HONORS BIOLOGY Amanda Hefner Hefner.Amanda.W@muscogee.k12.ga.us 706-748-2534 Welcome to Honors Biology!! Biology is the study of living things. This year we will explore life! As an honors level class, this is a very constant-paced and often challenging course and we have many subjects to cover you must do your part so as not to fall behind. My goal is for you to have fun while learning new interesting facts so that hopefully you will see science in a new way. And if, perhaps, you are one of those few students who is not attracted to science, maybe this is your year! Biology may seem a little overwhelming at times, but you all can do it I will make sure of it! I am not an old fashioned teacher. I try to incorporate many styles of learning to accommodate each student. If you find that you need extra help, DO NOT WAIT to see me. Come and talk to me so we can clear up your questions. I want this class to be fun and interesting for you. I want you to be able to apply biology to your daily lives. I will challenge you to do your very best while encouraging you to become a responsible and mature student. You will learn a lot about biological science and hopefully we will have so much fun learning and doing labs and activities that you won t realize how hard you are working at it. That is what school should be about. That is what makes you life-long learners, which is what I am. I hope to learn a lot from you this year and I am excited to see the journey you take in the learning process. The tentative unit schedule for this year is attached as the pacing guide for the Muscogee County School District. Required Supplies: 1 Three ring binder, notebook paper, 8 dividers with tabs, highlighter(s), pencil/pen Notebooks: You will be expected to keep an organized notebook for this class. A loose-leaf type is best since you will need to add and remove pages. In it will go all handouts, returned work, notes, and labs. Keep all papers for a particular unit together. We will set up notebooks together in class, and an organized notebook should be maintained. Expectations: I expect that you adhere to all rules outlined in your student handbook and by the Muscogee County School System. The school policy on plagiarism and academic dishonesty will be strictly enforced. Academic dishonesty is any form of cheating listed in your handbook. Please be in your seat & ready to begin before the tardy bell. Be prepared for class (notebook, writing utensil, textbook). Respect yourself (do not interfere with your right to learn). Respect your peers (do not interfere with their right to learn). Respect me and the educational process (do not interfere with my right to teach).
Grading: Grades will be calculated as percentages. The gradebook percentages are weighted as follows: Tests 30% Quizzes 20% Homework/Classwork 25% Labs/Lab Activities 25% Each student and parent is given access to infinite campus to monitor grades. It is your responsibility to keep a current record of your grade at all times. Your grade is your responsibility. Tests: Are announced in advance. If you are absent the day of a test, plan to take it the day you return to school. Extended illness is the exception. For every unit test, students will have the option to come in before and/or after school to do test corrections for that test. Test corrections will be available for 1 week after the tests have been graded and returned to the students. Test corrections are completely optional. For every question accurately corrected during test corrections, students will earn back ½ of a point on their test grade for the unit. The maximum number of points that will be awarded for test corrections on any test is 25 points. Your final exam will be a comprehensive exam given in April. There will be no test corrections for the comprehensive exam. There will be Muscogee County and state mandated comprehensive exams issued in May. The Georgia milestone will count for 20% of your final year average. SGM: Biology is a course that has a MCSD student growth measure (SGM) test. Students will take a pretest at the beginning of the course and a post test at the end of the course. The SGM test will only be used as a teacher growth measure and will not be a grade for the student. Homework: Homework will be collected at the beginning of class on the day that it is due. After that point, any work that is turned in is considered late and will receive a 50% point reduction. Any work turned in after the beginning of the next school day s class will be assigned a zero. Zeros for late work are not eligible to be made up. All late work will be graded after work that has been turned in on time has been graded. However, it is not necessary to send these assignments to school if you are ill. Just bring them when you return along with your excuse. We will often use peer review for checking homework assignments. TMA: Time management activities will be assigned periodically throughout the course. Because TMAs are assigned well in advance, each student is expected to turn them in on time. If a student is present at school for any part of the day that a TMA is due, the TMA should be turned in. I will not accept late TMAs for any reason. Any TMA turned in after the beginning of class on the day that it is due will receive a zero! Your main TMA for this class will be a science fair project. The science fair packet which includes all rubrics for grading and instructions will be provided by the end of April. The science fair will be completed after the milestone assessment.
MLA writing style: Although this is not the preferred writing style of scientists, we will conform so that you may be comfortable with this style of writing. I have a copy of the MLA handbook in my room for reference when writing reports in biology class. Make-up work: Procedure for determining missed work: 1. Check the missed work tray for any handouts given out on the day of the absence. 2. Turn in to the late tray any assignments collected during the absence. 3. Ask a friend what was missed. It is your responsibility to get missed assignments. 4. See me for questions or problems- before or after class! Do not interrupt class time to ask me what you missed! Anytime you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out what was missed. A written excuse from a parent/guardian must be brought to school within three days of each absence. For excused absences, you have three days to arrange to make up any work or tests given on the day of the absence. Since this is a laboratory class, many labs/activities may have to be made up after school so that proper supervision can occur. For unexcused absences, you will be assigned a zero for any missed work until you attend academic Saturday school. Any assignment that was assigned prior to the day of the absence will be due immediately upon return or will be considered late work. I am available after school most days until 4:00pm for students to make up work or get extra help. Please take advantage of that. Labs: You are expected to participate fully in all lab activities. There will be make up lab assignments for any missed labs. Any student that chooses to not participate or behave inappropriately in lab will receive an automatic zero for that lab assignment. Zeros received in lab due to nonparticipation and/or misbehavior are not eligible to be made up. Technology: Technology is an important tool/resource in my classroom. Students will be allowed to use technology on a regular basis. Technology includes but is not limited to laptops, ipads, tablets, ereaders, and smart phones. The technology sign in the classroom will indicate when students are and are not allowed to use technology. Green indicates technology is allowed and red indicates that it is not. Any student using technology during red time will face the school consequences for inappropriate use of technology including but not limited to: confiscation of the device, zero for cheating, detention, parent contact and/or administrative referral. Students must also follow all CHS policies on appropriate use of technology during the green time or they will assigned the consequences for inappropriate technology use. Neither MCSD, CHS nor I are responsible for any damaged, lost or stolen technology. Extra credit: Extra credit is not a guarantee. Extra credit will be presented if an opportunity presents itself. I may periodically post extra credit opportunities for those who are interested. They will be taken on the due date only. There is very little extra credit available. Your grade will be earned.
Academic integrity: I follow all of the school handbook s guidelines for academic integrity. Failure to follow these policies will result in a zero for all work of all students involved, a phone call to your guardian, and a referral to the honor council. Remember: plagiarism is considered cheating and a violation of the academic integrity policy. If there are any questions or concerns regarding these policies, then you can reach me at the email address and/or phone number found at the top of this syllabus. Please read this carefully, sign the attached cover letter and return it to me tomorrow for your first grade. Thank you in advance for your cooperation, we are going to have a wonderful year. Sincerely, Amanda Hefner