Welcome to 8th grade science! I’m looking forward to an exciting school year! Below are the expectations and grading policy for class. Science and engineering practices we will work on this year include problem identification, planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, constructing explanations and designing solutions. Science core ideas we will cover include motion, forces, earth and space, energy and sound. Please review the information below.
Be prepared for class!
Materials:
Please be sure to have your device or any other materials needed for class daily.
Science notebooks will be kept in the classroom.
Homework:
No late homework will be accepted unless there are extenuating circumstances.
Late homework can be turned in to qualify students for re-teaching, but students will receive partial credit for any graded assignments.
Graded assignments (gizmos, projects, labs, etc.) turned in digitally or as hard copies will lose 10 points a day for each school day late.
Absences:
Daily lessons slides are posted through Canvas. Any missed assignments are expected to be completed by the next day. Work for students with extended absences will be handled individually.
Work that was due the day you were absent will be collected/should be turned in when you return to school. If you are absent on the day of a quiz or test, you will make up the quiz or test the day you return to school.
If you leave class early, you are expected to get any missed work or assignments from the Homework Hotline or Daily lesson slides.
Be respectful! Respect is expected for your fellow classmates, yourself, the teacher(s) and all classroom materials.
Behavior:
Your behavior affects everyone. You are expected to interact appropriately with others.
Raise your hand and do not interrupt others.
Safety:
Please follow all social distancing protocols.
It is important to follow all safety precautions while completing hands-on labs or activities.
Always treat materials and equipment with care.
Starting Class:
Mrs. Davenport may need time to prepare and hook up her device upon entering the room. During this time, please complete the daily “Do Now” and copy homework into your assignment book.
Participation:
Be an active member of the class. You are expected to be an active participant during all class activities, laboratory exercises and group discussions.
Electronic Devices:
Laptops (and/or personal electronic devices) will be used daily to access Canvas.
Other electronic devices such as phones will only be allowed when specifically instructed for educational use.
Earn your grades! The following grading policy is used for all JAD and JFK science classes.
Grading categories:
Test Level: 45%
This includes tests, large projects, formal labs, etc.
Quiz Level: 35%
This includes quizzes, small projects, informal labs, etc.
Graded Assignments: 20%
This includes class activities, “do now” worksheets, gizmos, current events, etc.
Homework: 0%
This includes home assignments such as finishing classwork, worksheets, project check-ins, etc.
While homework will not be included in final grades, assignments are expected to be completed. These will help prepare students to be active participants in class activities.
Cheating and/or plagiarism will not be tolerated. This will result in a loss of credit on the assignment, and disciplinary action will be taken.
For a student to qualify for a re-teach opportunity, he or she must have met at least one of the following criteria and corrected all errors on the assessment prior to re-teaching:
1. Handed in all homework assignments from the date of the last assessment up to the date of the
current assessment
2. Attended one extra help session (in-person or remotely) prior to the date of the assessment
Stay informed! I will work hard to keep students and parents informed about the day-to-day activities in science class.
Mrs. Davenport’s Canvas:
Please check Canvas for helpful resources.
Throughout the year, Canvas will be used to share, assign and collect information and assignments.
Please access the Canvas Guide for help.
Have fun! Science can be lots of fun if you are open to learning.
It’s okay to make mistakes! Try your best each day, and learn from those mistakes.
It’s okay not to know, but it’s not okay to not try!
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Please feel free to email me at ldavenport@southingtonschools.org. Let’s have a great year! : )