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Class Procedures

Tentative Course Outline

Unit Plans: Key Vocabulary, Main Objectives, Labs

BRIEF Class notes

 

 

Class Procedures
 

Instructor Contact Info – Mr. Grove. I will usually be in or around room 219. If your parents need to reach me they can call the school office at 248-5441. If they wish to try to reach me by email, I am mjg37@mcsdk12.org. I make no guarantees as to how promptly I will reply to emails.

General Class Rules: There are only three:

1. Be Safe.

- No food in lab
- Wear your goggles
- No horseplay of any kind

2. Work Hard.
    - PAY ATTENTION
    - Be on time for class
    - Do Not waste the last five minutes of every class
    - Be prepared – have your notebook, 2 sharpened pencils or working pens, and folder out and ready everyday
    - I intend to start teaching when the bell rings, I will not hold up the class to wait for one student.

3. Be Polite.
    - No racial/ethnic/religious comments of any kind!
    - Don’t interrupt when I am speaking with another student, wait patiently for your turn, or say “Excuse me”!
    - Don’t talk when I am talking, or another student is talking.

Laboratories

    – Safety First!!! – This is a laboratory intensive class. A science lab can be a fun, but dangerous place. All students MUST read and sign a safety contract before being allowed to participate in labs!

    To reiterate a few important rules:

        ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS wear aprons and safety goggles! (Don’t     even ask if you have to, the answer is YES!)

        NEVER, EVER, eat or drink during lab unless explicitly told to.

        NO HORSEPLAY

        In the event of an injury or emergency, tell Mr. Grove IMMEDIATELY

    -Take a few minutes to read the lab before you start, this will save confusion later and help your group plan how to complete the lab as efficiently as possible.

   - The Laboratories all have required write-ups; if you do not complete the entire written report in class, then you can finish at home!

    -Work efficiently! Use your lab time for collecting data first, THEN work on the written portion.

Homework

    – I will assign a minimal amount of written homework, but a substantial amount of reading.

    - YOU ARE WELCOME TO TYPE YOU HOMEWORK!

    - Questions will be answered in complete, unambiguous sentences.

    - Grammar, spelling, and punctuation count!

    - Work may be turned in late, but I subtract 10% from the grade for each day late, up to 50% off.

    - If you are absent, you have the number of school days missed plus one day before an assignment is considered late. The late work policy does NOT apply to planned absences like sporting events or field trips.

Quizzes – will be unscheduled. They will cover assigned reading, classroom discussions, and lab material.

Exams – will be scheduled, and cumulative, that is, they will cover everything taught in the course up to the time of examination, but will emphasize newer material.

Written assignments – spelling, grammar, and neatness count! If you choose to type or use a word processor, use 12 point, double spaced, with 1 inch margins. Handwritten work should be neatly written on lined paper with 1 inch margins.

Everyone will do an oral presentation on a biology-related current event of their choice once each marking period.

Textbooks – do not normally need to be brought to class.

Grades will be based on approximately equal parts of quizzes and exams / chapter reading homework / lab work / current events, field trips,other projects and assignments, etc.… The final grade for each marking period is based on total points earned divided by total points possible

Extra Credit – Since this course can be difficult for some students, I will have several optional extra credit activities. I anticipate that extra credit will improve a student’s grade by roughly 2-3%.

Grades – PERCENTAGE GRADE DESCRIPTION LETTER GRADE EQUIVALENT 93-100% Excellent A 85-92% Good B 77-84% Average C 68-76% Below Average D Below 68 Failure E

Final Exam - There is a cumulative final exam which is worth 20% of the final grade. 

Final Grade - The final course grade is calculated as follows:
    (0.4 x 1st marking pd grade) + (0.4 x 2nd marking pd grade) + (0.2 x final exam grade) = final grade

Make-up work – I understand that students sometimes miss school due to various valid reasons. HOWEVER, this course is scheduled for a double period every day, so it is very easy for students to fall behind, especially with laboratory work. Labs, exams, etc. can be made up during your study hall or lunch time. I will also make special make-up time available after school, especially if several students need to make up labs.

Biology I Tentative Course Outline

Unit 1 The Nature of Science, and the Science of Life Chapters 1 and 2
    Course Information and Lab Safety Contracts chap 1 pgs 18-19
    Text scavenger hunt
    Equipment I. D. Lab
    Microscope Lab
    What is Life? Activity chap 2
    Metric System
    Metric System Lab chap 1 pgs 11-13
    Scientific Method Activity chap 1 pgs 1-11

Unit 2 Ecology Chapter 47, 48, 49
    The Physical Environment
    Aquarium Project
    Nutrient Cycles
    Algal Blooms Lab
    Water Quality Testing/Stream in a Jar Labs
    Tree ID lab
    Arthropod ID Lab
    Biomes Land and Water
    Blue Planet Videos
    Environmental Hazards: Invasive species, Global Warming, Extinction
    Water Water Everywhere lesson

Field Trip to Reed’s Gap State Park Date October ????? _____________

Unit 3 Invertebrate Animal Diversity Chapters 26-30
    Sponges and Cnidaria Comparison labs
    The Worms (platyhelminthes, nematodes, annelids)
    Worm Labs (Earthworms, Nematodes)
    Echinoderms and Mollusks
    Arthropods
    Arthropod Collect and ID Lab
    Insects, Alien Empire Videos
    Integrated Pest Management
    Pesticide Label/IPM Plan Lab

Unit 4 Vertebrate Animal Diversity Chapters 31-33 and 36
    Classification and Dichotomous Key Lab
    Vertebrate Animal Classes
    Specimen Lab
    BioVan Skins and/or Game Commission Animals
    Vertebrate animal survey

Unit 5 Animal Anatomy and Organ Systems Chapters 37, 39, 40, 41
    Begin Fetal Pig Dissection
    Digestive
    Salivary Amylase Lab
    CardioVascular
    Blood Smears Lab, Blood Diseases Activity
    Heart Dissection
    Supersize Me Video
    Nervous System Possible Brain Dissection
    Sensation Lab
    Reproductive System
    Uterus dissection
    Conception to Birth DVD
    Embryology Lab

Unit 6 Plant Diversity, Anatomy and Systems Chapters 20-23, and 25
    Parts of microscope, Microscope techniques labs
    What is a plant? Plant Diversity
    Microscope Lab Compare Unicellular, Non Vascular and Vascular Plants
    Vascular Plant Tissues
    Toludine Blue Stain Lab
    Stem and Root Specialization Lab
    Leaf Anatomy
    Transpiration Lab, Plant Starch Photography Lab
    Flower and Fruit/anatomy lab
    Plant Hormones Lab

Unit 7 Genetics part 1 Mendelian Genetics Chapters 9 and 11
    Mendel and Probability
    Generic Genetic Problems
    Monohybrid Cross Complete or Incomplete Dominance
    Make a Person Lab, What’s your genotype
    DiHybrid Cross
    Cucumber Genetics Lab
    Sex Linkage
    Pedigree Activity
    Blood typing/Paternity Test, CSI Indian Valley

Unit 8 Microbiology of Fungi, Protozoa, Bacteria and Viruses Chapters 19, 18,  and 17
    The Fungi
    Yeast Fermentation Lab
    The Protozoa (What are they anyway?)
    Pond Water Lab
    Those Pesky Bacteria
    Handwashing/Cooking Lab
    Bacteria Isolation Lab
    Yogurt or Vinegar Making Lab
    Testing Disinfectants Lab
    Viruses
    Disease Transmission Lab

Unit 9 Cell Biology Chapters 5 and 6
    Diffusion and Osmosis
    Incredible Shrinking Eggs
    Supercell Lab, Why are Cells so Small
    Tour of the Cell Computer Lab
    Cell Organelles Structure and Function
    Mitochondria and Chloroplasts (Respiration and Photosynthesis)
    Plant Respiration/photosynthesis Lab

Unit 10 Genetics part 2 Cytogenetics Chapters 8 and 10
    Meiosis and Mitosis
    Onion Root Lab
    Genetic Detectives Lab
    Human Karyotyping Lab
    Visualizing Human Chromosomes from Cancer Cells Lab.
    Genetics Detectives
    Investigating the Romanovs Computer Lab

Unit 11 Biochemistry Chapter 4
    Elements of Life
    Water and pH, pH of household items
    Buffers, pH change in biological material
    DNA/RNA
    Berry Full of DNA Lab
    Proteins
    Enzyme Labs: Effect of pH and temperature on pectinase
    Carbohydrates
    How Sweet It Is! Lab
    Lipids
    Identifying organic compounds Lab
    Model Making Lab

Unit 12 Adaptations and Radiations Chapter 13, 14, 15, and 16
    Evidence for Evolution
    Fossil Lab
    Constructing a phylogenetic tree Lab
    Theories of Evolution

 

Date this page was last updated:  06/22/07
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