Course Guidelines & Safety Contract

Earth Science Course Guidelines 2017 - 2018

Teacher: Ms. Heidi Bankoff

Room: B110 & B112

School Voicemail: 303-982-3069

Office Hours: 7:00-7:35 in B111 by appointment

E-mail: [email protected]

Web Page: tinyurl.com/lhsbankoff

Textbook: Tarbuck, Edward J., and Frederick K. Lutgens. Earth Science: Prentice Hall, 2006. Print.


COURSE OVERVIEW

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the major topics of Earth Science: astronomy, geology, meteorology, resources, and energy. The scientific method will be employed throughout this course to explore the mysteries of the universe, the atmosphere, and the Earth itself. The emphasis of this course will be on the student’s ability to employ the scientific method to draw logical conclusions through observation and experimentation.

MATERIALS

Students will be required to bring the following with them to every class:

  • Three ring binder for SCIENCE ONLY

  • 3 Dividers for the three ring binder

  • Loose leaf paper

  • Pen and pencil

  • Headphones/Earbuds (not required but highly recommended)


EXPECTATIONS

To keep our learning environment safe and productive, I maintain the following expectations for all my students:


Respect for Self: Arrive to class on time, have your materials ready, and bring your A-game* every day.  *Your A-game is characterized by a positive attitude, 100% effort, and high-quality work submitted on time.


Respect for Teacher: Give your silent attention when your teacher or your peers are talking. Follow all directions carefully. Raise your hand whenever you have a question or comment. Stay in your seats or at your work station until the end of class. The teacher will dismiss the class.


Respect for Others: Good, healthy discussions are educational. Harassment and degrading comments promote ignorance rather than learning and are not tolerated in our school. Clean up after yourself.     


Respect for Learning: In this science class, everyone needs to keep their head in the game: Personal electronic devices (cell phones, mp3 players, etc.) are a distraction and are therefore not to be used in class unless authorized. These devices will be confiscated on sight, and you will have to pick them up after school from the office. Food & drinks other than water are not allowed in the classroom unless authorized. Use care when handling lab equipment, furniture, and materials in our classroom –they’re yours to use but not to abuse.


GRADES

Student grades are weighted as follows:

   Class Assignments and Homework 40%

   Exams & Quizzes   50%

   Final Exam 10%


Letter grades are assigned as follows:

   89.5%-100% =  A

   79.5%-89.4% = B

   69.5%-79.4% = C

   59.5%-69.4% = D

   Below 59.5% =  F


LATE WORK

Late work must be completed in the presence of an EARTH SCIENCE TEACHER. Because of the pacing of the course, it is essential that assignments be turned in on time so that the instructor may give the class timely feedback before quizzes and exams. Assignments must be turned in promptly on their due date when collected by the teacher or they will be considered late. If an assignment remains missing, it will be added to the gradebook as a ZERO. In order to have that zero removed, a student must complete the assignment in the presence of an earth science teacher, demonstrating mastery of the topic. That assignment will neither harm nor hurt the student’s grade. Work that is incomplete or does not demonstrate mastery of the topic will receive less than 50%. Because we acknowledge that occasionally an assignment is lost, or students have time management issues with other activities, students will be allowed to drop one assignment at the end of the semester. Missing video notes may not be dropped.



MAKE-UP WORK / ABSENCES

Procedure for make-up work:

  1. You MUST check the course website for class activities on the date of your absence and assignments that were collected.

  2. Obtain a copy of handouts from the website or from the teacher (during office hours) upon your return.

  3. Write the date of your excused absence at the top of the page for any work turned in after the due date.

  4. Talk to Ms. Bankoff during office hours.


It is the student’s responsibility to find out what work they have missed. If you miss class, you must come see me during my office hours. No make-up work will be given out or explained, at any time, other than during my office hours. The following is an example of what you could say to Ms. Bankoff upon your return that shows you have taken the time to look up what you missed: “I was not in class on _______________. I went to the website and saw that you did __________. Is there anything else I missed? Can I get the handouts (these should mostly be downloadable from the website)?”

     

Students will be given no more than two earth science class periods for each missed class to make up missed assignments. For each missed assignment, students need to make-up that assignment during my office hours. During office hours, only 1 day of assignments can be made-up per visit! In other words, if you miss two classes, you need to come to office hours twice.

     

For students missing a lab, you will need to do a current event on a topic related to the lab. A current event format can be downloaded from my web-page.


Remember – it is YOUR responsibility to find out what you have missed!

For unexcused absences, students who complete the required make-up work within the required timelines will receive credit for the makeup work as described below:

  • With all unexcused absences from a class, makeup work will be allowed for credit with one grade reduction for all work completed. The makeup work must be done within the required time frame.

  • Students who miss a test or a quiz or a test due to an unexcused absence will receive a zero on the missed quiz or test.

  • When a student has missed classroom discussions or classroom work that cannot be duplicated through a simple assignment, the teacher may elect to request that the student create a method for demonstration of the learning or the teacher may elect to assign specific work to demonstrate the learning. If the student fails to complete the work, no credit will be given.



ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

Cheating is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. The Jeffco Handbook states…..


“Cheating includes, but is not limited to: copying individually assigned homework from a classmate or allowing such work to be copied; looking at work on another student's’ desk during a test or willfully enabling a student to look at your test; using “crib” sheets during a test; utilizing someone else’s notes, or research paper to prepare a paper or speech you should have researched yourself; intentionally failing to cite a source which you have quoted or paraphrased (this applies to any source of information); gaining prior knowledge of the content of a test through sources not available to the rest of the class; and claiming any written work as “yours” which was actually written by someone else (plagiarism).”


Each student is expected to produce an original product to turn in. The consequences of cheating include:


  • 1st Offense - No credit on assignment, parent phone call, referral to office, possible deduction of one full letter grade on final term grade.


  • 2nd Offense – No credit on assignment, referral to office, possible suspension, possible loss of credit for the semester.


*Both the student copying the assignment and the person supplying the assignment to be copied will be subjected to the above consequences.


In science, students are expected to work together for data collection on laboratory activities. However, a student should be completing his or her own work. In a lab, each student should be recording his or her own data, and completing the analysis of the lab on their own. Cooperative learning means that each students work together on the assigned task, but each student is individually accountable for demonstrating their own understanding.



NOTE TO PARENTS

Students will be continually updated on their progress in class. You, as parents, will also be able to keep up with what is happening in class and how your child is doing. By monitoring my web page, you will know what is being studied, what assignments are due, and when tests will be given. You have access to Infinite Campus through which you will be able to see how your child scored on assignments, what they are missing, attendance, and more. You play a large role in your child’s education simply by keeping up with how they are doing. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.



Safety Contract

You can best learn science by “doing” science. This means doing laboratory experiments, activities, fieldwork, and other tasks that involve moving around the classroom and using materials other than pencils and paper. Use of some of these materials involves a degree of risk. Your safety and that of the others working around you depend on your behavior. Read these rules and follow them at all times. Our goal is to have a safe, accident-free classroom.


General Working Guidelines

  1. Clothing to be worn to laboratory classes includes closed-toe shoes that cover the whole foot, shirts that cover the shoulders, back, and stomach. Clothing and accessories are not to be so loose that it can hang or drag over the laboratory work surfaces or otherwise come in contact with components of the experiment.

  2. Do NOT run, push or hit anyone, or engage in any form of horseplay.

  3. Do NOT bring food, gum, or drinks into the laboratory.

  4. When you enter the classroom, do NOT touch any materials that are set up until you have been told to do so by your teacher.

  5. Keep aisles, table tops, and work areas clean and clear. Put away books, papers, notebooks, backpacks, and other items that are not needed for the activity.

  6. Unplug electrical equipment by pulling the plug, NOT the cord.

  7. If you don’t understand the directions or aren’t sure how to use a piece of equipment, ask your teacher for help.

  8. Report unsafe conditions, including broken, missing, or damaged equipment, to the teacher.

  9. Do NOT taste, touch, or smell substances unless asked to do so by your teacher.

  10. Be careful when carrying pointed objects, chemicals, glassware, or other objects that could be dangerous. Follow the instructions on how to perform these tasks as directed by your teacher.

  11. Only do an experiment if it has been approved by your teacher.

  12. Do NOT go into the storeroom.

  13. Wear the prescribed personal protective equipment for the experiment.

Chemicals, Heat, and Glassware

  1. When working with flames or chemicals:

    • Remove or tie back dangling objects (such as jewelry, long sleeves, or loose clothing) that could catch on things.

    • Tie back long hair.

  2. Wear safety goggles when there is a risk of eye injury (such as when working with acids or bases, heating chemicals, or when a gas is produced, or energy of any sort has the potential to be released).

  3. Use flames only when instructed to do so.

    • Light the burner carefully and do not leave it unattended.

    • Keep combustible materials away from the flame (fabric, hair, papers, etc).

    • Do not heat any item other than those vessels or utensils as described in the experiment or otherwise instructed by the teacher.

  4. When heating chemicals do NOT look into the test tube or open end of the glassware, and make sure that the open end is not pointed at another person.

  5. Do NOT touch a piece of glass unless you are sure it is cool. Hot glass looks the same as cool glass.

  6. Do NOT insert glass tubing or thermometers into rubber stoppers.

  7. Inspect glassware for cracks, chips, or other breaks. If you see any damage, set the glassware aside and tell your teacher.




Accidents and Safety Equipment

  1. Know the location and use of safety equipment (eyewash, safety shower, fire blanket, first aid kit, and telephone).

  2. Know emergency procedures and who to contact (key personnel) in the event of different types of emergencies (ie. Medical, fire, large chemical spill/clean-up)

  3. Clean up minor spills immediately and notify the teacher that a spill occurred.

  4. If a chemical gets on your hands, wash them thoroughly and notify your teacher.

  5. Tell the teacher about any accident that happens during science class, even if no one is hurt. This includes glass breakage, injuries, fire, spills, etc.

  6. If there is blood, vomit, or other body fluids present in the area, stay away from it and contact the teacher to address the matter.

Clean Up

  1. Dispose of chemicals, used personal protective equipment, and other waste materials as directed by your teacher. Do not pour chemicals down the drain or dispose of materials in the trash.

  2. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling chemicals, living organisms, or preserved specimens and properly disposing of gloves.

  3. Clean your work area and return materials.

  4. When you leave, do NOT take equipment or chemicals from the classroom or laboratory.


You must...

  • Make sure you have gone over all items on the safety contract above and asked your instructor if anything was unclear.

  • Advise your instructor of allergies or other health problems does the student have that might affect ability to participate in science activities. (This information will be kept confidential.)

  • Make sure you know the  location of the eyewash, shower, fire blanket, fire extinguisher, and first-aid kit.

  • Make sure you understand that you will have to pay for any damage resulting from your own carelessness.

  • Make sure you understand that the dress code for laboratories is for your protection, and you need to be dressed as indicated in the guidelines for laboratory classes if advised.

  • Make sure you understand that if you do not follow the guidelines, your laboratory privileges will be revoked and you will be given alternative written assignments.



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