Pre IB/Honors Biology Course
Syllabus
Pensacola High School
Mr. Robinson
Course Goals:
Welcome to Pre-IB/Honors Biology. The purpose and goals of this course are to 1) present an in-depth
level study of the biological sciences, 2) help students develop critical thinking skills and study habits,
and 3) prepare students for success in future AP and IB Biology courses. This will involve detailed
investigations of all the major areas of modern biology with a special focus on the cellular and molecular
basis of life. This class will be more difficult than any class you have ever taken. You will need to
allocate the sufficient time to reorganize/edit your lecture and reading notes, read your text and other
materials, create study guides, and make connections between the concepts we will be studying.
The IBO/EOC places great emphasis on a student’s ability to make connections between syllabus topics.
You must NOT compartmentalize your learning. You must retain all the knowledge you acquire from
week to week and semester to semester. You will be expected to understand why and how a topic covered
the first week of class relates to one covered the final week of your freshman year.
You must save all your notes, quizzes, exams, etc. We will frequently re-visit previous topics in the
process of adding new levels to your knowledge.
Course Requirements:
Pre IB/Honors Biology will be challenging and rapid paced. You must come to each class prepared to
discuss assigned readings and be ready to undertake assigned activities.
You must bring the following items to class everyday:
Your Biology Binder: A 3-ring binder or spiral notebook designated only for Pre-IB/Honors Biology
lecture notes, reading notes, handouts and graded papers. (1 ½” size)
Pen and/or Pencil
Your textbook if no class set is available.
Optional items: colored pencils. Mr. Robinson has colored pencils for student use, but is often criticized
for a paucity of available colors.
You will not be allowed to have other materials out nor should you expect to be able to study for other
classes during biology. If you have completed all assigned work and have asked for and received your
instructor’s permission, then and only then may you work on other outside materials. DO NOT come to
this class thinking you will be able to work on another subject!
Attendance Policy:
The PHS/ECSD attendance policies will be enforced. What follows is just a summary of these
policies. Please see the student handbook (Rights and Responsibilities) for the complete version
or for clarification of what follows.
Only students with excused absences will be allowed to make up work. Passes for excused absences must
be presented within three school days of the student’s return. Unexcused absences will result in a zero
being assigned for any work missed. This includes exams and quizzes.
If you are absent on the day a quiz or major test/exam is given, you may be required to take a
comprehensive 9-weeks test to make up the grade or to take the specific make-up test after or before
school. It is not possible to properly proctor a make-up exam while the rest of the class is undertaking
other activities. If at all possible, avoid missing an test/exam. If you know you will be out on an exam
day, arrange well in advance to take the exam early.
If tardy, on the first occurrence each grading period, the student will be warned. On the second, parents
will be notified and the student will sit for a 30min detention on the following Friday afternoon. On the
third and all subsequent tardies, in any grading period, a referral will be forwarded to the student’s dean.
You cannot afford to skip or be late to my class. You will be considered late if you are not in the
classroom at the tardy bell. Your classmates should not have to wait on you. Be on time.
No Pass Policy:
No hall passes will be issued by Mr. Robinson for any reason. This is NOT Mr. Robinson’s
policy. This is a school-wide policy that will be strictly enforced by all school personnel. If you
are needed elsewhere for any reason, the appropriate administrative office will send for you. This
is the only circumstance that will justify you leaving class, and a pass will be sent for that
purpose. To reiterate: Don’t even ask for a pass; Mr. Robinson does not have any to give. If
observed in the hallways or anywhere on campus after the tardy bell, you will be facing a
disciplinary referral.
You are expected to take care of all bathroom breaks, locker visits, etc. during the 5 minutes
between classes. Be sure to use the necessary facilities before coming to school, and before your
lunch period ends.
Course Topics/Unit Schedule:
1st 9 Weeks:
Unit 1—Lab Safety; The Nature of
Science; Microscopes, Tools and
Technology
Unit 2—Biochemistry; Enzymes;
Properties of Water
Unit 3—Cell Biology: Theory,
Structure, and Function
2nd 9 Weeks:
Unit 4—Cell Energy Transformations,
Cell Respiration & Photosynthesis;
Plant Biology
Unit 5—Molecular Genetics: DNA
Replication, Mutation, Transcription of
RNA and Translation
Unit 6—Cell Reproduction, Mitosis and
Cancer
*District Semester Exam
3rd 9 Weeks
Unit 6—Cell Reproduction: Meiosis
Unit 7—Mendelian Genetics
Unit 8—Evolution
Unit 9—Ecology
4th 9 Weeks
Unit 9—(Continued) Ecology
Unit 10—Human Biology: The
Brain, Cardiovascular System,
Human Reproduction, Immune
System
*End of Course Exam (EOC) 30% of
Biology final grade for 2013-2014
school year.
Note: Specific topics are shown as being taught as discreet units within 9-week quarters. In reality,
we will be returning to key elements like the “Nature of Science” again and again throughout the
year. So, consider the sequence as a guideline detailing when major concepts and terminology will
be initially discussed in depth, so they can be applied over the course of the school year.
Course Assignments:
There are large numbers of in class and extra curricular activities that students taking Pre-IB/Honors Biology will
be required to do; this is a work intensive class. It is your responsibility to have all assignments ready to hand in
when they are due. For full credit, assignments must be neat, complete, and submitted on time. Any assignment not
handed in on the due date will be considered late. If you should miss a class due to excused absence or illness, it is
your responsibility to make up the work, get notes, or hand in any assignments that were due during your absence.
You will always have the number of days you were absent to make up your work with no penalty. If you know in
advance that you will miss class, you are expected to check your assignments before you go. Extra Credit
assignments will not be accepted until all other assigned work is done.
Note: All assignments will have a specific due date. A portion of every grade is an “on-time” grade that will be
awarded for each assignment.
LATE ASSIGNMENTS (1 DAY): The completed assignment will receive a 50% reduction in credit.
NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR CREDIT 2 OR MORE DAYS PAST THE DUE DATE
AND WILL RECEIVE A SCORE OF 0%. To be eligible for extra credit, the assignment must still be completed
and turned in, however.
Grading Scheme:
All assignments will have a point value. Exams will be worth 100 points. Quizzes will vary in value from 10-30
points. Lab write-ups will vary in value from 20-50 points. Homework will vary in value depending on the amount
of time given for completion. Bio-binder checks will be worth 10 points during the first semester. Each nine weeks,
grades will be determined by dividing the total number of points earned by the number of points possible.
For Example: During the nine weeks students A and B had the following grades:
Assignment
Possible Points
Quiz 1
20
Quiz 2
20
Lab 1
30
Exam 1
100
Lab 2
20
Quiz 3
10
Exam 2
100
Bio-binder check
10
Total
310
9 week average
A
15
15
25
95
15
9
94
10
278
B
20
20
30
83
20
10
85
0
268
If you will just keep a running total of the points you have earned versus the possible points, you will not need to
wonder where you stand in terms of your grade. You can do the math. The county grade scale is A = 90-100, B =
80-89, C = 70-79, D = 60-69, F <60.
Classroom Rules and Procedures
Be on Time and on Task—When the tardy bell rings you should be in your seat preparing to begin the day’s work.
Be Respectful—of your classmates and all members of the PHS Staff.
Be Courteous—To participate in class discussions, raise your hand and wait to be recognized.
Be in Compliance with all School District Policies—It wastes valuable time for your teachers to have to write
referrals for things like violations of dress code, cell phone use and repeated tardies.
Be an active participant in all class activities.
Be Helpful when you understand or have mastered a concept that others find difficult.
Be Curious. "I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious."
-- Albert Einstein
The Honor Code:
Each student is expected to perform all of his or her own work, including classwork and homework. Even when
working in a group, there will be an individual assessment of some kind for the activity in question. Cheating on
any assignment will result in the assignment being scored as a zero. This includes all exams. A referral will be
forwarded to the appropriate dean, and parents will be notified. In addition, the IB honor code specifies penalties
for cheating, which may include dismissal from the program. Recently, a student was observed using a cell phone
during an exam. School District policy is to assume that the phone was being used to cheat on the exam. Since
ipods also have built in cameras, they too must be kept in bag or backpack and should never be out during quizzes
or exams. Phones are to be kept turned off and out of sight at all times during the school day—but especially during
exams.
Cheating or the appearance thereof: Just don’t do it.
I have read and understand this syllabus:
Student Signature:_________________________
Parent Signature:__________________________