Course Description
Kelowna Secondary School
Mr. Kruger
Phone: 870-5000 ext 4931
Email:
Biology 12 is a course that deals with the following areas of biology: Cell and molecular biology, human anatomy and physiology. Students have an opportunity to develop an interest in and understanding of science by looking at the complex and integrated systems of the human body. To be successful in this course, regular review and study is required. You will find that you can conquer all the topics if you put in the effort and time… often it is not the individual details but the shear amount of information that will give you difficulty.
Course Outcomes
The learning outcomes of Biology 12 follow a sequence from cell structure and simple biochemistry through to human organ systems. The learning outcomes are divided into 3 curriculum organizers:
- Cell Biology (Cell structure, cell compounds, biological molecules and DNA)
- Cell Processes and Applications (Protein synthesis, Cancer, transport across cell membranes, enzymes)
- Human Biology (Anatomy and Physiology of the Digestive system, circulation and blood, heart structure and function, respiratory systems, nervous systems – neurons, impulse generation & reflex arcs, divisions of the nervous system and the brain, urinary system and reproductive system)
Course Syllabus
Along with this course outline you will have access to a copy of the BC ministry of education learning outcomes for this course as well as a correlation guide between your textbook and each topic. They are located on my website at
You can also find class notes, assignments & practice questions to facilitate your learning on the Biology 12 page.
You will be expected to keep up with reading as we go and I suggest reading ahead before we review topics in class.
Evaluation
The following is a break down of how your class mark will be determined:
Tests and Quizzes80%
Labs and Assignments20%
Total100%
Your overall course mark will be determined in the following manner:
Term 1 mark40%
Term 2 mark40%
Final Examor
Midterm 1 + Midterm 220%/10+10%
Total100%
Course Expectations:
- Homework, Lab Work & Assignments
- All homework, assignments or lab reports are due at the beginning of class of the due date.
- Tests and Quizzes
- You can expect many quizzes and tests . . . you will be given plenty of advance notice for major tests, however, you can expect small quizzes at any time
- If you miss a quiz or test for any reason, it will be entirely your responsibility to make up the test/quiz outside of regular class time. You will be issued a mark of zero until you have arranged to complete the test.
- Restests – I will give you the opportunity to retest one test from each term in the course. Before you qualify for completing a retest, you will need to have ALL assignments from the term completed and it good standing. If you choose not to complete a retest, you may omit one assignment or quiz from the term.
- Bahvioural expectations
- Respect – respect yourself, your classmates, your teacher, the equipment provided… the educational opportunity provide in the course general!
Attendance and Lates
Arrive to class on time, truancy will not be accepted. Continuously being late is rude and inconsiderate to both me and other students. Biology 12 is a difficult course that covers a great deal of information in detail; your attendance is necessary for success.
I encourage you to be proactive if you are absent . . . find out what was covered from me or other students, leave a message via email or voice mail. Pretending or assuming nothing happened while you were away ultimately only hurts your mark.
Resources
Your resources for this course are your textbook (Mader – Inquiry in Life), your class website, the BC education website ( and me. Please use them all.
If you are having difficulty with portions of the course, extra assistance is available. See me to arrange a time. I may also conduct review sessions throughout the year if there is interest.
Tutorials/Extra Help:
Tutorials may beheld as required throughout the year based on discussions with the class on the comfort level with material. However, students are always welcome to get extra help or clarification of material before school or at lunch.
It is very beneficial to master topics as we go through the year… the difficult task of preparing for the final exam is made much easier when topic have been well learned the first time!
Biology 12 is a very difficult course due to the speed and large amount of detail that students must know in all units by the end of the semester. It is often easy for students to feel over confident about their preparedness because they have mastered the basics but not the next level of detail where much the test/quiz/lab questions will be focused. It is very important for students to commit a little bit of time every day throughout the semester to solidify the ideas in their mind and avoid the “cram and dump” pattern of studying. Cramming may get some students bye during the individual unit tests but will severely backfire when it comes to the final exam.
Your mark is up to you! If the work hard throughout the year, attend tutorials and get help when you need it … you will succeed! However, it will require commitment… once you get behind it is very difficult to get caught back up!
CONTACT INFORMATION
I encourage parents to keep in touch with me over the course of the year. I am happy to provide you information about the topics we are covering in class and feedback about student achievement.
I can be contacted at any of the following:
Email: (please be aware your first email to me at this address will likely get caught in the school district spam filter and there maybe some delay in my first response. Once I have cleared your email address those problems disappear)
Voicemail: 250-870-5000 ext 4931
School phone: 250-870-5105
Website: – there is a contact form that can be utilized through the website
Cell: 250-863-8873
Sincerely,
Kevan Kruger
BIOLOGY 12 STUDENT QUESTIONARE
Name: ______Block:______
What other courses are you currently taking?
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What mark do you expect to achieve in Biology 12?
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Why are you taking Biology 12?
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What extracurricular activities are you involved in?
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Do you currently have a job? If so, how many hours do you work in a week?
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What are your career plans?
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What post-secondary programs are you currently considering?
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How does Biology 12 fit into your future educational and career goals?
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