Mr. States (like the United States)

Contact: jstates@lps.org Room: 231 Plan Periods: Period 6 & 8

Course Description

The class content includes the same topics as in general Biology but with greater depth. This is designed for the student interested in a more in-depth study of life. There is more independent study, a greater scope of readings, extensive laboratory investigation and experimentation. This class should be considered by those students who are interested in extensive future science pursuits.

Course Objectives

Course objectives for all science courses can be accessed here

Course Outline

First Semester: Matter & Energy in Ecosystems, Interdependence of Organisms, Environmental Impact, Cell Structure & Function, Transport of Materials, and Photosynthesis & Respiration

Second Semester: Cell Division, Genetic Variation/Transmission, DNA Structure & Function, Modern Genetics/Ethical Issues, Theory of Evolution, Diversity of Life, and Behavior

District Common Assessments (DCAs)

The assessment data are used to gauge the extent to which students are meeting state standards, to provide students and parents with information about student progress, to enhance school improvement planning and to improve instruction. The assessment data are evaluated by teachers to monitor student learning and to improve instruction and to ensure students are being given the opportunity to meet standards. The DCAs for this class include: Ecology, Cells and Bioprocesses, Genetics, and Evolution/Behavior

District Grading Policy/Criteria

Quality, thoughtful assessment facilitates improvement in learning for students and teachers.

• Formative assessment provides ongoing information and guidance about student needs to facilitate student learning towards objectives and guide future actions taken by both student and teacher.
• Summative assessment provides a measurement of student learning of objectives at the conclusion of a specific instructional period.
• Report card grade reflects the achievement level of learning objectives at the end of a specified grading period. A combination of formative and summative assessments comprise the final grade, with the vast majority of the grade determined by summative assessment.

Safety

http://wp.lps.org/science/safety/ This manual was created to provide the classroom teacher, parents, and students with an additional resource of information pertaining to safety in the science classroom as outlined for the Lincoln Public School District.

Course Materials

Book: Biology (2009). Biggs, et al. Glencoe/McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 978-0-07-880284-3

You will need:

·to work as scientists

·something to take notes with

o Pen, paper, and a 3 ring notebook with 3 separators

o Chromebook (charged)

·to contribute to class discussion

·to ask questions

·to complete labs and homework on time

·to be a team worker

·acceptable attendance

·to be safe in the lab

Grading

I will follow Lincoln Public Schools’ grading scale: 20% Formative and 80% Summative. This means most of your grade comes from summative unit assessments/projects. To prepare you for these assessments I will assign formative work that matters, not work that will just keep you busy. There will be short quizzes over this formative work to help me see if students are understanding concepts. After tests, I will collect notebooks and grade them according to a rubric. Students will fill out the rubric and tell me what grade they think they have earned. I will not grade a notebook unless the student has graded it themselves. Lastly, a summative final will be given at the end of each semester. Your grade is in your hands. It will be what you earn through formative assignments and summative assessments.