Course Practices and Expectations

HONORS CHEMISTRY COURSE PRACTICES AND EXPECTATIONS Teacher: Tracy Veresh School: Ferndale High School Length/Credit: 2 semesters, 1 credit Department: Science Year: 2010-2011 Email: Tracy Veresh: [email protected] Voicemail: 548-8600 ext. 5177 (calls will be returned within 2 school days) Website: http://www.myteacherpages.com/webpages/TVERESH/

Textbook*: Chemistry Antony C. Wilbraham, Dennis D. Staley, Michael S. Matta, Edward L. Waterman Prentice Hall, 2008: Replacement cost--$68.97

COURSE DESCRIPTION & CONTENT: Chemistry is the study of matter and how it changes. This two semester course introduces the fundamentals of chemistry as directed by Chemistry Content Expectations set forth by the Michigan Department of Education. The accelerated pace of Honors Chemistry allows the class to also incorporate the recommended MDE Content Expectations, investigate real-world applications of Chemistry, and perform additional projects, laboratories, and demonstrations. The concepts which will be explored during the full two semesters are listed below. While lecture, discussion, projects, and readings are used frequently, the class revolves around laboratory, demonstrations, and other hands-on activities.  Safety, Matter, & Scientific  Chemical Names,  Reaction Rates and Measurement Formulas, and Reactions Equilibrium  Atomic Structure  Chemical Quantities and  Acids, Bases, and Salts  Nuclear Chemistry Stoichiometry  Oxidation-Reduction  Electrons in Atoms  States of Matter-solids, Reactions  The Periodic Table liquids, solutions, gases  Electrochemistry  Bonding  Thermochemistry  Hydrocarbon Compounds and Functional Groups

PREREQUISITES: Students enrolled in this course must have earned an A or B for both semesters of Algebra, as well as a science teacher recommendation. A strong math background is extremely important for success in this course. It is strongly recommended students are involved in the honors math track.

EXPECTATIONS : The high expectations that are set for students in this class are based on the belief that all students can learn and benefit from this material if the appropriate effort is applied. EVERY student can succeed, but it should be noted that Honors, College Prep courses stress academic habits as well as ability. Mature and courteous behavior is expected from all students in order to establish a positive atmosphere fostering mutual respect. I care about your success in this course and I believe you can reach and exceed a high set of standards. I will work with you to achieve these goals, but it is ultimately your responsibility to put forth the effort needed for success.

Daily Expectations: 1. Bring a writing utensil, scientific calculator*,paper, and assigned textbook to class (please speak with me privately if you need help obtaining these items). *While we have some calculators available for in-class check out, a student is more likely to be successful in this course if the student has access to their own personal scientific calculator. 2. Use a scientific calculator that can do exponents, scientific notation, parenthesis, logs, and brackets (note: communication devices, such as cell phones and PDAs are not permitted during school and, therefore, cannot be used as calculators during class). Calculators that retain memory will be erased by the teacher prior to and after assessments. 3. Maintain regular attendance and participate in all class activities 4. Read all assigned material and complete all assignments. 5. Be prepared for class independently, for team work, and for laboratory experiments.

p. 1 HONORS CHEMISTRY COURSE PRACTICES AND EXPECTATIONS 6. Use a daily planner. In addition to recording assignments, the planner is also used as a hall pass. 7. Electronic devices, such as cell phones or iPods, are to be turned off and stored in the student’s locker during school hours. 8. Only water is permitted in the classroom—no other food or beverages.

Behavior: I care about my students and about my job of facilitating their education. I believe personal discipline is a contributing factor to the success one might hope to have in his/her life. There are three fundamental bases for all my disciplinary decisions:

1. I will not allow any student to prevent me from teaching 2. I will not allow any student to prevent another student from learning 3. I will not allow any student to do anything in my classroom that is contrary to the best interests of the class in general.

Students must be able to cooperate with one another in order for this classroom to be a success. RESPECT of each other, the room, and the teacher will be expected at all times. Each student will be asked to work hard, try their best, and be in class every day. I require that every student follow directions both in lab and in the classroom. Safety is always a concern, especially in a laboratory setting. Caution must always be exhibited to ensure the well being of every member of the classroom. If a student cannot perform these behavior requirements, then the principal, parents, counselor, teacher, and student will have to work together to diagnose the cause of the behavior, and determine if the student will benefit in this honors course.

GRADING POLICY : A letter grade for each SEMESTER will be determined using the following: The semester grade consists of Marking Period 1 (40%) + Marking Period 2 (40%) + Cumulative Semester Exam (20%). The standard grading scale applies.

Grading Scale: 100% and above: A+ 78-79% C+ 94-99% A 73-77% C 90-93% A- 70-72% C- 88-89% B+ 68-69% D+ 83-87% B 63-67% D 80-82% B- 60-62% D- Below 60% E

A letter grade for each MARKING PERIOD will be determined using the following guidelines:  75% Assessments (summative assessments such as unit tests, lab assessments, and large scale projects will account for 65% and quizzes will account for 10%… The cumulative semester exam is not part of this category)  25% Laboratories, demonstration assignments, and other assignments ( in-class assignments, most group work, practice questions, readings, quick-writes, etc…)

You may notice the category “homework” does not exist in the above list. While there will certainly be homework, it may include a wide range of tasks, such as completing a lab, studying for a test, practice problems, completing classwork, etc…. Due to this broad definition, there is no specific “homework” category.

Ferndale School District Make up Policy: Ferndale School District Make-Up Opportunities A student may make-up units of study with a properly certified teacher if prior approval has been granted by the principal.

p. 2 HONORS CHEMISTRY COURSE PRACTICES AND EXPECTATIONS  Students will be given the opportunity for making up work missed due to excused or unexcused absences. The length of time for completion of make-up work shall be twice the length of the absence.

 Students will be given the opportunity to make-up work missed due to suspension. The make- up work must be completed and presented to the teacher within 48 hours of his/her return to school. Tests missed during the period of suspension may be made up by the students by contacting the teacher on the day of his/her return to school. The teacher, at his/her convenience, may administer the test or assign alternate written work in lieu of the test missed.

Ferndale High School Make-Up Opportunities Any work assigned prior to the student’s absence, including but not limited to papers/exams/quizzes/tests, must be turned in or completed on the day the student returns to school.

To clarify the sentence above, if on Monday I announce there is a test on Thursday, and a student is absent Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the student is required to take the test when they return to class on Friday. If on Monday I announce a paper is due Thursday, and a student is absent Tuesday and Wednesday, the student is expected to turn the paper in when they return on Thursday. ALL major assignments and assessments will be announced in advanced. Most assignments requiring teacher supervision (ex: labs, tests, quizzes) will be made up during class the first day the student is eligible to perform the assignment. Assignments that do not require supervision (practice problems, instructions for an upcoming assignment, notes, etc…) can be discussed the day the student returns during non-instructional time (talk to me before class starts, after class ends, during a break in instruction, before school, at the start of lunch, via email). Alternative assignments may be issued to replace an assignment missed due to an absence—the alternative will cover the same content, but may differ in format. In the event of exceptional circumstance, a parent must contact me immediately.

Students are expected to be in class on time every day. There is a strong correlation between attendance and grades, simply because a student who is consistently in class has more frequent learning opportunities and awareness of assignments than a student who has poor attendance. My recommendation:  If you know you will be absent, speak to me a couple of days before the absence regarding what you will miss  If you are unexpectedly absent for more than one day, DEFINITELY contact me directly via email or phone, or call the attendance office (extension is 8644) to request that teachers send down work to be picked up at the end of the day. Due to CASA, I may not be in the building after noon, so call early in the day.

Ultimately your attendance, and your learning, is your responsibility. While I can provide missed assignments and schedule time to allow you to make up assessments and labs, you will be missing personal instruction.

Assignments completed after the due date (aka “late work”): Work turned in after the due date (or a due date adjusted to accommodate an absence) will be subject to a reduction in credit.

Extra Help: Assistance can be in the form of scheduled help sessions with the instructor(s), working with the tutors at FHS’s After School Tutoring program, recommended problem sets, as well as via numerous websites. I am also available most days at 7:30 am. If private tutoring is needed, contact the student’s counselor for tutoring information.

Conference Time: Appointment only, and will occur before or after school. Please call or email (see page 1) to make arrangements.

Extra Credit: No large point extra credit assignments will be offered, with extra credit counting at most as 1% of the overall percentage (could move a student from a 92% to a 93%). Students earn their grades by

p. 3 HONORS CHEMISTRY COURSE PRACTICES AND EXPECTATIONS mastering Chemistry Content Expectations set forth by the State of Michigan. Any extra credit offered will be offered to the entire class—no extra credit will be offered on an individual basis.

Falsification of School Work/Cheating: Plagiarism and cheating are also forms of falsification and subject the student to academic penalties as well as disciplinary action. First Offense: The teacher will assign a grade of “E” for the particular assignment, test, etc. and a parental conference will be held with teacher and administrator and, could result in possible suspension of appropriate duration and possible expulsion.

Second Offense: Same as the first offense.

Progress Reports: FHS sends home 4 progress reports and 4 report cards through the school year. Our grading and attendance program, Zangle, is updated weekly with grades. Contact Ferndale Public Schools in order to gain access to Zangle. Students can also pick up generic hard copy progress report forms from the counseling center and have their teachers fill out the current grade. Students should ask for these grades before class as it takes a few moments for me to access my grades in the computer. Since I spend class time working with students, I may not have time to complete the progress report during class. In this case, the student should see me before school or the beginning of lunch. I will make an effort to reach parents if a student falls into the D or E range so it is helpful if parents verify contact information with the school at the beginning of the year, and update your profile with any changes. Web grades should be made available to parents and students later this school year. Parents and students will be notified of this system by the district when it is accessible.