SEVENTH GRADE INTEGRATED SCIENCE (FULL YEAR)
Instructor:
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Students will develop an awareness of the world around them. The theme of seventh grade science will be “Structure.” Life, earth and physical science will be intertwined throughout the year.
MATERIALS NEEDED: Students should bring the following to class each day: planner, loose-leaf, line paper, writing utensil, and textbook when needed. Students will receive five points each day for bringing and using their daily planner. Since your student will be using a lab-top computer in my class it might be a good idea to have a thumb / jump drive to transport work from home and school (See In-Class, Lap-Top Computer Use Agreement).
GRADES WILL BE BASED ON THE FOLLOWING WORK:
Mastery Checks / Benchmark Tests: An oral or written review will be given after content material has been discussed in class. Students should review their assignments, labs notes, etc. to help prepare for these tests. Tests will make up 65 % of your students grade. Students who are absent on test days are required to make it up before or after school no later than Oct. 20th for first term, Dec. 20th for second term, March 16th for third term and May 18th for fourth term. If tests are not taken by these dates, students will receive a zero on their test. Students may retake tests as many times as needed to reach mastery. Mastery is considered as 85% or better. As part of the No Child Left Behind legislation (NCLB), students will be frequently assessed on their mastery of the concepts we cover. Failure to master these concepts may result in remediation, which may take the form of before/after school help sessions, or an in-school program.
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS (WORKSHEETS, LABS,
QUI
All assignments are expected to be completed by the next class period for correction unless told otherwise. Late assignments, packets or labs will be accepted with a 20% deduction of points. A student’s late work must be corrected by the student before or after school. No late work accepted after Oct. 20th for first term, Dec. 20th for second term, March 16th for third term and May 18th for fourth term. Much of your student’s written work can be done in class; however home work will be given on a weekly basis. On the average, students should not have more than two hours of home work per week. If a student is absent, it is her/his responsibility to make up the missed work. Most electronic and written assignments will be turned in as packet with a cover sheet and turned in on specific dates. If your student is absent on the date assignment packets are due, it must be turned in the first day the student returns to class. Packets can be turned in early for extra credit or turned in the day they are due. Students will also have 30 minutes after school ends (or until I leave) to turn in their packets, otherwise it is considered a day late. Assignments will make up 35% of your students grade. A list of current assignments etc.can be found on my 7th grade web page (http://lakeridge.alpinedistrict.org/glassford/7th_grade_science.htm)
ATTENDANCE: Regular attendance is required for your student’s success, however, they will not lose points for being absent. Extended absenteeism calls for an extension on assignments, exams and lab due dates. Students must see me before or after school for extensions. With the A/B schedule it is extremely important that students do not miss class unless of illness or an emergency.
POINTS WILL BE TAKEN FROM A STUDENT’S CITI
Unexcused Tardy: Students not in their seats at the time the tardy bell starts to ring are counted tardy. One citizenship mark will be given for each tardy. There will be no penalty for an excused tardy. Each tardy over four requires a thirty minute penalty before or after school. If the student misses the appointment, he or she will be referred to the office. All students are allowed four tardies per term. Students who are not tardy the entire term will have an extra 3 percent added to their final term grade. Students will also receive two emergency hall passes. Each unused pass is worth an extra 1 percent toward their term grade as well.
Hindrance to Class Work and Instruction: This is defined as any conduct that interferes with the study, listening and concentration of other students and the teacher.
1. Respect your fellow students and
teachers.
Class Rules: 2. Listen and follow
instructions.
3. Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself.
4. No one will be allowed to jeopardize
the safety of himself or of anyone else.
5. Follow Laptop Computer Use Rules
If students are having a difficult time following the above class rules they will be handled accordingly. Students will be given a verbal warning to help correct the problem. On the second and third warning the students will be given citizenship marks. These marks will affect the student’s citizenship grade. On the third warning he/she will be sent to a timeout area or the office. With each citizenship mark beyond four, students are expected to spend 30 minutes before or after school.
Citizenship Grade:
O = Outstanding
S = Satisfactory One
to two citizenship marks.
N = Needs Improvement Three citizenship
marks.
U = Unsatisfactory Four or more
citizenship marks.
Gum: Due to problems of upkeep in my class, gum is not allowed. If a student is chewing gum, she/he will be asked to get rid of it and one citizenship mark will be given each time the student is chewing gum.
Student Success
Students who use their planners effectively consistently do better in class. When your student comes home from school please look in their planner and assist them in accomplishing their assignments etc. When your student comes into class, the daily activities as well as future labs, tests and projects will be on the board. I will go over the material with your student and ask them to record it in their planner. Your involvement and encouragement are greatly needed for us to help your child reach his/her full potential. When students use their planner to help them organize their time, it becomes much easier for them to get class work completed in a timely manner.
Last year I was amazed at the number of students that had a difficult time turning in lab reports/worksheets. As parents you will know when these labs are due by looking in your student’s planner. Ample time is given for students to complete their labs/assignments. Please help them organize their materials so their work may be turned in on time (see above for late work).
Another area of concern is benchmark assessments (tests). As stated above we will have an in-class review (oral or written) before taking the actual exam. If your student is absent on the day of the review, have them acquire the notes from a classmate. It is critical that students review material covered in class on a regular basis. Please help your student review his/her assignments, notes, labs etc. to prepare for the benchmark assessments (tests). Students should take the practice benchmarks weekly. Sixty five percent of your student’s grade will be determined by benchmark tests. If you want your child to be successful in my class please help them prepare by practicing online or they can come in and see a printed copy to review before or after school.
Check your student’s grades regularly. It is much easier and less stressful on students to assist them early on. Waiting until midterm may create a backlog of assessments, assignments, labs etc. to be made up. Multiply this by seven periods and it can become a difficult situation. Grades can be checked over the Internet. A link is found on our web site (http://lakeridge.alpinedistrict.org/glassford/7th_grade_science.htm).
If students do not understand a concept or idea discussed in class encourage them to come see me before or after school for clarification. I would be glad to help them. There will be specific days announced in class for 7th grade help sessions.
ALL TESTS, LABS, WRITTEN WORK, PROJECTS, AND FINAL TERM GRADES WILL BE BASED ON THE FOLLOWING PERCENTILES.
93-100 A 83-85 B
73-75 C
89-92 A- 79-82 B-
69-72 C-
86-88 B+ 76-78 C+
68 and below F
* Please return this document signed and your student will receive extra credit.
PLEASE DO NOT DETACH
Parents and Students: Please indicate that you have read this document and send it back to school with your student.
Parent signature ___________________________________________________________
Student signature __________________________________________________________
Please print student name ____________________________________________________
Attention 7th Grade Students and Parents:
I would like to start an e-mail group consisting of all my 7th grade parents/students. There is not enough time during the day for me e-mail important information but when I return home my wife or I would like to e-mail important dates, project etc. shared with the students. Between the both of us we should be able to make things go a little smoother for you and your student. This will not take the place of your student’s planner. Students will still be responsible to fill out their planners daily.
My wife and I will try our best to keep you informed as to our weekly activities. All correspondence will be done at home on our own time. Please be sensitive to the number of e-mails you send us. I am a slow typist and it may take me a while to respond to your messages. If possible we would like all students and parents to participate. We will do our best to keep you informed.
Select any e-mail combination that works best for your family (parent, student, both etc.). Students and parents with hotmail addresses have not been able to receive our e-mails. I receive failure notices from students and parents on hotmail. I was told it is because our 7th Grade E-Mail list is very large and hotmail perceives it as spam and sends it back to the sender. Whatever the case, please use a different address or put my home e-mail address on your friendly list. To participate in the e-mail group please send an e-mail to me (glassford_ii@att.net) using the address you want me to use. Students, do not e-mail me requesting to be a part of the e-mail group unless you have permission from your parents. The group will be most effective if students and parents participate.
Parent and or student e-mail addresses_____________________________________________________ (Please print so I can read
_____________________________________________________
Thanks,