Environmental Science Syllabus
Lafe Caton, BA., M.Ed
[email protected]
Unit Overview:
There will be a total of ten units of instruction throughout this year. The first five units will occur during the first semester with the last five units occurring during the second semester.
1st Semester:
2nd Semester:
Examinations:
There will be multiple examinations for each of the ten units throughout the semester. Test will account for 25% of a student’s grade. Short answer and essay type questions will be the most common form of questions used for assessment.
Assignments:
There will be two types of assignment given in this class. The first type is labeled classwork which will include all assignments or activities that are done during the class period. These assignment will account for 15% of a student’s grade. The second type of assignment will be labeled homework and these are activities that will be completed outside the classroom. These assignment will account for 10% of a student’s grade.
Laboratories:
Lab reports will be required for all lab activities. You must follow laboratory rules at all times. Failure to do so will result in the loss of privileges in the lab. In lab, you will usually work in pairs and sometimes in groups of four. Grades on laboratory work will come from safe completion of the lab and the completion of the lab report. These assignment will account for 15% of a student’s grade.
Quizzes:
Quizzes may be announced or unannounced. The quizzes will account for 5% of a student’s grade.
Agency:
This category is to encourage student responsibility and will be used to determine whether or not an assignment was turned in on time. If the assignment is turned in on time the student will receive 10 points per assignment. If the assignment is one day late they will only receive 5 points for that assignment. If the assignment is more than one day late they will receive 0 points for that assignment.
Special Projects:
Each 9 weeks each student will be responsible for a class presentation. Some presentations may be done individually while others will require the students to work in groups. A rubric will be used to assess the projects that are presented. Special projects will account for 15% of the student’s grade.
Grading Policy:
The grade percentage breakdowns are as follows:
Task Percentage
Tests and Examinations 25%
Quizzes 5%
Classwork 15%
Homework 10%
Labs 15%
Special Projects 15%
Agency 15%
Total 100%
Content:
The content of this course will follow the Frameworks for Biology as set by the Arkansas Department of Education. These standards may be found at the following link:
http://www.arkansased.gov/public/userfiles/Learning_Services/Curriculum%20and%20Instruction/Frameworks/Science/environment_9_12_06.pdf
Cheating:
Cheating will not be tolerated. All students involved will receive an automatic zero on that assignment, quiz, or exam and will be subject to other disciplinary action as outlined in the student handbook.
Attendance:
If you miss class for any reason, you are responsible for collecting and completing your missed work. If you are absent on the day that an assignment is due, you will be expected to turn in the assignment that is due on the day that you return to class. Labs are sometimes lengthy and if you miss a lab, you will be expected to make it up before or after school during the week that you return. Examinations will be announced well before the date of the exam. Therefore, missing a review day does not mean that you do not take the test. If you are present on test day, you will take the test.
Digital Learning Requirement:
This course will meet the requirement of students’ Digital Learning Requirement set forth by Arkansas Law Act 1280. According to Section 4.01 this course qualifies as a “blended learning” environment because our class instruction and content are delivered through supervised instruction (by me, the teacher) in a classroom (at PRHS) and online delivery of instruction (through one-to-one Chromebook instruction) with some element of student control over time (Students are able to complete assignments throughout the day) and place (Students are able to complete assignments in a number of locations within PRHS or from home). This course meets the requirements set forth by Section 8.031 of “being of high quality”. This course meets the requirements set forth by Section 8.032 in “meeting or exceeding curriculum standards and requirements established by the State Board of Education .” (All of my content and pedagogy is aligned to Common Core State Standards and best practices.) This course meets the requirements set forth by Section 8.033 in being “made available in blended learning”. (The first paragraph describes my compliance with “blended learning” requirements.) According to Section 7.04 public school districts may provide digital learning courses to their own students without the assistance of an external digital learning provider and are not required to seek approval as a digital learning provider pursuant to these rules.
Lafe Caton, BA., M.Ed
[email protected]
Unit Overview:
There will be a total of ten units of instruction throughout this year. The first five units will occur during the first semester with the last five units occurring during the second semester.
1st Semester:
- Unit 1: Experimental Design/Recycling Procedures
- Unit 2: Physical Dynamics of Earth/Fitness Testing
- Unit 3: Physical Dynamics of Earth/Hunter Education
- Unit 4: Biological Dynamics of Earth/Archery
- Unit 5: Biological Dynamics of Earth/Ultimate Frisbee
2nd Semester:
- Unit 6: Biological Dynamics of Earth/Sport Fishing and Lure Making
- Unit 7: Biological Dynamics of Earth/Canoeing
- Unit 8: Human Impact on the Environment/Boat and Water Safety
- Unit 9: Human Impact on the Environment/Fly Tying and Casting
- Unit 10: Human Impact on the Environment/Orienteering and Camping
Examinations:
There will be multiple examinations for each of the ten units throughout the semester. Test will account for 25% of a student’s grade. Short answer and essay type questions will be the most common form of questions used for assessment.
Assignments:
There will be two types of assignment given in this class. The first type is labeled classwork which will include all assignments or activities that are done during the class period. These assignment will account for 15% of a student’s grade. The second type of assignment will be labeled homework and these are activities that will be completed outside the classroom. These assignment will account for 10% of a student’s grade.
Laboratories:
Lab reports will be required for all lab activities. You must follow laboratory rules at all times. Failure to do so will result in the loss of privileges in the lab. In lab, you will usually work in pairs and sometimes in groups of four. Grades on laboratory work will come from safe completion of the lab and the completion of the lab report. These assignment will account for 15% of a student’s grade.
Quizzes:
Quizzes may be announced or unannounced. The quizzes will account for 5% of a student’s grade.
Agency:
This category is to encourage student responsibility and will be used to determine whether or not an assignment was turned in on time. If the assignment is turned in on time the student will receive 10 points per assignment. If the assignment is one day late they will only receive 5 points for that assignment. If the assignment is more than one day late they will receive 0 points for that assignment.
Special Projects:
Each 9 weeks each student will be responsible for a class presentation. Some presentations may be done individually while others will require the students to work in groups. A rubric will be used to assess the projects that are presented. Special projects will account for 15% of the student’s grade.
Grading Policy:
The grade percentage breakdowns are as follows:
Task Percentage
Tests and Examinations 25%
Quizzes 5%
Classwork 15%
Homework 10%
Labs 15%
Special Projects 15%
Agency 15%
Total 100%
Content:
The content of this course will follow the Frameworks for Biology as set by the Arkansas Department of Education. These standards may be found at the following link:
http://www.arkansased.gov/public/userfiles/Learning_Services/Curriculum%20and%20Instruction/Frameworks/Science/environment_9_12_06.pdf
Cheating:
Cheating will not be tolerated. All students involved will receive an automatic zero on that assignment, quiz, or exam and will be subject to other disciplinary action as outlined in the student handbook.
Attendance:
If you miss class for any reason, you are responsible for collecting and completing your missed work. If you are absent on the day that an assignment is due, you will be expected to turn in the assignment that is due on the day that you return to class. Labs are sometimes lengthy and if you miss a lab, you will be expected to make it up before or after school during the week that you return. Examinations will be announced well before the date of the exam. Therefore, missing a review day does not mean that you do not take the test. If you are present on test day, you will take the test.
Digital Learning Requirement:
This course will meet the requirement of students’ Digital Learning Requirement set forth by Arkansas Law Act 1280. According to Section 4.01 this course qualifies as a “blended learning” environment because our class instruction and content are delivered through supervised instruction (by me, the teacher) in a classroom (at PRHS) and online delivery of instruction (through one-to-one Chromebook instruction) with some element of student control over time (Students are able to complete assignments throughout the day) and place (Students are able to complete assignments in a number of locations within PRHS or from home). This course meets the requirements set forth by Section 8.031 of “being of high quality”. This course meets the requirements set forth by Section 8.032 in “meeting or exceeding curriculum standards and requirements established by the State Board of Education .” (All of my content and pedagogy is aligned to Common Core State Standards and best practices.) This course meets the requirements set forth by Section 8.033 in being “made available in blended learning”. (The first paragraph describes my compliance with “blended learning” requirements.) According to Section 7.04 public school districts may provide digital learning courses to their own students without the assistance of an external digital learning provider and are not required to seek approval as a digital learning provider pursuant to these rules.