District Vision:
"A graduate of Portland Public Schools will be a compassionate critical thinker, able to collaborate and solve problems, and be prepared to lead a more socially just world."
Our Science Vision Aligns with this vision. We will be doing inquiry-based hands-on science that will have kids working in teams of 4 to complete lab investigations in which they will gain understanding of key concepts and apply their understanding to real-world issues.
We will be covering the Next Generation Science Standards (or NGSS) that have been assigned for each grade using a new version of SEPUP curriculum that is better aligned to these standards. You may see my notation on assignments such as NGSS LS1 which shows the standard we are on. LS stands for Life Science, PS stands for Physical Science, ES stands for Earth Science. We will cover standards in all of these areas as you can see in the unit list. I use "I can" statements to describe the goal or learning target of the assignment. You will see this used across Beaumont. Example: I can explore the interests of my classmates by watching their Flipgrid videos and writing 3 comments. You will also see me use "guiding questions" to frame the work.
Expectations
The expectation for this course is that students do their best, collaborate/participate, and have a fun time learning science with their peers. Additionally, Beaumont expects all students to be respectful in our school as well as online. They should practice good digital citizenship. If students cannot attend class, please check Canvas and email me to make accommodations as needed.
Given the difficult times we are living in, "best effort" in science may fluctuate (on a 1-10 scale, maybe level 3 one week and level 9 the next) and that is understandable. We all have things going on at home. I am here to help. Please let me know what you need.
Grades are based on points earned via assignment completion and unit quiz/test scores, with assessments typically worth a third of the final grade. Please check grades regularly in ParentVue aka Synergy with mid-term and end-of-term grades posted in Synergy as stated in the district calendar. Grades will not be posted in Canvas anymore. Digital versions of assignments will be found in Canvas for absent students. Also, this allows parents to see what we are working on each week. Please become a Canvas observer to follow along with us. Again, do reach out to me about missing work. I do take "late" work. I understand that some students may not be able to work much from home during the week (watching siblings for example) and will need extra time on the weekend or following week. I trust we can figure out a plan for each student that will not adversely affect their grade. Percentages and letter grades are as follows:
A = 90-100
B = 80-89
C = 70-79
D = 60-69
F = 59 and below