Jenny Goin
Direct Phone:
360-412-4411 ext. 41-124
Email:
jgoin@nthurston.k12.wa.us
Website:
http://www.nthurston.k12.wa.us/Domain/731
Integrated Science
Office Hours:
Room 124 - 5th period planning, after school
Welcome to science - my name is Jenny Goin, and it is my privilege to be your science
teacher this year. Integrated Science covers a wide range of topics about the physical
universe and the laws governing motion, matter and energy. Creativity, imagination,
ingenuity, and passion are at the heart of science, and I hope to foster all of those
gifts in you this year.
Who is Ms. Goin, anyway?
I became a science geek by a lucky accident. As a teenager I loved reading and
writing, and planned to study English in college, until I read a Newsweek article about
physics. It was like an explosion in my brain - I had never read of anything so
amazing, magical, and exciting, and I had to be a part of it. I completed my
Bachelors of Science in physics and Spanish at the University of Portland, but never
thought about being a teacher until I went to a poetry reading about Marie Curie, one
of the most important scientists of the 20th century. I was awed by the passion it took
to make such amazing discoveries, and the joy that came from them. That was it - I
wanted to share the passion and joy I had experienced in science, and after
completing my Master of Arts in Teaching I spent the last eight years doing just that
Chinook Middle School. I am ecstatic to take this adventure to the next level here at
North Thurston High School.
What will I learn this year?
Integrated Science covers a wide range of topics and practice an expansive set
of skills you will need to be successful in science and life. You will learn how to
inquire into natural phenomena by predicting, designing experiments, analyzing data
and drawing conclusions. You will also learn how to apply your science knowledge in
unique ways to solve human problems by innovating new solutions. In the midst of all
of this we will explore these big ideas:
1st Quarter
Chemistry: atomic
structure, properties and
transformations of matter
2nd Quarter –
3rd Quarter
Earth in Space: Earth’s
history in our solar system,
systems and processes on
Earth, human impact on
Earth’s climate and geology
4th Quarter
Physics: forces and motion,
electricity and magnetism
How can I find out what’s going on in class or what the homework is?
I highly recommend you check out my website - I update it daily and you can
download all of the papers we use in class. You can find it by going to the North
Thurston Public Schools website (http://www.nthurston.k12.wa.us), using the drop
down menu that says “Select a School…” and choosing North Thurston High School,
then clicking on “Teacher Pages” and selecting “Goin, Jennifer” – that’s me!
What will the class be like and how will I be graded?
As a science teacher I believe in hands-on learning. This means that we will do
lots of labs and activities. Lab work is challenging work, and you will be required to
document and reflect on your experiments. We will also read supporting text and
write a great deal. We will do this work in our science notebooks – not everything in
these notebooks will be graded. They will be checked and graded occasionally, and
you will be able to use your own notebook on tests and quizzes based on our lab work.
The rest of your grade will be based on occasional homework, quizzes and unit tests.
What do I do if I am absent?
Students often ask “What did we do yesterday? Anything important?” The
answer to that question is of course! When you are absent you need to come talk to
me so I can help you learn what you missed, either by sending materials home with
you, arranging for you to complete lab work.
Why is science important?
Look around wherever you are right now and try to notice something you’ve
never seen before. What is it? How does it work? Where did it come from? Where is
it going? What you’ll discover is that all around you are things you’ve never noticed
before, and if you look farther - across the street, state, nation, continent, ocean,
Earth, solar system, galaxy, universe - there are an infinite number of things that
have yet to be noticed or understood. Science is a way of looking at and
understanding this amazing universe, of asking questions and solving problems.
Science is a way of thinking about and experiencing the world, of finding and
celebrating joy. Science is in fire, in food, in video games, in dreams, in people. It is
all around us, and studying it helps us to understand ourselves and our world better.
Not to mention, it’s a whole lot of fun, and that’s the opportunity I’m hoping to share
with you this year.
Yours truly,
Jenny Goin
I, ________________, have read the syllabus for Ms. Goin’s class with my parent.
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Student Signature
Home Phone: ________________________
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Parent Signature
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