My name is Ms. Vitale and I am so excited to teach you about the wonderful living world around you! Biology relates to
everything that you have learned so far in your academic career, and it will continue to relate to everything that you will
learn in the future. Biology is you! For instance, you are made up of millions of tiny living cells. I have so many exciting
things to teach to you, and I look forward to getting to know every one of you!
Here is my contact information, should you need it at any point this year:
Instructor: Ms. Angela Vitale
Email: amvitale@d500.org
Office Phone: 847-222-2222
Classroom: 250
Office: 250A
***We have a class website that can be found at this address: http://vitalebio101.wikispaces.com
On this website can be found the notes, assignments and hand outs for each week.
Biology 101 is an introductory life science course that will cover many topics spanning the five kingdoms of life (Animals,
Plants, Fungi, Bacteria and Protists) as well as broader concepts in Biology such as cells, evolution, and genetics. You are
all young scientists in the making, with so much potential. My job is to help you to think critically about biology – to teach
you to ask informed questions, to make educated guesses (hypotheses) and to make solid connections between new and
old information. I hope that you eventually find that you will love Biology and Life Science as much as I do. Even if Biology
does not turn out to be your favorite subject, I am determined to convince you of the importance of Biology, both in your life
and in the lives of every individual organism on the planet Earth.
In my class, I expect that all students will respect each other and me.
By this, I mean that I expect:
- No talking out of turn
- Respect for other people’s opinions, thoughts and feelings
- Homework to be completed on time
- Academic honesty (No cheating on homework, exams or quizzes!)
- All of the directions that I give to be followed (This is about safety!)
- Good choices to be made by all!
IMPORTANT NOTE: In this class, we may be using equipment that if not handled properly, can be dangerous or
hazardous to your safety. I want everyone to listen to all of the directions that I give VERY CAREFULLY. I do not want
anyone to get hurt, and if you cooperate with me, I can make sure that no one will.
BIOLOGY 101 SYLLABUS PAGE 1
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One 3 inch binder, labeled with your name and “Biology 101”
One wide-ruled notebook for the Fall, labeled with your name and “Biology 101”
One wide-ruled notebook for the Spring, labeled with your name and “Biology 101”
Black and red pens
Number 2 pencils
Attendance:
I take attendance daily, so I will know if you are absent. I understand that illness, deaths in the family and other
extenuating circumstances may make it difficult for you to attend class. However, if you are absent too often, you may be
considered truant, and may have to speak with me and the principal. Your success in this class depends on whether or not
you attend our class meetings.
Textbook:
You will get your own class textbook for the year. Please be respectful of the school’s property. Do not write in the textbook
or tear its pages.
Grades:
89.5 – 100%
79.5 – 89.4%
69.5 – 79.4%
59.5 – 69.4%
59.4% and below
A
B
C
D
F
Grades will be updated on the class website approximately every two weeks. If you need to know your grades before then,
please be patient and let me know and I will be accommodating.
Make Up Work Policy:
If you miss class, you will have access to all the notes, assignments and hand outs from each day on our class website. I
update the website every Sunday night so that all of the assignments for the week are up there. Dates of exams and
quizzes will also be posted on the class website.
For every day that you are absent, you have 2 days to print, complete and hand in the missed work in the “ABSENT
WORK” basket on my desk. If you do not have a computer to print the assignments, the school library has a computer
lab that you can use.
Example: If Bart Simpson was in my class and he missed Tuesday's class meeting, the missed Tuesday work would be
due Thursday. If he also missed Wednesday, Wednesday's missed work would be due Friday, with no penalties.
However, if Bart also missed Friday, the Friday assignments would be due Monday. If Bart did not turn his homework in
after the 2 day grace period, he would receive a 10% reduction on his assignment for every day that it was late.
Moral of the Story: Use the Website and the 2 Day Grace Period Well!
Late Work Policy:
This is different from the Make Up Work Policy. In order to be able to have the 2 day benefit of the Make Up Policy, you
must have had an excused absence. If you simply decided that you were not going to complete the homework, you will get
a 10% reduction for every day that your assignment is late.
BIOLOGY 101 SYLLABUS PAGE 2
BioBucks:
I like to give students an opportunity to earn extra credit points. You can do this by earning BioBucks! Every Friday, we will
have a Weekly Review, covering all the material from the week. I will ask you four questions. For every four questions that
you answer correctly throughout the semester, you will get a BioBuck! I will keep tally of all of your correct answers, and
will pay you your BioBucks accordingly. At the end of each semester, you will bring me all the BioBucks that you earned
and you will receive the extra credit! 
1 BioBuck = 1 Extra Credit Point
General Notes:
If you work hard in my class, and keep a positive attitude, you will succeed. I want us to have a great year! Don’t forget –
Biology is FUN! 
BIOLOGY 101 SYLLABUS PAGE 3