Welcome to 7 grade Life Science!
th
Murphey Middle School
Mrs. D. Wright, Room 17
E-mail address: lattide@rck12.org
Class Description and Goals
Science is mankind’s effort to learn about our world through the processes of observation and
experimentation. Along with learning basic science processes and skills, our class will be focusing
on the following seven areas this year:
Unit 1: Lab Safety and Intro to Life Science
Unit 2: Ecosystems and Biomes
Unit 3: Living Things, Cell Processes, and Energy
Unit 4: Human Body Systems
Unit 5: Biological Traits
Unit 6: Modern Genetics
Unit 7: Evolution
Unit 8: Acceleration- Matter
Aug. 6th – Sept. 25thth
Sept. 28th – Nov. 6th
Nov. 8th- Dec. 18th
January 4th- Feb. 2nd
Feb. 4th- March 4th
March 7th- April 1st
April 12th- April 29th
May
My main goal as your teacher is to help you succeed both in the classroom and in life. Science is a
fascinating and applicable subject that helps us better understand the workings of the world around
us. Even more important, though, I want each of you to fall in love with learning. No matter how
old we get, our ability to learn and understand new things plays an important role in our lives. I
want each of you to become lifelong learners!
Materials Needed
Along with the usual school materials (paper and a pen or pencil), each of you will need to purchase
a 2-3” three-ring binder and tab dividers. These binders will become your organization tool for
returned graded assignments for all Science, ELA, Math, and Social Studies work for the duration
of the school year. The tab dividers will help you to separate your work from each subject.
Attendance
You are required to attend class on time every day. This is one of the most fundamental ways to
ensure that one learns what needs to be learned in class. When you are absent, you will still be held
accountable for the learning that has taken place while you were gone. There is a plastic filing
container with all of each term’s assignments in it on the back table in the classroom. A day-to-day
calendar of the class schedule will also be provided nearby. It is your responsibility to locate this
from the container and finish any assignments that you missed while you were absent. Rest assured,
you will be given ample time to complete this work and get caught up. Please come talk to me if
you need any help locating and finishing these assignments.
Classroom Procedures
All of us have certain routines that we go through each day (e.g., getting ready in the morning, the
route we take to school, preparing and eating meals). These routines save us time and simplify the
tasks we must perform. In a similar way, there are classroom routines, or “procedures,” that help a
class function more effectively as a whole. The following are a few of the most important ones:
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Beginning the class period: You are expected to find your assigned seat and begin
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working on the SQUID (Science Question of the Day) immediately. Each day, you
will be asked to record your thoughts, feelings, and knowledge of various science
concepts in your notebooks. These books will be collected and checked periodically
and will count as an assessment grade. As a class, we will also use the following
textbooks this school year: Prentice Hall Science Explorer, Georgia Edition—Life
Science
Quieting the class: When you hear the declaration “Eyes and ears” you should quiet
down and look up front.
Seeking help: You should quietly raise your hand whenever you need help
(questions, comments, responses, requests, etc.).
Ending the class period: You will leave your work area neat, pack-up all materials,
and remain at your desk or lab and continue working until you are excused.
These and other procedures will be taught, modeled, and followed throughout the school year to
help us use our class time effectively and get the most out of each period together.
Assignments (Activities, Labs, etc.)
Much of the work we will do is “in class work,” meaning we do it together in class. As long as you
attend class daily and work hard, there is no reason why you can’t successfully accomplish these
assignments during class. When homework is given, however, you are expected to complete and
return it to class at the specified time. Homework packets will be issued on Monday and due on
Friday each week. Late unexcused work will result in subtracting 10% from the assignment’s total
possible score for each day that the assignment goes beyond its due date. It is important that you
learn now to be prompt with your work!
All students are required to complete a science fair project. Students will be provided ample time to
choose and research a life science topic during class. However, students will need to carry out their
individual or group projects at home. Students will need a tri-fold board and a bound notebook.
Let’s start thinking now!
Assessments
Short quizzes will be given on a regular basis to ensure that you comprehend the content we’re
learning together in class. A pre-test will be given at the beginning of each unit to assess your
knowledge. At the end of each unit, the same test will be administered in order to monitor your
progress. Anchor charts will be posted around the classroom as we begin our Science Journey; use
your classroom!
You are strongly encouraged to study and prepare at home prior to test day. Review notes and/or
study guides regularly to aid you in your review of the material. I will also be available after schools
on Tuesdays from 4:30-5:30 p.m. for students that need additional help.
Discipline Plan
“The teacher has the right to teach, and each student has the right to learn.” To help protect such
rights, and to ensure that everyone is completely able to learn and succeed in class, I have
established the following rules and consequences:
Classroom Rules
1. Follow directions quickly.
2. Raise your hand for permission to speak.
3. Raise your hand to leave your seat.
4. Make smart choices.
5. Keep your teacher and parents happy.
If You Choose to Break a Rule …
 1st time: Verbal Warning
 2nd time: Consequence corner and/or team time-out; parents contacted; -5 Class Dojo
points
 3rd time: Silent Lunch and after-school detention; parents contacted; -10 Class Dojo points
 Severe disruptions: Office Referral
Teacher will use the Class Dojo app to monitor and communicate student academic and behavioral
progress to parents throughout the year. Parents are encouraged to download the Class Dojo app to
their smartphones or home computers to stay connected to your student’s leaning. Communication
from Class Dojo comes in the form of text messages and emails real-time. In essence, you will
know how your student has done in class before he or she gets home. Your parent code to access
the app will be sent home with students the first week of school. Be sure to ask your students,
“Where’s my code?”
Academic Grade*
The following grade scale will be used in class:
A
90%–100%
B
80%–89%
C
75%–79%
D
70% -74%
F
69% and below
*A 70% or higher must be achieved every 9 weeks for a total of 280 points.
Academic Weights
Test/Projects 40% Classwork/Labs- 20%
Quiz-20%
Homework 10%
Notebooks-10%
Teacher’s Right
As the teacher, I reserve the right to make changes to these policies or procedures as needed.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(Cut along the dotted line, and return the bottom portion to your teacher by 8/12/15.)
Please sign below if you have read through, understand, and agree to the terms above.
Student:
_______
Parent/guardian:
_______
Parent/guardian’s phone # _________________________________________
Parent/guardian’s e-mail: __________________________________________
Feel free to share any questions or comments that you may have on the back of this form (or in an email).