Chapel Hill Middle School

Chapel Hill Middle School 6th Grade Academy

Earth Science Course Syllabus

Teacher: Toby Otts

Contact Information: Email

Phone 770.651.5000

Course Description: The Georgia Performance Standards, which are aligned to the National Science Education Standards, will drive our instruction at Chapel Hill Middle School. Our program will entail hands-on, student-centered, and inquiry-based approaches. Students will be given an overview of the common strands of earth science including, but not limited to, meteorology, geology, astronomy, oceanography, energy resources, and the impact of humans on the earth.

The Science curriculum in Georgia is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills for proficiency in science. Relationships between science, our environment, and our everyday world are crucial to each student’s scientific literacy. To become literate in science, therefore, students need to acquire an understanding of “how to do science” as well as understand the characteristics of science standardsand scientific concepts.

Major Concepts

·  Unit 1 - Universe and Solar System

·  Unit 2 - Inside the Earth

·  Unit 3 - Rocks and Minerals

·  Unit 4 – Weathering and Erosion

·  Unit 5 – Water in Earth’s Processes

·  Unit 6 – Weather and Climate

Resources: Students will receive an Interactive Textbook at the beginning of the school year (replacement cost is $10). Students will also have access to the online learning systems Engrade and Stemscopes. Additional online tools such as Quizlet will be used to provide students with an opportunity to master terminology through games, flashcards, and practice quizzes. Additional video links, projects, and information can be obtained from our school website (www.chmswildcats.com).

Technology: All students will be enrolled in the Microsoft Student Advantage Program. As part of the program, students will all be issued a Microsoft 365 email account. This account includes email, OneDrive (cloud storage), calendar, and online collaboration tools (Word Online, PowerPoint Online, etc.) Additionally, students will have the ability to download and install the full version of Microsoft Suite on up to 5 personal devices at no cost.

Grading Code for Douglas County:

A 90-100

B 80-89

C 71-79

D 70

F Below 69

Course Evaluation by Percent for Earth Science

Class-work (Labs, Class Activities) 45

Culminating Activities / Projects 10

Homework 10

CATS (Class Activity to Start) 5

Assessment (CDA’s, Quizzes, Tests) 30

**The teacher reserves the right to modify the syllabus in order to best serve the needs of students and/or classes.