8th Grade Science Information
Ms. Katie Girardot
Room: 121
Phone: 630-972-7445
Email: kgirardot@cassd63.org
Grade Breakdown:
Area
Projects/Tests/Quizzes
Homework/Daily Work
Labs
TOTAL
Weight
25%
25%
50%
100%
Late Work Policy:
1 day = 11% off (one letter grade lower)
ANY more than 1 day = NO CREDIT
Note: Any absence for illness or other unexcused incidences will be handled in accordance to the
8th grade team policy. For students missing class(es), you are responsible for ALL work missed.
Please see the absence/missing work board to pick up any and all paper copies of in class work.
Also, see the Homework Calendar and website for other work. All of my documents and work
are available online and can be completed at home (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF LABS).
Preparation:
Students will NOT be leaving the room for and are to come EVERYDAY prepared with:



Homework
A pencil (no pens allowed…students will lose participation points for the day)
A calculator
Typical Unit Can Include (but does not exclude):

Unit Pre-Quiz
Before the start of every unit, students will take a non-graded pre-quiz so that the teacher
can determine the student’s existing knowledge of the unit’s key concepts. This quiz
score will not count towards the student’s grade, but it will help to determine groups, lab
partners, and activities for the unit.

Book Reading
Every unit students will be expected to read a portion of the class text: Concepts and
Challenges in Physical Science. This reading will not always be a specific or single
chapter. Students can reference the Unit Syllabus for the specific page numbers
required. The reading will be due the Wednesday following the previous unit’s test.
8th Grade Science Information






Reading Quiz
Every unit students will be assessed on their comprehension of the required reading for
the unit. This quiz will take place on the Wednesday the reading is due.
Vocabulary Assignment
Every unit students will be expected to complete a vocabulary assignment for the words
key terms. Students are asked to write the definition of each term IN A COMPLETE
SENTENCE (complete with punctuation). This can be done on vocabulary cards, typed
out (and emailed to the teacher), or using the online vocabulary card program Quizlet.
In-class activities
The types of activities will vary from small demos, in-class write ups, entrance/exit slips,
video discussions, think-pair-share, and others. Students will receive credit for
completing these activities IN CLASS. This will not be homework material.
Labs
Students will complete labs in every unit this year in science. The number, difficulty, and
type of lab will vary depending on the topics being studied. Students will be expected to
create a purpose, hypothesis, and answer key questions for each lab. Some labs will
require extensive write ups. These labs will have an extended in class discussion and I
will give some class time to write up the lab.
Class Notes/Discussions
Students will be taking notes in every unit (approximately one TOTAL day a unit) on the
topic being covered. Students are responsible for all material covered in class notes. All
notes, power points, and other presentations are posted on each unit’s webpage. Be
aware, that some material covered IN CLASS may slightly vary from the information on
the posted presentation. Students are responsible for information presented IN CLASS.
Summative Assessment
Every unit will end with some type of summative assessment, whether that be a test or
project.
Extra Credit:
An online blog response and questions (a total of 5 points/unit can be earned) will be available
on a UNIT by UNIT basis for students. Students MUST turn their answers via EMAIL by the
due date in order to earn any points. This will be the ONLY opportunity for extra credit in
science class this year. Extra credit points will be added to the student’s HOMEWORK grade.
Key Resources:



Homework Calendar (especially for students who miss class)
Parent Portal (for BOTH students and parents/guardians)
Science Webpage (for BOTH students and parents/guardians)
8th Grade Science Information
Signature Form
______________________________________________________________________________
I, ____________________________ (print student name), have read the expectations of 8th
grade science. I understand the expectations that I have read and have discussed them with my
parent/guardian.
___________________________
Student Signature
________________
Date
_______________________
Parent/Guardian Signature
_______________
Date
Please PRINT LEGIBLY
Parent Email:___________________________________________________________________