Welcome to McKinney Boyd High School PreAP Biology 2012-13

Course Description:

Pre-AP Biology is designed to prepare the serious student for AP Biology and other science courses. It is intended for students to develop laboratory skills, positive scientific attitudes, gain scientific knowledge and the ability to solve problems on their own. The course will consist of 40% lab activities including dissections. Students will complete independent and group study projects designed to demonstrate the role of biology in their everyday world. In addition to discussions and laboratory experiments, there will be oral presentations, projects, demonstrations and reading assignments. Dissections are required.

Primary Text:

Holt Biology by Johnson & Raven Optional: Cliffs Quick Review – Biology by I. Edward Alcoma, Ph.D.

Scope & Sequence

1st Semester

  • The Nature of Science: Safety, Review Lab Skills & Experimental Design Ch. 1 & 4.1
  • Introduction to Biochemistry Ch. 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10

CellsCh. 3 & 4

  • Inheritance Ch. 8 & 11; 15 & 36

2nd Semester

  • Viruses Ch. 20.1
  • Evolution of Organisms Ch. 12-13
  • Ecology Ch. 15-18
  • Classification & Kingdoms Ch. 14 & 19
  • Simple Organisms Ch. 20-22
  • Energy & Enzymes Ch. 2.4, 5
  • Human Systems & Animals Ch. 27-43
  • Plants Ch. 23-26

Supplies needed daily throughout the entire year:

  • 3-ring binder designated for Biology
  • Blue or black pen
  • Highlighter
  • Notebook paper
  • # 2 pencils with erasers
  • Composition notebook

Supplies you may need at home; you will also have access to these in class:

  • Markers
  • Map pencils
  • Glue stick/tape
  • Crayons
  • Scissors
  • Materials for projects as assigned
  • Metric Ruler

In order to have a classroom set of supplies, please bring the supply listed below for your period. These will be left in the classroom.

  • 1st per—markersroll of paper towels
  • 2nd per—colored pencils & roll of paper towels
  • 3rd per—colored pencils & box of tissue
  • 4thper—roll of clear tape box of tissue
  • 5thper—markers & roll of paper towels
  • 6thper—red pensroll of clear tape
  • 7thper—colored pencils & roll of clear tape

Grading:

Formative assessments are given to assess student learning throughout the grading period. This category willbe worth 30% of your grade and includeshomework, quizzes, minor labs, mini-projects, & daily work. These assessments may be weighted differently. For example, homework is weight of 1 and unit quizzes are weight of 2.

Summative assessments are cumulative and designed to assess mastery. This category will include major labs, tests, and major projects. It will count 70% of your grade. Each assessment will be weighted once and graded on a 100-point scale.

Coursework:

Students MUST plan to spend at least 2-3 hours a week doing assigned work, reading assignments, and studying for tests and quizzes. This is NOT the time required for outside projects, reading assignments, or research papers. Daily homework is vital to the understanding of Biology. Homework is assigned, but daily quizzes may be given to assess the student’s completion AND comprehension of the assignment.

There will be NO Extra Credit given to help a student pass/raise their grade at the end of the nine weeks or semester. There are VERY FEW opportunities offered to EVERY STUDENT for extra credit. These are done periodically throughout the year such as on some assignments and quizzes.

Throughout MISD secondary schools, it is now an expectation to have an MLA heading on all papers:

Student Name (First Last)

Teacher Name & Period

Subject

Date (like in the following format example: 27 August 2012)

Difficulty with Content:

You will be responsible for all of the content covered in class and on assignments, labs, and tests. If you are struggling in my class in any way, please let me know immediately. If you cannot make my regular tutorials, let me know and together we will work out a time when you can get assistance. YOU ARE ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR GRADE AND YOUR SCIENCE KNOWLEDGE!

Tutorials, Redos of assignments/labs, & Lab Makeups:

Students are encouraged to make use of tutoring. This is the best time to get one-on-one help to enhance learning and/or clear up any misunderstandings. There are many students who have needs, therefore PLEASE do NOT let confusion and frustration build up until the day before a test – I may not be available! Come in and get extra help AS SOON AS you feel you have missed something! Come prepared with questions!

The PreAP/GT Biology team has tutorials on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 2:35 to 3:15. You will receive a copy of the teacher available on each day for tutorials. Tutorials are an active, possibly noisy, definitely busy after-school enrichment and review opportunity. Your teacher may not be available when you have a question so we have a room and teacher designated for each of these 3 days to provide this for you. If you try to wait to see your teacher only, you may end up missing your opportunity to meet redo deadlines (see below). Tutorials can also be used to redo an assignment or lab that you received a failing grade on. If you missed a lab for an absence, these will also be done ifn the tutorial room. Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as before school, may be available by appointment through your own teacher. If a Wednesday or Friday becomes available for everyone, the room and teacher will be posted.

Student Expectations:

  • Arrive PROMPTLY by 2:35 with assignments, notes, etc as well pencil and paper prepared to ask questions; students arriving after 2:40 with the purpose of receiving a tutorial slip for a redo will be asked to come another day; an extension of the deadline to redo work will not be given because you were late and turned away.
  • SIGN IN – you may NOT have another student sign for you, nor may you sign for another student.
  • Participate constructively and actively.
  • Have a great day knowing you just learned something new!

Make-up/retaking Assessments (quizzes and tests):

Make-ups are not the same as tutorials. Make-ups are available for two purposes:

1)To make up an assessment (quiz or test) due to an absence within the allotted time given when your teacher told you what you missed.

2)To redo an assessment (quiz or test) due to a failing grade on the original assessment before the end of the current 3-week grading period.

Make-ups is a calm, quiet, studious after-school opportunity for you to improve your grade by completing work you missed due to an absence or by demonstrating mastery of material you previously did not show mastery on. Make-ups are also available on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 2:35 to 3:15. You will receive a copy of the teacher available on each day for make-ups. It is NOT the same room as the tutorial room for that day. Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as before school, may be available by appointment only through your own teacher. If a Wednesday or Friday becomes available for everyone, the room and teacher will be posted.

Student Expectations:

  • Arrive PROMPTLY by 2:35 with your signed tutorial slip and pen or pencil (as required)
  • Students arriving after 2:40 may be turned away and required to come another day. No extension of the deadline for making up work will be given because you were late and turned away.
  • SIGN IN – you may NOT have another student sign for you, nor may you sign for another student
  • Wait patiently for the teacher running make-ups to get your work. They will need to state your first and LAST name and your teacher’s name. All make-up work due to redoing an assessment you have previously failed will also be available to the teacher in charge so be sure you know what assessment you are there to retake! “The quiz we took” will not be enough information. You do not need to go get it from your teacher unless asked to by the teacher in charge.
  • Write your first and LAST name on your “retake” as well as your teacher’s last name.
  • Complete your work in a timely manner. The teacher in charge is not obligated to stay past 3:15. You may not come back to finish assessments on a different day that you have already seen. If you have a time concern, address it with the teacher in charge BEFORE you are given your work so that they can piece out what you should reasonably be able to finish that day.
  • STAPLE your signed tutorial slip to your completed redo and turn it in to the teacher in charge.
  • Have a great day knowing you just raised your grade!

Testing:

There will be a test given at the end of each chapter/topic. Tests may have multiple choice, true/false, matching, fill in the blank, AND essay questions. Tests must be completed within one class period. You cannot return after school to finish.

If you are absent the day of a test, you must make arrangements to take the test after school. You may not take it during class. Tests must be made up within the time frame as established by school policy. Not everyone may receive the same test. You will have 1 week to make up the test unless other arrangements are made due to extenuating circumstances.

Laboratory Activities:

All students must have a parent/guardian signed safety contract on file to participate in labs. Any lab missed due to not having a returned contract will result in a zero. If you are absent for a lab, it must be made up within one week. Students will cover the introductory parts of the AP experiments plus many others. If a student has NOT done the necessary pre-lab write-up BEFORE class they may not be allowed to do the lab, and must make up the lab during on the specified make-up days (these may be different from the posted make-up/tutorial schedule due to the amount of space and supervision required to redo labs). It is the student’s responsibility to come in and make up the lab.

Late/Makeup Work: LATE WORK IS NOT ACCEPTED!

Make-up assignments or tests shall be made available for students after any excused absence. Students have as many days as the number of days absent to make up the work (if you missed 2 days of class, you have 2 school days to make up the work). It is the student’s responsibility to find out the assignments and make up the work within the period of time designated by the teacher. A student who fails to complete the work will receive a grade of zero for the assignment. This zero would now be considered a failed assignment and would be subject to the redo policy outlined below.

Makeup work should be requested from the teacher the day you return to school before or after class for unscheduled/unexpected absences.

  • You should turn in ALL work that was due the day you were absent before class on the day you return to school.
  • If all instruction was complete BEFORE your absence and a test or quiz was announced or scheduled before your absence for the day you return you will be expected to take the quiz or test as scheduled.

IF YOU KNOW YOU ARE GOING TO BE ABSENT, especially for a school sponsored event such as an athletic or academic competition (this includes band, choir, and theater), you should:

  • request your work BEFORE you miss class,
  • expect to take tests or quizzes scheduled while you are absent BEFORE you are absent (if the instruction is finished),
  • and return to school with the work complete and ready to turn in.

Assessments (quizzes and tests) made up due to an absence may not be the same quiz or test given during class.

It is YOUR responsibility to ask for the work from your teacher and to turn in the work to your teacher. Please see your teacher’s website for makeup work and enrichment materials.

Retesting/Redoing Failed Assignments:

You will be provided the opportunity to retake any test or quiz or redo any assignment on which you received a grade below 70%. The guidelines below will be followed in this process:

  • You will NOT receive the same quiz or test to redo during make-ups. As a general rule, quizzes and tests will be all essay and short answer. Other assignments you are seeking to redo may vary in format, but do not expect the same assignment that was originally given.
  • If your score on the second attempt is greater than or equal to 70, a score of 70 will be recorded in the gradebook.
  • If your score on the second attempt is less than a 70, the higher of your two scores will be recorded in the gradebook.
  • You will only be allowed ONE opportunity to bring your grade up to a 70; however, we expect and encourage you to continue studying and asking for help on those concepts that you are still struggling with. You will see them again on every quarter, semester, and end of year assessment that follows it.
  • You should attend at least one tutorial session ON THE TOPIC/UNIT you are hoping to retest/redo an assignment for.
  • It is our expectation that you will come to tutorials with your original assignment, notes, and other applicable materials prepared to ask questions about the material you did not master. “I don’t understand” is not a question. If you are struggling with figuring out what to ask, we will help you, but you and the other students in tutorials should be the most active participants in tutorials. You will not receive your tests back, but you can be provided with the numbers of the questions you missed by your own teacher so that the teacher in charge of tutorials can focus you on the correct topics if you aren’t sure what you missed. You must get this information before you come to tutorials.
  • It will NOT be possible to attend tutorials and make-ups the same day.
  • Grade reports are issued every 3 weeks in accordance with UIL policy. Any grade recorded in the current 3-week period must be redone by the end of that 3-week period or the date posted by the Biology team, whichever is longer. Extenuating circumstances such as illnesses exceeding 4 school days will be considered by your teacher and/or the Biology team. Personal schedule conflicts including extracurricular activities will not be a reason to be granted an extension beyond the current 3-week period. All redo work will be completed by the end of the current quarter so that accurate report grades can be submitted by the campus dead-line.

In Summary:

You can redo an assignment you have failed for a maximum score of 70—it is recommended that you go to tutorials first. You will have until the current 3-week grading period ends to attend tutorials and then make up the assignment. We have some guidelines you must follow that are in line with the district policy on redoing assignments. These guidelines are intended to protect the integrity of your grade while insuring that you have a second chance to demonstrate mastery of the material.

Cheating:

It is considered cheating to use someone else’s answers on your paper. Using someone else’s project is another example of cheating. Cheating is a major infraction so a referral will be written, your parents will be contacted, and you will attend a meeting with your principal and parents to determine the underlying reasons you chose to cheat as well as the consequences of your actions. Consequences are usually either 1) a grade of zero is permanently recorded in the gradebook. You will not be allowed to redo the assignment if this is the consequence you receive. If it is a test you will most likely fail the quarter. OR 2) you will receive a temporary zero, the opportunity to follow the redo policy to make up the zero, and you will be assigned 3 days of ISS, which will impact your participation/membership in organizations for which this infraction is grounds for dismissal. Please do not put yourself, your parents and the teacher, in this embarrassing situation.

Since groups do most lab work, you may consult with your group regarding the analysis and conclusion. However, your answers should not be copied from another person’s written work, even if they were your partners’. Partners/group members will turn in their own paper. You share DATA, not analyses and discussion/conclusion. The analysis includes pieces of your lab such as required diagrams and figures (graphs, calculations, tables of calculated information, etc).

Finally, copying and pasting ANYTHING of ANY LENGTH from any source, including anything on the WWW or other electronic media is not only cheating, but also a form of theft called plagiarism. If you want to use anything from another source, including pictures, you must include AT A MINIMUM the web address or if a hard copy source the author and year of publication – something that lets us know you are acknowledging that “hey, this person here did this work/had this idea that I am using”. 

Cumulative Assessments:

We will refer in class to 3 types of cumulative assessments. The first one is called an EOQ (End of Quarter). You will take a test at the end of both the first and third quarters that will include material you should have mastered from the beginning of the year to that point. This test will be taken during regular class time, will be a normal test length, and weighted the same as other tests given during the quarter in the summative assessment category.