Academic Expectations

Ms. Naylor’s Academic Expectations:

Environmental Science is an “a – g” college prep yearlong course with specific requirements and expectations designed to provide rigorous learning opportunities aligned with the state framework and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).  Students need 30 credits of science to graduate – 10 physical science, 10 life science and 10 more of any kind of science. The CAST (CAlifornia Science Test) covers biology, chemistry, physics and earth science and is taken towards the end of 11th grade by all students. Scores on the CAST as well as letter grades received in class are reported on students’ transcripts as part of their academic record.

Students are expected to work in and outside of class on a variety of activities. Activities are a mixture of solo work, group work and collaboration. All assignments should be completed in a reasonable timeframe.  Technology will be used to monitor the use of class time, the collaboration process and to timestamp the completion of assignments.

Types of Assignments:  Possible Examples:  

Class Participation       Anything needing a parent/guardian signature, feedback

surveys, review games, etc.

Independent Practice   Work done by students on their own - such as readings in

  the textbook, vocabulary, review activities 

Notes                          Information/Concepts presentation assignments based on

lectures – live or video based. Student should record,

organize and review key concepts - handwritten note should be kept in the Notes notebook/section

Activities & Labs          Observations and investigations of phenomena using

simulations or equipment, creating models to explain

phenomena, writing QCER reports, posters, expert

presentations, etc.. Many of these create pages in the

EXPLORATION Notebook/section

EDPuzzles                   This is a video delivery platform - it can embed questions

and activities in videos as well as track student progress. 

Each Topic will have a grade for watching/completing the

videos posted/used that Topic.

Tests and Quizzes        Exit tickets, quizzes, and topic tests and final project pieces

It is impossible to learn something for another person. Each student is expected to work with the materials and “do their own work.”  Copying is a form of cheating. If students wish to share the work when not collaborating, they can share (split) the points for the work.  Identical individual assignments or group assignments that are “copies” (Identical text in separate files, single images submitted by two students, large sections flagged as copied from the internet by software) will have the points for the assignment divided among all students involved in the copying - whether giving or receiving the information copied.

Collaborative assignments should show a fair amount of input from everyone in the group and have specific guidelines for correct collaboration.  To receive full credit, the group needs to follow the collaboration guidelines – groups that unfairly distribute the work will lose points.

Students should keep copies of all their work and their physical Notebooks for the ENTIRE year.  Please do not recycle/discard any work at the semester break.

Students who fall behind are expected to talk to Ms. Naylor about their individual situations for help catching up. 

Class time is for exploring science and focused learning!  If a student chooses to use class time for personal activities or work from other classes, that student is expected to complete the work outside of class time or not pass the class due to missing work and low test scores.