STEILACOOM HIGH SCHOOL BIOLOGY SYLLABUS 2014-2015 & COURSE POLICIES Teacher: Mrs. Marta Gómez-Buckley E-mail: mbuckley@steilacoom.k12.wa.us Phone: (253) 983-2349 Welcome to Biology. This is an exciting 1 credit course where students will learn about how living systems function and the interconnections that drive life on our planet. Our goal is that by the end of the course students will: - Develop an appreciation for how much the biology material covered during the semester is related to every day issues in student s lives. - Learn to state hypotheses, to develop experiments to test these hypotheses, to record and graph data and write conclusions for these experiments. In other words, learn to think and to work like a scientist! - Become familiar with the material and skills necessary to master the End of Course Washington State test. - Become informed citizens able to make decisions that require basic scientific literacy. - Consider the possibilities of pursuing a college degree in biology, or a science related field. A large portion of the work for this class will be carried out in collaborative groups (very much like in the real working world). To accomplish our long range and daily goals will require cooperation. Guidelines for Success BE RESPECTFUL BE RESPONSIBLE MAINTAIN A POSITIVE ATTITUDE COOPERATE WITH OTHERS Classroom Rules 1. Come to class every day with the necessary materials (notebook, pencil, etc.). 2. Follow classroom procedures, and be engaged in learning every minute you are in this class. 3. Promptly follow directions from the teacher the first time they are given. 4. Be polite, use language that is appropriate and not disparaging (to self or others). 5. Treat school property with respect (leave the classroom cleaner and tidier than how you found it). 6. Bring only water to class, no other drinks or foods are allowed during class (that includes gum!). 7. Turn off and put away cell phones and any other electronic devices (including earphones), other than calculators, before entering the class. Materials Students are required to keep a composition notebook to include most of the written work, e.g. Entry tasks, quizzes, investigations, etc. Notebooks will be checked and graded periodically. It is recommended that student keeps also a three ring binder for hand-outs, worksheet, etc. Grades Grades will be assigned based on the percentage of possible points earned, as follows: A = 93-100% B+ = 87-89% C+ = 77-79% D+ = 67-69% A- = 90-92% B = 83-86% C = 73-76% D = 60-66% B- = 80-82% C- = 70-72% F = < 60% 1
All points on tests, assignments, classwork, labs, and notebooks contribute equally toward your biology grade. Losing 5 points on a homework assignment is the same as losing 5 points on a test. EVERY POINT COUNTS! Grading Policy for unit assessments: Students are expected to pass unit test with a 75% or better Students that want to improve their score on a unit assessment need to set an appointment to retake a similar assessment after school after test corrections have been completed. No extra credit will be offered. Classroom Procedures Entering the Classroom: Students should enter the class orderly and quietly, get their notebooks out, and be at their seats ready to work on the entry task when the class bell rings. Tardy to Class: Students that do not make it in the classroom before the bell rings will not be allowed to the room without a tardy/excuse note from the attendance secretary. Consequences for repeated tardy will be in accordance to the school wide tardy policy. Leaving the Classroom: Students will be assigned five passes (marked on their student planner) for each semester. Students that need to leave the class (not allowed during the first and last 10 minutes of class), will fill out the information on their planer, take their planner with them, and when back in the classroom, fill in the time they are back in the classroom on their planner. Only one student will be allowed to leave the room at a time. Visits to counsellors need to be scheduled during lunches, or before and after school. Turning in Assignments: Most of the in-class work will be checked by the teacher at the end of class. There is an In-box to turn in other kinds of assignments. Every assignment checked during class or put in the In-box must be labelled correctly (Assignment title, student name, period and date) to receive full credit. Academic Honesty: Any work you turn in should be original. Copied or plagiarized work will not be accepted. If you have questions or concerns about the originality of your work, discuss it with me before turning in an assignment. Returning Graded Assignments: Graded assignments will be returned to students in class within a week of due date for the assignment. Finding Out Grade Status in Class: Students and parents can use the Skyward System to check for students assignments and grades. Grade reports will be sent home upon request from student or parent. Student Responsibilities After Being Absent: It is the responsibility of the student to check with piers or on the class website to determine what was missed that day, and to collect worksheets and/or hand-outs from Make-up Work basket in the classroom. Student will have as many days as they were absent to make up the work. The word ABSENT, and THE DATE(S) THE STUDENT WAS ABSENT must be written very clearly on the top of the assignment. 2
FOUR late work passes will be issued per quarter. They must be stapled to the top of the late paper and submitted to the turn in basket before the quarter deadline. Complete and correct assignments will receive full credit. Students with unexcused absences will not be able to make up work. Quizzes will be made up at the teacher s discretion. Missed lab assignments will be dealt with on a case by case base. If a student is absent on a unit assessment day, a make up unit assessment will be scheduled during class time if possible, or before or after school. Students will have one week to take the missed test. Ending Class: The last five to ten minutes of class may include a reflection question that will be finished before leaving the classroom. If the teacher determines that students require more time, this reflection will be assigned as homework. Students should remain at their seats and listen to final announcements before being dismissed. Laboratory Safety: Many laboratory investigations will be performed during this course. Students will be handling sensitive lab equipment and will be required to pay special attention to the teacher s instructions for each of the investigations. A Lab Safety Contract will be sent home with student to be signed by both student and parent/guardian and returned to teacher. If the teacher observes that a student is not following adequate safety procedures as described in Lab Safety Contract, this student will be excused from class and will not be able to make up the investigation. A parent teacher conference will be scheduled to discuss returning of this student to laboratory investigations. Consequences for Classroom Rule Violations Depending on frequency or severity of inappropriate behavior, students may receive one or more of the following consequences: Conference with student Parental contact After school detention Office referral Any student who feels that the enforcing of rules and consequences are unfair has the right to make an appointment with the teacher to discuss the situation. Consequences for Code of Conduct Violations Violations of the rules contained in the Steilacoom High School Student/Family Handbook, including the cell phone policy, will be referred to administrative staff. Course Outline for General Biology 1. Scientific Method 2. Ecology 3. Chemistry of Life 4. Cell Structure and Function 5. Photosynthesis and respiration 6. Cell Division 7. Patterns of Inheritance 8. Genetics 9. Evolution 10. Organ Systems and Classification 3
PARENT STUDENT TEACHER CONTRACT PLEASE FILL OUT AND RETURN BY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 My student and I have read and agree to the rules and policies set forth in Mrs. Gomez-Buckley s 2014-2015 Biology Syllabus. Student Printed Name Student Signature Date Parent/Guardian Printed Name Parent Contact Phone Number I prefer to be contacted via EMAIL or PHONE (circle one) _ Parent E-mail Parent/Guardian Signature Date If you wish to share any additional information that would help identify areas in which your student excel or would need extra support, it with would be greatly appreciated: 4
BIOLOGY 2014-2015 STUDENT CONTRAC INFRACTION HISTORY DATE INFRACTION DESCRIPTION CONCEQUENCE STUDENT INITIALS TEACHER INITIALS 5