NAME: _________________________________________
Survival Guide
Everything You Ever Need to Know about Biology 1 G/T/Pre-AP 2015-2016
Mrs. Strait (jo.strait@springbranchisd.com) or straitj@gmail.com
713.251.2668
713.542.7238
Website: http://mhs.springbranchisd.com Click on the faculty link followed by the teacher link. Note the link located will direct
you to a Google Classroom site where our information is located.
GENERAL PROCEDURE FOR THE DAY:
 Check the board for agenda and homework.
 Place completed homework on your desk.
 Record homework assignments in your student planner
 If a long-term experiment is underway, make your observations and record them.
 Check the board or screen for warm-ups.
 Work hard, pay attention during class, and ask questions as needed!!
 Enjoy the journey. Biology is important and relevant to your life!
GRADING FOR BIOLOGY
 40% - tests
 30%- journals (lab reports)
 20% - quizzes and projects
 10% - participation, homework
TEST DAYS/MAKE-UP DAYS
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Test days: Even-numbered days of the week
Make-up days*: Wednesday mornings 6:50 – 7:45 and Thursday afternoons 3:10 – 4:00
*These days include test and lab make-up. Whenever you are absent, you must complete all work that is missed, lab
work
included.
If lab work involves living organisms, they often have a limited life span. Once this occurs, the lab is almost
impossible to redo.
 BASICALLY, THE NUMBER OF DAYS MISSED IS EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF DAYS THAT YOU HAVE TO
MAKE UP YOUR WORK. (IN HANDBOOK)
TUTORIALS
I will be available to help you with any material you do not understand. I will go the extra mile to assist you...so ask for help when
you don’t understand something. Do not wait until the day before the test!!!
 Tuesday afternoons from 3:05 - 4:00 or by appointment.
RETESTING
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If you fail a TEST, you have days to turn in a retest request form after you are notified of the failing grade. The retest
must be taken the first Wednesday morning following notification. The retest will be different from the original test. A
tutorial is required before retesting.
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Retests are offered on Wednesday mornings at 6:50 AM
Retests do not apply to quizzes or any other assignment.
LATE WORK POLICY
 Late homework will not be accepted. Must be turned in on the due date before class begins or a zero will be given.
 Half of the points will be deducted from the assignment grade for one day late lab work. A zero will be given beyond
that.
MATERIALS
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Textbook – I do not have a class set which means you must bring yours to class or a device to access the text online.
Notebook paper
Suggest binder setup(large 3-ring)
o Dividers for
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 syllabus and syllabus answers
 class notes
 hand-outs and practice
 labs
Pens/Pencils/Highlighters/Dry Erase markers/Map pencils
Small metric ruler,/scissors,/glue (optional)
Kleenex
Computer/internet/printer access – check with the librarian about library hours and how to gain home access if you
do not have this at home!
EXPECTATIONS
1. DO ALL YOUR OWN WORK!!!!
2. Be ready for class as soon as you enter the room.
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REMEMBER TO WRITE NAME, DATE, PERIOD ON EVERYTHING YOU TURN
IN. If missing, 10 points will be deducted.
3. ALWAYS bring materials to class.
4. Plan to work hard, pay attention during class, and ask questions as needed.
5. Behavior: follow guidelines listed in the student handbook.
HOW TO FIND ANSWERS TO STUDY QUESTIONS FROM THE SYLLABUS
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Study questions are found in the syllabus and have a capital letter next to them.
This assignment is designed to help you process information from the class and review for your test. Complete all study
questions on time. If you answer a question incorrectly, make the appropriate correction as we discuss it in class. These
types of changes may be made in a different color pen.
Begin answering the study questions by first reading all questions in the section. This will help you get the general idea of the
material. Next, use the index of your textbook to find where the material is discussed. You will not always be asked to refer
to your text, but you should feel free to use it unless stated otherwise. Feel free to use other resources to help you answer
them.
Questions must be hand written in complete sentences or copy the question and then answer.
o Incomplete sentences will have a deduction of 20 points.
Syllabus questions are due periodically. Check board for dates.
LAB WORK: Experimenting is an important component of science. We will do many. Some lab activities will be turned in on
paper while others will be more formal and turned in electronically on www.turnitin.com
COLLABORATION: Another important aspect of scientific work is collaboration with peers. When people form a group, each
member of the group sees things in a slightly different perspective, thus stimulating creativity and greatly speeding up the scientific
process. In fact, no matter what career you pursue, being a productive member of a peer group will be vital to your success. For these
reasons, most of your activities will be done in groups where each person is a contributing member. Part of your grade will be based
on your group participation.
The difference between collaboration and cheating:
1.
*When working on a lab:
2.
You will most likely have the exact same data as others in your group.
However, your conclusion and
analysis of the data must be your own!!
3.
*When working in a group on research questions:
You may discuss the answers, but do not copy each other word for word. For example, do not look at a group member’s
paper and start copying their answers.
4. Part of your lab grade will be based on your constructive participation and positive attitude
during the activity.
CHEATING POLICY (from student handbook)
Cheating shall be defined as:
 Giving or receiving information or help on a test
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Possession of any unauthorized material during a test
Copying another student’s assignment
Knowingly allowing another student to copy from his/her assignment
Submitting duplicate work or having someone else complete an assignment on behalf of the student.
Plagiarism, the use of another’s ideas or products as one’s own, is also defined as cheating
Cheating Examples: sending others your homework answers or labs so they can copy your work, receiving another person’s
homework or lab to copy, copying another person’s lab report conclusion, taking an image of your work and sending it to others,
taking images of quizzes or tests and sending to others,*** discussing specific questions or essay prompts that are on a test or quiz
with others, using unauthorized information during a test, etc. Do not do this!
The penalty for cheating will be a zero for work involved and the student will be subject to
appropriate disciplinary action in cheating offenses.
***Technology is an important part of our study this year. There will be much said about
this within the field of science; however, there are guidelines. During any test or quiz, you
will need to place your cell phone at the front of the room and it will need to be turned off.
I will say more to you about this as time passes.
"Your reputation and integrity are everything. Follow through on what you say you’re going to do.
Your credibility can only be built over time, and it is built from the history of your words and actions."
— Maria Razumich-Zec
“Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters”
― Albert Einstein
Enough of this……
I am very excited about this year. My goal is for you to understand the basic concepts of biology, and
more importantly, for you to learn to critically think through problems and apply your new knowledge to
solve them.
Please share this document with your parents. After reading, please have both of you at the bottom and store this in your binder under
handouts.
I have read and understand the classroom policies, procedures, grading scale, late work policy, laboratory expectations, tutorial
options, and materials needed for G/T preAP Biology 2014-2015.
Student name (print):
Parent Name (print):
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
Student signature:
Parent signature:
_________________________________________
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