Biology Welcome to Biology! This course entails the exploration of life (biology) on earth. Our studies will cover topics from the molecules that make up our genetic code to the ecosystems that support life on this planet. Use this handout as your guide for success in this classroom. Keep this document in your binder for reference throughout the year. This course covers the California Biology Standards and is a UC/USC lab science. Student Conduct - Respect and Integrity Guidelines You are expected to treat yourself, others, the teacher, personal property and school property with respect. Students will be marked tardy if they are not in their seat working when the bell rings. Behavior which disrupts other students' learning is not acceptable. This includes use of pagers and cell phones. These will be confiscated for a minimum of 24 hours and possibly result in a referral if they are used during class or if the tone, vibrator or ringer is audible during class time. No eating or drinking in the science rooms. Assignments are to be completed individually (not copied) and to the best of your ability, with integrity. Class time is to be spent working on your science assignments. Activities such as socializing, putting on makeup, or doing another class's assignment are not allowed. Participation during cleanup is also required. Equipment gets broken from time to time. Students and their group members are responsible for the cost to replace broken equipment. It is your responsibility to tell the instructor. Attempts to avoid this responsibility will result in disciplinary action. Discipline In-Class I will remind you of my expectations, a warning. You will be moved and requested to have a conference after class. Beyond Class A referral to the office and/or removal from class for the period. Class suspension Make-Up Work School policies regarding tardies and absences will be followed. If you have an excused absence you will have the same amount of time you missed to make up the work. This includes exams. You may make up exams and quizzes during the tutorial following your absence or before school. For example, if you missed 3 days of school you will have 3 days to get your make-up work in. If you had missed Friday, Monday and Tuesday you would have until the next Monday to turn your make-up work in (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday). Work turned in later will receive a zero. For missed assignments, check http://www.mitochondria.us. Assignments You can expect homework on a nightly basis. No extra work will be assigned over holidays. All work is due at the beginning of the period and should be turned in when you walk in the door. Work turned in later than when the bell rings is considered late and will receive no more than 50% (an F). Work turned in more than one day late except in the case of a medical emergency will receive a zero. Written assignments must have your name, the date, and the period number in the upper right-hand corner. If there is an assignment title it should be centered across the top of the page. Assignments without the above information, legible writing and complete sentences will receive no credit. Final drafts of lab reports and unit projects must be typed. The proper format for writing lab reports must be followed as well. Notes must be kept in a separate approved bound notebook. See materials list. These will be collected periodically. Materials You are expected to come to class prepared with the following items on a daily basis: Time Tracker Pen and pencil Three ring binder with binder paper Notebook - This must be an approved 200 page composition notebook with a stitched binding. No spiral bound notebooks. Textbook - Your textbook is to be covered and left home for use there. Do not use tape or an adhesive cover. A textbook will be assigned to you for classroom use. Metric ruler Calculator Computer account - you must have a school computer account for this class. There will be some assignments, which will be placed on the server or the web. Other assignments may require the use of school computers. Other helpful items would include: scissors, colored pens and a glue stick. Grades Grades will be based on class work (includes participation points), homework, lab work, quizzes, notes, tests, research reports and group projects. Each assignment will be weighted by the number of points it is worth (e.g.. quizzes = 10 points, homework = 20 points, tests = 100 points). Assignment points are based on a relative weight for the assignment. For example, in any given week you will have four homework assignments (4 x 20 points = 100 points), two class assignments (2 x 20 = 50 points), daily quizzes and journals (4 x 10 = 40 points), a test or other assignment (60 points). The total points for that week would be 250 points. Your homework would represent about 40% of your grade; the other components would be about 20% each. Homework is worth a significant portion of your grade. Your grade will be calculated by the following formula: Students Total Earned Points / Total Possible Points x 100 = Grade % Scale: 90-100% = A 80-89% = B 70-79% = C 60-69% = D 59% and below = F Quizzes, Notebooks and Reading Every Friday you will take a quiz. Many days you will take notes in your notebook while reading. The quizzes cover the previous class' material, reading and/or homework. These will be worth around 10 points each. Exams There will also be vocabulary quizzes for every section (chapter). There will be an exam at the end of some chapters and all units. Exams will be worth around 100-150 points. Labs and In-Class Projects These assignments will generally be conducted in a group. All members are expected to be active participants of their team. Cooperation here is one area you will earn participation points. Homework There will be homework every night in this class. The homework may be a reading selection, work on a lab or project, or other assignment. It is due when you walk into class. An assignment is considered late if it isn't turned in at the beginning of the period. Late assignments will receive half credit. Assignments turned in later than one day late will result in a zero. Homework will generally be given 20 points. Projects One or more projects will be assigned during the quarter with values up to 200 points. Instructor Contact Feel free to contact me with your concerns. I can be contacted as follows: Snailmail: 509 N. Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale, CA 95425 Voicemail: 894-1900 ext. 37 E-Mail: Click to e-mail Web: http://www.mitochondria.us Note: students who are absent, forget the assignment or need a new vocabulary list can find nightly assignment updates on this website. 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