Ms. Behrens

“Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.”

-Carl Sagan

Welcome to the wonderful world of 8th grade science!  I am so excited to work with all of you this year.  We will be exploring physical science.  Physical science consists of both physics and chemistry.  Physics is essentially the study of motion and energy.  Chemistry is the study of the substances everything is made of and how they interact.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Ms. Stephanie Behrens

Email address:  sbehrens@ecfs.org

Phone number:  718-329-7300 x3623

WEBSITE

All announcements, handouts, homework assignments, class syllabus, contact information, details about upcoming special projects, and science enrichment ideas will be posted through Google Classroom. Please find all details within the assignments, and use the calendar on Google Classroom.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Major Units of Study

These essential questions will guide our learning in both chemistry and physics.

• Who does Chemistry? How small is small?? How do we know if we have truly done chemistry and created a “new” material?:

• How can we observe something we can't see?

• What is the world made up of? 

• What properties can be used to compare protons, electrons, and neutrons? 

• How do we know when something is moving, and how can we measure that motion?

• What happens to the motion of an object when nothing interferes? How does the motion of an object change when a force interferes?

• How do objects interact with one another?

• Where does energy come from? Where does energy go?

CLASS FORMAT

Classes will vary on a daily basis. On most days, we will begin class with a Check In, and then introduce the day’s lesson.  Some days we may begin by reviewing questions from the homework from the night before. We will be exploring the world with group work, independent work, and whole class discussions.  The class involves a lot of hands-on learning and independent learning, and I look forward to watching us experience science.

HOMEWORK

Homework is an integral part of science work and will be assigned on most class days and listed on Google Classroom.  The goal of homework is to reinforce concepts and materials from class.  Homework may not always be collected, but it will always be checked and discussed in class.  I expect each homework assignment to be handed in on the day that it is due and I will deduct a point for each day that it is late.

GRADING

Your grade will be determined based on your performance on the assigned homework, quizzes, tests, projects and participation. Each type of assignment is very important to your grade. Homework will be worth 33% of your grade; Tests and Quizzes will be worth 34%, and Projects will be worth 33%. 

Any late or missing work is due no later than 10 days before the end of the marking period.  This is so I can grade them and include them in your written home reports in a timely manner.  Remember that some assignments will not be able to be turned in late due to the nature of the assignment.

TEXTBOOKS

Our text this year will be Physical Science Explorations (2nd ed.) by Hewitt, Hewitt, and Suchocki.  All readings will be available online.  We will also use online readings in the form of PDF’s. 

CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT

In order to have an enjoyable and successful year, it is crucial that you respect everyone and everything in the class.  When doing group work, include everyone and make sure everyone feels like a contributor.  You will be working with everyone in the class, and it is important to learn how to work with different people.  In this class, you should ask for help if you need it and help another if you see they need it.  On a basic level this means listening when another is speaking; raising your hand; being attentive and disagreeing respectfully.  You are expected to be supportive of one another.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

Students are expected to submit individual work that reflects their own ideas and words. Copying, pasting and using images and text without acknowledging the source is plagiarism. As students are developing research and citation skills, they will be taught to cite their sources using the American Psychological Association (APA) format that is used in the sciences. Instances of academic dishonesty and/or plagiarism will be disciplined according to the Fieldston School policy that can be found and reviewed in the middle school student planner.

Also, if students receive additional support from a tutor or parent on an assignment, they are expected to make a notation of this support at the top of their assignments so that teachers can accurately assess student growth and progress.

CITING YOUR SOURCES

On projects, lab reports, and papers, it is important that you credit your sources. This means that you need to create a bibliography that cites sources when doing research but it also means that you need to give credit to parents, tutors or others who might verbally help you with your work.  For books, websites and other written or graphic sources, you should use the APA format.  The easiest way to do this is to use a site like http://www.easybib.com to help you format the citations.  It should go without saying that copying directly from a source or another person without giving credit is plagiarism and is unacceptable.

MATERIALS:

Notebook, Handout/Homework folder (comes to class), Calculator, Pencil/pen

You should have your notebook and a folder for handouts every day in class.  You also need to have a writing implement.  At home, you should have an archive folder to store your handouts and homework that are from previous units of study.  That way you don't end up carrying around a year's worth of paper every day.  You should bring a calculator to class when we have quizzes and tests.

ABSENCES FROM CLASS:

Students should always check Google Classroom, as I update it every day.  You can always email me if you are absent and are confused about the assignment.  If you miss a day of class you will have an extra day to make up the homework.  However, if a homework assignment was assigned a few days prior to you being out, you will be expected to hand in the work on the day you return.  If you are absent on the day of a quiz or a test, you will be expected to take the assessment upon your return.  If you are out for a few days, you can set up a meeting with me and we can discuss a time to go over what you missed as well as to schedule a makeup assessment.  

TIPS FOR SUCCESS IN SCIENCE CLASS

Since I usually give a week’s notice for tests, students would benefit from starting a study guide in preparation for a test.  It is always wise to start studying a little at a time for a science test to ensure mastery for the day of the test.