8th Grade Advanced Honors Science
Course Description:
Science is a fascinating subject and I will strive to challenge you to achieve your potential, and to pass on my passion for the subject matter. 8th grade Integrated Science Honors is a course that will be meeting daily. The structure of this class is a mixture of lecture, discussion, projects, small group activities, and laboratory exercises. My goal is to bring the subject alive by teaching in a hands-on manner to help perk student interest. Participation in classroom activities and completion of homework assignments are expected. The topics covered during this year are Cells, Photosynthesis/Cellular Respiration, Genetics, Classification, Evolution, Ecosystems, Earth, Spheres, Space, Matter, Energy, Waves and Force. Some goals I have for the class are as follows. Students will have a better understanding of scientific terms. Students will leave the class with more literacy experience than when they came into the class. Students will learn how to perform hands on projects and experiments. I expect everyone to do well in my class and get out as much as they put into the class. Integrated Science Honors is a high school course designed to provide students with a study of high school level Life, Physical and Earth/Space Sciences. More reading will be required and the level will be much higher. Students will be required to use a higher level of vocabulary, do more writing, complete more homework, and meet the standards of more challenging tests.
Tutoring and Help:
Tutoring is offered every Friday immediately after school till 5:30. If no students arrive by 4:30 tutoring will be cancelled for the day.
Textbook:
Students will have a textbook that stays at home for homework and studying purposes. Students will also have access to a class set when at school.
Materials:
Needed in class every day are as follows: composition book (2 if you write large), pencil, and agenda book. Suggest materials include a highlighter, colored pencils, 1 pack of paper and index cards.
Grades:
Marking period grades will be determined based on performance on summative assessments, homework, class work, participation, laboratory assignments, and projects. Students must have name on paper in order to receive credit. Late work is accepted, but students lose one letter grade for every day the assignment is late.
Tardiness:
Students are expected to be on time for every class. The consequence for tardiness is lunch detention. If a student is tardy 4 times in one quarter, a phone call home will occur. If a fifth time occurs after the phone call a referral will be written.
Homework Reminders:
Text the message @ 8honscimsk to the phone number 81010. When it asks for your name. Please respond with your first and last name.
Forbidden objects in class:
Students are not allowed food, gum, drinks or toys of any kind during class. First warning student puts the object away. Second warning it is removal of food, gum or drink to the trash and toys to a locked drawer. Third Warning results in a phone call home. Fourth Warning results in referral. Water is allowed in a clear water bottle just not during labs. Phones are not to be used during class. They should be off (not vibrate) in the student’s backpack. If students are caught on their phones or with phones in their pockets it will be taken and turned in to the office and must be picked up by a parent or guardian. This is a school wide rule.
Homework Policy:
Students will be assigned homework to help reinforce the concepts learned in class. Students will be assigned questions, readings, and worksheets every class or every other class. Students will be given one night to complete homework unless told otherwise. Regardless of whether or not a formal homework assignment is given, it is highly recommended that your child review his/her notes every night. All homework will be turned in at the beginning of the class and graded on accuracy. Homework is an important part of learning. Students who do not complete homework will lose points for the assignment.
Quiz’s and Tests:
Unit tests will consist of matching vocabulary, multiple choice problems, short answers and occasionally true or false. Students that score a "C" or lower on a test may be retaken before school any day except Wednesday or after school on Fridays after submitting a request to retest paper. Students may only retake 3 tests in a year and must be retaken within the quarter they were originally given. An appointment must be scheduled with the teacher in advance. See test taking procedure below.
Absenteeism:
If students have an unexcused absences the missed work cannot be made up. If it is an excused absence you have 1 day per day absent to make up missed work. Students are responsible for acquiring missed work from the absent bin upon returning to class, it is not the teacher’s responsibility to track students down to give them make up work. Any work not made up will result in a zero. If the student knows they will be absent ahead of time. They may request their work to take with them.
Plagiarism and cheating:
Plagiarism and cheating is completely unacceptable and will result in getting a zero for the assignment. Cheating includes coping assessments, assignments or homework. Both the copier and the person allowing them to copy will both receive a zero.
Classroom Rules:
Policies and Procedures
Entering the Classroom
Exiting the Classroom
Asking and Answering Questions
Turning in Assignments
Fire Drill/Emergencies
Test-Taking Procedure
Science is a fascinating subject and I will strive to challenge you to achieve your potential, and to pass on my passion for the subject matter. 8th grade Integrated Science Honors is a course that will be meeting daily. The structure of this class is a mixture of lecture, discussion, projects, small group activities, and laboratory exercises. My goal is to bring the subject alive by teaching in a hands-on manner to help perk student interest. Participation in classroom activities and completion of homework assignments are expected. The topics covered during this year are Cells, Photosynthesis/Cellular Respiration, Genetics, Classification, Evolution, Ecosystems, Earth, Spheres, Space, Matter, Energy, Waves and Force. Some goals I have for the class are as follows. Students will have a better understanding of scientific terms. Students will leave the class with more literacy experience than when they came into the class. Students will learn how to perform hands on projects and experiments. I expect everyone to do well in my class and get out as much as they put into the class. Integrated Science Honors is a high school course designed to provide students with a study of high school level Life, Physical and Earth/Space Sciences. More reading will be required and the level will be much higher. Students will be required to use a higher level of vocabulary, do more writing, complete more homework, and meet the standards of more challenging tests.
Tutoring and Help:
Tutoring is offered every Friday immediately after school till 5:30. If no students arrive by 4:30 tutoring will be cancelled for the day.
Textbook:
Students will have a textbook that stays at home for homework and studying purposes. Students will also have access to a class set when at school.
Materials:
Needed in class every day are as follows: composition book (2 if you write large), pencil, and agenda book. Suggest materials include a highlighter, colored pencils, 1 pack of paper and index cards.
Grades:
Marking period grades will be determined based on performance on summative assessments, homework, class work, participation, laboratory assignments, and projects. Students must have name on paper in order to receive credit. Late work is accepted, but students lose one letter grade for every day the assignment is late.
Tardiness:
Students are expected to be on time for every class. The consequence for tardiness is lunch detention. If a student is tardy 4 times in one quarter, a phone call home will occur. If a fifth time occurs after the phone call a referral will be written.
Homework Reminders:
Text the message @ 8honscimsk to the phone number 81010. When it asks for your name. Please respond with your first and last name.
Forbidden objects in class:
Students are not allowed food, gum, drinks or toys of any kind during class. First warning student puts the object away. Second warning it is removal of food, gum or drink to the trash and toys to a locked drawer. Third Warning results in a phone call home. Fourth Warning results in referral. Water is allowed in a clear water bottle just not during labs. Phones are not to be used during class. They should be off (not vibrate) in the student’s backpack. If students are caught on their phones or with phones in their pockets it will be taken and turned in to the office and must be picked up by a parent or guardian. This is a school wide rule.
Homework Policy:
Students will be assigned homework to help reinforce the concepts learned in class. Students will be assigned questions, readings, and worksheets every class or every other class. Students will be given one night to complete homework unless told otherwise. Regardless of whether or not a formal homework assignment is given, it is highly recommended that your child review his/her notes every night. All homework will be turned in at the beginning of the class and graded on accuracy. Homework is an important part of learning. Students who do not complete homework will lose points for the assignment.
Quiz’s and Tests:
Unit tests will consist of matching vocabulary, multiple choice problems, short answers and occasionally true or false. Students that score a "C" or lower on a test may be retaken before school any day except Wednesday or after school on Fridays after submitting a request to retest paper. Students may only retake 3 tests in a year and must be retaken within the quarter they were originally given. An appointment must be scheduled with the teacher in advance. See test taking procedure below.
Absenteeism:
If students have an unexcused absences the missed work cannot be made up. If it is an excused absence you have 1 day per day absent to make up missed work. Students are responsible for acquiring missed work from the absent bin upon returning to class, it is not the teacher’s responsibility to track students down to give them make up work. Any work not made up will result in a zero. If the student knows they will be absent ahead of time. They may request their work to take with them.
Plagiarism and cheating:
Plagiarism and cheating is completely unacceptable and will result in getting a zero for the assignment. Cheating includes coping assessments, assignments or homework. Both the copier and the person allowing them to copy will both receive a zero.
Classroom Rules:
- Respect others and yourself
- Come to class on time and prepared
- Follow all directions
- Turn in all assignments on time
Policies and Procedures
Entering the Classroom
- Greet the teacher politely before entering the room
- Proceed to your assigned seat and sit down.
- Retrieve your notebook, agenda book and pencil from your backpack
- Turn in any homework to the turn in basket
- Record homework from the board into your agenda book
- Begin work on your Bell Work, it will always be projected onto the screen at the front of the room or on the board.
- You are to work on your Bell work silently and independently for 5 minutes.
Exiting the Classroom
- The bell does not release the class, the teacher does.
- When the bell rings, the teacher will release students to exit the classroom.
- Students will only be released if their area is clean, picked up and all students are sitting in a chair and quiet.
- Each student will taking all of their belongings with them and push in their chairs when leaving.
Asking and Answering Questions
- You must raise your hand to speak in the classroom.
- If you have a question or want to answer a question, raise your hand.
- When the teacher calls on you, you may ask or answer the question. There should be no speaking out of turn unless discussion has specifically been instructed.
- Repeated accounts of talking out of turn will result in a phone call home and/or a referral
Turning in Assignments
- All student are responsible for turning in homework at the beginning of class to the turn in basket
- Students will be deducted points for homework turned in after class begins.
- Do not turn in any assignments to the teacher’s desk. Any assignments placed on the teacher’s desk will not be graded.
Fire Drill/Emergencies
- When the fire alarm goes off, quietly and quickly line up in a single-file line at the door.
- The teacher will end the line into the hall and out of the building.
- Our Fire Drill location is the black top. Roll will be taken once the class has reached the fire drill location.
- Students are to line up in a straight line quietly in order to hear all instructions given.
- When the drill is over, wait for the teacher’s instructions. Do NOT head into the school separately from the class. The class will only return to the building if quiet.
Test-Taking Procedure
- Testing time is SILENT time. Students found talking, making noise or being distracting will receive one warning and then will receive a zero.
- All notes and papers must be in the students backpack.
- Your desk should be empty aside from a writing utensil, a piece of paper or computer.