Biology

Instructor: David Smashey
Phone: 417-742-3524 ext. 3161
Email: dsmashey@willard.k12.mo.us
Conference: 6th Hour
Text: Biology (Prentice Hall)
 

Happy is he who gets to know the reasons for things.           Virgil, Roman Poet.

Biology is class that I enjoy teaching.  I love knowing how things work and why things are the way they are.  My intentions are that every student will be challenged and that every student will succeed.

My goal is that each student will learn what an educated person needs to know about biology in order that they may thrive in this increasingly complicated and scientifically sophisticated world.

Why do we study Biology?  You are a biological being.

Everything we are going to learn is actually going on either inside your own body or it involves how you as an individual fit in with the living world around you.

Competencies addressed:
1. Students will be able to identify the relationships and interactions of organisms and their environment.
2. Students will recognize that heredity/genetic information is contained in molecules of DNA.
3. Students will recognize that cells are the fundamental structure and functional units of all living organisms.
4. Students will have knowledge of scientific inquiry, processes involved, and tools used.
5. Students will be able to classify organisms into groups based on similarities and differences.

Grading:

You will receive points for a wide variety of assignments and assessments.  These will include homework, quizzes, labs, projects and exams.  Your Fall Semester Final Exam will constitute approximately 15% of your semester grade.  In the spring, the End of Course Exam and the Final Exam will each constitute approximately 10% of you final grade.

Your grade will be based on your percent of the total possible points.  Every point is worth the same amount.  You can calculate your grade by dividing your total number of points by the total number of points possible in the class.

Three percent (3%) of your semester grade is based on my evaluation of your participation as a member of the class.  The expectations include, but are not limited to, coming to class prepared, having appropriate materials, taking notes, not disrupting the class, answering questions and working cooperatively in lab groups.

We will use the Willard High School grading scale to determine how your percentage translates into a grade.

A    ≥ 96%

A-    90-95%

B+    87-89%

B    84-86%

B-    80-83%

C+    77-79%

C    74-76%

C-    70-73%

D+    67-69%

D    64-66%

D-    60-63%

F    <60%

Late and Makeup Work

Late work will be accepted at the instructor's discretion.  It must be completed before the end of the current unit.  The fraction of the original points possible that late work is worth will vary depending on whether the degree of lateness and whether the lateness is an isolated or habitual event.

Makeup work will be handled as described in the student handbook (within 3 days of the absence).  You are responsible for finding out what you missed.

All makeup and late work must have the date of the original assignment at the top of the first page.

You will not be able to make up any work (or tests) missed due to excessive absences (greater than 7 per semester).

No additional time will be given students who miss class due to official school trips (field trips, athletics, performances, organizations, etc.)

LINKS:
http://www.biology4kids.com/files/cell_main.html
http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idbpyr.html
http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idbpyr.html
http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idbpyr.html
http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idbpyr.html
Chapter 1 Notes