HL Biology



Welcome to IBDP Biology! Committing yourself to this course is one of the best decisions you have made. As part of your daily life, you will be hearing about a wide variety of biology-related topics in the news. Some recent stories involve national security (is bioterrorism a reality?), emerging diseases (what damage could a pandemic bird or swine flu cause?), environmental ills (are humans really impacting global temperatures?), genetic discoveries (will human cloning become a reality), and so on. IB Biology is designed to give you the analytical tools and content knowledge which will aid you as you grapple with these issues and others as you continue your scientific endeavors and fulfill your role as a citizen and future lawmaker. I challenge you to appreciate science as a “process” by which we develop a better understanding of our world. You need to understand the fundamentals and basic significance of individual discoveries to understand and appreciate the new “changes”, advances and improvements in science and technology. Even if this is the last science class you ever take, as, you will be forced to make decisions rooted in biology on a regular basis. Like it or not, biology will always be a part of your life. This class will provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand scientific issues and be able to make educated decisions about our society’s policies toward how science will continue to improve and affect our lives. To this end, I have established several goals. In this two year IBDP Biology course, I hope you will:Develop an understanding of basic biological conceptsAcquire scientific vocabulary that allows you to communicate and understand scientific conceptsApply the scientific process to solve problems3524250182880Become better prepared for college-level studyThink critically, challenge assumptions, and ask questionsThroughout this course, I will guide you through a combination of discussions, demonstrations, labs, activities, and lectures to explore the topics of biology and science. I particularly enjoy having discussions about the “whys and how’s” of biology. It is critical that you keep up with your expected readings and homework so that you can be an active part of these discussions. My primary job is to help your learning. Ask questions. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. If you have any suggestions on how I can help enhance your learning experience, please talk to me. I am thrilled to have you in class.Ms. Vici3251835-78105Ms Vici’s Classroom ProceduresCode of Behaviour. You can do as you like in this class, provided it doesn’t affect your learning or the learning of others in the class. I trust that you will be responsible for your own learning and will not engage in any activity that will take away from your own learning or from your classmate’s ability to learn. Nothing infuriates me as much as a student who disrespects another’s right to learn. It is my primary role to communicate my understanding and passion for biology to you. I also expect each of you to be a resource to others; there is a lot we can learn from each other. To facilitate this, I ask that you respect the comments and opinions of others. I have very high expectations for all my students. Conduct of Class. I expect attention (and talking/socializing to cease) as soon as we begin class. I reserve the right to assign seats to students and to change assigned seats as needed. When I am lecturing, please give me the courtesy of listening (and hopefully, taking notes). Do the same for presentations and explanations by your peers. When it is your turn to speak, I and everyone else will return the courtesy.Preparation for Class. Your preparation for class will be assumed. Please bring to class each day the following materials: Your laptop or ipadTwo colours of pens for taking notes (i.e. one blue pen and one black pen)Pencil and eraserRed pen or highlighterLoose-leaf paperCalculatorRuler for lab drawingsA diary (paper or electronic)A 3-hole ring binder with dividers dedicated solely to IB BiologyGroup Work. We will frequently work in pairs and teams, particularly in the laboratory. Sometimes I will allow you to choose your own partner, at other times I will assign students to work together. I expect you to accept these assignments without complaint/whining. Although we will do lab work in teams, each student will write up his/her own lab report. During group work, answers and solutions may be freely shared, but all members are expected to contribute. Simply copying answers from another lab report, homework, etc. without having helped to produce the product is plagiarism and will be treated as such.Attendance. Regular attendance is very important if you plan on succeeding in IB Biology.? Most of the labs, presentations, videos, and other assignments are difficult, if not impossible, to completely make up.?Missed Class Make Up. If you miss an assignment due to an absence, it is YOUR responsibility to seek and schedule a make-up, not my responsibility to seek you out. If you missed a lab due to an excused absence, it is YOUR responsibility to schedule a lab make up session within two weeks of your absence.? Missed labs may require actual lab make-up or completion of an alternative assignment. You may not make up assignments, activities or labs missed due to an unexcused absence.?Electronics Use. Listening to music is not permitted.? Absolutely no using of cell phones is permitted, including text messaging.? All phones should be in your lockers for the whole school day. If you choose to violate these guidelines, your cell phone will be confiscated.Cheating. Cheating will not be tolerated and is clearly a violation of course and school policy. The following acts of cheating are examples of behaviour that will result in disciplinary actions:Passing calculators during a test, quiz, or other assessmentCopying someone else’s test, quiz, homework, assignment, or reportLetting someone copy from a test, quiz, homework, assignment, or reportLooking at notes during a test, quiz, or other assessmentSharing questions from a test with students who have yet to take the testListing someone else’s data without giving credit, or worse, making up data to fit the expected answer.? It is acceptable to present your own data, to state the reasons that you feel the results should be disregarded, and then to present another student’s data (making sure the source is acknowledged)Using opinions, facts, ideas, charts, data and direct quotes from research papers, newspapers, magazines, textbooks, websites, or another person without citing the source.It is assumed that Concordian students are honourable people. Only those lacking in intelligence believe that cheating on academic work is profitable. Students are here to learn; cheating makes learning impossible. 16706851422409.Internet Use. Many homework assignments will include activities which must be done on the Internet. Not having the Internet at home is not an excuse for not being able to do the homework. There are other ways to access the World Wide Web (at school in the library, at a friend's house, at public libraries and coffee shops). When I do give a homework assignment on the Internet, be sure to start it early.? Computers have a way of not working when you absolutely must finish something for the next day!IMPORTANT CONTACT DETAILSMy email addresses:vici@concordian.ac.thMy workroom is the old fitness room 9404You will also have access to a special site just for your class where all work, presentations, links and other exciting things will be posted: – This is your class dedicated site.You will be issued with several resources to use both in and out of class.Online Oxford Biology Textbook – You will be sent an email with your username and password for this online textbook.Oxford Kerboodle online resources – This will be used regularly to check your understanding of the material covered in class and from studying your Oxford textbook. This resource is used for your homework and quiz scores for Managebac, so is very important ()Kognity Online textbook and study resource – this is also used for your homework and quiz scores on Managebac, you will log into this resource as a class, in a future lesson (address for the resource is: ) Biozone IB Biology student workbook (issued next week) – This is a workbook that you will use to reinforce materials covered in class. You will see the reference to each activity on the class website – It is your responsibility to complete the activities and check your answers using the model answers available in the lab. Safety Rules in the Science Classroom (Just in case you have forgotten!)PERSONAL SAFETYEvery person shall wear eye protection devices when using corrosive, toxic, reactive, or irritating chemicals and during hazardous activities.Wash your hands before removing your goggles and leaving the laboratory.Never be a practical joker in the laboratory.Lab coats must be worn when working with hazardous solutions.If you do not understand how or why to do a task, ask your instructor for help. If there is any doubt in your mind, ask your instructor.Tie back long hair. Secure loose clothing to the body and remove loose fitting coats and jackets.In classrooms functioning as a laboratory, no eating or drink will be allowed. ROOM SAFETYLearn the location of the eyewash station and fire extinguishing devices and how to use them.Before leaving the laboratory, be certain that gas and water lines at your station are shut tightly and that all equipment and supplies are placed in their proper places.Off-limits designation for any area or demonstration is to be strictly observed by students.Know the emergency evacuation route and meeting point. LAB SAFETY SKILLSFollow your instructor’s oral and written instructions before, during and after all laboratory activities. Read an assigned investigation carefully before beginning it, noting all cautions listed. Work deliberately and with a definite purpose, but do not hurry.Keep the workspace at your station and your apparatus clean and in good order.Read the label carefully before taking anything from a bottle or container. Using the wrong material could result in serious injury.Know what you are doing. Be wary of what neighbouring students are doing.MATERIALS SAFETYAll chemicals should be regarded as hazardous unless your instructor informs you otherwise.Never mix or heat chemicals unless you are directed to do so.When mixing concentrated acids and water, always pour acids into the water slowly and stir constantly.When observing the odour of any liquid, do not smell it directly. Use your hand to fan the odour towards you.Never taste a chemical or a solution or touch chemicals with your hands unless directed to do so by your instructor.When heating a test tube, do not heat just one spot on the test tube. Never have the open end of the test tube pointed at anyone. Never look directly down into a test tube.Always allow ample time for cooling after materials have been heated.Dispose of all materials as instructor designates.OOPS! NOTIFY YOUR TEACHER OF ANY ACCIDENT OR POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SITUATION.1838325965835IF ANY CHEMICAL IS SPLASHED ON YOUR SKIN OR IN YOUR EYES, FLOOD WITH WATER IMMEDIATELY, THEN NOTIFY YOUR TEACHER. ................
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