Mr. Carpenter’s Biology Syllabus 2013-2014 Biology is a MANDATORY Keystone subject. All students must pass the Biology Keystone Exam prior to graduating high school. Students who regularly attend biology class, actively and positively participate in class, complete assigned tasks, and study material provided have the most potential for passing the Biology Keystone Exam. The five rules of my class room: Be Prompt: This means being within the walls of this room when the bell rings! Not hanging out the door. I understand problems do occur. You will have three freebies (30 seconds late to class) per 9 weeks. After the second time late, you will receive a phone call home and possibly a referral. ANY lates after 30 seconds is considered a class cut. Be Prepared: Everyday you will need your workbook and a pencil. No workbook means “Inability to complete class work!” This also means you will fall behind and must catch up! If you lose your workbook, a new one will be given to you and all work made up! After the second time losing your workbook, you will download, print out (at your cost), and complete all the makeup work. Multiple days without your workbook will necessitate a phone call to your parents. Severe cases could entail further discipline action. Be Productive: This means you will need to be focused on today’s Biology work. No other classes work! After repeated attempts to have you be productive, one or more of the following actions will occur: Parental phone call. After school detention with me in this room. o No Show = Referral for Insubordination! o Be Polite: No foul language. Talk to staff members and fellow students in a respectful manner. Do not interrupt another student’s education. After repeated attempts to have you be polite one or more of the following actions will occur: Parental phone call. After school detention with me in this room. o No Show = Referral for Insubordination! Extreme cases will result in referral and possible removal from class. Be Proud: Be proud of who you are! Be Proud of your work. By the end of the school year our walls will be loaded with your work…good or bad! Be Proud! At any time, your seat can be moved to a more productive location! Any major infractions of school rules will result in discipline action involving a principal. Our biology class is set up so that ALL students can achieve! Its up to you to be responsible, acquire all information and ask questions when you don’t understand. The class has five means to attain an excellent grade and a solid understanding of biology: Workbooks: Workbooks will be given out for each chapter. They will all have a section for vocabulary, chapter questions, directed and active readings, notes and extra current event readings. GUARD THESE WELL…PEOPLE WILL STEAL THEM! Workbooks will be collected at the end of the chapter. If you are absent it will be up to you to check the calendar to see what assignments you missed! Projects: These will occur throughout the year and will carry a substantial amount of points. You will be allotted class time to complete these assignments; however, if you do not finish them in class, they will need to be completed at home! Quizzes: Periodic quizzes will be given on the material we have covered. The quiz will include main ideas from the lessons, prefixes, and key vocabulary words. If you fail the quiz, you may retake the quiz on your time. Exams: Our exams will be multiple choice, completion (with word bank), and short answer questions. All exams will include a study guide and a review session. It is the student’s responsibility to make up the exams! DO NOT WAIT TOO LONG TO COMPLETE THESE EXAMS, IF YOU HAVE BEEN ABSENT. All assignments must be turned in on time. There will be a 25% reduction in grade for any assignments turned in late! Progress reports will be sent home each nine weeks. They will be signed and returned for a grade/bonus! Curriculum: The following schedule will be used throughout the year to ensure you receive a thorough education. Section 1: Basic Biological Principles Section 2: Biochemistry Section 3: Bioenergetics Section 4: Homeostasis and Transport Section 5: DNA, RNA and Protein Synthesis Section 6: Cell Growth and Reproduction Section 7: Patterns of Inheritance Section 8: Biotechnologies Section 9: Theory of Evolution Section 10: Ecology Contact Info : Email : carpgr@whsd.net Cell Phone : 724-579-0306 My website : http://www.whsd.net/olc/teacher.aspx?s=1384