Syllabus

Due to the nature of Covid-19 coupled with our unique learning environment, it is important that we all stay fluid and responsive. For this reason, this course syllabus is subject to change. All updates to this document will be reflected on this website. Thank you for your patience and flexibility.

Welcome to our class website. This site will be updated daily. I strongly encourage both students and guardians to bookmark this site for easy access as it will serve to organize and anchor student learning during chemistry this year. This site will work in partnership with Google Classroom.

Your instructor will communicate with you via....

1. The "Remind" App (Click Here for Directions to Enroll)

2. Google Classroom (Click Here for Directions to Enroll)

3. Class Google Site

4. Your school email address

5. A phone call home

Teacher: Mrs. Hamilton

E-Mail Address: hamiltond@eths202.org

Phone Number: (847) 424-7574

Room Number: E332

Morning Support: Tuesday - Friday from 8:30 A.M.-8:55 A.M.

Office Hours: Wednesdays & Fridays from 2:30 P.M. - 3:40 P.M.

Science Department Chair: Terri Sowa-Imbo

E-mail: sowaimbot@eths.k12.il.us

Phone: (847) 424-7520

Department Office: E327(A)

Chemistry focuses on an understanding of the structure of atoms, the structure and properties of matter, the periodic table, bonding, chemical reactions, stoichiometry, the behavior of gases, and additional topics. There is an emphasis on laboratory and problem-solving skills.This course prepares students for success in beginning college-level chemistry. Students are expected to have a high level of algebraic skills and be able to apply them in problem solving scenarios.

• Notebook

• Folder -or- Binder (with Dividers)

• Pen/Pencil

• Coloring Utensils (i.e. Markers, Crayons, Colored Pencils, etc.)

• Scientific Calculator -OR- Graphing Calculator

• Chromebook (with Charger)

***This course does not utilize a textbook, although one can be provided upon request if you e-mail Mrs. Hamilton.***

***Books/Book Distribution Center: Students are responsible for returning all textbooks to the BDC by the end of the current school year. ETHS teachers will not collect, or return, any textbooks.***

By 8:30 A.M. on instructional days a post will be uploaded to Google Classroom under the "Classwork" tab containing the following materials...

1. A link to the daily lesson that will be anchored in our class Google site.

   • This web page will include...

     • Lesson topics

     • Lesson objectives

     • Important announcements

     • The daily agenda

     • A chronological sequence of synchronous & asynchronous activities with corresponding materials

2. A daily schedule for synchronous instruction including the links necessary for students to join daily video conferencing calls.

3. Any lesson related materials students need to review and/or complete (i.e. worksheets, slide decks, simulations, videos, etc.).

All posts under the "Classwork" tab on Google Classroom will be categorized by unit and lesson. The most recent posts will be located at the top of the page.

During Remote Learning:

While participating in remote, or e-learning, students are expected to attend live lessons via video. Details for joining video meetings will be shared in Google Classroom. Teachers will take attendance each day at the beginning of class. Student attendance records can be accessed by students and families in Home Access Center (HAC). There will not be a check-in form that students complete daily. Students are expected to be on time to their live sessions and should remain for the duration of the meeting. If students are unable to attend class for any reason and will be absent, families should follow normal absence reporting procedures, which can be found on the school website by clicking here. (Attention: All students will be automatically marked as "present" on "Wildkit Day Mondays" unless a student is called in absent.)

During Face-to-Face Learning

When attending in-person classes, students are expected to be in class at the beginning of the period by the time the bell rings. For more information about attendance policies and procedures or in-person learning, please see the school website by clicking here.

1. The rules of the Pilot still apply. This includes the student behavior code, acceptable use policy, academic honesty policy and more. Inappropriate behavior will be referred to the Deans.

2. You must join all video conferencing calls using your real name or you will be removed from the session.

3. Students are expected to have their video cameras on. Your instructor should be able to see your eyes during synchronous instruction. If you can't have your video camera on, or if you can't meet our video conferencing agreements, you are expected to fill out the "Bad Day Pass" that is linked on the daily "Rise and Grind" slide. Students who do not fill out this form will be expected for follow all video conferencing norms.

Important Note: Please reach out to your instructor via the Remind app or email if you have a situation that needs long-term special consideration (i.e. you won't be able to turn your camera and/or mic on during video calls). This will allow your instructor to reach out to you to brainstorm possible solutions that will meet the needs of your situation while keeping you actively engaged. Some possible considerations include use of virtual backgrounds, active engagement via voice and/or chat when video is not shared, and permission to actively disengage video/mic features when the need arises (ex. loud noises or activity in environment).

4. You must be on time to video conferencing calls during synchronous instruction.

5. You must have your microphone on mute when you first enter a video conferencing call.

6. You must find a neutral backdrop (closed closet door, blank or minimally decorated and/or appropriate wall) when you are on video conferencing call to minimize distractions to others in the session.

7. You are expected to be in a stationary and quiet location during video conferencing calls. If you are not in a stationary and quiet location, you will be removed from the call.

8. There should not be extra visitors in your space while synchronous instruction is occurring. Just like you cannot bring visitors into school during normal class, we also can't have visitors sharing our virtual space without school approval.

9. You must be reflective and respectful in how you take space and make space for others in all video conferencing calls. These virtual classes should be inclusive for all students.

10. Respect the privacy and space of our class. Do not take, or share, screenshots, photos, or videos of a live or recorded video classroom sessions.

11. You are responsible for your words and actions on all video conference calls. The only language and behaviors that are welcome in the "classroom" are those that allow everyone (teacher, peers, & self) the opportunity to function at their best. Inappropriate language, images, or gestures will be handled just as if they occurred at school.

12. Remain engaged by participating both verbally and non-verbally by using the icons, reaction buttons, and chat features provided.

13. Make sure you only speak for yourself during video conference calls by continuing to use "I" statements to express your thoughts.

14. Honor the minutes during every class and who they belong to. Avoid multitasking by disconnecting from everything else in your learning space.

15. When making class decisions during virtual class meetings, be ready to listen deeply and "agree to disagree". Remind yourself that it's not always about finding closure. Sometimes it's about finding understanding.

16. Practice Digital Citizenship. Here is an info-graphic that reminds students of the 3R's along with their connection to online behavior expectations.

17. Have fun and come with good energy. That's when the most learning happens!

All assignments will either be "formative" or "summative".

• Formative assignments are assignments that are designed to give students the opportunity to practice course objectives through trial, error, and revision, without harsh penalty to your grade. These assignments will be graded for "practice", "points completion", or "points correctness". Please read the section titled "Grading Policy" to learn about these grading systems.

• Summative assignments are assignments that allow your instructor to assess what students know, understand, and are able to do in regards to course objectives. These assignments are given after instruction has occurred and are often graded for "points correctness".

Synchronous Instruction

• Synchronous instruction occurs when both students and the instructor are online at the same time. Teachers are available to give instant feedback and support to students during this time. Synchronous instruction could include video conferencing, small group discussions, etc. In order to earn attendance credit for the day, it is mandatory for students to attend these synchronous activities and complete their daily attendance form.

• Each class is scheduled to have two, 70-minute periods, a portion of which is set aside for daily, live synchronous learning.

  • No additional full class, live sessions will take place outside of this schedule.

  • There is time built into the schedule for individual and small group meetings for support (AM Support and Office Hours).

Asynchronous Instruction

• Asynchronous instruction is the opposite of synchronous instruction. The instructor will provide the daily instructional activities to students. Students will engage in those assignments independently and submit them according to the deadlines provided. The instructor will then assess that work and provide feedback at a later time.

• In addition to the two scheduled class periods per week, students can expect to complete up to 30 minutes of additional work per course, per week (asynchronous).

• Every student is expected to know and follow the rules outlined in the Flinn Safety Contract (Contract in English; Contract in Spanish) & ETHS Pilot.

• While students are expected to abide by the new ETHS dress code policy during class, during lab time students must follow the Flinn Safety Contract dress code policies (i.e. close toed-shoes, no baggy clothing, etc.).

Grading Policy

• In this course, your quarter grades will be based on total points and your semester grade will be an average of your quarter grades.

Types of Credit

• Daily assignments will be graded as either, "practice", "point completion" or "point correctness". Sometimes the instructor will choose and other times you will choose. Only the instructor can choose if an assignment is for "point correctness". You will always know in advance how the assignment will be graded and who's choice it is by referring to the lesson header.

  • • On "practice" assignments students can choose how much of that activity they want to complete. If a student submits an assignment for practice they will be given constructive feedback for the work they submit, but HAC will reflect that they are excused ("X") from that assignment. An "X" in HAC has no effect on a student's grade.

    • On assignments that are for "points completion" students must finish the entire assignment by the deadline provided. As long as the entire assignment is done according to the directions, students will receive constructive feedback and full points for that assignment regardless if mistakes are made. Points will be deducted, however, for incomplete/insufficient answers, skipped questions, or missing work.

    • On assignments that are for "points correctness" students must meet the deadline policy outlined below, while completing the exercise with accuracy.

    • IMPORTANT: If an assignment is "student choice" and they do not identify in the header the type of credit they want, it defaults to "practice".

Semester Grade Calculations:

• This school year we will not be administering semester exams. Semester grades will be calculated based on a 50/50 calculation for each quarter.

• This school year all assessments are open note, open book, and open Internet. This means that the questions asked and projects assigned will be adapted to this new reality. Students will be asked to model and explain both skills and competencies that are explicitly taught.

• To emphasize learning, clear and actionable feedback and coaching will be continuously provided to help students understand where they are and delivered in a timely manner to apply for the next step. Feedback will be delivered via written, voice, and/or video comments.

Deadlines:

• For assignments that are graded for “points completion” and “points correctness” firm deadlines exist. If an assignment is turned in late that has…

  • …already been graded (or an answer key issued) before being submitted by the student, the student can earn 60% of the credit they received on that assignment.

  • ...not been graded, and an answer key has not been issued, before being submitted by the student, the student can earn 80% of the credit they received on that assignment.

Extensions:

• Requests for assignment extensions will only be considered if a request is submitted prior to 8:55am on the day the assignment is due. Extensions are typically granted unless students were told in advance that no extensions would be given -or- a request for an extension was made by a student who has abused this policy.

Late Work:

• Late assignments will not be accepted more than 5 days after the due date. Under the "Important Announcement" section of the daily lessons, I will communicate final deadlines for late assignments that will still be accepted.

It is the FULL responsibility of students to…

• …obtain and complete all missing work due to an absence. Since students will only have 2 school days per absence to complete any missing work, it is important that students reach out to their instructor immediately to get any missing work/activities. Students will NOT be caught up on missing work during class time.

• … remember to turn in any previously announced classwork/homework assignments on the first day the student returns to class. Previously announced assignments that are not turned in at this time will be considered late.

• …take any previously announced tests/quizzes upon their return to school. If previously announced assessments are not made up (or rescheduled) within 2 class days of a student’s return, students may lose the opportunity to take the assessment for course credit.

• For more information, please see the student pilot handbook on the ETHS website.

Cheating or plagiarizing on any part of an assignment/assessment will result in an automatic zero for all parties involved. The students involved forfeit the opportunity to recover the grade. No alternative assignments will be provided! Students are responsible for completing and protecting their own work, while also properly citing outside resources. A comment will be published under the assignment grade in the Home Access Center to notify parents/guardians if there has been a case of academic dishonesty committed by their student.

Extra credit is occasionally offered to students through additional assignments or support opportunities. Special extra credit assignments, however, will not be provided via the request of students, parents, or other colleagues. I advise all students to take advantage of any extra credit opportunities as they arise. In HAC extra credit assignments will be categorized as “EC” for extra credit. You cannot earn more than 25 points of extra credit during summer school. Extra credit will not factor into your grade until the day the quarter ends.

As part of Evanston Township High School’s commitment to well-being, we have adopted ACT® which means “Acknowledge, Care, Tell”. We believe that each of us plays a role in ensuring the safety and well-being of our students and encourage every member of our school community to follow the three steps of ACT to help maintain a safe, positive learning environment:

• Acknowledge warning signs and anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, worried or frightened. Recognize something is wrong and take it seriously.

• Care for students/your friends; listen and tell them how much you care about them.

• Tell a trusted adult if you are worried or have concerns about your well-being or the well-being of others.

ETHS students who need...

1. Welling-being support during Covid-19 can click here.

2. Systems of academic support can click here.

ETHS is committed to ensuring all students have access to the technology needed for their learning. This includes a working Chromebook and Internet access. Students can request technical support through the ChromeZone (chromesupport@eths202.org, 847-424-7357) should they need any assistance with their school-issued Chromebook and/or access to the Internet via the District’s mobile hotspot program.