Honors Biology CLASS INFORMATION

1. Honors Biology CLASS INFORMATION MrsOsterhoudt Room 305

2. FORMS • Please download from my webpage: • Class Guidelines • Syllabus • Book Form • If you can not access forms online, let me know. • Read each, with parents, and both sign all. • On the book form, select 1 of the 3 choices • Signed forms are due on or before; Friday, August 8th.

3. REMIND101 • If you have not signed up, please do so… Text@mrsosterto 385-282-7420 • I will use this as a communication tool for HW, upcoming tests, general reminders and room changes, etc…

4. CLASS GUIDELINES Or… what are the ‘dos and don’ts’?

5. Materials for class… NECESSARY OPTIONAL • 1 inch, 3-ring binder • Nothing fancy needed • 6 section dividers • Blue or black pens • Pencils • Notebook paper • 1 pack should cover you for the year • Highlighters • Glue sticks • Colored pencils • Basic function calculator

6. Organization is the key to success! • Maintaining your notebook is very important! • All materials are indexed and placed into specific sections. • Nothing is removed until after a notebook check is completed. • Necessary materials for EOCT review will be removed at the end of units and placed into a portfolio • Details on how to arrange your biology notebook will be during class on Monday, August 11th Please have all required materials with you by that date.

7. BYOT • It is understood that personal technology devices can be a useful tool in the classroom; where appropriate! • The student understands that the use of such devices will be limited to instructional purposes only. • The student should refrain from using electronic devises of any kind for non-instructional purposes during class time. • Repeated infractions will result in consequences in accordance with the BYOT Student Contract and Alexander High School Student Handbook. • Simply put… While in class turn it OFF!

8. HOMEWORK • Homework is an important and essential part of the class as it supplements instruction. • You must be willing, and are expected, to go beyond classroom instruction in order to fully develop comprehension of the material • Usually you will receive a packet of assignments for a unit with no specific due date…you should complete the worksheets as instruction is completed. Packets will be checked for completion with little advanced notice and this represents your HW grade…don’t wait until the last minute!!! • Often assignments will run concurrently. • Unannounced homework quizzes are a regular part of instruction.

9. ASSIGNMENTS • Must be completed by scheduled due dates. • Assignments turned in over 3 days late will receive a grade no higher than a 70. Prior arrangements must be made for any exceptions that may be granted. • It is your responsibility to check IC often to make sure you have no missing assignments; look for an “M” instead of a score. I will remind you once or twice in class. • Labs that can be made-up must be completed within 5 days for full credit.

10. PROJECTS • Generally, there are between 2-3 projects. • Project due dates are not negotiable. • Projects are due by your class period, on or before, the due date. • Advanced notice must be received if you know you will not be in class(i.e. sports, field trip, family event) on a project due date! • If absent on a date a project is due, you must have upon the day of return: • Anofficial excused absence form • The project in hand

11. EXTRA CREDIT • Specific extra credit assignments may be provided, but, are rare. • You may at any time complete an additional activity, such as, graphic organizers, flip books, flash cards, etc. and submit it for extra credit as part of your at home study or review. • It should be understood, however, thatassignments completed for extra credit cannot be substituted for credit on missing class assignments. • Extra credit cannot be completed, en mass, at the end of the year in an effort to pass.

12. Only knowledge is consumed in class! • No food or drink, except water, will be allowed in the classroom. • No chips, candy bars, cokes, sports drinks, or snacks of any kind in class..unless I provide them! • Water must be in a sealed drink bottle. • No fast food cups. If you enter the class with one, it will be placed on the counter and retrieved after the bell on your way out. • If a medical issue requires a snack, that info should be included on your Medical Information Form. • I do not mind gum, mints, cough drops, etc; however… I must not see it… hear it… or stick to it!

13. DRESS CODE • Dress Code will be enforced. • Follow guidelines as explained in the AHS Student Handbook. • Pants worn on the waist. • Shirts must cover midriff and chest. (Only cells in mitosis should show cleavage!) • Appropriate length on skirts/shorts • Very form fitting ‘leggings/yoga pants’ covered to fingertips • Violations of dress code policy can create a safety and decorum issue while working in lab setting. • Specific additions/changes to dress code policy will be addressed during discussion lab safety procedures.

14. RESTROOM POLICY • You are expected to make every effort to use the restroom between classes. • You have plenty of time; if you’re not wasting it! • No one removes the hall pass from the classroom without permission. • No passes will be issued for visits to snack or drink machines. • You will receive a total of 6 opportunities to use the pass for restroom visits during class. So…emergencies only! • If you use a restroom pass for any purpose other than the restroom, you forfeit any remaining opportunities to leave class • *Medical necessities for restroom use should be included on the medical form kept on file.

15. ATTENDANCE and MAKE-UP WORK • Regular attendance is a necessity due to accelerated pacing of the curriculum. • Make-up work is YOUR responsibility to acquire and complete w/in the required time. (See Handbook.) • All make-up work is located in the “sink” at the front of the room. • When returning from absences look there first for assignments. • Please do not interrupt instruction to ask for your make-up. • Do not hesitate to contact me if you are sick or out for more than 1 day for your assignments. • Once a test is taken for a unit, or section, no late or makeup work will be accepted for credit.

16. SYLLABUS The Format of the Class

17. School: Alexander High Teacher: Osterhoudt School Phone:770.652.6172 Date: August, 2014 Email: peggy.osterhoudt@douglas.k12.ga.usCourse: Honors Biology COURSE SYLLABUS Course Description:Biology is the study of the chemical and physical properties of life. During the course students will actively delve into all aspects of the living world including, but not limited to: the cell, biochemistry, biological diversity, genetics, evolution by natural selection, and ecology. Performance Standards/Objectives: The biology curriculum follows the Georgia Performance Standards. This curriculum focuses upon inquiry based instruction utilizing problem solving strategies. The specific GPS curriculum can be accessed through the Douglas County Schools web site at: www.douglas.k12.ga.us. Anticipated Classroom Format: Instruction in this course is on an advanced level. Pacing of instruction is accelerated and students must be willing and are expected to go beyond the classroom in order to fully develop comprehension. Instruction will include several different modalities including the following: lecture, laboratory inquires, dissection, group discussions, cooperative learning and research. Students will be required to take notes and maintain an organized notebook. Periodically, the students will participate in outdoor field activities, manipulate live, or preserved, organisms and complete computer investigations. Portfolios will be prepared from essential materials which can then be utilized for EOCT preparation. Assessment/Evaluations/Required Student Products: Instruction will include, but is not limited to, the following: notebook checks, lab reports, research activities, projects/project presentations, group work, district assessments/quizzes, daily assignments, scientific vocabulary, and warm-up questions. Grading Plan: Infinite Campus calculates grades cumulatively, using the following weights: Formative Grades=20% Summative Grades=60%EOCT=20% Homework=5% Lab Reports=20% State mandated Quizzes=5% CDA/Formative Assessments=20% Notebook=5% Daily Assignments=15% Participation=5% Projects (2-3) =5%

18. It is the student’s responsibility to frequently check their average on line. Parents may also keep updated on a daily basis by accessing Infinite Campus. Registration is required. Class information as well as all forms can be accessed at the following: http://alexander.dch.schoolinsites.com/ Strategies for Student Learning: To be successful in honors biology students should be self-motivated, inquisitive, and conscientious learners. In addition, students should always: be on time for class, prepared for instruction, complete assignments by required dates, be courteous of others, ask questions to clarify learning, remain on task, adhere to all safety requirements, and obtain and complete makeup work when absent. Remind 101: I utilize this texting program to keep my students apprised of upcoming due dates, as well as, to remind them of assignments, tests, room changes, etc. If your child has texting capabilities on their cell phone they may enroll in this free program by doing the following: Text @mrsoster to (385) 218-6712 *Please check your cell phone contract as texting charges may apply if you do not have unlimited texting capabilities.* Academic Honesty: Students are expected to adhere to the highest standards of academic honesty. Plagiarism occurs when a student uses or purchases ghostwritten papers or when a student utilizes the ideas of, or information obtained, from another person without giving credit to that person. Infractions of code may include cheating, plagiarism, disruptive behavior and disorderly conduct. Students found to be in violation of the honesty code may be subject to disciplinary action and/or no credit for the assignment or class. Assignments submitted by a student must reflect the student’s own work. Required Readings: Will include, but are not limited to, the following: magazine/newspaper/internet articles, textbook, labs and assignments, select supplementary texts. Lost Book Policy: As per Board Policy Descriptive Code: IFAD, the student will be charged the full replacement cost for any lost, or damaged beyond use, textbook. Student will pay replacement cost for extensively damaged books (i.e. water, torn/missing pages, etc). Replacement Cost: Glencoe Biology: Text = $71.70 Disk Version = $85.50 Glencoe Biology Text and resources can be accessed at www.glencoe.com. Complete instructions can be found on my web page in the Other Class Information tab

19. Course Scope and Sequence A more detailed scope and sequence can be viewed at www.gadoe.org Resources: These are a few of the websites that are used for instructional purpose www.biologycorner.com www.cellsalive.com www.biologyinmotion.com www.livescience.com www.sciencenews.com *Power Points utilized in class can be found in the Presentationssection on my webpage. Students are encouraged to utilize these presentations for introduction, maintenance, and review of topics covered in class. Student Signature_________________________________________ Date_____________ Parent Signature__________________________________________ Date_____________

20. BOOK FORM What? You mean, I don’t have to carry that thing around all day?

21. HONORS BIOLOGY BOOK FORM August 2014 Dear Parents; I want to welcome you and your child to my Honors Biology class. I am looking forward to an exciting and challenging year ahead. In an effort to make sure you are kept abreast of all issues concerning your child, I wanted to make you aware of the options regarding textbooks. Please understand that my instruction and out-of-class assignments are not dependent on any one particular book or resource. Textbooks are used primarily as references to support instruction. To address textbook issues, I will follow these procedures: • I will keep a class set of Glencoe (or Zebra book) and Holt (or Owl book) in the room for students to use as a reference when instruction warrants their use. • Out-of-class assignments may be completed using any textbook or reference source. There will be few references to specific pages or questions in the texts; only broad concepts. • All students having internet access at home, regardless of whether they have been issued a text or not, will have access to an Authorization Code to use on the publisher’s web site www.glencoe.com. This code, directions to access the text and all materials online can be found on my faculty page at http://alexander.dch.schoolinsites.com/. Click on Other ClassInformation and follow the prompts. • If a student prefers, the textbook and related materials can be issued in CD format. To access the text using the disk, internet access is required. • Any student that does not have Internet access and/or computer a hardback copy of a textbook can be issued to keep at home. All textbooks have the same basic content as the Glencoe text and any version will enable students to complete out of class assignments without the use of a computer.

22. RETURN ONLY THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THIS FORM BY Monday, August 11thth* Student Name: ________________________________ Class period: _________ Parent signature: ___________________________________________ Please talk with your child and check ONLY one of the three choices below: ____ My child has home access to a computer with Internet access and will use the authorization code for the on-line book. ____ My child has home access to a computer with internet and would like a Glencoe Student Works CD. I understand the cost to replace this CD if lost/damaged is $85.50. ____My child has no access to a computer and/or would rather use a printed book for home use. I understand the cost to replace Glencoe Biology is $71.70 Teacher use Text_____________ CD_____________ ONLINE___________