LAB BIOLOGY

COURSE SYLLABUS
FALL 2018 - SPRING 2019
Course Description
This course will be an inquiry and laboratory-based study of living organisms and their
interactions with their environment. Topics will include cells, molecular basis of heredity,
interdependence of organisms, biological evolution, matter, energy and organization of living
systems and comparative anatomy/biodiversity.

Textbook Used
Levine, J. S., & Miller, K. R. (2008). Prentice Hall biology. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Course Goal/Objective
This course will provide students with the knowledge and skills to apply the skills and processes
gained to biological processes.

Instructor
Name Hours Room Email

Mrs. Smith knsmith1105@gmail.com

Office Hours: I am available before school from 7-7:30am, during 5th period lunch, and after
school from 2:30-3:30pm.

Welcome to the new school year! My goal is to make this a fun and exciting year, filled with
new knowledge. I hope to provide each of my students with a safe and effective learning
environment, to do this there will be a few rules and policies.

Rules: The rules of this class can be summed up in four words courtesy, respect, kindness, and
responsibility. Students should act with respect towards each other and all school personnel.
Students should be courtesy towards others by not talking over one another, using cellphones or
other forms of technology without permission, and respecting others opinions. Everyone act with
kindness, by being thoughtful and helpful to others. Responsibility requires students to complete
their assignments, be active participants in class, arrive on time to class with all required
material, and be present at school at all times possible.

The following rules will be strictly followed.

Required Items
● 2 100-page (minimum) spiral notebook one per semester.
● 8 rolls of tape – a MUST to bring every day (Can leave in class)
 ● Charged Chromebooks
● 2 different colored highlighters
● Colored Pencils

Optional (but appreciated!)

● 1-2 rolls of paper towels
● 1 large container wet wipes
● Small container of Hand Sanitizer

Overview of Course Calendar

Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4

Scientific Methods Ecology and Inheritance and Energy and Matter

and Investigation, Evolution Reproduction
Molecules and
Classification

Grades
Grades will be a combination of tests, participation, homework, & group work/projects. Tests
will consist of multiple choice, fill in the blank, short answer and essays. Labs will consist of lab
reports, lab safety skills, respectfulness to lab equipment, and critical thinking. Homework will
be in the form of processing in Interactive Notebooks, worksheets, vocabulary and critical
thinking & reading activities. Participation will be in the form of class activities, warm-ups,
discussions, and timeliness, and vocabulary quizzes. For participation, attendance is critical!
Students will not earn participation points if they are not in class (excused absences can have
points made up).

The following will be the grading scale:

A=90–100
Final - 20%
B=80–89.9
C=70–79.9 Test/Quizzes - 40%
D=60–69.9 Homework/Labs - 30 %
F= 59.9 & below. Participation / Respect - 10%
***Every other week, an email will be sent to all
parents encouraging them to check their
student’s grades to keep us on the same page in
terms of student progress***

Tests: Cheating and disruptions during a test will result in a zero. There will be no talking
during a test, no exceptions.

Late Work and Extra Credit: Late work – late assignments will be accepted each semester,
however, a 10% deduction will be applied for each day an assignment is late and nothing older
than 5 school days will be accepted. If student comes in for tutoring before school or after
school, then student will be given the opportunity to complete the assignment for full credit,
ONLY if student comes in for tutoring the day the assignment was due. If the work is reviewed
in class and answers are provided, student must go out in the hall in order to make up work,
otherwise it will not be accepted as late work. There will likely be very little extra credit because
of the option to make up assignments for full credit.

Makeup Work: Makeup work is appreciated as soon as possible, however for every day absent
the student will have the same amount of days for makeup work. No exceptions will be made
after that.

Taking a Test due to absences: 3 dates & times will be provided following each test for
students with EXCUSED absences only- students will need to come in during those pre-set times
to make up the test. (A session before school, a session after, and a session in each lunch will be
provided.) If students miss these make –up sessions, no further chances for make ups will be
provided for that test. If a student has an UNEXCUSED absence, no make-up tests will be
allowed.

Electronic Devices (INCLUDING CHROMEBOOKS) should be used with discretion and

permission from the teacher. We will be frequently utilizing chromebooks in class. There will be
plenty of opportunity to use Chromebooks. I ask that students keep their technology in their
backpacks, unless otherwise given permission.

Dress Code
Please see the Student Handbook for the dress code. School dress code will be enforced.

Zero Tolerance Items

There are certain things that will not be allowed in my classroom, no exceptions.
-Sexual comments
-Racial Slurs
-Negative behavior towards a peers or school personnel

All of Highland High School’s rules will be followed as outlined in the Student Handbook.
Student violation of the rules will result in a conference with the teacher, lunch detention, a
parent phone call, or Administrative referral.

Google
We use google classroom in Mrs. Smith’s class. The code will be given in class. Parents are free
to join, please email me for the class code. By joining, you will be able to keep track of
assignment due dates and get incite to the objectives of class each day.
Students will be expected to bring their CHARGED CHROMEBOOKS daily to class. Point
will be taken off for participation is student does not come prepared with charged Chromebook.
Test Corrections
I will allow students to complete test corrects for each test. They have the opportunity to receive
full credit back. To get this opportunity, students must attend a tutoring session with me before
school, after school, or during lunch. Students will be given three days after receiving test back
to schedule test re-take. Students will answer different questions on the same concepts for their
retake.

ATTENDANCE AND TARDY POLICY:

The Importance of Attendance

Student attendance closely matches and nearly always mirrors academic achievement.
Students who are absent from school miss the introduction of new material as well as the benefits
of interacting with their peers in discussion, activities and presentations. Our attendance policy
is designed to involve you as the parent through communication from the office and individual
teachers, as well as to teach students to be responsible and academically accountable.
Students who are chronically or habitually absent may be asked by their grade level
administrator to provide documentation for excessive absences from medical personnel. Ideally,
all attempts should be made by parents to schedule orthodontist, dentist, and doctor appointments
before or after school. Family vacations should be scheduled during school breaks.

Extra- Curricular Activities

Students who are excessively absent, failing courses or have grades below a D, may be
denied the ability to participate in field trips or other extra-curricular activities. This includes all
athletic events, as well as performing arts and other club events.

Make Up Work
Students with unexcused absences may not be given the opportunity to make up missed
work, based on individual teacher classroom policies and may even be denied credit for the
course once they have missed more than 10 days in a semester. School excused activities (field
trips, athletic, performing arts events, etc.) do not count toward a student’s absences.
Our goal is to help your student be successful by encouraging them to attend school
whenever possible. Please work with your child’s counselor and grade level administrator
should circumstances arise which impact their ability to attend school.

Tardies
Students who arrive to class late are a distraction to the students in class as well as to
their teacher. A sweep program has been put in place in attempt to eliminate excess tardies.
Students who are tardy to first hour will be swept (sent to the cafeteria) and will not be allowed
to attend class unless they have a test that day. They must see their teacher during lunch or after
school to collect any work they may have missed the same day as the sweep occurred. After 5
sweeps the administration will assign additional consequences ranging from detention to
Saturday School.
Classroom detention may be assigned to students who are tardy during hours 2-7 upon
the 4th or 5th tardy. Once a classroom detention has been served, students with additional
tardies may be issued a referral to an administrator who may assign additional detention, campus
work detail, or Saturday School.
**Please encourage your child to leave the house early enough to account for traffic and get to
school on time.

Classroom Attendance Policy

1. Students are expected to attend class REGULARLY.
● Because of the numerous labs performed in this class, regular attendance is absolutely
vital. Make-up lab time for missed labs will be limited, since the lab equipment is
constantly being changed for other classes. Absences due to band trips, athletics, etc.,
can be especially problematic. Students should ALWAYS take the initiative to complete
work PRIOR to their absence by coming in before or after school or at lunch.
● Please note: we do NOT “take a break” from work on days before and after scheduled
district holidays! High school is MUCH more rigorous than the lower level grades. We
are training students to be college and career ready – this is your student’s career for the
next four years, please treat it as such!
● If you are taking your student out of class for any reason – you must physically sign a
student out of school at the attendance office; texting your student will not be accepted!
2. Students are expected to be ready to learn (in their seats, notebooks and learning tools out)
when the bell rings.
3. Students are expected to behave in a manner that in no way interferes with the educational
process or endangers themselves or others.
● Cell phones and electronic devices (iPods, MP3’s, etc.) detract from the learning
environment and will need to be placed in backpacks upon entering the classroom
unless the teacher requires them for a specific activity that day. All phone calls
must be directed through the front office. Consequences of not following stated
policy: technology taken and given to administration.
4. Students are expected to treat themselves, others, and their environment with RESPECT at
all times. Consequences of not following stated policy: 1st offense – warning and point loss,
2nd offense – parental contact, 3rd offense – referral to administration.

Please sign the Student Information and Acknowledgement Form, acknowledging receipt and
understanding of the course expectations and policies. Save this syllabus to refer to when
needed.
Please complete the following contract to acknowledge receipt of the Syllabus and classroom
rules.

Student Name: ______________________________________________

I, _______________________________________, (print name) have read and understand Mrs.

Smith’s classroom policies and agree to abide by them while in class.

Student Signature: ___________________________________________

Date: ______________________

Guardian/Parent Signature: ____________________________________

Date: ______________________

Guardian/Parent Signature: ____________________________________

Date: ______________________

Guardian/Parent Contact information

Guardian/Parent Email Address: _______________________________________________

Guardian/Parent Cell Phone #: __________________________/_________________________

Guardian/Parent Email Address: _______________________________________________

Guardian/Parent Cell Phone #: __________________________/_________________________