8th Science - Susan Garfield 2016-2017 Room 206

Welcome to 8th Grade Science! This syllabus is designed to help you understand more about the expectations and policies for the year. Expectations are high in Science as I prepare your students for high school. I look forward to a great year with all of you.

Overview Students will acquire skills and knowledge in the four general areas of Life Science, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science and Space Science. The students will be refining general skills in the areas of measurement, metrics conversions, dimensional analysis, graphing and the scientific method. In the above mentioned knowledge areas, students will investigate how energy travels through an ecosystem, the structure and function of atoms, the periodic table and it’s repeating patterns, chemical reactions, speed, velocity, acceleration, Newton Three Laws of Motion, our solar system and the universe, components of weather, plate tectonics, and human effects on ecosystems. In the fall we will study chemistry and the universe; in the spring physics and earth science. Approximately 40% or out time will be spent on activities and labs. The information learned in the eighth grade year will complement what the students have learned in grades six and seven so that when they leave middle school they will have a fairly complete general overview of all areas of science.

Students will also be expected to create and analyze experiments. Students will be doing a good bit of technical writing to put this process down on paper. Writing helps them organize and sequence their thinking in a logical way that makes it easier to determine cause and effect. Students will also use math to define relations between variables. In Earth Science they will construct, analyze, and critique models. All of these activities will ensure that your student has the tools for organizing information and logically examining outcomes.

Academic Skills Emphasized  Lab safety and using scientific tools  Designing and interpreting charts and graphs  Analyzing, evaluating and critiquing data and theories  Designing and implementing experimental investigations  Research and Technical Writing with supporting evidence  Math skills needed to manipulate algebraic equations and formulas  Creating maps and models  Limitations of models  Looking at scale

Grading Policy:  Homework 10%  Tests and Projects 40%  Classwork 40%  Quizzes 10% Assignments are to be done in neat, legible handwriting or done on the computer. The exception is graphs and charts which must be done by hand. All assignments should be turned in on time. The 8th grade teachers do not accept late homework. All late homework will receive a 0. However for each grading period, the lowest homework grade regardless of whether it a zero for late work or just a low grade will be automatically removed from the gradebook.

Retesting: Retesting will be done only for tests. All students who make below a 70 on the original test may take the retest. A student who receives a 70 or higher on the retest will have their original test grade raised to a 70, but they cannot receive a grade higher than a 70 on a retest. In order to qualify for a retest the student must complete test corrections and come in for tutorials with me at a time scheduled in advance. There may be additional requirements for retesting depending on the topic covered on the test and how well the student did originally on the test.

Absent Policy: All assigned work will be on the HUB. Any supporting documents, videos, etc. that the students need to use to complete assignments will either be on the HUB or on Google Classroom. For each class period missed, students will have 2 days (not class periods) to make up the work. The student will need to come and talk to me to schedule missed labs.

When students are absent: 1. They should look on the HUB and Google Classroom to complete as much of the assignment as possible. The student should also print off any handouts that pertain to the missed assignments and bring them to the next class. 2. When the students get back to class they should look in the IPC crate to get any papers not available online. 3. If they have specific questions about the work they should come and talk to me.

The more the student makes up while absent, the better prepared he or she will be when they return to class.

TEXTBOOKS: 1. The textbook this year is –Science 8 by McGraw Hill. This is not a hardback book but an interactive consumable textbook. All of the materials are on the HUB and the student will receive their own softback copy of the textbook that they can write in and make notes.

Required Materials: One green binder for papers Graph Paper Paper, pens, pencils, metric ruler Notebook Paper Red checking pens Scientific Calculator Good Eraser Tabs for science binder

VERY IMPORTANT: Students must bring a Scientific Calculator every day to class. They can purchase one at the dollar store or Target. Please do not bring a graphing calculator to school. Labs: Labs are a very important part of the learning process in science and I feel that they are just as important as tests, and sometimes more so, in assessing student knowledge and skills. For this reason labs are a very important part of your grade – they can count as classwork, 40%. If you do your best on the labs your grade should be stellar. However, the labs are quite rigorous and some of the questions on tests come from the labs covering that topic. If you pay attention, follow directions, and use your time well, you should be fine. Labs are not a time to play and chitchat with your friends. Horseplay will not be tolerated in labs. As you can understand, this could be quite dangerous from a safety standpoint.

Student Expectations and Responsibilities: Individual responsibility is stressed in Science 8 as most assignments are individual and not group based. That means that the first moment you do not understand something we are covering in class, you must stop and ask questions. Your best friend, tablemates, and parents are not responsible for what you know - you are. Ask Questions! Be Proactive!

PARENTS: Please feel free to share any comments, questions or concerns that you might have. I try to answer all emails and phone calls within 48 hours so if you have not heard back from me please email me again. The email might have gotten lost amid all the other emails. My conference time is 3rd Period on Tuesdays and Thursdays, between 11:30-12:00am. Also, if you have an area of expertise or interest that you would like to share with the students, please let me know. My email address is [email protected]. The school phone number is 713-917-3565.

______Parent Name Parent Signature Date

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STUDENTS: I have carefully read and understand the information, procedures, and guidelines for Mrs. Garfield’s 8th Science class.

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