WELCOME TO IB HL BIOLOGY AT DBHS!
INSTRUCTORS: Mr. Sorensen, year 1; Mr. Iwanaga, year 2
GENERAL INFORMATION:
This course is a Higher Level IB course in Biology. It stretches over a two-year span so that the theoretical work and laboratory work can be completed. Each teacher will help prepare you to fulfill all IB diploma requirements, yet both will teach the class in their own way. You will take the IB exam in May of the second year. In addition to passing the IB exam, you will need to turn in lab reports to IB, produce a Group 4 project with other IB science students, and perform well on class assignments and tests. You will receive guidance and assistance in meeting all of these challenges and will have the opportunity to earn the IB diploma.
GRADING:
This class will follow the school guidelines for letter grades, where an A is 90 and above, a B is 80-89, a C is 70-79, and a D is a 60-69. My grades are weighted as follows:
Daily work, quizzes, and short labs = 25%
Participation = 5%
Tests, projects = 50%
Final Exam = 20%
Extra credit opportunities are rarely during the semester. I will drop your lowest test when I’m determining your final semester grade, as long as you have displayed academic honesty throughout the semester.Late homework or lab reports can only be turned in a maximum of one day after the due date and you'll be docked 50 percent. Homework is due and should be out when the bell rings. If you are late, your work is late. If you miss a test for a legitimate absence you must take a make up exam on the last day of the six weeks grading period. Keep in mind, your main goal in this class should be to get a 4 or better on your IB assessment.
PARTICIPATION GRADE:
Your participation grade will be determined by how well you focus in class and contribute to class discussions and the group learning process. It will be 5% of your overall grade but more importantly, listening and asking questions and paying attention are critical to learning.
Participation points will be tallied daily and updated in the grade book every week or two.
You can gain points by:
1)Doing the Opening Activity correctly and on your own.
2)Answering discussion questions in class correctly.
3)Taking notes and paying attention.
4)Asking thoughtful and relevant questions and listening during the answers.
You can lose participation points by:
1)Not doing the Opening Activity independently or by constantly “borrowing” answers from others for discussion questions.
2)Interrupting others, blurting out answers inappropriately, or giving away answers.
3)Doing other work in class, sleeping, being on your phone, or being openly inattentive (sitting with your head down for long periods or reading a magazine would be examples of this), negative, or disruptive.
4)Not bringing necessary materials to class such as books and notes.
5)Being tardy or not being in your seat when the bell rings disrupts the Opening Activity and can result in a loss of participation points.
Participation scores will be based on the highest scorers of that grading period. Everybody will get a chance to earn full points if they score within 70% of the top scorer!
PROCEDURES:
I’m confident that you will conduct yourself well, will perform excellent work, and will follow the letter and spirit of the rules. I will follow all school rules with regards to tardies, dress code, make up work, disrespect to teachers or other students, academic honesty, etc. I will speak to you first if I see any problem developing, and would like you to do the same. If the problem continues, I will speak to your parents and consult your GLC. Further problems will result in a referral to your GLC.
Although the demands of this class along with the demands of your other courses will tire you out, it is important that you are on time, awake, alert, and attentive in class. If your schedule is unworkable, please change it during the first two weeks before it is too late. Overworked students will find sometimes find themselves piling up tardies, unable to get their work done, asleep in classes, doing work for other classes during lectures, or in other unacceptable situations. These things can earn you referrals, impact test scores, and impact your participation grade. You will get to know your fellow IB students well and it is important that you get along well and do not distract each other in class. The amount of time needed to be successful in IB Bio varies widely from student to student, but make sure you have the time and are willing to do the work needed to be successful.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The IBO website is an excellent source of information. In addition, I will refer you to the original two-year course outline developed by DBHS and submitted to IBO. This will give you a good outline of the next two years, although some details may be modified. It is a good idea to check the learning objectives in the IBO syllabus outline, because you will tested on these objectives by IBO. I’m looking forward to helping you excel in this new and challenging program!
OUTLINE OF TOPICS COVERED IN YEAR ONE:
Here are the topics covered in the first year of IB Biology:
- Principles of Experimentation
- Molecules of Life
- Cells and Cellular Functions
- Cellular Respiration
- Photosynthesis
- Cell Division
- Genetics
- DNA and DNA Technology
- Classification
- Origin of Life
- Evolution and Natural Selection
- Human Evolution
- Circulatory and Respiratory System
- Reproductive System