IPC - Susan Garfield
2015-2016
Room 206
Welcome to IPC! This syllabus is designed to help you understand more about the expectations and
policies for the year. Expectations are high in IPC as I prepare your students for high school. I look
forward to a great year with all of you.
Overview
We will be studying chemistry and physics in more depth this year. Chemistry plus space will be
studied in the fall and physics plus geology will be studied in the spring. I feel that students learn better
by doing so we will be carrying out many labs and activities to help students retain the information that
they learn and relate their learning to the real world. Approximately 40% of our class time will be
spent in some form of activity or lab.
Students will also be expected to create and analyze experiments. This will benefit them in high school
since they will be familiar with the process of examining, testing, and proving a hypothesis. Students
will be doing a good bit of technical writing to put this process down on paper. Doing this helps them
organize and sequence their thinking in a logical way that makes it easier to determine cause and effect.
Students will also use algebra to define scientific processes. They will be examining how variables
relate to each other and from that they will be able to see how math formulas are derived.
In the Earth Science part of the course, we will be focusing on cycles and processes. Lunar cycle, tidal
cycle, plate tectonics, and the weather. We do not spend as much time on this part of the curriculum
since most of it is a review of knowledge learned in previous grades.
Academic Skills Emphasized









Lab safety and using scientific tools
Designing and interpreting charts and graphs
Analyzing, evaluating and critiquing data and theories
Designing and implementing experimental investigations
Research and Technical Writing with supporting evidence
Math skills needed to manipulate algebraic equations and formulas
Creating maps and models
Limitations of models
Looking at scale
Grading Policy:




Homework
Tests and Projects
Classwork
Quizzes
10%
40%
30%
20%
Assignments are to be done in neat, legible handwriting or done on the computer. The exception is
graphs and charts which must be done by hand. All assignments should be turned in on time. The first
semester, you get one homework pass each 9 weeks for a maximum grade of 50 if turned in the next
day. No assignments will accepted late the second semester.
Retesting: Retesting will be done only for tests. All students who make below a 70 on the original
test may take the retest.
TEXTBOOKS:
1. We have a new book this year – Physics and Chemistry by McGraw Hill. This is not a hardback
book but an interactive notebook, softcover. All of the materials are online at the HUB and your
student will be receiving passwords and userids to access this material.
Userid:
Password:
2. We will also be using Integrated Physics and Chemistry by Cambridge Physics. This can be found
on my schoolwires page.
Required Materials:
One green binder for papers
Paper, pens, pencils, metric ruler
Red checking pens
Good Eraser
Graph Paper
Notebook Paper
Scientific Calculator
Tabs for the binder
Student Expectations and Responsibilities:
Individual responsibility is stressed in the IPC as most assignments are individual and not group based.
That means that the first moment you do not understand something we are covering in class, you must
stop and ask questions. Your best friend and tablemates are not responsible for what you know - you
are. Ask Questions!
I also ask that students please bring a ruler and calculator to class every day. You never know when we
are going to need them and there is not enough time for students to go back to their locker.
CLASS NORMS/PROTOCOLS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Labs:
Labs are a very important part of the learning process in science and I feel that they are just as
important as tests, and sometimes more so, in assessing student knowledge and skills. For this reason
labs are a very important part of your grade – they can count as classwork, 30%, or as a test, 40%. If
you do your best on the labs, and I’m sure you will, your grade should be stellar. However, the labs are
quite rigorous and some of the questions on tests come from the labs covering that topic. If you pay
attention, follow directions, and use your time well, you should be fine. Labs are not a time to play and
chitchat with your friends. Horseplay will not be tolerated in labs. As you can understand, this could
be quite dangerous from a safety standpoint.
PARENTS:
Please feel free to share any comments, questions or concerns that you might have. I try to answer all
emails and phone calls within 48 hours so if you have not heard back from me please email me again.
The email might have gotten lost amid all the other emails. My conference time is 3rd Period on
Tuesdays and Thursdays, between 11:30-12:00am. Also, if you have an area of expertise or interest
that you would like to share with the students, please let me know. My email address is
sgarfiel@houstonisd.org. The school phone number is 713-917-3565.
______________________________
Parent Name
__________________________
Parent Signature
_____________
Date
______________________________
Parent’s Daytime Phone Number
____________________________________________
Parent’s E-mail Address
STUDENTS:
I have carefully read and understand the information, procedures, and guidelines for Mrs. Garfield’s
IPC class.
______________________________
Student Name
__________________________
Student Signature
_____________
Date