Biology
Course Overview:
Biology is an inquiry based course designed to familiarize you with science processes, skills, and understandings related to a wide range of topics in biology. During this course, you will learn to identify the basic questions and concepts that guide scientific investigation and to design and conduct your own investigations. Some important skills you will develop include microscopy, graphing and measurement, identification of research questions, making connections, and the ability to be a self-directed learner.
Course Content:
· Scientific Inquiry
· Mathematics and Measurement in Science
· Science in Practice
· Foundations of Science
· Biochemistry
· Cells
· Genetics
· Ecology
· Relationships Among Organisms
· Evolution
· Animals
· Plants
Course Policies:
Attendance/Absences/Makeup Work: Attendance is crucial for a learning biology but at times you may need to be absent. If you are absent please keep in mind -- you must make up tests, quizzes and laboratory work as soon as possible. Homework assigned prior to an absence must be turned in the day you return, and homework assigned during your absence is due the day after you return, unless I extend the deadline because of multiple day absences or unusual circumstances
Classroom Rules/Expectations: You are expected to arrive each day on time and ready for instructions, to act responsibly, and contribute to an orderly learning environment, and to follow the behavior guidelines outlined in our school policy. All school rules apply in my class.
Please do not eat in my classroom – drinks are allowed. If you bring food into my classroom, you will be asked to put it away, if you do not do so, I will throw it in the garbage
Homework: Assignments must be completed on appropriate paper – lined paper in blue ink, black ink, or pencil only. If it is not done properly, you will be asked to re-do it. Please make sure the left side of the paper is clean if taken from a spiral notebook.
Late work: Late work will not be accepted. I will take up homework at the beginning of class – please make sure you know where it is and have it ready when class begins. Remember if you did not complete all of your homework, some points are better than a zero.
Grading Policy:
Grade Distribution: Quarter Grades (9 week grades) will be calculated as follows:
Assessments—70%**
Homework and Labs – 20%
9 weeks Cumulative Learning Check – 10%
** Students will be able to re-take any test they do not feel they did well on – the school policy on test re-take will be adhered to due to fairness for all students
End of Course Exam
This year each student will take an End of Course Exam for Biology. This exam will count for 15% of your overall grade for the year. It is very important that you do well on this exam -- I will do everything I can to help prepare you.
This exam will count for 15% of the overall grade for the student
Course Procedures:
Lectures/labs: Lectures will emphasize biology concepts. They are intended to help you become more comfortable with the concepts we are learning – they are for your benefit by hopefully making more challenging concepts easier. Labs will familiarize you with skills needed to investigate scientific questions, allow you to establish effective research habits, and reinforce information learned during lecture. Communication is an important part of science, and clearly written lab reports are essential.
Biology Binder
It is very important that you review your notes, homework, and labs frequently. This is especially true with homework because it has a purpose. Most homework has one or more of the following aims:
· Practice – reinforces the learning of material presented in class and helps you master specific skills
· Preparation – provides information – history, skills, definitions – for forthcoming instructions; it is intended to allow you to benefit when the new material is covered in class
· Extension – involves the transfer of previously learned skills to a new situation
· Integration – asks you to apply skills and concepts to produce a single product (e.g. book report, science report)
This is why I suggest keeping a notebook for this class. If you are having difficulties with any of the topics covered in this course, see me as soon as possible.
This will be an exciting and interesting class if we all work together. Remember, the more effort you put it, the more reward you get out!