LIFE SCIENCE SYLLABUS and LAB SAFETY CONTRACT Ms. Pitre / Spring 2011

NAME_____________________________________ Date Period

Welcome to Life Science. Life Science is a mandatory full term introductory biology course which is aligned to the California State Content Standards. This course presents the foundations of biology. Concepts studied in this course will be enhanced by student completion of numerous labs, or scientific investigations. Important information about course policies and requirements is given in this handout. Please read this information carefully and share it with your parents. Both you and your parents or guardian must sign and return page 6 of this document. COURSE and LAB NOTEBOOKS Each student must have a 3-RING BINDER (referred to as a “course notebook”) and a lab notebook. A 1 ½ to 2 inch binder used only for this class is recommended for your course notebook, but a section in a binder used for other classes is acceptable. Please arrange the binder in the order described below: Divide your course notebook into the 3 sections listed below. Use labeled dividers with tabs to separate the sections. Within each section put the work in the order it was completed. Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 Section 4 -

Lecture Notes, drawings and video notes, arranged by date Reading notes, arranged by date Homework and miscellaneous assignments, arranged by date Tests and quizzes, arranged by date

There will not be any course notebook checks during the semester, however, you will turn in your course notebook at the end of the course for a final grade. You are expected to bring your notebook to class daily. You may be allowed to use the notebook on certain quizzes and other assignments, so keep it up-to-date. A complete notebook is important to your success in this course. Additionally, every student must have a bound lab notebook containing either lined or graph paper. These can be found at Staples for approximately $2. Please let me know ASAP if you have difficulty obtaining a lab notebook. Lab notebooks will be collected at various times during the semester for grading. ACADEMIC GRADING Your final grade will be based on the four categories, as follows: Notebook (graded for completeness and organization) Homework

Labs and lab activities Test and quizzes

Each assignment will be given a specific point value, and all of your grades will be determined by the following percentage scale: 98 - 100% = A+ 93 - 97 % = A 90 - 92.9% = A-

87 – 89.9% = B+ 77 - 79.9 % = C+ 83 – 86.9% = B 73 - 75.9% = C 80 – 82.9% = B70 - 72.9% = CBelow 60 % = F

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67- 69.9% = D+ 63 - 66.9% = D 60 - 62.9% = D-

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES 1. Be on time to class. 2. Come prepared (with finished homework, pencil, pen, paper, and lab book on lab days). 3. Be courteous and respectful to others. 4. Follow instructions and stay on task. CLASSROOM RULES AND PROCEDURES 1. Students must follow all school rules (see your Student Handbook). 2. The dress code will be strictly enforced! 3. Students may not leave the classroom without permission and must wait to be dismissed at the end of class. The bell does not dismiss you. Leaving the classroom without permission or prior to being dismissed will subject you to discipline. DISCIPLINE POLICY 1. First and second offenses will receive a verbal warning. 2. Third and fourth offenses will receive a five-minute detention at lunch or after school. 3. On the fifth and subsequent offenses the student will be referred to the administration. TARDY POLICY 1. The first and second tardies (no more than 3 minutes late) are free. 2. The third and fourth tardies result in a 5-minute detention during lunch or after school. 2. The fifth tardy results in a referral to the administration. RESTROOM POLICY Ask to be excused to go to the bathroom, sign out on the clipboard by the door, take the pass and sign in when you return. No bathroom visits during the first 20 minutes of class, lecture, or videos. HOMEWORK Expect to have about 10-20 minutes of homework most Monday through Thursday nights. Each student gets two “homework passes” that may be used for any homework assignment you are unable to complete for any reason. Homework passes may not be used in lieu of lab prep or a lab report. To use a homework pass, simply write “Homework Pass” on a piece of paper, your name, date, and the title of the assignment and turn it in when the assignment is collected. LATE WORK POLICY 1. LATE WORK: any work that is turned in after the due date for an assignment or after the teacher has asked for the assignment to be turned in is considered late. 2. Maximum grade on late work is 70% of the points it would have received if on time. 3. No late work is accepted after the make-up deadline, which is the day of the test on each unit. MAKING UP MISSED ASSIGNMENT WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN ABSENT 1. Check the assignment board in the classroom. It is your responsibility to find out what assignments you have missed. 2. If work was assigned before your absence, it is due on the day that you return. 3. All work missed because of an absence is due within 2 days of your return to avoid a late work penalty. Exceptions will be granted for long-term illness/accident. 4. Quiz and test make-ups will be by appointment. It is your responsibility to find out if you have missed a test or quiz, and to arrange with the teacher to make it up on your own time (lunch or before and after school). If you were only absent on the day of the test, you must take it on the day that you return. 5. Call the school for your assignments if you will be out for more than 2 days. Page 2 of 6

6. It is your responsibility to write "absent" or "late" on the top of the first page of an assignment. LAB SAFETY Attached to this syllabus is a copy of “Safety Regulations for Science Students” that each student and his or her parents/guardians must read. Each student and parent/guradian must sign the “Student Science Safety Contract” in order to be granted laboratory privileges. ANY STUDENT BREAKING SAFETY RULES, OR ENDANGERING THE HEALTH OR SAFETY OF OTHERS, PERFORMING UNAUTHORIZED EXPERIMENTS, OR MISUSING OR ABUSING LAB EQUIPMENT WILL BE EXCLUDED FROM THE LAB. STUDENT SUPPORT I will be available to help students during lunch and for at least ½ hour after school and other times by prior arrangement. Occasional staff meetings may interfere with this schedule. Please email me if you have any questions or concerns at [email protected] Carole Pitre PLEASE SIGN (AND HAVE YOUR PARENT(S) SIGN) PAGE 5 OF THIS SYLLABUS TO INDICATE YOU AND THEY HAVE REVIEWED THIS SYLLABUS AND THE LAB SAFETY REGULATIONS

BOTTOM LINE: KEYS TO SUCCESS ° Good attendance ° Good citizenship ° Be an active participant in class: ° Listen ° Take notes ° Stay on task ° Ask relevant questions ° Volunteer to answer ° Know assignments and due dates (write them down) ° Complete and turn in all assignments before the makeup deadline (on time is best) ° Look at teacher comments/feedback on graded work; try to make improvements on the next assignment ° Read the textbook assignments; take reading notes; ask teacher about topics you do not understand ° Come in outside of class when you need more individual attention ° Prepare for tests: ° Find a “study buddy” – someone who is taking the same class who you can talk to and meet with outside of class

Have a Great Year! Page 3 of 6

Safety Regulations for Science Students PURPOSE Life Science is a hands-on laboratory class. You will be doing laboratories which may require the use of hazardous chemicals, sharp instruments, and/or glass equipment. Safety is the number one issue in a lab. Therefore, students must be knowledgeable in safety procedures. The attached acknowledgment must be signed by the student and parent(s) or guardians(s) prior to participating in the lab. GENERAL RULES 1. Follow the written procedure carefully. If you do not understand, ask the instructor for clarification. 2. Never work alone in a lab. An instructor MUST be present at all times. 3. When you enter a science classroom or lab, do not touch any of the materials until the instructor gives the okay. 4. No food, beverages, or gum in the lab at any time. 5. Conduct the experiment provided in the procedure. Do not create your own laboratory experiment. Unauthorized experiments are illegal in lab. 6. Be prepared for lab days by reading procedures before entering the lab. 7. Keep your lab station clean. Once you have completed your lab, please leave the lab area cleaner than you found it. 8. Keep the aisles clear in the lab area. 9. Know where and how to use the fire extinguisher, eye wash, and fire blankets. Know where the first aid kit and phone is in case of emergencies. 10. Be alert and notify the instructor immediately if there are any unsafe conditions. 11. Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose, and mouth when using chemicals. Make sure to wash your hands after the lab is completed. 12. Know what to do if there is a fire or earthquake drill during the lab. Turn off gas and electrical equipment. 13. When using sharp instruments, carry the tips pointed down and away from others. Do not attempt to catch a sharp falling object. 14. Students are never permitted in the science store room or preparation room unless otherwise instructed by the instructor. 15. Do not leave experiments unattended at any time.

CLOTHING 1. Dress properly for lab. Long hair must be put up, no dangling jewelry, no baggy clothes, and no open toed shoes. 2. Contact lens should not be worn during any lab. ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES Report any spills and broken glassware (including thermometers) to the instructor IMMEDIATELY, no matter how trivial it may seem. If a chemical should splash into your eyes or on you skin, make sure to rinse thoroughly with water for at least 20 minutes. Notify the instructor immediately. Page 4 of 6

HANDLING CHEMICALS 1. All chemicals should be considered dangerous and used with extreme caution. Do not touch, taste, or smell any chemicals during any lab. 2. Never return chemicals to their original containers. 3. Handle flammable liquids with extreme care. Do not dispose of them near a flame or potential spark 4. Take great care when transferring acids and other chemicals from one part of the lab to another. Hold them securely and walk carefully. HANDLING GLASSWARE AND EQUIPMENT 1. Do not remove chemicals from the lab. 2. Carry all glass tubing vertically, to minimize the chance of breaking it. 3. Fill water bottles with distilled water only. 4. When removing an electrical plug from a socket, make sure to grasp the plug and not the cord. 5. Inspect all glassware for chips or cracks before using in the lab. If you find chipped, cracked, or broken glassware, do not use it; notify the instructor. 6. If you do not understand how to use a piece of lab equipment, ask the instructor for help. 7. Do not put hot glassware on a cold surface because the glass may shatter.

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Please Sign and Return This Page To Ms. Pitre by Weds., January 19, 2011

************************************************************************ LIFE SCIENCE SYLLABUS Parent and/ Student Signatures Please sign below to indicate you have reviewed the Life Science course syllabus. You make access your student’s grades-in-progress through the parent portal. If you have questions about how to do that, contact Mrs. Smith, the counselors’ secretary. Please do not hesitate to email me at [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns. Parent Signature

Date_____________________

Print Name Student Signature

Date_____________________

Print Name

SAFETY REGULATIONS ACKNOWLEDGMENT We have read the syllabus and the laboratory safety rules and understand the rules and expectations for the classroom and laboratory as set forth therein. To the best of my ability, I, ______________________________ (student: print your first and last name), will abide by the rules and meet the expectations the instructor has set for me. Signature of student

Date

Signature of parent/guardian ______________________________________ Date____________

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