Geo-Space Science
Introductory Concepts of Geo-Science and Space Science
2006-2007
Instructor: Mr. Rick Blas School phone: 488-8226 E-mail: eblas@psdschools.org
Office Hours: Periods 4 & 6 and by appointment before and after school
Course Syllabus: In this course we will cover the following units, although order and content is
subject to change.
Earth Science:
Space Science:
1. Intro/careers
9. Telescopes and spectroscopy
2. Earth’s Structure
10. Big Bang
3. Plate Tectonics
11. Stars and Galaxies
4. Earth chemistry
12. The Sun and the Solar System
5. Rocks and Minerals
13. The Moon
6. The Atmosphere
14. Rocketry
7. Weather
15. Space Exploration
8. Water
Non-Negotiable Classroom Policies
1. General –
There is room for EVERYONE in class, get to know your classmates, be yourself!
Have FUN and challenge yourself.
2. Food/Drinks-
No food or drink (except water) is allowed in the class, unless I supply it.
3. Talking-
I don’t talk when you are talking to me, so DO NOT TALK when I am!
4. Assignments-
Always include YOUR NAME, CLASS PERIOD and DATE on the upper right hand
corner of your work.
5. Cheating-
DON’T! This includes copying and plagiarism.
6. Music players- You may only use them with my permission. Keep them in your backpack.
7. Calculators-
You may not play games on your calculator.
8. My CD player-
Do not ever touch my CD player without my permission.
9. Cell Phones-
If I SEE or HEAR a cell phone you get ONE warning. On the second offense your
phone will be taken away and given to the administrators and you and your
parent/guardian can retrieve it from them. When going to the restroom, you must leave
your phone in the room.
10. Other Work-
Do not work on other assignments in my class…Ever!!!
11. The Bell -
You will remain in your seat until the bell rings!!!
11. Respect-
We are all different and we will all do our best to get along and gain each other’s
respect. There will be no verbal or physical bullying, no racial, ethnic or cultural slurs,
and no use of inappropriate language or actions.
I WILL CALL PARENTS/GUARDIANS FOR ANY AND EVERY BEHAVIOR ISSUE
Class Attendance: - FCHS attendance policy will be enforced for unexcused absences.
-Your first “unexcused tardy” is free. Each additional unexcused tardy will result
in a 1% reduction of your grade.
-The reductions will take place at the end of each semester.
-Be aware that your current grade will not reflect your tardies until the semester end.
-You will be given the opportunity to “work off” tardies before the end of the semester.
-Work that is missed during unexcused absences can be made up but will only be
given ONE point of grade value.
Late Assignments: -You will be given one “late pass” per semester. This pass allows you to turn in a late
assignment with no penalty until the end of each quarter.
-Other late work will be accepted for half credit. It will only be accepted until the test for
the unit that the assignment is part of. Any late work turned in after that will receive a
“zero” but will count as turned in.
-Unused late passes can be attached to the final for extra credit
Grading Policy:
The work in this course will be distributed so that approximately one-third of your final
grade will come from tests and quizzes; one third from class assignments and
homework; and one third from group and individual projects. Grades will be calculated
on a total point basis.
Grading will be on a straight percent scale (A+ 98-100, A 92-97.9,
A- 90-91.9, B+ 88-88.9, B 82-87.9, B- 80-81.9, C+ 78-79.9, C 72-77.9,
C-70-71.9, D+ 68-69.9, D 62-67.9, D- 60-61.9, F less than 60)
Extra Credit:
There will be many opportunities for extra credit throughout the year.
You can earn up to a max of 10% of the total semester points in extra credit. In other
words you can raise your score by one letter grade!
EXTRA CREDIT WILL ONLY COUNT IF ALL OTHER WORK HAS BEEN TURNED IN!