Biology Syllabus Grafton High School 2016-2017

TEACHER: Mrs. Cathy DeBerry EMAIL: [email protected] (this is the best way to contact me) PHONE: 757-898-0530 COURSE WEBSITE: http://deberrydotsci.weebly.com/ - This will be our hub for all activities relating to Biology. Here you will find links to the sites listed below, as well as our course calendar, table of contents, and links to important videos and tutorials related to our study of biology. LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: www.schoology.com - I will be using Schoology to post copyrighted or secure documents and to confer with the class on matters from time to time. This is where I will share materials that are for this class specifically like PowerPoints and handouts related to our course. Sign up using the following access code: ______. The App is super user-friendly. Make sure to download it to your device and enable notifications for this so you don’t miss important information. COURSE TEXTING: Class wide alerts will be issued using Remind. Please see the course website for instructions on how to sign up for this service.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Upon completion of this course, you should be better able to do the following:  Plan, conduct, and analyze scientific investigations.  Measure using scientific equipment with a high degree of accuracy.  Describe the history of various biological concepts and discoveries.  Identify, describe, and analyze essential concepts in the areas of biochemistry, cell biology, biological diversity, genetics, ecology and evolution.

TEXTBOOK: Biology Virginia Edition (Pearson Prentice Hall). Please cover and take care of the textbook. Replacement cost is approximately $58.00.

STUDENT SUPPLIES: You will need the following materials for this course, which should be brought to class DAILY: • 2-3” clear view binder. In this binder, you’ll need college-ruled loose-leaf paper, a small bit of graph paper, and 10 dividers (preferably with pockets). • Black/blue ink pens or pencils. Work that is turned in will not be accepted in other ink colors. • Graph paper • Various other supplies – colored pencils, highlighters, sticky notes, tabs, etc. • BYOT device if you have one. We will be using lots of technology in the class. Having your own might be nice.

CLASSROOM/LAB SUPPLIES: Extra credit will be awarded for donations of supplies for the class to use. To earn extra credit, a donation from both bullets below is needed. •A large box of Kleenex OR Hand sanitizer •A 24 pack of colored pencils OR 4 thin dry erase EXPO markers.

COURSE OUTLINE – This is tentatively the order in which we will cover the material in Anatomy this year. First Quarter Third Quarter Intro to Biology and ED Evolution Biochemistry Ecology Cells Classification Second Quarter Fourth Quarter Cell Division Diversity of Life Mendelian Genetics Dissection Molecular Genetics

GRADING SCALE – Grades will be determined using a numerical average and the following YCSD grading scale: A=100-89.5; B=89.4-79.5; C=79.4-69.5; D= 69.4-63.5; F=63.4-0 *Please note that extra credit is offered occasionally to the whole class and for science fair participation. There will be no “special” extra credit issued to “bump” grades prior to report cards – please don’t ask.

GRADE DETERMINATION: 50% Test Grades: Tests, cumulative quarterly open notebook Lab Test, and Major Projects 25% Quiz Grades: Quizzes and Minor Projects 25% Daily Grades: Notebook Document Collection (counts as a double grade), Class Participation, and any other Daily Assignments as designated by instructor A semester exam will be given at the end of each semester and will constitute 20% of the semester grade. The other 80% will come from the quarter grades earned during that semester.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND HONESTY: Technology has made it so easy to get and disseminate information rapidly through various media (email, text messaging, instant messaging, social networking, etc.), because of this, academic honesty has become extremely important at all levels of academia, including in high schools. Integrity in one's work is very important, as it demonstrates hard work on the part of the student and respect for the work that others have previously done. Increasingly, group work and group projects are becoming commonplace not only in high school, but also in college and beyond. For this reason, it is important that students understand the difference between collaboration and collusion here in high school so they are clear about the difference as they go beyond. An example of collaboration in Biology would be members of a lab group gathering the same data from a lab, but writing different conclusions about the result. An example of collusion would be lab partners gathering the same data from a lab and writing identical or very close to identical conclusions about the result. When collusion occurs in an academic setting, it is considered plagiarism. In order to establish an appropriate scholastic environment in our classroom, students are expected to maintain academic integrity and honesty at all times. Plagiarism of any kind is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to: • Copying another student's assignments; • Turning in work identical to another student's; • Using unauthorized notes or materials on quizzes/tests; • Failure to properly cite outside sources when writing lab reports or papers; • Turning in someone else’s work as your own; and • Copying data that should have been collected in lab from another person’s lab notebook – the exception being gathering data from a lab partner due to absence. Students who are suspected of academic dishonesty will be disciplined according to YCSD academic honesty guidelines and will be reported to NHS sponsors.

CLASS AND INSTRUCTOR POLICIES: a. Each assignment is to be logged into the table of contents. Periodically, your ToC will be collected. The table of contents and 5 random assignments will be assessed. A link to our table of contents can be found on the class website (http://deberrydotsci.weebly.com/biology.html). b. Tardies will be recorded for those students that are not in their seats with their materials for class out and ready to go when the tardy bell rings. c. Late work is accepted for collected assignments, but will only receive half credit. Late labs and projects will be accepted only one day past their due date and for a maximum grade of 80. Beyond that, a zero will be entered in for your grade. No late work will only be accepted during the quarter in which it was assigned. d. Make up work can be found in the front of the room on my desk in a folder designated for Biology. Make sure to check this folder after an absence. Also make sure to check our table of contents to make sure there is nothing I missed getting to you. o Daily assignments are to be made up in a timely manner. Make up work is to be made up within a week. If not, a zero result. Please check the table of contents (posted on the website) to make sure you have received everything you missed. Make up work is your responsibility. o Should you miss a quiz or a test, you will be expected to make this up at a convenient time during of the next class period. Failure to make up a quiz or test within this time period will result in a zero grade that may not be re-done. o Should you miss a laboratory investigation, you are expected to gather necessary lab data from your lab group and get up to speed on the components of the lab you missed. With the nature of the labs we conduct, it may not be feasible for you to conduct the lab outside of class time due to set-up or limited reagent availability, but you will be responsible for understanding what you missed due to your absence. You will be responsible for all of the labs on the quarterly lab test. Please make sure you have got the contact information for your lab group members so this may be done in a timely and efficient manner. e. Proper safety precautions will be followed during laboratory work at all times. This includes wearing closed-toe shoes, aprons, and safety goggles when necessary. f. Store backpacks and other personal items underneath your desk and out of the aisle of the classroom. g. Hall passes are to be written in your agenda. When you bring your pass to me to sign, make sure to sign out on the class hall pass log. Please to do not abuse hall privileges or you will lose them. h. No food is to be brought into the class. Drinks are fine as long as they have a re-sealable cap. i. Electronic devices should be put away unless we are using them for an activity. Also, my room is not a charging station. Please ask permission before using your device or charging it. j. Students are expected to check Aspen on a regular basis to keep up with their course grade. Grades will be updated weekly as assignments are turned in for credit. Students should check the Schoology page daily, as class messages are often broadcast in this manner. k. Cooperating and collaborating with others in the class is super important. Make sure to exchange phone numbers and email addresses with your lab group and project team.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS: 1. Come to class often. Do your best to be in class. Excessive absences in Biology will negatively impact your grade. Occasional absences are inevitable. Make sure you have a plan to make up assignments and get data from lab partners if a lab investigation was missed, as not to fall behind. Remember, not finishing lab will come back to haunt you at the cumulative quarterly lab test. 2. Come to class prepared to learn each day. We will do work everyday. 3. Come to class alert and ready to ask questions about the topics being covered. 4. Allocate at least one hour daily to study for this course. Review any notes taken during class the day they are taken. Finish all incomplete work from class. 5. Be sure to study in a quiet location, free from as many distractions as possible. 6. Form study groups with 2-3 others in your class. Larger groups are unproductive. 7. When you are truly struggling with a concept, come in for tutoring. I am here to help! 8. Enjoy the experience...biology is a fabulous topic and we will learn so much this year!

INTERNET ACCESS: You will need to have regular access to a computer with an Internet connection. You may be asked to view content videos on You Tube, access course materials posted on Schoology, or collaborate on labs and projects using Google Drive applications. All of these activities are only going to be accomplished efficiently if you are able to have regular internet. Not having Internet or printer access is not an excuse to come to class unprepared! There are plenty of places to get internet and printer access: • A friend’s house • The public library • Starbucks or any other public place with free Wi-Fi access • The GHS library (you may not go during class time to print) If this is an issue, then you need to come and talk to me to see if something can be resolved.

SYLLABUS/LABORATORY SAFETY ‘SIGNATURES’: You and your parents will be required to sign and return a county-issued lab safety contract as well as the course syllabus acknowledgement that states that you and your parents understand class procedures and policies. Students must carefully read this contract. It is imperative that the online Lab Safety Contract and Biology Syllabus Acknowledgement and Survey form be completed by both the parent/guardian and the student before students can perform laboratory activities. A link to the forms are found on the class website page (http://deberrydotsci.weebly.com/). Missing assignments due to neglecting this request will not be able to be made up.

Welcome back and I hope our year is a successful one!