INTERGRATED 9TH GRADE SCIENCE



Punahou Summer Biology Syllabus

Teacher: Mr. Valentine email: mvalentine@punahou.edu

Goals of this Class: Biology is the study of life. In this course, you will learn a variety of topics of course based on the study of living organisms. Not only will you be focused on this science, scientific method, but you will you learn accountability, responsibility, cooperation with peers, and of course, real life skills. This class truly will be the study of life…

Essential Questions:

1. What lessons are to be learned by the curiosities of people from our past? Why their particular questions were significant for your everyday lives?

2. What themes of life do all of these have in common, even if they are not directly related to humans? Do these commonalities suggest newer thoughts for our present? The future?

3. What real life links can you make personally with your own? Will you remember the fundamentals and focus of biology, or will it be a random class you had to take to graduate?

THINGS YOU WILL NEED:

• A willingness to express your ideas, questions, social skills, and learn the unknown.

Required Book and Supplies

|Text book information to be shared as soon as the information becomes clearer. Either |The following materials are required for class. Please bring them to |

|MSdirect download or it will be the Ibooks application. |EVERY class meeting. |

| |Composition book or 3 ring binder with paper (will be taking both in |

| |class and book notes ) |

| |Pen & Pencil |

| |Laptop |

Grading Breakdown: Because each quarter has unique sections and lesson, we have created a system of grading helping focus students from working and labs to a greater increase of their field study report.

| |1st Semester |2nd Semester |

|Homework/Labs |50% |50% |

|Tests |30% |30% |

|Field Study Project |10% |10% |

|Participation/Notes |10% |10% |

|Final Exam |No Final exam |

• An entire departmental semester exam will be given at the end of the first semester only.

• IMPORTANT INFO: Your QUARTER grades are not on your TRANSCRIPTS but your SEMESTER grades will be on your TRANSCRIPTS. Semester grades are generated by the average from both Quarter 1 and 2 or Quarter 3 and 4.

• 1st and 2nd semester grades will be averaged for the final year grade.

Grading scale:

|94 – 100 |A |80 – 83 |B- |67 – 69 |D+ |

|90 – 93 |A- |77 – 79 |C+ |64 – 66 |D |

|87 – 89 |B+ |74 – 76 |C |60 – 63 |D- |

|84 – 86 |B |70 – 73 |C- |59 and below |F |

Checking your grades:

Your grades will be posted to LearnBoost whenever I have finished grading them throughout the quarter. I will be showing the students how to add the class and view on the first day of class.

RULES & REGULATIONS:

You are expected to…

• Follow all of the rules here at Punahou (Um… Of course?)

• RESPECT: A very simple word but has many uses. 1) Respect you classmates 2) Respect your classroom 3) Respect your teacher 4) Respect yourselves

• Follow the LAB SAFETY RULES (Online posted) at all times! These are given on the separate sheet which requires parent and student signatures.

• Challenge yourself. Is this really just a class? Or could this be a class I use in every class and everyday life.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Expectations

The essential guideline for this class is: Don’t do anything that interferes with your ability to learn, the ability of those around you to learn, or my ability to teach. This is ‘the’ rule and if you cannot abide by it you will be dealt with appropriately. I do not anticipate any problems with anyone in my biology class this year, but here are more details if you are interested:

♦ ACCOUNTABILITY: You may not understand how really important it is in becoming an adult: If there is only 1 thing in this class you pick up…THIS IS IT! Being a responsible person is the key for everyone’s future. Be it with having a family, getting into that college, working in at a job, or just becoming a great person.

♦ Students must respect all people in the classroom at all times. Please, don’t interrupt your classmates, teacher, or guest speakers during classroom discussions. When students come to class late, they should go directly to their seat and get to work quietly.

♦ All students must respect the safety and the learning environment of this classroom: Please clean up after yourself and place all trash in the wastebaskets, especially after labs. Horseplay is dangerous for everyone, even more so in the classroom with chemicals and other science equipment.

♦ All students must uphold the class honor code. It is the policy of the science department that any cheating on an assignment, exam, or quiz will result in a zero on that work and a parent telephone call. Cheating on the final exam will result in either a zero on that exam or an F in the course at my discretion.

ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY:

Students at Punahou will not cheat (dishonest production of schoolwork including copying homework, sharing answers during tests, or turning in work that someone else produced) or plagiarize (using others’ ideas and words without clearly acknowledging the source of that information). In the case of group work such as labs, feel free to share IDEAS but do not share word for word answers, graphs, or conclusions.

Click and Follow Link:

Mobile Phones

Communication with mobile wireless devices is strictly prohibited during class. Calling or texting will result in the confiscation of devices. Unless required by the teacher, photos and recordings are not allowed. At times, I may require students to photo document an assignment and submit by email. Students in direct contact with a wireless device during a test or quiz will earn a zero credit on the assignment and the device will be confiscated. Students will forfeit the option of a make-up test or quiz.

TURNING IN ASSIGNMENTS:

• All work missed during excused absences are expected to be made up before school or after (if there is time) in a “timely manner” (within 24 hours).

• Due to lab scheduling, it is important NOT to miss scheduled lab times!  Making up a lab is difficult for everyone and will require coming in during your breaks.  Keep this in mind when scheduling appointments.

• Two absences during the summer semester (1/2 or 3/4) may result in failure of course.

Online Textbook Component (Mandatory)

This section will be updated once the information becomes clear about the location and process of getting your Etext books.

In case of an absence, please check or see me before or after school.

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