends to make up for it. On nights where they have minimal time, your child should at least review the day’s lecture notes (PowerPoint notes on the Houghton Mifflin site for students).

1. Support Study Groups! Encourage your child to arrange a study group with other students in the class. Each student will have different strengths and weaknesses in this course. In one unit, your child will be the teacher to other students and in a different unit they will be the student. Putting two or more heads together is always a benefit. You never learn something as well as when you have to explain it to someone else. However let me emphasize that, while study groups and cooperative effort are strongly encouraged; on final written work, all students are required to craft their own answers and must have a completely uniquely worded answer for each question!

1. Use a Lifeline! Encourage your child to ask for help. Do not allow them to feel like they are intruding, I am here to help them understand and learn to love the subject of Biology as much as I do.

1. Don’t Panic! Stick with it! Some parts of this course will come more easily than others. Encourage your child to work steadily and not to be discouraged. Success will build as they improve their critical thinking skills and their writing ability through practice. They are working on skills that they will use to succeed academically for years to come. Your child needs to work hard and work steadily and they will be rewarded in this course!

BHS Biology Student Information

Student ID# ______

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Last Name First Name Name you wished to be called

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Home Address, zip Birthday

In which school sports, clubs, or activities do you actively participate? ______

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Names and ages of brothers and sisters: ______

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Anything else you want me to know about you (allergies?) ______

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This area to be completed by parents: Please print this information.

There will be times during the year when I will need to contact you for various reasons (grade concerns, emergencies, reminders, etc..) List this information in the order for which you would like to be contacted. For example: If mom is listed first then that is who I will contact first.

My parents and I understand that the information on the back of this page will be utilized to facilitate parent-teacher and student-teacher communication. I also understand the primary method of contact, due to convenience, with my child’s teacher will be email.

My parents and I have read and understand the attached biology syllabus. If we have any questions or concerns regarding student progress, discipline or the evaluation process we are aware of the instructor’s contact information and policy.

My parents and I have read and agree to follow all of the safety rules set forth in the attached Flinn Student Safety Contract. I realize that I must obey these rules to ensure my own safety, and that of my fellow students and instructors. I will cooperate to the fullest extent with my instructor and fellow students to maintain a safe lab environment. I will also closely follow the oral and written instructions provided by the instructor. I am aware that any violation of this safety contract that results in unsafe conduct in the laboratory or misbehavior on my part, may result in being removed from the laboratory, detention, receiving a failing grade, and/or dismissal from the course.

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Parent/Guardian SignatureDate

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Student SignatureDate

Please return this page only. Please keep the attached Biology syllabus and Flinn Safety Contract for your records.