Course Syllabus
BIOLOGY/ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
2013-2014 Course Syllabus/
Student Contract
Admiral William F. Halsey Academy of Finance
Mr. Gutierrez
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 908-248-4329
Website: http://aofscience.weebly.com
Welcome to Biology! Throughout the year, we will discover what our world is made of, how it is put together, and what happens when different parts of our world interact with each other. Most importantly though, we will discover why these things happen and how they relate to our everyday lives. No matter what your exposure to biology has been or how you have done in science classes in the past, I believe that all of you are capable of fully understanding the world around you. To guarantee this, we will be doing hands-on activities and labs to help you visualize and understand concepts. We will also be working extensively as a team this year, to collaborate and solve problems. It is my hope that all of you will have the basic foundation you need to succeed in future science classes.
Note: The terms and policies set forth in this course syllabus/student contract may be subject to change based on the discretion of Mr. Gutierrez. Student and parent/guardian feedback will be taken into consideration should a change become necessary. In order to be successful in Mr. Gutierrez’s biology class, you must agree to all classroom policies and expectations listed below.
BIG GOAL
Your success in this class will set you up for further success in other classes and in life as you will be required to think critically. As a class we will commit to work towards our BIG GOAL of achieving an average of 80% or greater on the benchmark, mid-term, and final exams. Our Big Goal encompasses smaller goals, one to characterize our mastery of biology content and the other to characterize our mastery of various skills.
CLASSROOM POLICIES AND EXPECTATIONS
This class will run as a professional environment similar to what you might experience in the workplace or in college. To ensure that our classroom is always a safe, welcoming environment that fosters high academic achievement, we will abide by the following non-negotiable classroom policies:
CONSEQUENCES
If you choose to act in an unprofessional manner and violate the classroom policies, you must deal with the consequences. Depending on the severity of your violation, the following consequences or combination of consequences may be implemented at my discretion:
CLASS MATERIALS
You are expected to bring the following to our class EVERY day (starting Monday, September 10th):
DAILY SCHEDULE
This is how a typical day will look like:
· Catalyst – Once you walk in the class, you must work on the Catalyst question immediately. This activity requires you to review previous material and in some cases comprehension of the material will be necessary for the current day’s lesson. These will be collected.
· Daily Lesson – This is the time when I will be introducing new material to the entire class. I expect to have your undivided attention and your engagement in the material. Being engaged in class means asking and answering questions, taking good notes, and actively listening.
· Class Practice/Project – This will be a chance for you to practice and apply what you just learned during the daily lesson. This work must be completed and will be collected and graded. If you do not finish your classwork during class, you must finish it for homework.
· Exit Slip – This is a chance for you and I to check your personal achievement on the day’s objectives. I will collect these as you walk out of the classroom.
COMPUTER USE
The computer the school provides you is a learning tool. All computers must be closed when I am giving directions. Computers may only be used as a reference source or calculator when working on classwork. If you are caught sending irrelevant emails, iMessages, browsing irrelevant websites, playing games, or any other activity that is not related to the task I give you, I reserve the right to confiscate your iPad and deduct points from your class participation grade as well as any other consequences listed above. Absolutely NO RECORDING (video, picture, or audio) may be done unless I give you explicit permission to do so. (If you are caught recording the class without my permission, I reserve the right to give you a failing grade for the entire marking period.)
HOMEWORK
Classwork that is not completed during class time MUST be completed for homework so it is in your best interest to use class time efficiently! Additional homework may be given on top of any incomplete classwork.
Each assignment will be:
· Done to the best of your ability. I expect you to at the very least ATTEMPT EACH QUESTION.
· Submitted into the “IN BOX” within the first 5 minutes of class. (If it is not there within the first 5 minutes of class, you risk your work being marked late.)
LABS
Biology is an especially fun science! We will be doing several labs throughout the year to reinforce concepts we learn in the class and to practice our scientific inquiry skills. While they are a lot of fun, they can also be dangerous. Therefore, all students MUST sign a Student Safety Contract and pass the Lab Safety test. During lab periods, you must be prepared and you must listen to directions very carefully. Failure to do so can result in severe personal injury, which may lead to death. To minimize the chances of accidents, we will not be doing any lab that requires high heat, fire, or chemicals that are considered to be particularly dangerous.
GRADING
LATE ASSIGNMENTS
All assignments (projects, packets, homework, reports, and etc.) MUST be submitted by the specified deadline. Your score will be lowered approximately 1/5 of your original grade for each day it is late. No late assignments will be accepted after 5 days of the original deadline. Any late assignments after 5 days can ONLY be accepted if a parent-teacher conference is scheduled. If you decide to submit an assignment late, you MUST place it in the “IN BOX,” otherwise you risk additional point deductions.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
Knowledge is too precious to steal. Make sure everything that you turn in to me is your own work. Please make sure that you understand that even “group work” should be your own. All exams, quizzes, and homework must be done independently. Students caught cheating will receive no credit for that assignment and may face disciplinary action. Remember that cheating only hurts you in the end.
TARDINESS
I expect you to be on time to class every single day and remain in class for the entire period.
If you come late to class:
1. Sign the Tardy Binder by the door. Sign it even if you have a pass. (If you have a pass, place it on my desk before sitting.) DO NOT INTERRUPT THE LESSON.
2. Quietly and quickly take your seat and immediately begin working. (If you arrive after the Catalyst has already been collected, you will not be able to make these points up.)
ABSENCES
If you happen to miss class for a reason out of your control, you must do the following on the first day you return back to school:
1. Copy the notes from someone else in the class during lunch or afterschool (do NOT do this during class).
2. Turn in any homework that was collected during your absence.
3. Get the homework/classwork assigned the day you were absent from the homework/worksheet folders. Homework will also be posted on the class website under HOMEWORK. This will be due the following day (For example, if you miss Monday, get the homework on Tuesday, and it is due on Wednesday).
Please speak to me in private if you have extenuating circumstances that will require you to leave class more often or be absent frequently. We will work together to ensure your ability to be successful in the class!
*Initial _________
LEAVING CLASS/EMERGENCY PASSES
You will be given four emergency passes (the pass grants you five minutes) at the start of each marking period that can be used to go to the restroom or to get something important from your locker (i.e. essential school supplies). These passes are to be placed on my desk if you so choose to use the pass. DO NOT ask to leave the room while I am teaching unless it is a life or death situation! Unused passes may be used for extra credit or a fun prize at the end of the marking period.
*Initial _________
EXAM RE-TAKES/MAKE-UPS
Above all else, I value student learning. For that reason, I believe that students should have the opportunity to correct and/or revise work that they are unsatisfied with. If you receive below 70% on an exam, you MUST attend after school tutoring! You have two options for retaking unit exams:
1. Do all test corrections and then retake a different version of the exam and I will take the higher of your two scores.
2. Do no test corrections, retake a different version of the exam and I’ll take the average of your two scores.
If you miss class on a quiz / exam day, you have one week to make up the opportunity/exam. You must schedule an appointment to make up your quiz/exam. (It is your responsibility to contact me either in person, on the phone, or email to schedule your make up exam. I will not go after you.) Good times include after school or during lunch. Make-ups will be more difficult and you will not be given the opportunity to retake the exam. If you do not make up the exam within the given time limit, you will receive a zero and a parent/guardian conference will be scheduled.
*Initial _________
EXTRA CREDIT Please DO NOT ASK me for extra credit opportunities or assignments. They will randomly be available throughout the year in the form of “Class Cash,” Class Points, unused emergency passes, extra credit questions on exams/quizzes, student jobs, or tasks done after school.
Some Tips for Success in Biology/Environmental Science
1) Come to after-school help with specific questions about the course material and homework problems.
2) Rewrite your class-notes in a separate notebook and do the class examples again.
3) In order to understand a concept rather than simply memorize a definition, try either writing an explanation in your own words or explaining it to someone else.
4) Study in small groups. Teaching each other the content is one of the best ways to learn.
5) Retake old quizzes, old tests and review sheets.
6) Summarize your notes into graphic organizers such as attribute webs, flow charts and Venn diagrams.
7) Create a “cheat sheet” in which you will have all of the things you need to know for the test.
8) After doing several problems, create new ones to do by taking existing questions and changing the numbers. When you get good at that, then try creating brand-new problems of your own.
9) Be prepared to do work in class and pay attention to all details being presented. Ask questions when you need to.
10) Go online for extra help. (www.khanacademy.org and www.youtube.com are excellent websites for additional tutorials.)
I have HIGH EXPECTATIONS for ALL of you and am looking forward to an excellent year!!!
With NO EXCUSES we will achieve our goals!!!
2013-2014 Course Syllabus/
Student Contract
Admiral William F. Halsey Academy of Finance
Mr. Gutierrez
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 908-248-4329
Website: http://aofscience.weebly.com
Welcome to Biology! Throughout the year, we will discover what our world is made of, how it is put together, and what happens when different parts of our world interact with each other. Most importantly though, we will discover why these things happen and how they relate to our everyday lives. No matter what your exposure to biology has been or how you have done in science classes in the past, I believe that all of you are capable of fully understanding the world around you. To guarantee this, we will be doing hands-on activities and labs to help you visualize and understand concepts. We will also be working extensively as a team this year, to collaborate and solve problems. It is my hope that all of you will have the basic foundation you need to succeed in future science classes.
Note: The terms and policies set forth in this course syllabus/student contract may be subject to change based on the discretion of Mr. Gutierrez. Student and parent/guardian feedback will be taken into consideration should a change become necessary. In order to be successful in Mr. Gutierrez’s biology class, you must agree to all classroom policies and expectations listed below.
BIG GOAL
Your success in this class will set you up for further success in other classes and in life as you will be required to think critically. As a class we will commit to work towards our BIG GOAL of achieving an average of 80% or greater on the benchmark, mid-term, and final exams. Our Big Goal encompasses smaller goals, one to characterize our mastery of biology content and the other to characterize our mastery of various skills.
CLASSROOM POLICIES AND EXPECTATIONS
This class will run as a professional environment similar to what you might experience in the workplace or in college. To ensure that our classroom is always a safe, welcoming environment that fosters high academic achievement, we will abide by the following non-negotiable classroom policies:
- Be Respectful to yourself, your peers, our guests and myself through your words and actions. Raise your hands and wait to be called on before speaking. Use of inappropriate language such as derogatory words or phrases will not be tolerated (i.e. no profanity, no name calling, or teasing.) Fighting of any type will not be tolerated and will result in an immediate referral.
- Be Helpful to your classmates by guiding them through rough spots. We are all responsible for each other’s learning. (Don’t let them copy. Teach them how to solve problems.)
- Be Focused on your goals, assignments, and succeeding. To do this, avoid side conversations or other tasks that I did not assign to you. Keep all trash with you until the end of the period and throw it out as you leave class.
- Be Engaged and Productive during instruction time, group work, and individual work times. Use of any electronic device besides approved laboratory equipment or calculators, is NOT allowed (i.e. no cell phones or personal music players.) Stay AWAKE. If you cannot keep your head up, ask to see the nurse.
- Be Prepared before you walk into class mentally and with all of your necessary class materials (unit/weekly packet, pen/pencil, iPad, paper, and calculator) and completed homework.
CONSEQUENCES
If you choose to act in an unprofessional manner and violate the classroom policies, you must deal with the consequences. Depending on the severity of your violation, the following consequences or combination of consequences may be implemented at my discretion:
- Verbal or Written Warning
- Reduction in Class Participation Grade (as indicated on packet)
- Teacher-student Conference (during lunch or after school)
- Reflection Form/Essay
- Individual Improvement Plan
- Parent-teacher Conference (in-person or phone)
- Referral to Administrator
CLASS MATERIALS
You are expected to bring the following to our class EVERY day (starting Monday, September 10th):
- Notebook for science only
- Black/blue pen OR sharpened pencil and at least 3 back-ups.
- A positive attitude towards learning and respect for the policies and expectations of our class and Halsey Leadership Academy
DAILY SCHEDULE
This is how a typical day will look like:
· Catalyst – Once you walk in the class, you must work on the Catalyst question immediately. This activity requires you to review previous material and in some cases comprehension of the material will be necessary for the current day’s lesson. These will be collected.
· Daily Lesson – This is the time when I will be introducing new material to the entire class. I expect to have your undivided attention and your engagement in the material. Being engaged in class means asking and answering questions, taking good notes, and actively listening.
· Class Practice/Project – This will be a chance for you to practice and apply what you just learned during the daily lesson. This work must be completed and will be collected and graded. If you do not finish your classwork during class, you must finish it for homework.
· Exit Slip – This is a chance for you and I to check your personal achievement on the day’s objectives. I will collect these as you walk out of the classroom.
COMPUTER USE
The computer the school provides you is a learning tool. All computers must be closed when I am giving directions. Computers may only be used as a reference source or calculator when working on classwork. If you are caught sending irrelevant emails, iMessages, browsing irrelevant websites, playing games, or any other activity that is not related to the task I give you, I reserve the right to confiscate your iPad and deduct points from your class participation grade as well as any other consequences listed above. Absolutely NO RECORDING (video, picture, or audio) may be done unless I give you explicit permission to do so. (If you are caught recording the class without my permission, I reserve the right to give you a failing grade for the entire marking period.)
HOMEWORK
Classwork that is not completed during class time MUST be completed for homework so it is in your best interest to use class time efficiently! Additional homework may be given on top of any incomplete classwork.
Each assignment will be:
· Done to the best of your ability. I expect you to at the very least ATTEMPT EACH QUESTION.
· Submitted into the “IN BOX” within the first 5 minutes of class. (If it is not there within the first 5 minutes of class, you risk your work being marked late.)
LABS
Biology is an especially fun science! We will be doing several labs throughout the year to reinforce concepts we learn in the class and to practice our scientific inquiry skills. While they are a lot of fun, they can also be dangerous. Therefore, all students MUST sign a Student Safety Contract and pass the Lab Safety test. During lab periods, you must be prepared and you must listen to directions very carefully. Failure to do so can result in severe personal injury, which may lead to death. To minimize the chances of accidents, we will not be doing any lab that requires high heat, fire, or chemicals that are considered to be particularly dangerous.
GRADING
- Catalysts/Homework/Classwork (30%)
- Catalysts - Daily catalysts will be assigned at the beginning of class and collected immediately. These short assignments will often test your understanding of the material covered in the previous class or the homework assigned the day before. Catalysts cannot be made up if you are absent or arrive after they are collected.
- Homework – Homework is due at the beginning of class during the first 5 minutes. Homework will sometimes be practice problems from the book or chapter outlines or to finish an assignment that was started in class.
- Classwork – Classwork includes practice problems done in class as well as exit slips.
- Exams/Quizzes (20%) – An exam will be administered at the end of each unit. Short quizzes will most likely be given at the end of every week.
- Benchmark Exams (30%) At the end of each marking period, a benchmark assessment will be administered. (There will also be mid-term exam at the end of the second marking period that will cover all of the material from the first half of the year. There will be a cumulative final exam at the end of the year. The mid-term and final exam scores are counted as separate marking period grades)
- Laboratory/Class Participation (20%)
- Laboratory – You will be evaluated on how well you follow directions during lab and for any lab reports/assignments given.
- Class Participation – You will receive the maximum number of points for participation for following all classroom policies and expectations. Violating them will result in point deductions.
LATE ASSIGNMENTS
All assignments (projects, packets, homework, reports, and etc.) MUST be submitted by the specified deadline. Your score will be lowered approximately 1/5 of your original grade for each day it is late. No late assignments will be accepted after 5 days of the original deadline. Any late assignments after 5 days can ONLY be accepted if a parent-teacher conference is scheduled. If you decide to submit an assignment late, you MUST place it in the “IN BOX,” otherwise you risk additional point deductions.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
Knowledge is too precious to steal. Make sure everything that you turn in to me is your own work. Please make sure that you understand that even “group work” should be your own. All exams, quizzes, and homework must be done independently. Students caught cheating will receive no credit for that assignment and may face disciplinary action. Remember that cheating only hurts you in the end.
TARDINESS
I expect you to be on time to class every single day and remain in class for the entire period.
If you come late to class:
1. Sign the Tardy Binder by the door. Sign it even if you have a pass. (If you have a pass, place it on my desk before sitting.) DO NOT INTERRUPT THE LESSON.
2. Quietly and quickly take your seat and immediately begin working. (If you arrive after the Catalyst has already been collected, you will not be able to make these points up.)
ABSENCES
If you happen to miss class for a reason out of your control, you must do the following on the first day you return back to school:
1. Copy the notes from someone else in the class during lunch or afterschool (do NOT do this during class).
2. Turn in any homework that was collected during your absence.
3. Get the homework/classwork assigned the day you were absent from the homework/worksheet folders. Homework will also be posted on the class website under HOMEWORK. This will be due the following day (For example, if you miss Monday, get the homework on Tuesday, and it is due on Wednesday).
Please speak to me in private if you have extenuating circumstances that will require you to leave class more often or be absent frequently. We will work together to ensure your ability to be successful in the class!
*Initial _________
LEAVING CLASS/EMERGENCY PASSES
You will be given four emergency passes (the pass grants you five minutes) at the start of each marking period that can be used to go to the restroom or to get something important from your locker (i.e. essential school supplies). These passes are to be placed on my desk if you so choose to use the pass. DO NOT ask to leave the room while I am teaching unless it is a life or death situation! Unused passes may be used for extra credit or a fun prize at the end of the marking period.
*Initial _________
EXAM RE-TAKES/MAKE-UPS
Above all else, I value student learning. For that reason, I believe that students should have the opportunity to correct and/or revise work that they are unsatisfied with. If you receive below 70% on an exam, you MUST attend after school tutoring! You have two options for retaking unit exams:
1. Do all test corrections and then retake a different version of the exam and I will take the higher of your two scores.
2. Do no test corrections, retake a different version of the exam and I’ll take the average of your two scores.
If you miss class on a quiz / exam day, you have one week to make up the opportunity/exam. You must schedule an appointment to make up your quiz/exam. (It is your responsibility to contact me either in person, on the phone, or email to schedule your make up exam. I will not go after you.) Good times include after school or during lunch. Make-ups will be more difficult and you will not be given the opportunity to retake the exam. If you do not make up the exam within the given time limit, you will receive a zero and a parent/guardian conference will be scheduled.
*Initial _________
EXTRA CREDIT Please DO NOT ASK me for extra credit opportunities or assignments. They will randomly be available throughout the year in the form of “Class Cash,” Class Points, unused emergency passes, extra credit questions on exams/quizzes, student jobs, or tasks done after school.
Some Tips for Success in Biology/Environmental Science
1) Come to after-school help with specific questions about the course material and homework problems.
2) Rewrite your class-notes in a separate notebook and do the class examples again.
3) In order to understand a concept rather than simply memorize a definition, try either writing an explanation in your own words or explaining it to someone else.
4) Study in small groups. Teaching each other the content is one of the best ways to learn.
5) Retake old quizzes, old tests and review sheets.
6) Summarize your notes into graphic organizers such as attribute webs, flow charts and Venn diagrams.
7) Create a “cheat sheet” in which you will have all of the things you need to know for the test.
8) After doing several problems, create new ones to do by taking existing questions and changing the numbers. When you get good at that, then try creating brand-new problems of your own.
9) Be prepared to do work in class and pay attention to all details being presented. Ask questions when you need to.
10) Go online for extra help. (www.khanacademy.org and www.youtube.com are excellent websites for additional tutorials.)
I have HIGH EXPECTATIONS for ALL of you and am looking forward to an excellent year!!!
With NO EXCUSES we will achieve our goals!!!
