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10TH GRADE BIOLOGY SYLLABUS

Ms. Vogt [email protected]

SELF-INTRODUCTION

My name is Abigail Vogt (Ms. Vogt) and I will be your 10 th grade Biology teacher this
year. I believe that every student is a unique individual. Each student has a different
learning style, a different take on what they consider priorities in their education,
different emotional and social needs, and different intellectual levels. In order to
foster all those aspects of student development, I know that my classroom must
foster a secure, engaging and caring atmosphere so that each student feels they
can bring their weaknesses to the table and try to make them stronger. In order to
do this, both the teacher and the students must work together and meet the
expectations of classroom rules and procedures as set forth below.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Biology is a huge field of study. Its intriguing, jaw-dropping, challenging; the list
goes on and on. My love for biology as surpassed my passion for any other field
(even though other fields are just as important) and I hope that by digging into the
curiosity of my students and the wealth of knowledge lying in the living things
around us, I can place some of that same passion and love for learning within my
students when they walk out of my class. I hope that they will understand that
being curious about the world and nature can be intellectually stimulating and
engaging.

This is a year-long course focusing on the inquiry process, the history and nature of
science, science in personal and social perspectives and life science (biology)!
We will cover aspects of the living world such as the cell, the molecular basis of
heredity, interdependence of organisms, biological evolution and matter, energy,
and organization in living systems (including human systems). It is a lab based class
where we will be in a laboratory setting with about 28-32 students.
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Classroom Expectations
- Be present AND on time to every classroom.
- Be prepared for class with lab notebook, goggles, lab coat, closed toed shoes, pens,
pencils, paper, etc.
- BE RESPECTFUL.
- Profanity, bullying, cheating is prohibited in my classroom. NO EXCEPTIONS.
- Be ready to open your mind to the ideas and opinions of other classmates. The labs
we complete will be almost entirely collaborative and you must lean on each other
to analyze and completely understand the components of each lab.
- Do not pack up until I have told you to do so. Lab benches are to be completely
clean before you are dismissed, meaning all lab materials are to be put back to their
original places and lab benches are sprayed and wiped down with given solution.
- I reserve the right to change the seating arrangement as I see fit to facilitate the
most cooperative and engaging classroom environment.
- DO NOT RUN OR HORSEPLAY in my classroom. We will be working with many lab
materials many of which are glass. Be MINDFUL of where you walk and watch where
youre going.
- Backpacks and personal belongings are to be placed out of walk ways in the
classroom to prevent other students from tripping, especially during lab.
- All other rules align to MHS Code of Conduct.

Materials
- Graphed composition notebook (notes and assignments)
- Colored pencils or no-bleed markers
- Black or blue pen
- Pencils
- Index cards 3 x 5 (upon teacher request)

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

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- Lab goggles and coats are provided by the school but if you have your own,
you may bring them. The goggles must be splash proof and the coat must
cover to your wrist and to your knee.
- Close toed shoes (can be kept in classroom cubbies for students who would
like to wear sandals outside of lab).
- Hair ties for students with hair that touches their shoulders.

Labs are not done every day and consequently, PPE is easily forgotten. PPE is
absolutely required for these days to ensure the safety of student while
participating in lab activities. All PPE can be stored in cubbies in the
classroom at the risk of the student. The teacher is not responsible for
any missing equipment stored in these cubbies.

CLASSROOM PROCEDURES
Absent, Tardy and Late Work Policy
Attendance and participation is a huge component in this course. The class is very
hands on and activity oriented. That being said, it is very difficult for a student to
catch up on an in class- experiment or activity if a student is late or absent.

Tardy

BE ON TIME. Assignments are due the moment you walk through my door. If the bell
has rung, you have missed the deadline for that assignment and will not receive
credit for it. If you are more than 5 minutes late, you will lose bell work points for
the day. If you are more than 15 minutes late, you lose all participation points for
that day.

Late Work

Not accepted. Period. Due dates are put in place to give students enough time in
advance to complete the assignment and turn it in the day it is due. However, I
reserve the right to consider differentiating circumstances on a case by
case basis as they occur. Communication is key. Late work will only be accepted
for excused absences.

Excused Absences

The student will be instructed to grab their assignment from a folder on the wall
with that days information inside. The student will be given the number of days
that were absent to turn in the work they missed. For example, if a student missed
three days, they will be given three days after they return to turn in the work they
missed.
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Excused absences will require documentation approved by the teacher, school,

district, etc.

Please note that there are no make-up points to receive credit for an unexcused
absence. If a student has an extraordinary circumstance, larger point assignments
may discussed with the teacher to be completely for partial credit.

You may also want to review the legal amount of absences allowed by the state of
Arizona (see www.azed.gov or speak to administration about the state and school
truancy program).

Grading/ Managing Student Work

Once a student has handed in an assignment, it will be graded within 48 hours or if
it is turned in on Friday, it will be graded by Monday. In order to avoid passing back
papers in the middle of class, there will be a filing cabinet where each student will
have a folder for graded work and they can pick their work up at the end of each
class. Grading will be based on a point system where each assignment is worth a
certain amount of points. You will have lab reports, experimental designs, data
analysis worksheets, homework, projects, presentations and/or other authentic
assessments.
Point Breakdown Grading Scale
Assessments (Quizzes and Tests) 25% A = 90% - 100%
Lab Notebook 25% B = 80% - 89%
Projects and Labs 15% C = 70% - 79%
Homework Assignments. 10% D = 60% - 69%
Participation 10% F = 59% -
0%

Final Exam 15%

Beginning/ Ending of Each Class

At the beginning of each class, every student is expected to find their seat and
begin working on the bell work that is on the whiteboard or was passed out to each
student at the door. The students will have a notebook where they will put each
days bell work and it will be graded bi-weekly. There will be bell work for EVERY
CLASS in order to get students thinking about what is going to happen for the day.
Similarly, there will be a ticket out for every class that is to be wrote in the same
notebook on the same day. The bell doesn't dismiss you, I dismiss you. Once
your ticket out the door is complete and your lab space is clean, I will dismiss you.

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My classroom is a place where I want students to feel safe,

comfortable and engaged. In order to do this, there must be
consequences for behavior that takes away from student learning
and disrupts the classroom. The following consequences will not be
waived for any student unless the instance is for an extraordinary
circumstance (diverse learners). See further below for policy on
diverse learners.

For the following rules, the consequences for each

violation are as follows:
1st Violation: Verbal Warning

2nd Violation: Moved to the Front of the Room and Written

Warning

3rd Violation: 30-minute After-School Detention

4th Violation: Call to Parent/ Guardian

5th Violation: Principals Office/ Administrative Action

* Violation 3-5 also result in the loss of participation points for

that day.

Food and Drink/ Gum

Food and gum is not tolerated in the classroom. It serves as a huge distraction to
other students for many reasons and it is also a safety hazard in this lab based
course. Drinks are allowed in the classroom if they are in a closed container.
Containers with only a lid and straw are not considered closed.

Bathroom
Students will be given four bathroom passes a semester. When the student uses
one of these passes, they will have to sign out (name, date, and time) in the folder
next to the door and take the hall pass with them. When the student returns from
the bathroom, they need to sign back in (name, date, and time) and return the hall
pass. Passes not used during the semester can be returned to the teacher for 2
extra credit points.

Getting out of your Seat (tissue, sharpening pencils, etc.)

Students are not allowed out of their seat or away from their lab bench without
permission. If a student needs to get out of their seat, they must signal to the
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teacher what they need to get up for by using the teacher's number system. A
student who needs to go to the bathroom will have to hold up a 1 with their finger. A
student needing to sharpen their pencil will hold up a 2. A student needing to use a
tissue or throw something away will hold up to a 3. Any other reason a student will
hold up a 4 and the teacher will consult with them when the time is appropriate.
Emergencies should be brought to the teachers attention immediately.

Harassment/ Bullying
Bullying is prohibited in the classroom for any reason. Students are not allowed to
call each other names; they are not allowed touch each other (hitting, pulling,
shoving, etc.); any form of offensive comments, slang or teasing on the basis of
race, sex, gender identity, age, religion, national origin, disability or sexual
orientation will not be tolerated. Bullying can be an illegal offense and the student
may adhere to school policies and regulations that may result in the student being
expelled from the school.

Professionalism
Swearing, sexual displays of affection, etc. are not allowed in the classroom. The
classroom should be a professional environment and students need to avoid vulgar
behaviors in order to assure a safe, focused, engaging classroom environment.
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Academic Integrity/ Plagiarism

Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated. If a student is caught plagiarizing in a
lab report or any other assignment, that assignment will not receive credit. If a
student is caught cheating in any form (looking at another students test, copying
answers for an assignment, etc.) the student will receive a zero for that assignment/
test. If the student is caught plagiarizing or cheating multiple times, the student will
be sent to the principal for further consequences.

Assigned Seating
On the first day of class, students will choose their own seats and that will be their
seat for the remainder of the quarter. Each proceeding quarter, I will make a seating
chart for students to follow. I reserve the right to move students throughout
the quarter to accommodate different students need and to maintain
classroom management.

Communication with Parents

As a teacher, I make it a goal to call at least 2 parents to tell them something good
their child as done in school for every call to a parent I have to make to tell them
their student has done something bad. These calls will be professional and logged.
Parents can call me any time when class is not being conducted on the rooms
phone. Before lunch and up to one hour after school is preferred.

Accommodating Individual Needs and Diverse Learners

I try to make my lessons plan effective for every type of learner in my class.
However, if a student feels that a lesson or multiple lessons are not effective to their
learning, it is very important that the student communicates with the teacher so
that the teacher knows they need to come up with a plan to cater to that students
needs. Communication is key in these situations so that I can accommodate
accordingly. Students with IEPs (Individualized Educational Plan) and/ or special
learning needs such as ELL (English Language Learner) are more than welcome in
my class and I will do everything in my power to accommodate the needs of those
students.

Contact Information
Please feel free to contact me over the course of the school year with any questions
or concerns you or your parents may have. Email is by far the best way to reach me.

Abigail Vogt - Biology Instructor [email protected] Room

Phone: 480-472-9800