Project Lead The Way
Principles of Biomedical Sciences (PBS)
Anderson 5 Career Campus
Room 105
1225 South McDuffie Street
Anderson, S.C 29624
Teacher: Shannon Merritt
Email: shannonmerritt@anderson5.net
Phone: 864.260.5160 ext. 128
Students and parents, if you have any questions concerning grades, homework, labs, or any issue you would
like to discuss, please use the above contact information. I will do my best to reply as soon as possible. I am
here to assist you in being successful. I will contact parents on a regular basis to update the student’s
progress in this course.
PBS Course Description:
This course is the first of four courses in the Project Lead The Way
Biomedical Sciences program. PBS provides an introduction to the
biomedical sciences through exciting hands-on projects and problems.
Students investigate concepts of biology and medicine as they explore
health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, sickle-cell disease,
hypercholesterolemia, and infectious diseases. They will determine the
factors that led to the death of a fictional woman as they sequentially piece
together evidence found in her medical history and her autopsy report.
Students will investigate lifestyle choices and medical treatments that might
have prolonged the woman’s life and demonstrate how the development of
disease is related to changes in human body systems. The activities and
projects introduce students to human physiology, basic biology, medicine,
and research processes and allow students to design experiments to solve
problems. Key biological concepts including maintenance of homeostasis in
the body, metabolism, inheritance of traits, and defense against disease are
embedded in the curriculum. This course is designed to provide an overview
of all the courses in the biomedical sciences program and lay the scientific
foundation for subsequent courses.
I.
Course
Description:
II.
Course Credit:
Two (2) unit of credit will be awarded upon successful completion of both
courses
III.
Standards:
Standards for this course are taken from National Science Education Standards,
Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, National Health Care Cluster
Foundation Standards, Standards for the English Language Arts, and Standards
for Technology. All of the standards can be reviewed on the website:
http://alignment.pltw.org
IV.
Prerequisites:
"B" or higher (or currently enrolled) in Biology; "B" or higher in Algebra; or
by teacher recommendation
V.
Topical Outline:
Principles of Biomedical Sciences
Unit 1: The Mystery
Investigating the Scene
DNA Analysis
The Findings
Unit 2: What is Diabetes
The Science of Food
Life with Diabetes
Unit 3: Sickle Cell Disease
It’s in the Genes
Chromosomes
Inheritance
Unit 4: Heart Structure
The Heart at Work
Heart Dysfunction
Heart Intervention
Unit 5: Infectious Diseases
Unit 6: Post Mortem
VI.
Lab Fee:
$30 (due by the end of the first week of school). The fee covers the costs of
supplies used in the lab, including disposable lab coats and googles. Please
make the checks payable to: Anderson 5 Career Campus. Please make sure a
phone number is printed on the check.
VII.
Materials:
Students will need a 3-ring 2” binder, college ruled paper, and writing
instruments.
All assignments that are turned in need to be completed in ink (black or blue) or
typed, unless otherwise specified.
VIII.
Textbook and
All instructional material will be available on-line and in-class. No textbook is
Required Reading: required.
IX.
Classroom
Expectations:
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Students are expected to be on time and prepared for class. Students will
adhere to all Anderson District Five policies and procedures. Failure to comply
with policy will result in disciplinary action. Immediate referral may be for
extreme disrespect, fighting, class disruption, plagiarism, property destruction,
and alcohol or drug offenses. Please review the Anderson District Five Student
Handbook.
In order for a student to be successful, the student must be present for class.
This course is rigorous and engaging. If too many classes are missed, the
student can quickly fall behind. More than five (5) unexcused absences will
result in “failure for attendance” (FA). Please remember three (3) tardies equals
one (1) unexcused absence.
Classroom/Lab Rules:
Obey all Anderson District 5 policies
Respect yourself, your classmates, and the instructor.
Cell phone and other device usage is not allowed* (Rules are posted in the
classroom). KEEP ELECTRONIC DEVICES TURNED OFF AND OUT OF SIGHT!
Students are to remain in their assigned seats until they are dismissed by the
teacher.
Be on time!
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Be prepared for class (assignment, paper, pencils, pens, a good attitude).
Vulgar or offensive language or inappropriate touching will not be permitted.
Student ID must be worn at all times.
No food or drink allowed the class/lab area. A capped water bottle may be allowed.
No disruptive behavior/horseplay allowed in the classroom or lab area.
No tobacco products.
Be an adult and you will be treated as an adult.
Plagiarism is not allowed! "Copy" and "Paste" is plagiarism.
The following behaviors will get you removed from the lab and a possible 0 for the
lab assignment.
o Horsing around (throwing and squirting included)
o Not following directions
o Intentional abuse or misuse of supplies or equipment
o Playing with materials that are not part of your lab - There may be a different
lab in progress for another class.
Lab Dress is important to avoid accidents and to minimize the consequences of
accidents that could happen. Labs will be announced/reminded at least a week in
advance. The following are required:
o Closed toe shoes. Failure to wear proper lab shoes will result in removal
from the lab
o Long pants. Shorts and skirts are strongly discouraged during labs for safety
reasons.
o No dangling necklaces or bracelets
o Hair longer than shoulder length must be securely tied back
o Safety goggles when required
Consequences of Non-Compliance with Classroom Expectations:
First Offense: Verbal warning
Second Offense: Student conference after class with call to parent
Third Offense: Call to parent with parent conference
Fourth Offense: Referral to Administration
X.
Grading:
The grading system for Anderson School District Five:
A
B
C
D
F
93 -100
85 - 92
77 - 84
70 – 76
0 – 69
Basis for Quarter and Semester Grades:
 Assignment/Test or quiz grades for each quarter will be calculated as
follows:
(Total points earned / Total points possible) x 100 = % grade
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Semester grades will be calculated as follows:
1st Q 40%
2nd Q 40%
Semester Exam 20%
An End-of-Course (EOC) is administered by Project Lead The Way at the end of
the course. The score is used for analysis of the program and for gauging
student’s knowledge of the content presented. The score also determines the
student’s eligibility for college credit. The EOC score is not calculated in the
student’s final grade. A semester exam is administered by the teacher and will
be calculated in the final grade
XI. Integrity
It is expected that the work students do will be their own, whether on a
test, homework, lab report, etc. When students collaborate in groups, they
are expected to discuss ideas and help each other to clarify their
understanding of the concepts. Students may collect data together on
labs, but all written answers should be the original thoughts of the student
that reflect his/her individual understanding and knowledge. Copying
someone else’s work is called cheating and is not allowed. Any instances
of cheating will result in an immediate grade of zero (0) for that
assignment work.
XII. Missed Work
Students who are absent the day an assignment is given will have until the
day after the assigned due date to turn in the work for full credit. For
example: If you are absent on September 16th and the assignment is due
on the 18th, you have until September 19th to turn in the work for full credit.
It is the student’s responsibility to arrange for time to make-up any tests,
labs, or quizzes. Make-up time will be scheduled before and after school
and should be done immediately upon the student’s return. Students are
given advance notice of all tests, quizzes, and labs; therefore students are
expected to be prepared to make-up any missed test or quiz immediately
upon their return. Due to the complexity and expense of lab activities,
students may not be able to make-up lab work. If the absence is due to
medical reasons or other approved activity, the student will be given an
alternate assignment to replace the lab.
A student who knows they will be absent from class on a particular date
(due to sports, vacations, etc) is expected to turn in any work that is
assigned for that date. Students may turn in work on the due date or the
morning after, but any work handed in later than the assigned class time
will be counted as late. Ten percent (10%) of the grade will be deducted
from the total score for each day the assignment is late.
On a personal note . . .
This class can prove to be exciting, enthralling, and a lot of hard work. However, I am here to help
each and every one of you. I will do my best to make this year as enjoyable, fun, interesting, and
exciting for all students. I am here to help each and every one of you succeed and to reach your
highest potential. Just remember, education is a two way street. I can only do so much on my own,
and ultimately some of the responsibility falls on yourself to seek extra help if you need it, ask
questions if you are confused, or perhaps to seek an extra challenge.
Students and parents are asked to read the information in the syllabus carefully. Students can expect
to be evaluated on the material presented. Parents or guardians should feel free to contact me at
school (864-260-5160 ext. 128) if there are any concerns. I may also be contacted via e-mail at
shannonmerritt@anderson5.net. I am looking forward to a great year!
Please return this portion to the teacher no later than Monday August 24, 2015
I have reviewed the syllabus and classroom rules for PLTW Principles of Biomedical Sciences (Fall
2015). I/We agree to abide by them in the interest of the student(s) and the class in maintaining a
quality education for all.
Student Signature: ______________________________
Date: ____________
Parent’s Signature: _____________________________
Date: ____________
Parent’s Signature:______________________________
Date: ____________
Parent’s e-mail: ____________________________________________________