Welcome!

1. Welcome! • Find the card that you have and take a seat at that spot • If you have the joker you get the rolly chair and can sit anywhere • On the name plate on your desk please find an empty side and write your name in large visible letters and your period and card in small letters • Feel free to use the markers/crayons/pencils up front but please put them back neatly

2. Today’s Agenda Intro Discuss standards based grading What is science? The mystery of the floating sodas HW: Read syllabus. Complete student sheet. Make a concept map of SBG. Bring in a 3-ring binder

3. About Mr. Mahon From Northern California (Oakland area) Studied Human Biology, Health and Society at Cornell University (no I did not know Mr. Lin there) 6th year at Jones

4. Class Policies • Read the syllabus. You don’t need me to read it to you • Communicate! If you will be absent email me. The world doesn’t stop when you are absent • Clean up after yourself. Even if you didn’t make the mess be a good person and clean up your surroundings • Take responsibility for your learning. • Quietly ask to use the restroom in an appropriate time without making a scene. Use your phone appropriately

5. Responsibility for your Learning Struggling is how you learn, improve and grow as a student- never say “I can’t do it” or “you didn’t teach me how to do it” Actively participate, be willing to be wrong or disagreed with Come to morning tutoring or Ac Lab office hours Look for outside resources (your textbook, the internet etc.) when you are struggling with a topic Be proactive, don’t wait until the unit exam or final exam

6. Absent/Tardy Policy Automatic tardy for not being prepared for class when the bell rings 4 detentions for cutting class Up to 4 detentions for excessive tardiness (roughly 1 detention per 20 minutes) Must see me on your own time (morning or Ac Lab) to make up work, discuss what you missed Email if you will be absent, otherwise no extensions will be given

7. About the Cards Mr. Mahon likes card games and magic tricks You will often work in groups of 4, so you will work with the 3 other individuals with the same number as you Sometimes I may collect only the work from only a certain suit or color of cards to represent the group If nobody is willing to talk during discussions I might pull cards randomly to produce “volunteers”

8. Introduce Yourself Say your name and one thing you like to do (activity at Jones, outside of Jones etc.)

9. What Grades Mean to Me A= exceptional, have truly mastered everything we do B= doing well on everything but not full mastery C= you have partial mastery of material D= minimum mastery necessary to receive a passing grade F= have not demonstrated mastery to earn a passing grade

10. Please be aware Your grade is not a reflection of you as a person Your grade is not what I think of you as a person or as a student Your grade is a reflection of your mastery of biology Evaluate yourself based on your growth and progression, not compared to others. Strive to improve and earn the best grade you can, don’t just focus on an A

11. Standards Based Grading

12. How is it different? Traditional Standards Based Grade for each standard Grade reflects mastery of each learning objectively evenly and independently No one assignment dominates the grade (except the final exam) • Grade for each assignment • Grade may accidentally be focused more on one concept than another, e.g. if one concept has a project and another doesn’t • Poor performance on one big assignment drastically affects grade

13. Types of Standards Content Standards Science Standards Demonstrated in all units 20% of grade E.g. student can write a proper scientific procedure • Specific to each unit • 60% of grade • E.g. student can explain how DNA serves to pass on genetic traits A traditional final exam comprises the remaining 20% of the grade

14. How is a grade calculated? Each standard has a scale of mastery associated with it You get several chances to show mastery of each objective E.g. exit slip, lab, quiz, test

15. The Scale

16. Calculating a Score If last score you receive is the highest, congratulations! That is your score If last score is one of the 2 highest scores you receive, they are averaged If last score is not one of the 2 highest scores, you need to see Mr. Mahon during Ac Lab for a verbal quiz to determine your score

17. Example Student gets a 3 (9/10) Student gets a 2.5 (8.25/10) Student sees Mr. Mahon Notice that a low score doesn’t hurt you, as long as you learn from it and improve on future assessments. You get feedback on exactly which standards you need to improve upon, to be ready for a test

18. How Are Assessments Graded? • Sometimes the score may be calculated from a single (usually open-ended) response based on the level of mastery demonstrated • Or a part of a project or lab for example • Other times each score band might have its own questions • Generally there aren’t level 4 questions, but rather a student must demonstrate exceptional mastery on a level 3 question

19. Things to Notice You don’t start out with 100% in the class and then “lose points”. Generally your mastery should increase, so your grade should be able to improve throughout each unit One bad performance can’t drag your grade down- if you demonstrate mastery later the grade isn’t affected There are no grades for lab, projects or tests but individual standards may be assessed

20. Example Lab Report Test Question 1.1 (open ended) Question 1.2.I (MC) Question 1.2.II (Short answer) Question 1.2.III (Sketch) Question 1.3 (open ended) • Procedure (Science Standard 1) • Graphs (Science Standard 2) • Conclusion (Science Standard 3, Content Standard 1.1)

21. Benefits of Standards Based Grading Grade reflects your mastery of all objectives, is more objective You know what you need to work on to improve your grade and are given more direct feedback More opportunities to demonstrate mastery without a bad score harming your grade

22. Caveats • You are expected to show mastery all year, and as such assessments can always include objectives from earlier units • Your final grade for a standard is based on the last time it was assessed (can go up or down) • You are expected to keep track of your progress on each objective. All data enters the gradebook, but you won’t have access to anything but the current grade. If there is a mistake it is on you to produce the work to show that Gradebook is incorrect • A 3 is what is expected of you on an assignment. A score above 3 will be difficult to obtain and will require truly exceptional mastery, meaning you are going above and beyond what we ask you to do. Notice that if you show mastery of every objective, you will have an A in the course, so scores above a 3 are not required to get an A

23. Concept Map Use the information provided (posted on the HW website, along with information on concept maps) to create a map organizing and illustrating standards based grading

24. What is Science? On the back of the half sheet please answer the following questions 1. What is science? 2. What do scientists do? 3. What does it mean to do something “scientifically?”

25. Science Survey Please take a minute to think about each statement and write whether you think it is true or false

26. Discuss with your partner Identify how many you agreed on Mr. Mahon will assign you one question to specifically share your thoughts on

27. Share Out State how many questions you and your partner agreed on State whether you agree or disagree with your ? Briefly discuss your opinions on that question. State your reasons for why you agree/disagree on whether the statement is true or false