Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional High School



Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional High School

Course Syllabus

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Oceanography 2016-2017

Mr. Ordog and Mr. Wildermuth

Course Description: Welcome to oceanography! Oceanography, defined literally, is a study of the oceans. In reality, oceanography encompasses many realms of biology, physics, chemistry, earth science, economics and mathematics. In order to truly understand how the oceans work, one needs to be willing to study many different subjects and strive to find the relationships between these different realms. Oceanography is a complex science, but revealing the ways in which the world’s oceans work is a rewarding endeavor.

Oceanography in its most basic form is an ancient science. People have been studying the oceans for thousands of years in many different ways. Over the course of the school year, we will focus on a variety of different oceanographic topics, including, but not limited to: tides and currents, marine ecology, fish, sea birds, sea mammals, marine geology, human environmental impact on the oceans, marine ecosystems, natural disasters and the future of the world’s oceans. The breadth of topics addressed is vast, and hopefully you will all find some part of this course by which you are truly intrigued. By the end of the course we will discover ways in which we impact the ocean every day, and in turn, ways by which we are impacted by the oceans. This, along with determining ways we can help protect our oceanic resources, is one of the major goals of this course.

Background: A strong foundation in science will be helpful in this course.

Course Objectives:

• Familiarization with topics found in oceanography

• Mastery of subject matter found within individual topics

• Ability to apply critical thinking skills to real and hypothetical scenarios related to marine science

• Development of important learning skills to be applied in related subject matter

• Exposure to topics and careers for future exploration and employment

• Enjoyment of science

Materials: You will need to come to class every day with a writing utensil, a notebook and a folder or three-ring binder. These items are essential for success in this course, and depending on certain assignments, more materials may be required.

Online Resources: Selected assignments will be available online, more detailed instructions will be provided on an individual basis. It is important that students are comfortable navigating the online resources. Many assignments and activities will be posted to Google Classroom. Your class section code is ________________ . If internet access may be a problem, please contact me as soon as possible so alternative arrangements can be made.

Homework: Not only will you often receive a grade for the homework, but completion of the task will better prepare you for the following day’s lesson. Notebook quizzes may be assigned based on the previous night’s homework assignment. The number of homework assignments given per marking period may vary and is the priority of the teacher.

FTCA Policy: The school policy applies to this course. You are expected to complete your assignments on time, and appropriate measures will be taken as necessary.

Projects: You will be assigned a few projects throughout the year, which will require a significant amount of time and effort in order to be successful. Details on these projects will follow later in the year.

Grading System and Assessments: We will utilize Standards Aligned Grading in this class. The four categories students will be evaluated on will be: Content, Application, Literacy and 21st Century Skills. The categories will not be weighted and the grading will be based on total points. The value of an assignment or activity will be reflected in the point designation.

This process allows the teacher to identify strengths and weaknesses of each student, and empowers the student to focus on academic areas that may require improvement rather than receiving one ambiguous grade for each assignment. Each assessment will have different distribution of categorical evaluation, and some assessments may not include all of the categories. A full explanation of the SAG policy can be found on your section’s Google Classroom webpage.

Science Department Re-test policy:

• Student must have all assignments completed for the subject tested prior to the first test, to be eligible for the retest.

• Student must successfully complete an additional assignment given by the teacher, such as a review.

• Student must meet with their science teacher outside of class time or attend a science lab prior to the retest test.

• Students will be given one opportunity for re-take per assessment.

• The make-up test must be completed in 1 week from the date the assessment was put into power school.

Expectations and Classroom Rules:

• Respect

• Be on time

• Come prepared

• Complete assignments on time

• Appropriate usage of cell phones, laptops and other electronic devices

Field Trips: We will take two field trips in this class. Students will be asked to fund the cost of transportation and any admission fee. Behavioral guidelines for field trips are the same as they are in the classroom. If the financial aspect may be a difficulty for you, please see me to discuss alternatives.

Additional Information: I am available before and after school for extra help/consultation. If you are having trouble grasping a concept or understanding directions, please talk to me at your convenience. I am also available through email (ordog.s@) after school hours.

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