Foothill High School Course Expectations 2016-2017 Ms. Thoms Email: jthoms@interact.ccsd.net Biology I/Honors Course Scope: This one-year course is designed to integrate science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas related to biology (see quarter topics below). Demonstrations and lab experiences that employ proper safety techniques are essential to this course. Instructional practices incorporate integration of diversity awareness including appreciation of all cultures and their important contributions to society. The appropriate use of technology is an integral part of this course. This course fulfills one of the science credits required for high school graduation and qualifies as a laboratory science for college entrance. Course Scope: 1. To demonstrate an understanding of the complex interactions within ecosystems using mathematical representations and argumentation. 2. To identify the impacts of human activity on the environment and to engineer solutions mitigating any adverse effects. 3. To develop models and use mathematical representations illustrating how matter and energy are cycled within an ecosystem through the processes of photosynthesis and respiration 4. To demonstrate an understanding of how DNA determines the essential functions of proteins and codes for traits that are passed onto offspring. 5. To use a model to illustrate the roles of cellular division and differentiation in the growth and development of organisms. 6. To describe multiple sources of genetic variation and apply statistical methods to explain patterns of expressed traits in populations. 7. To construct an explanation of how multiple lines of scientific evidence support common ancestry and the role of natural selection in biological evolution. 8. To evaluate how natural selection and environmental conditions cause the numerical distribution of traits in a population to change over time and may result in the emergence and/or extinction of species. 9. To use evidence to evaluate how group behavior influences the survival and reproductive success of individuals and species. 10. To develop an understanding of how the hierarchical organization of interacting systems perform specific functions which maintain homeostasis through feedback mechanisms. Textbook:We will occasionally use a Flexbook, which can be accessed at http://www.ck12.org/user%3azw1hcmnvbmlaaw50zxjhy3quy2nzzc5uzxq./book/ccsd-biology/ 1
Materials: Please purchase the following materials: Writing utensils- blue/black pens, pencil(s), red grading utensils, colored pencils, and highlighter(s) Biology notebook and folder Graph paper Course Outline: 1 st Quarter: Ecosystem Dynamics and Interactions 2 nd Quarter: Matter and Energy in Ecosystems 3 rd Quarter: DNA and Heredity 4 th Quarter: Evolution and Natural Selection, Interacting Systems and Homeostasis The above course outline is subject to adjustment in order to accommodate the sharing of equipment/materials and/or collaboration with other biology classes. Grading Policy: The purpose of grades is to provide effective feedback to students, parents, and the school administration about a student s progress towards mastery of the established standards for a particular course or subject. It is important to note that excessive absences (seven unexcused absences during a semester) may result in a loss of credit in accordance with CCSD Regulation 5113. Quarter grades will be calculated as follows: Honors: Content Mastery 70% Assessments (Tests & Quizzes) Skill Development 25% Laboratory Reports, daily questions, Homework, Classwork, Vocabulary, Online Discussions and Science Articles Participation 5% Prepared for Class/Lab (materials daily/prelabs completed), Exhibits positive engagement in activities/discussions Regular: Content Mastery 60% Assessments (Tests & Quizzes) Skill Development 30% Laboratory Reports, daily questions, Homework, Classwork, Vocabulary, Online Discussions and Science Articles Participation 10% Prepared for Class/Lab (materials daily/prelabs completed), Exhibits positive engagement in activities/discussions Semester grades will be calculated as follows: 1 st Quarter 42.5% 2 nd Quarter 42.5% Semester Exam 15% Semester Grade 100% 2
Letter grades will be determined on the following scale: A 90% - 100% B 80% - 89% C 70% - 79% D 60% - 69% F below 59% Evaluation Procedures: Classes will be based on a lecture-recitation style, with frequent group work, laboratories, individual work, and problem solving sessions. Every assignment is important to maintaining a good grade. Spelling and grammar will also be taken into account. Grades will be calculated and uploaded to infinite campus. Description of Graded Assignments: Graded assignments include all of the following items: 1. Laboratories Standard laboratory reports will be typed and turned in to Google Classroom and due at the beginning of the next class period unless otherwise stated. If you are not prepared for lab, an alternate assignment will be given. Exact lab writing procedures will be given on another handout. 2. Assignments Homework may include assignments not completed in class (unless otherwise stated) as well as reading, vocabulary, and problems. Science Articles - The objective is to integrate science with real life. Each quarter, students will collect one CURRENT science news item (from the time period of that quarter). Articles may come from the paper, magazine/journal, or the internet. Articles will be submitted to Google Classroom by the assigned due date. An additional handout will describe how to properly write and submit science articles. Quizzes will be given at various times throughout a unit of study. Students should make every effort to keep current with the material as some of the quizzes may be unannounced. Quizzes will be categorized as either content mastery or skill development depending on what it is evaluating. 3. Tests A unit test will be given at the end of each unit of study. They will consist of multiple choice, and/or short answer/problem solving questions. Make-Up/ Late Work: 1. After any absence, a secondary student is required to initiate contact with the teacher to obtain appropriate makeup work immediately following the absence. (before school or after school please) Students may then receive full credit if work is turned in by the agreed date. 2. If the work was assigned prior to the student s absence, the work is due on the date of the student s return to class. 3. Late work policy Student submission of late work and/or missing assignments will be considered on a case by case basis. 3
Test Correction Policy: Students may make up points on a test by doing test corrections. They must come before or after school to do this. Students will be expected to rewrite the question with the correct answer and explain why this new answer is correct. Only half the amount of points will be awarded to the student upon completion of the answer. You will have two weeks from the day you took your test to do this. Citizenship Policy: The following rubric will be used as a general guideline to determine student citizenship grade: CATEGORY Outstanding Satisfactory Needs Improvement Unsatisfactory Engagement Consistently involved in class activities; contributes to overall learning process; collaborates with others and/or the teacher. Engages in class activities, but may have to be encouraged; works with others or groups, but may not initiate collaboration. Does not engage in class activities; rarely demonstrates initiative and may occasionally disengage from class. Not involved in class activities. Adamant refusal to work. Preparation Consistently prepared with materials; work is on time and may go beyond expectations. Student has materials and submits work in a timely fashion and as expected. Student may have had multiple instances of being unprepared, late work, or not completed as requested. Consistently unprepared for class. Does not submit work on time or at all. Behavior Consistently respectful of both classmates and adults; takes responsibility for individual actions; consistently complies with school and classroom rules. Respectful to both peers and adults. Occasionally accepts personal responsibility. Mostly complies with school and classroom rules. Disruptive to others. Argumentative and defensive when disciplined. Disregard for school or class rules. Consistent disrespect to classmates or adults. Regularly disruptive to learning process and violation of school or class rules. Plagiarism / Academic Dishonesty Student citizenship grades are reported as follows: O = Outstanding S = Satisfactory citizenship N = Needs Improvement U = Unsatisfactory citizenship Behavior Expectations: Students and parents are responsible for reviewing the CCSD Student Behavior Guidelines/Honor Code/AUP, the FHS Student Handbook, and the FHS Tardy Policy. Basic behavioral guidelines include: Students will not interfere with teacher instruction. Students will not interfere with another student s learning. Students will not engage in behaviors that are not in their best interest, the best interest of others, or in the best interest of FHS. 4
The CCSD Honor Code will be strictly enforced. The Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) regarding the use of technology must be followed at all times. Depending on the severity of the infraction, consequences will include in the following order: teacher/student conference, parent/guardian contact, teacher detention, then dean s referral. Tardy Policy Students are expected to be seated in their classrooms prior to the bell. Persistent and continued tardiness may result in suspension from school. Any student who is more than 30 minutes late to class will be counted absent for that class. Foothill High School has implemented a school-wide "Timeliness is Expected Policy"(TIE). Whenever a student is tardy, the student will receive a phone call home notifying the parent that they will be required to sign the student in at school the next day. If the parent does not sign the student in the next morning, the Deans' Office will call the student into the Deans' Office within the first 30 minutes of school. Parents will be contacted to come to the school to sign the student in, or the student will be placed on RPC. The Deans' Office will continue to RPC students through their sixth tardy and suspend them on their seventh tardy. Cell Phones The use of technological personal devices during instructional time is at the discretion of each teacher (per Reg. 5136). If teachers allow the use of personal technology, for specific, approved tasks only, they will have a BYOD (Bring your own device) sign hanging in their classroom. If teachers do not allow personal technology devices, students will not be permitted to utilize personal technology devices at any time. Teachers will advertise this by hanging a Non-BYOD sign in their classroom, and posting this in their course expectations. If a student is using their personal technology device in a Non-BYOD classroom, it will be confiscated and sent to the deans' office. The first time that students have their cell phone confiscated, the student can pick it up at the end of the day in the Deans' office. The second time, parents will pick up phone from Deans' office and the student will have a required parent conference (RPC). The third time the cell phone is confiscated the parent will pick up cell phone in deans' office and student will be placed in in-house suspension for one day. The fourth time the cell phone is confiscated the parent can pick up in deans' office and student will be placed in inhouse suspension for two-days. For all additional incidents, the parent will pick-up from the deans' office and student will be progressively suspended for a disregard of school rules. Bathroom Passes: The instructor must write a pass for a student to leave the classroom to use the restroom. A student may only do this when the instructor is not teaching the whole class or when the class is working in groups. The student must ask the instructor only when there is individual work time. If the class is working in groups, the student may not use the bathroom. The student must not leave the specific corridor he or she is in during this time, as the bathroom passes will be color coated specific to each corridor, and hall monitors will be checking passes regularly. If a student has to use the restroom, he or she must leave his or her cell phone in the classroom. 5
Additional Class Expectations: 1. Food/Drink- No food or drink is allowed in the classroom. No gum. Only water bottles are permitted. If you have special dietary needs (ex: diabetic, various allergies), please let me know so we can work through this. 2. Laboratories- Lab safety is of utmost importance. If a student cannot participate appropriately, he/she will be given an alternate assignment. 3. Academic Integrity- It is expected that students will work together. However, all students involved in outright copying, plagiarizing, or cheating of any kind will receive a zero on the assignment. In addition, students may face additional consequences based on the severity of the incident. Please see academic honor code for further clarification. Office Hours: I will almost always be available before and after school for make-up work and tutoring, except Tuesday. Generally, my hours will be 6:45 am 2:00 pm. I may be unavailable due to scheduled meetings, but special appointments may be scheduled on an individual basis. Remind.com: This class will utilize an online parent and student teacher communication tool called www.remind.com. This tool will allow me to communicate with parents and students via a text message sent out by this website. Please join my remind.com group if you wish to participate in this. I will be sending out reminders regarding tests, quizzes and projects. If you are in Biology I Honors (periods 1,2): text @47e4g to the number 81010. If you are in Biology I (periods 4,5,6): text @gf8h36 to the number 81010. Please note: it is crucial to text the correct information to the correct number, as the reminders will be different. Tear off the space below and sign and date, indicating you have read the course expectations. Class Period: Date: Student s Signature Date: Parent s Signature 6