Dendrology Syllabus

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Course Description

This course holds many exciting adventures in science. During Dendrology, you will learn how to apply scientific processes to analyze and summarize biological concepts by interpreting scientific data and drawing logical conclusions. The class will be unique in that the concepts learned can be widely applied to real life and in the field. Emphasis will be on developing process skills used in fieldwork including data collection & analysis, evaluation of information, and oral & written communication of fieldwork results. In addition to lab work, we will learn about the following units:

Outline

1. Biology of Trees
   
2. The Locals
3. Forest Management
   

Prerequisite

Objectives

1. Develop an understanding that leads to a lifelong love for the trees and their ecosystem services.
2. Become an ecologically literate citizen that is able to understand current events and make informed decisions. 
   
3. Apply your knowledge in the field.
   

Materials

1. Schoology Account-This is where you will turn in all of your assignments.
   
2. Google account
   
3. Field Notebook-It will be your textbook where you write all of your notes from class, data from the field, and drawings from your observations etc. You will use this for both class notes and field notes. You will organize this as an interactive notebook.
   
4. Good Attitude-We will spend 30 hours together in class and are working together to create the best experience for everyone.
5. Appropriate Clothing-We will take 8 field trips and the weather could be sunny, windy, frigid, raining, or snowing.
6. Charged computer-Bring this every class day.      
   

Expectations

1. Work hard.
   
2. Follow New Vista's Core Values.
• Practice respect-Be helpful, be kind, value differences, don't swear.
  
• Its about teaching and learning
• Students-Attend, engage, and pass with B's or better
• Teachers-Make it interesting and interactive
• Support each other-Positive encouragement for everyone, use confidentiality and emotional support
• Keep school and school activities substance free
• Have fun together
• Participate-Show up for field trips on time at the meeting location every time.
  
3. Cell Phones-Cell phones should remain out of site during class time.  If you take out your cell phone during class without permission it will be confiscated and turned in to the office.
4. Music-Music players (mp3, iPod, etc) should remain out of site during class time.  If you take out your music player during class without permission it will be confiscated until the end of class.
5. Tardy-If you arrive late, please write your name on the board and the number of minutes late you arrived. You will stay after class to help clean up, organize the class, or put up chairs during break or after class ends.
   
6. Absence-YOU are responsible for making up the work you miss, don't wait, use the website, make it to field trips.
   
7. Food-Healthy food may be consumed during non-lab activities in the classroom as long as it does not distract from anyone's learning or teaching. 
   
8. Leaving Class-I expect you to stay in class unless it is an emergency or you are meeting with school faculty or staff.  However, I understand that you may need to use the restroom during class time, get a drink, or take a quick walk.  Therefore, I will give you twenty extra credit points per quarter which can be spent on leaving class at a cost of 5 points per trip.  You can keep the extra credit, spend 20, or incur a debt, its up to you.
 

Grading

Category	Percent
Fieldwork1	30%
Projects2	30%
Testst3	20%
Participation4	5%
Homework5	15%

1. The major assignments in this category are field notes. We will do field work OUTSIDE every Wednesday rain, shine, or snow. You are required to purchase a waterproof field journal for this purpose.

2. The major assignments in this category will be group projects on tree anatomy, local species, and forest management.

3. Each student is allowed to use their field notes on unit tests.

4. The major assignment in this category is a participation self evaluation.

5. All homework will be completed online using schoology and will be based on the days in class activities or notes.

*C's earn path credit only and IP's earn no credit at New Vista.

An A means the student has completed proficient work on all course content standards and class requirements, and advanced work on some course content standards and class requirements.

A B means that the student has completed proficient work on all course content standards and class requirements

A C means that the student has completed proficient work on some, but not all, of the course content standards and class requirements.  For continuing classes a student has demonstrated enough proficiency to continue on to the next level.

A C minus means that the student has completed partially proficient work on the course content standards and class requirements.  For sequential classes a student may not continue on to the next level.

An IP means that the student has demonstrated insufficient progress in course content standards and class requirements.

Updated grades are posted on infinite campus.

Late Work

Academic Honesty

Letter of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation are an important component of college admissions and I love writing letters of recommendation for students who excel in my classes. However, these letters do take time and must be revised so that I can make you sound as awesome as you are. Therefore I have developed some guidelines:

Units

1. Biology of Trees
• Intro-Forests are More Than Trees Jigsaw and ?s
  
• Anatomy
• Where do Trees Get Their Mass From?
• Angiosperm/Gymnosperm
  
• Life Cycle
• Transport
• The Most Amazing Things About Trees
  
• Photosynthesis
• Do Trees Communicate?
• Life Cycle
  
• Tree Thinking
• https://youtu.be/u2GWd2j3qJ8
2. The Locals
• Leaf Types
• Habitats
• Species
• Diseases
• Emerald Ash Borer
• http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/ag_Plants/CBON/1251646251641
• http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/Emerald_borer.pdf
• https://bouldercolorado.gov/pages/emerald-ash-borer
  
3. Management of Trees
• Protection
• What is forest management?
  
• Forest Ecology
• The Record Breakers
• Climbing Redwood Giants
• Photographing the President-Giant Sequoia
• Climbing the Giant Seqouias
• What's the Oldest Tree in the World?
  
• Fire
• Fire Fact Break Vid
  
• Fire Ecology Quiz
  
• Fire Ecology Reading
  
• Denver's Drinking Water after fire
• Yellowstone Fires Case Study
  
• Giant Sequoias Need Fire
  
• Trees and People
• Wood Products Vid
  
• Climate Change Affecting North American Trees Article
  

Resources: