This is a laboratory science course, which means that we will have lab periods every other day for the entire year. Usually, we do lab work during lab periods but we will also be flexible with some labs because of the material covered or the time they require.
The topics covered in this course are those necessary for success on the NYS Physical Setting/Earth Science Regents Examination. Although we will not rush through any topic, the course moves at a good pace. It is very important that you do not procrastinate on any of the work you are required to submit, especially labs.
If you are having a difficult time either understanding any of the material or organizing your workload, please see me immediately.
The following guidelines were constructed to give a brief overview of the expectations for our class.
TEST/QUIZZES - 60% (Tests 40%, Quizzes 20%) -Most topic examination questions are actual former Regents questions. -Any student that is absent from class on the day of a test will NOT be given the test when they return. A make-up test will be given at the end of the quarter and will count for the test they missed. -THE LOWEST TEST GRADE WILL ONLY BE DROPPED IF THE STUDENT WAS PRESENT FOR ALL PRIOR TESTS.
LABORATORY REQUIREMENTS - 15% -A minimum of 1200 successful written laboratory minutes must be completed before a student is eligible to sit for the Regents Exam, regardless of their class average. -Graded labs are stored in the classroom. -All labs must be submitted at the beginning of the period on the due date. If you are legally absent, YOU must schedule to make up the lab work as soon as possible. -All labs must be neat and complete. Incomplete labs will be returned and counted as late.
HOMEWORK - 10% -Homework is given to preview, review, or check ongoing understanding of a particular topic. Homework may include daily review of material using module summarization, note-taking, completing in-class assignments, preparing for a test or quiz, and/or simple submitting required labs in on time. -Homework should take 30 minutes or less to complete, and thus represents an easy way to boost your grade. The most common general assumption that many students make is that the course will not require time outside of class. Each person is different in the amount of time needed to succeed. -Homework due dates must be adhered to. Late homework assignments will not receive credit. PARTICIPATION - 15% The following are examples of a variety of daily activities that may be used in determining a student's participation grade: active participation in class, workbook assignments, chalkboard/do no activities, cooperative group assignments, library research assignments, lab activities, interaction between students and teacher among students, classroom preparation, being alert and listening attentively, following teacher directions, attentively viewing visual presentations, note taking, maintaining activities folder, proofreading and reviewing skills, working on classroom tasks, maintaining effort on task, cooperating with teacher, daily quizzes, journal entries, current events, any other classroom activities approved by coordinator of high school administration.
Students who miss class for any reason are responsible for any and all work missed. This includes homework. An absence does not serve as an extension on due dates.
Late assignments will be accepted up to 2 days. Late assignments will earn no higher than a 65.
9th Period Extra Help is offered Mon.- Fri.
Self-responsibility is key!
CLASS EXPECTATIONS 1.Respect yourself, the teacher & others · Show respect for the teacher, yourself and others at all times. · Respect others’ property. Avoid touching or writing on anything that does not belong to you (including desks, textbooks, teacher’s belongings, walls, chalkboard, etc.). Don't expect that others will clean-up your messes. Please pick-up after yourself. · Respect yourself and the rest of us by using appropriate language and wearing appropriate clothing. · Be a kind person. 2.Put forth your best effort at all times · Always do your own best work. · Put learning ahead of getting good grades. · Put quality ahead of just getting it done. 3.Be prepared for class each day · Come prepared with all materials necessary:
All necessary materials and handouts
Paper, pens (blue or black), and pencils
Highlighters for emphasizing important text
A planner to help keep you organized - the most successful students are organized.
4.Follow directions when given · When directions are given, do your best to follow them the first time. If you are confused or have questions, ask. I would rather have you stop class to clarify than be off task while everyone else is working. 5.Pay attention, participate and ask questions · Engage in what is going on in the classroom. If you have a question, ask it! Otherwise, I might not know until the test that you didn’t understand something. There are no stupid questions, and chances are, if you are wondering about it, someone else in the class is to. Be proactive about your learning and don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you feel most comfortable waiting until after class, that is okay, too, but do keep communication open between us. 6.Preserve a positive learning environment · Student actions that interfere with teaching or learning in the classroom will NOT be tolerated. · Use class time to learn. Please do not spend your time grooming, sleeping, talking, writing notes, playing cards, listening to you Ipod, text-messaging friends, or doing work for other classes. · Minimize classroom interruptions by arriving to class on time and not leaving the classroom during the hour. 7.Take responsibility for your actions · If you are confronted about a rule infraction, own up to it. Don’t deny it, lie about it, or blame someone else. · Take responsibility for missed assignments. · All handbook rules will be enforced. Please read your handbook. Students that choose to break these rules, choose to have points taken away from their grade and face the possibility of additional consequences. CLASS RULES 1.Turn off cell phones & electronic devices · Electronic devices (CD players, Ipods, handheld games, mini-TVs or personal DVD players, cell phones, pagers, Ipads, etc.) are NOT permitted in our classroom. You may choose to place your cell phone in the cell phone charging station. · Cell Phones should be turned off and invisible during the class period. If I see or hear your phone it will be taken away and placed in “cell phone jail” where you will pay a fine to retrieve it after class. Refusal to turn over the cell phone will be treated as insubordinate behavior. 2.No food or drink, except water · You may drink bottled of water in the classroom. If a spill occurs, please clean it up immediately and inform the teacher. · No other food or beverage is permitted in a science lab. 3.Arrive to class on time & ready to learn
When the bell rings, you need to be sitting in your assigned seat.
You should immediately begin on the DIP.
Be “physically” and “mentally” present in the classroom.
Security guards DO NOT serve as passes.
Your friends are not welcome in our classroom or loitering around the doorway.
4.Never line up at the door before dismissal, place your head on the desk, walk behind teacher lab desk, or rise unnecessarily from your seat/lab table.
Please remain in your seat until I have dismissed you. Never line up at the door before dismissal. Remember, I dismiss you, not the bell.
Viewing of videos/video clips is not an invitation to place your head on the desk. I choose my viewings carefully and are meant to enhance or teach a concept that you may be tested on later. If you do not feel well ask to see the nurse.
Be aware of appropriate times to rise from your seat. Random trips to the trash are distractors as well as walking in front of the teacher or student speaker during instruction.
5.Do not cheat, plagiarize, or copy work · Cheating is completely unacceptable. If I see you cheating on any assignment… even for another class… I will give you a zero and report the incident to the other teacher as well as your assistant principal and parents. · Plagiarism (copying work from another source without giving proper credit) is completely unacceptable. If you plagiarize on any assignment you will earn a “0” on that assignment with no opportunity to re-do the work for credit. 6.Use polite and appropriate language · Offensive, derogatory, and profane terms are not tolerated. In order to have a safe classroom environment where all students feel comfortable, no put downs, swear words, or slang words with demeaning connotations will be accepted. Remember, if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it at all! 7.Do your best work & turn it in on time · Remember that the work that you turn-in is a reflection of your effort on the assignment. Think about the following expectations when you are preparing an assignment that I will review:
Write your full name and period on all pages on all assignments
All work must be stapled, neatly done and legible in order to receive credit. If you print, capitalize properly (do not write using all capital letters).
Never turn any assignments in with the "fringes" from spiral notebooks on the paper or you will earn a "0" for that assignment. Likewise, assignments that are bunched up, crinkled, illegible, sloppy, or contain stains or holes are unacceptable.
ALL MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS, ESSAYS & PROJECTS MUST BE TYPED. If you don't have a computer at home, the Library is a great place to work on essays! Final draft format for typewritten work is as follows: 12-point font, double-spaced, 1” margins, and use a “normal font” such as Arial, Comic Sans, Times New Roman, etc. (nothing too difficult to read and a font that prints using capital and lower-case letters).
CLASS PROCEDURES 1.Turn in assignment to the proper bin · Assignments are due at the beginning of the hour when you come to class. I will not accept work completed once class begins. Turn in your homework to your hour bin. Late work will be accepted up to 2 days and will earn a grade no greater than a 65. I reserve the right to not accept late work. 2.Sign the tardy book & put pass in box · If you are tardy, I follow the tardy policy outlined in your student handbook. · You are expected to sign in if you arrive to class after the bell has rung and sign out if you leave class before the end of the hour. Be sure to note on the sign in sheet whether you have a pass. If you do, leave it in the tardy pass box. · Excessive tardies will affect your grade and have other consequences, such as detentions, etc 3.Pick up after yourself before you leave · Take all of your belongings, pick up any scrap papers around you, and put your desk back in line before you leave each day. 4.Observe, discreetly ask your classmate(s), then ask the teacher · Attendance is essential for optimal learning. Being on time and present and class physically and mentally will be part of your overall grade. You may not be excused from my class by another teacher without first seeking my permission. · If you are absent, it is your responsibility to obtain any missed classwork. Begin by looking for missed handouts in the ABSENT bin pertaining to your class hour. Then ask another student (your study buddy) what you missed. Follow-up with the teacher if necessary. · Make arrangements to complete your labs/activities. It is your responsibility to make these arrangements, I will not and cannot track you down. If you do not make-up labs/activities in a timely manner (before graded quizzes are returned to the students who were present), you will earn a “zero”. · UNEXCUSED absences on the day of an assignment, test, quiz, project, presentation, lab, etc. will result in a zero. 5.Follow protocol for study center use · If you have a resource room teacher and need to take test in another setting, please remind me the day prior to the test so that I can get your test to your resource room teacher ahead of time. 7.Use your “money” for passes & late work · Your money can be used for bathroom passes, emergency homework situations, or late assignments. · Each student has the opportunity to retain these "monies" for extra credit points at the end of the semester. $500.00 = to 1 pt. 8. Hand Signals for bathroom requests/nurse
This alleviates the disruption of class instruction 1 finger raised – nurse, 2 fingers raised – bathroom
SHOW ME THE MONEY! Cost/Fine Non-payment Late to class/no pass (up to 1 min.) $100 After 1 min up to 2 min. $200 After 2 minutes $200 and *mandatory extra help – same day, call home, points off participation grade Pass to bathroom $100 You have 3 free – use wisely Bail for cell phone $500 returned after class Pick up at end of day with AP 1 Additional day for assignment $500 Language/slang $500 detention/referral