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Welcome
to 9th Grade Earth Science! This
is your first step in your journey through high school science.
This year you will gain an in- depth knowledge of the physical
world around you. In other
words: the Earth itself, the atmosphere around it, and the space beyond.
Next year you will discover the living world around you.
Since science is such an integral part of our lives, NY
State requires that high school students must earn 3
science credits, and pass at least 2
science Regents exams with a 65
or better in order to earn a Regents Diploma.
Additionally, to receive a NY State Regents Diploma, you must
also pass at least 1 Physical
Setting science course (Earth Science, Chemistry, or Physics) and the Living
Environment course.
The NY State Department of
Education requires each student to participate in a minimum of 1200
minutes of lab work and complete satisfactory
lab reports* as proof of completion.
All students who want to take a science Regents Exam must have on
file a passing average in labs that shows proof of at least 1200 minutes
of successful laboratory learning. To
meet this end, we will meet daily for 40 minutes and every other day we
will meet for 80 minutes. This
is an extremely important, mandatory part of all science classes.
NO one is allowed to take any science Regents Exam unless the lab
portion of the course has been successfully completed!!!!!!
It is my intention to provide each student with the skills needed to meet
the requirement set forth above, and more, to give every student the
opportunity to assimilate as much scientific knowledge and understanding
as he/she is able to gather. From
this, it is hoped that the student will gain a liking and a respect for
this vitally important field of human knowledge.
*See
Earth Science Lab Policy
Class
Requirements:
Textbook:
Earth Science: Geology, the Environment, and the Universe.
Glencoe 2002
Lab
Book: Explorations in Earth
Science: The Physical
Setting. UPCO
Publishing, 2004.
Materials:
binder, notebook or loose-leaf in binder, calculator, and pencil
for labs
Grade
Composition:
Exams 20%
Homework
15%
Class work
15%
Labs
20%
Bell Ringers
10%
**TE
20%
**
See Teacher Evaluation Explanation
Attendance:
Regular
class attendance is necessary to be successful in this course.
If you are absent, YOU are
responsible for finding out about any make up work, assignments, or notes.
You will need to obtain notes from a fellow student.
When class is missed, the student misses how the teacher explains
the day’s lesson. If you
have questions or need help with the material that was covered, you will
need to see me before or after school.
Quizzes, exams, and labs will also need to be made up after school
by appointment. Participation
points cannot be made up.
Late
arrival:
If you arrive late to class, you must have a signed pass from the office or from the teacher whose class you are
coming from. Upon entering
the classroom, you will
quietly hand me your pass and join the class in the current activity.
Cheating:
Under NO circumstances are
students allowed to “share” answers on assignments, quizzes, or tests.
Students will receive NO CREDIT for any assignment they have cheated on or for any test or
quiz they have talked during. Whenever
two people are involved in a cheating episode, BOTH
the person providing the answer and the person receiving the answer will
earn NO CREDIT. A second
offense will result in your parents being notified as well as the school
principal and may result in a failing grade for the entire course. Cheating reduces your chances for success on the Regents and
denies you the opportunity for a successful learning experience.
Cheating also prevents me from accurately assessing your needs, and
thus hinders my ability to successfully teach you.
Classroom
Guidelines:
Be On Time.
Be Prepared.
Be
Respectful.
Be Positive. Be Considerate.
Teacher
Evaluation:
Everyday, each student that is present automatically earns 4 points
toward their TE grade. If you
are not in class, you do not earn these points.
If you are late to class you may lose one or two of these points
depending on the nature of your tardiness and the frequency.
You may also lose these points if you are unprepared for class or
have not completed your homework assignment.
You may also lose points if you are not participating in the class
discussion or activity. Finally, you will lose your points if you are disruptive or
disrespectful to your peers or to me.
At the end of each quarter I will total up you TE points and divide them
by the total possible points. This
will be your TE grade which will account for 20% of your overall grade.
That is equal to the weight given to exams.
Bell
Ringers:
Every day you will begin class by copying the question on the board and
then answering that question on the bell ringer form that I will provide
for you. Questions and
answers must be written in complete sentences.
For each entry you will receive 1 point for the date, 1 point for
the question, 1 point for answering in a complete sentence and 1 point for
the correct response, for a total of 4 points for each entry.
If you are absent you must see me for the question and for help
with the answer. If you leave
an entry blank, you will not receive credit for that day, even if you were
absent.
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