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2015-16 Schedule

7th Grade Science Life Science

Instructor: Chris Prange E-Mail: chris.prange@target.k12.mt.us Phone: 406-549-9239 x247 Office: Rm 247 Office Hours: 7:30 – 8am,

3:30 – 4:30pm (Spring Only)

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Overview

Seventh grade science focuses on Life Science principles centered on characteristics that make living things unique. Students will continue to become proficient in the process of scientific inquiry as they learn to approach topics in science through a variety of activities that involve exploration, analysis, and research. Our year will begin with a brief examination of scientific thinking and processes that make science a unique discipline. Our first unit of study will focus on Cell Biology, as students learn about both the structure and function of the basic building block of life. After exploring cells, students will specifically focus on the nucleus of the cell and the genetic material contained therein as we develop our unit on Genetics and Evolution. These units will comprise the bulk of the first semester of the school year. As the first semester winds down, our unit of Classification will begin to take shape, as students develop their ability to observe “like” characteristics and define rules for classification schemes, both current and historic. As we move into our spring semester and wrap up Classification, our Ecology unit will begin to unfold as students examine how energy flows through life. Students will establish interrelationships between life forms as they define ecosystem principles, and will acknowledge various impacts humans have on the world’s ecosystems. Forest and fire ecology will be specific topics we focus on during our ecology unit, as they are important factors in Montana’s environment. Finally, as our year together winds down, we will examine the Human Body, reviewing form and function, as well as researching historical and modern health innovations and diseases that affect the human population.

Goals

Upon completion of this course of study, students should be able to:

• Define what it means to be “living”, establishing the key requirements for life to exist.

• Describe the form and function of the basic building block of all life – the cell. Students will be able to compare and contrast prokaryotic and eukaryotic life forms at the cellular and macro level, and model the process of genetic reproduction.

• Explain the relationship between genetics and species evolution, citing factors that influence natural selection.

• Compare and contrast various life forms utilizing modern taxonomic and systematic rules.

• Identify basic human body structures and explain the significance of these structures both as a single entity and part of a larger system.

• Illustrate and elaborate how nutrition, exercise, illness, and medicine impact the human body.

• Explain the significance of keystone scientific discoveries over time and draw connections between these discoveries and our advancement in scientific knowledge and improvements in human living conditions and culture.

• Utilize the process of scientific inquiry to assess natural phenomena,

Materials

Students should be equipped with a 3 ring binder that has dividers for classroom materials. At the minimum, a science notebook is needed for lecture notes. Writing utensils, including a pencil and pen (black or blue) are essential, and a calculator (scientific) is recommended. Students may also want to have a basic folder that they keep for this class that holds homework assignments. All lab safety material is provided. Students may be asked to bring in special materials throughout the year for labs, etc., and a note will be sent home for these occasions. Do not worry if you are unable to provide these materials – I often can come up with the materials needed, but some occasions connect with home based products or materials that relate to the student.

Academic Calendar

Key Dates to Remember

10/30/15 End of First Quarter

6/10/16 Last Day of School

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establishing proper scientific investigations from base questions, collecting and analyzing data to develop conclusions.

Classroom Behavior and Expectations

In an effort to create a community of learners in our science classroom, we will all be asked to adhere to foundation principles that I call "Big Rocks". These principles are there to refer back to as the year goes on to make sure that each and every one of us is making an effort to be a positive influence on our learning environment.

BIG ROCKS 1. Be Ready to Learn 2. Respect People and Ideas 3. Maintain Accountability

In relation to our foundations for a successful learning environment, certain expectations will be in place for students to ensure that we can get the most out of each of our learning opportunities during the week. You will notice many of these reiterate or build on our BIG ROCKS. Classroom Expectations 1. Be Here Now 2. Be Courteous -- no interruptions 3. Come Ready with Classroom Materials 4. Respect Individual Spaces 5. Stay Positive Really, these are very simple expectations, and ones that many teachers will no doubt have. If we all can maintain some type of consistency with our behavior and attitude, our school year will be a very enjoyable adventure. Everyone has bad days, and we will get through these days together. Staying positive and being flexible can allow us to achieve our goals and improve on our mistakes or failures.

Students who abuse our classroom expectations will be dealt with appropriately, utilizing our school’s MBI system of refocus notices. If need be, a meeting with a parent or guardian will be scheduled for discussion to get a student back on track.

Evaluation

Students will be evaluated through various forms of assessment. Daily, students will engage in journal writing, discussion, and/or question and answer sessions that will be establish general understanding of topics. Homework will be given weekly, often daily. Some will be in the form of written exercises, and others will involve reading passages for discussion the following day. Discussion in class is an important part of the learning environment, and students will be expected to focus and contribute to discussion in a meaningful way. At times, students will be given time in class to begin working on homework, especially if the homework material is challenging, so as to clear up questions before venturing into independent

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study. Students can expect to construct various models in my classroom to explain and illustrate scientific concepts, and both the construction and explanation of these models serve as effective evaluation tools for understanding.

Group work is an important part of my teaching philosophy – students will be broken up into groups for assignments and mini-projects throughout the year, and each student will be expected to contribute to the group. While working in a group will serve as an exercise in collaboration of ideas, each student will still be graded on an individual level. The group should serve as a means to compare ideas, and work through questions, allowing the individual student to formulate well-thought answers.

Labs will be utilized throughout the course year to introduce, reinforce, and evaluate concepts and understanding. Students can expect to have weekly labs, some lasting only part of a class session, others stretching over multiple class sessions. Organization of thoughts and application of lab findings are often homework assignments. Lab safety, protocol, and technique also figure into evaluation of the student.

Finally, quizzes and exams are tools utilized within my course. I am more of a quiz teacher, utilizing smaller testing opportunities more frequently for students to exhibit what they know. Three quizzes a month can be expected, with one major exam per unit. Quizzes can be written, oral, or exhibiting technique or knowledge in a lab setting. Major exams usually will have a written component as well as a lab component. Accommodations for testing will be utilized when appropriate.

My grading scale is a point and percentage scale, in which each assignment and assessment is worth a certain number of points, equating into a percentage that corresponds with the school letter grade system. Rubrics will be provided for the students for certain assignments, and these rubrics will be handed out as a hard copy to the students prior to the assignment, as well as being posted online under my teacher website.

I do weigh various components of the classroom grade:

Homework – 10%

Lab comportment and concept understanding – 15%

Quizzes – 20%

Major Exams – 25%

Projects – 25%

Classroom Participation – 5%

ALL homework assignments will be given opportunities for revision, no matter the score. Students will have 2 days from the time they receive their corrected homework to hand in a revised version for further grading. The BEST score will be recorded for the final homework grade. Homework is a practice of the concept learned in class, and as such, students will be allowed chances to master the concepts without punitive results. Students

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will be allowed to create drafts of major research papers to hand in for evaluation and recommendations, prior to the final draft. Writing is an ongoing process, and students are encouraged, and expected, to be able to write in a scientific fashion as we progress through the year. Quizzes and exams will also have a retake option, and students need to request this retake within 2 days of receiving the initial graded exam. Students who “take advantage” of this policy will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Late Work Policies

Homework is an important piece of the grade – missing assignments will negatively affect your course outcome and learning!

I will provide clear assignment due dates during class. Most often, homework is due the next class day unless otherwise discussed. I WILL ACCEPT LATE HOMEWORK with minimal penalty – the important aspect is that the student completes the work and gets feedback from the teacher on that work. What I will not accept is the student just not doing the assignment, thereby creating a hole in learning without teacher feedback. If a student abuses this late policy, steps will be taken to modify behavior. If a student comes to the end of the quarter and still has outstanding assignments, these assignments will be recorded as an F in the grade book, with exceptional cases being recorded as an “Incomplete”.

Sick days or unexpected emergencies will be allotted one extra day for each day missed. Thus, if you are sick for a day and we have homework, when you return to class you will be expected to finish this homework and turn it in the next day after your return (this should allow you to clear up any questions you may have on the assignment).

Extracurricular activities are an essential part of the school experience. However, academics are the priority. If an absence is anticipated due to an extracurricular activity or a family priority, it is recommended to finish your assigned work BEFORE leaving. It is required that ALL assigned work during your time of absence be completed upon return, so as to keep from falling behind in class.

Academic Dishonesty

A student found to be cheating, or having cheated, on any form of academic work will be given a ZERO. A parental meeting will be arranged to discuss the matter to ensure the issue does not arise in the future.