Biology Syllabus, Rules and Procedures

Mrs. Martin
www.mrsmartinssciencepage.weebly.com
https://classroom.google.com
Period 6
Watts High School (918) 422-5132
Teaching Schedule
1st Earth Science 5th Planning
2nd Physical Science 6th Biology I/II
3rd Physical Science 7th Earth Science
4th Physical Science

Class Information
Text 81010 or to (432) 213-9975 with the following message @martin2bio this will allow you to be able
to get messages and reminders for this class.

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General Course Description
Biology is devoted to the study of living things and their processes. Throughout the year this
course provides an opportunity for students to develop scientific processing skills, laboratory techniques
and an understanding of the fundamental principles of living organisms. Students will explore biological
science as a process, cell structure and function, genetics and heredity, evolution and classification,
diversity of living organisms and their ecological roles, and an introduction to animal structure and
function. A science will be administered, which covers objectives for both semesters. Daily assignments
and future due dates of assignments will be posted on website at https://classroom.google.com

Binders/Required Materials
It is required that all students keep a three ring binder 2 inches or larger. The binder will be used to keep
ALL and ONLY Earth Science materials used and studied in the Earth Science Course. Binders will be
divided into three (3) sections. You can buy or make dividers. Binders will be divided into the following
sections:
SECTION 1: NOTES/HANDOUTS
SECTION 2: LABS
SECTION 3: HOMEWORK
Binders will be required by:______________________________________________________
****This course syllabus will be the very first document in your binder.****
Also needed:
Lined notebook paper
Pen (standard blue or black ink) or pencil
Colored Pencils
Inexpensive Scientific Calculator (TI30 can be picked up under $10)
Reading book (NEED READING BOOK EVERYDAY
Tissue for Extra Credit

Work Requirements:
All students will be required to keep a 3-Ring Binder with all their classroom materials in the
binder. This binder will hold the students Vocabulary Word List, Notes, Classroom Assignments
and Activities, Quizzes, and Reviews.
Reading of the chapters ahead of time may be required
Lab and activity notebook will also be kept. (composition book)
Rules
Be on time and in your own seats, if not you will be marked tardy (3 tardies equal 1 absence)
Raise hand to talk or get out of seat
Bring supplies, textbook, and assignments to class each day
Be respectful of others (treat others the way you want to be treated)
Do not interfere with the learning of others
Follow teachers directions at all times
Classroom Rules 5 Ps

1. Be Prompt Be in your assigned seat before the bell rings. Meet deadlines.
2. Be Prepared Bring necessary materials, including homework. Study for tests.
3. Be Polite Respect school property and those around you. Discipline yourself so others dont
have to!
4. Be Productive Participate arduously in all class activities. Follow instructions. Use your time
and energy wisely. Finish all work. Everything has its time!
5. Be Positive My expectations for you are to: set high academic and personal goals, be a problem
solver, help others, and as for help when necessary.

Daily protocols/procedures
Classroom Days
Enter classroom in orderly fashion
Turn in any assignments due into class basket
Complete vocab or other required bell work
Get assignment if one is available, then go to seat
Listen and take notes during lecture
Complete any given assignment
Raise hand if there are any questions
When bell rings, teacher will dismiss class not the bell

Lab or Activity Days

Enter classroom in orderly fashion
Turn in any assignments due
Get assignment, then go to seat
Do bellwork
Teacher will give instructions that pertain to what is needed, lab procedure and what will be the
expected result for student to produce at the end of lab.
Give teacher your full attention, anyone not paying attention will not participate in activity or lab.
Written assignment will be given instead.
READ ALL DIRECTIONS
Teacher will dismiss students to gather lab equipment and take equipment to table
One student per group will get initial lab equipment
Labs and activities will be completed under teachers supervision and students will maintain
order at all times, so as not to create a safety hazard.
Teacher will tell students to put away lab equipment (one student from each group)
When bell rings, teacher will dismiss class but not until all lab equipment is put away properly.

On lab days, students who do not follow directions or the students who play around will be asked
to sit down and a written assignment pertaining to the lab will be given to those students in lieu of
the lab.
Levels of consequences
When any of the classroom rules are not followed, the following consequences can be given:
Point deduction from the students participation and/or responsibility grade.
Parental Contact
Detention after School
Office referral

When a student receives more than 3 tardies in a 2 week period, a referral will be sent to the office.

If a student receives more than 4 absences in a semester, a referral will be sent to office

Grading

Your grade for this course will be earned through a variety of assessments including, but not limited to
tests, quizzes, homework, writing assignments, in-class activities, projects, binder checks, etc Please
make sure that you submit all of your work on time. Submitting late will NOT BE ALLOWED with the
exception of an occasional make-up day. Grades will be calculated on a weighted system, meaning certain
grades are worth more than others.

Participation, bellwork and accountability 10% of grade

Homework, class worksheets and bellwork 15% of grade
Labs, projects and activities 20%
Final Exam 20% of Grade
Tests and quizzes 35%

Final Exam

There is also a cumulative final exam given at the end of the course. The final exam will test all skills and
content of all subjects taught throughout the course. The final exam is the only test that will only be worth
20% of your overall, final course grade

Responsibility/Participation Points

Most students show a consistent effort throughout the marking period by bringing materials, actively
participating in class, and listening attentively. Being accountable for your learning and behaviour is very
important and should contribute to your marking period grade. Therefore, each marking period you will
receive an accountability grade worth 50 points. These 50 points account for less than 10% of the overall
nine week grade for each of the two nine weeks of the course. Points will be deducted from the 50 points
by the following:

1. Student is late to class without a pass -2 points for each occurrence (after three occurrences,
student may receive an office referral)
2. Student is not listening attentively during class -2 points for each occurrence
3. Student doesnt have writing utensil -2 points for each occurrence
4. Student doesnt bring materials to class: texts, notebook, -2 points for each occurrence
5. Students textbook is uncovered -2 points for each occurrence
6. Student not in seat when bell rings, attentive and ready for the day's lesson -2 points for each
occurrence
7. Student refuses to participate in class activity -5 points for each occurrence
***Students can and are expected to keep track of assignments and projects, when they are due, as well as
dates for tests, quizzes etc To help remember assignments and projects and their due dates as well as
test dates, students:

Can record the assignments and dates in their agenda planner

Can receive, on a daily basis, via email, assignments and projects and their due dates as well date
of test dates
Visit Mrs Martins teacher website that can be accessed anywhere
Participating parents can also receive a homework email as well as the capability of accessing
Mrs Martins teacher webpage.

Attendance and Late Work Policy

Attendance is important to student success. Students who are absent from class for ANY reason are
responsible for finding out what they missed. This must be done before school or between classes; this
may not be done once the bell rings to begin class.

When a student has 9 unexcused absences in a semester, they will fail Earth Science for that semester. 3
Tardies equal one unexcused absence. Absences can be excused by a doctors note, court order and parent
note (limit of 4 on parent notes) Check with office for other forms that may excuse.

Students who know they are going to be absent for any reason (educational trip, appointment, athletic
event etc.) must see Mrs Martin to pick up any assignments BEFORE leaving. These assignments will
be due the day the student returns to school. If a student knows of an upcoming absence, please see Mrs
Martin as soon as possible so she has amble time to prepare what will be missed.

All work (in-class and homework) must be made up when a student misses school for any reason
including excused trips.

If a student is in school but misses Earth Science (sport, appointment, illness, etc.), the student MUST see
Mrs Martin before they leave to submit that days homework and to find out what he/she will be missing
in class. If the student doesnt do this, the assignments given and collected on that day will be considered
late. In addition, the student is responsible for getting missed notes from a responsible student for
upcoming quizzes etc...

Students will not be tested or required to hand in assignments on the day the student returns from school
if they were assigned on the day the student was absent. Students should adhere to deadlines for tests and
projects that were established/assigned prior to the absence.

Submitting late will NOT BE ALLOWED with the exception of an occasional make-up day. When make-
up day is given, only half credit will be allowed for missing or late work. When a student is absent, they
are given 2 days for each day absent to get the work turned in. It is their responsibility to look online and
find out what they missed. If assignments or study guide were given when student was present, then they
must have work or test turned in by due date, unless they were absent on due date, then it is immediate
upon return.

Exceptions can be granted by the classroom teacher.

Cheating Policy

Your grade is a reflection of your skills, knowledge, and understanding of the course content. Therefore,
any work that is not your own will not be accepted or assessed. Cheating is an act of dishonesty which
shows disrespect for self and others and shows a lack of responsibility to apply oneself to completing
satisfactory work. If evidence of cheating is found, it will result in an office referral, contact home, and a
zero (0) on that activity in which there is evidence of cheating. The definition of cheating in ninth grade
Earth science is copying homework, classwork, projects, reports, quizzes, writing assignments, tests, and
computer screens; allowing someone else to use your homework, classwork, projects, reports,
quizzes, writing assignments, and tests; using cheat sheets or any other cheating aid; and plagiarizing
written work that is not your own. If you are caught with a phone out, especially during a test, it will
be assumed that you are cheating.

Assignments that require you to use additional resources (books, websites, photographs, etc.) must be
properly cited on a Works Cited Page to submit with your work. Using the MLA format for citing sources
is required; use easybib.com as a site to help you with this.

Cell Phone Policy

Cell phones will be placed in basket at the start of class, unless told by the teacher that they are
needed.
If cell phone is seen, then it will be confiscated and sent to the office
Ear buds are not to be seen
Speakers will be confiscated
Calls and text will not be allowed during class
If a call has to be made, then student will wait until between classes and make it in the office.

Bathroom breaks
Students should take care of bathroom breaks before or after class, NOT DURING CLASS. Students are
not supposed to leave class unless it is an emergency. Students must sign in and out when leaving class on
an emergency basis.
You may have water bottles (only) in class as long as those bottles have lids that close and are clear.
Remember to take your water bottle with you when you leave class!

No food, candy, gum, sun flower seeds allowed

Month Unit Domain Disciplinary Core Idea Focus Unit Description
Standard
Aug NOS NOS Science Intro
Scientific Method
Variables
Data
Conclusions
Math in Science
Careers and Fields

Sept 1 Life Ecosystem Dynamics HS-LS2-1 In this performance bundle, students will
Science Carrying Capacity HS-LS2-2 discover that ecosystem interactions involve a
myriad of components working with and
Biodiversity HS-LS2-6 sometimes against one another in a constantly
Symbiosis changing world. These interactions can sustain
Changes in ecosystems stable ecosystems, create disturbances that
 affect other aspects of the environment,
respond and recover from those disturbances,
or cause ecosystem collapse or change in
catastrophic situations
Oct 2 Life Cellular Systems HS-LS1-2 This concept bundle embraces two components
Science Cells HS-LS1-3 that emphasize modelling, the crosscutting
concept of system and system models and the
Organelles HS-LS1-4 science and engineering practice of
Organization developing and using models. Together these
Homeostasis components emphasize that students construct
Response and stimuli and use models to show understanding of
Mitosis systems (the cell, a group of cells, organs, and
organ systems) and the parts in those system. In
Meiosis
this bundle, the practice of modeling alongside
the crosscutting concept of modeling can also
be utilized by students to predict and show
relationships between system components and
other systems at different scales (i.e. Students
can describe the structure of organelles, their
functions, and how they fit together to sustain a
cell. Students can alter environmental factors
within a cell model and formulate predictions
of how the cell will respond to maintain
homeostasis and consequentially how these
responses will affect the surrounding tissues,
organs, and ultimately organism
Nov 3 Life Cycling of Energy HS-LS1-5 In this bundle, students will develop and use
Science Photosynthesis Intro HS-LS1-7 models based on evidence to illustrate the
relationships between photosynthesis and
Cellular Respiration HS-LS2-3 cellular respiration. Also, developing and using
models to investigate how the energy and
molecules produced through these processes
are transferred in a system. The students should
be able to construct and revise an explanation,
based on evidence from a variety of sources,
for how these processes influence our present
world, influenced our past world, and how they
will influence our future.
Dec 4 Life Cycling of Matter HS-LS1-6 In this bundle, Students can use a variety of
Science Molecules HS-LS2-4 models to explore the flow of energy and
matter. Through combinations of their own
Biochemical Rxn HS-LS2-5 investigations, simulations and/or models
Food Chains students can construct explanations for how
Food Webs these processes work and how energy is
Energy Pyramids transferred while matter is cycled. Students can
Cycles (Geo and Bio) also examine this inefficiency through
mathematical representations of stored energy
in biomass a different trophic levels. To assist
students in their understanding of these ideas
they can develop and use models to show
relationships between organisms and their
environment as they cycle the biological
molecules of life, and use those models to
predict how matter will continue to cycle in a
specific system. These models could include,
but are not limited to, food webs, food chains,
and ecological pyramids. Their analysis of
these models (especially ecological pyramids)
should use mathematical or computational
thinking to support explanations for the
relationship between the amounts of matter that
being transferred in a system and the
population of organisms in the system.
Jan 5 Life Adaptation HS-LS2-8 In this bundle, students will engage in
Science Genetics and HS-LS4-4 investigations and generate evidence to defend
and critique claims for how changes in genetic
biodiversity HS-LS4-5 diversity can affect the increase or decrease of
Adaptations traits within populations and the emergence or
Extinctions extinction of species. Students will construct
Changes in explanations based on evidence for how natural
Environment selection affects populations and make
predictions for how environmental changes
could lead to changes within a population.
Feb 6 Life Natural Selection HS-LS4-1 In this bundle, students will
Science Darwin HS-LS4-2 analyze evidence that
Natural Selection HS-LS4-3 heritable biological traits
Phylogenetic Trees
become either more or less
Traits and Changes
common in a population
through the process of
natural selection. Students
should understand that in
order for natural selection
to occur, there must be
genetic variation within a
population and that
variation affects the survival
and reproductive success of
individuals in the
population. In order to
understand natural
selection, students have to
analyze evidence in order to
explain that DNA
sequences, anatomical
structure, and embryonic
development causes
biological diversity.
Biological diversity occurs
because the inheritance of
certain traits can lead to a
competitive advantage for
certain organisms in a given
population. This competitive
advantage is selected for
causing
increased survival and/or reproductive rates
within the specific populations. This
selection causes shifts in the frequency of
traits within a population over time.
Students then construct explanations for
how the increase in advantageous heritable
traits affects the genetic variation in the
populations
Mar 7 Life Heredity HS-LS3-2 In this bundle, students will cite evidence from
Science Meiosis HS-LS3-3 the sexual reproduction processes and
explaining how and when they allow for
Mutations genetic variation to occur (e.g. random
Environmental assortment, nondisjunction, crossing over, etc).
Genetics Students will use evidence to defend the cause
and effect relationship that a change in an
organisms DNA may impact an individual
cells functioning, the health of the organism,
and ultimately the population as a whole if the
change is passed on. At this level, students are
expected to predict the probability of inherited
traits using simple Punnett squares. Students
can also gather and analyze data to defend
claims about changes in genetic variation at
different levels with the use of pedigrees,
karyotypes, and DNA sequences. The
expression and development of traits over
many generations can also be influenced by
external environmental factors. Because it is
often difficult, if not impossible, for biologists
to measure, students can use models to assess
the effects of environmental changes in
populations over various time frames and
geographic scales. Students can then analyze
the data collected from all of the models in this
bundle to make predictions and defend claims
explaining genetic changes and variation within
populations.
Apr 8 Life Molecular Genetics HS-LS1-1 In this bundle, students will ask questions to
Science DNA Molecule HS-LS3-1 clarify how the structure of DNA affects the
traits expressed by the organism. Through
Amino Acids HS-LS4-1 student investigations, use of models, and/or
Coding for Proteins simulations, students can collect evidence to
Alleles support the idea that the structure of DNA
Punnet Squares determines the structure and function of
Karyotypes proteins. Students should be able to use a
variety of evidence to explain the relationship
Pedigrees
between a proteins structure, determined by
Phylogenetic Trees DNA, and the specialized function(s) that these
proteins carry out that help an organism
survive.