MYP Honors Biology
Teacher: Charles Yu & Lauren Purple-Sales
Phone: 410-266-5240 Ext:312
E-mail: [email protected] & [email protected]
Planning periods: 1A
2B
7:17-8:55
9:00-10:30
Welcome to the IB Middle Years Program (MYP)! This exciting program provides a framework of academic challenge
that is based on MYP’s three fundamental concepts of holistic learning, communication, and intercultural awareness.
Throughout your academic career, you will develop the traits of the IB learner profile: inquirer, knowledgeable, thinker,
communicator, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-taker, balanced, and reflective.
Course Overview:
Aims: The aims of any MYP subject state in a general way what the teacher may expect to teach or do, and what the
student may expect to experience or learn. In addition, they suggest how the student may be changed by the learning
experience.
The aims of the teaching and study of MYP Honors Biology are to encourage and enable students to:
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understand and appreciate science and its implications
consider science as a human endeavor with benefits and limitations
cultivate analytical, inquiring and flexible minds that pose questions, solve problems, construct explanations and judge arguments
develop skills to design and perform investigations, evaluate evidence and reach conclusions
build an awareness of the need to effectively collaborate and communicate
apply language skills and knowledge in a variety of real-life contexts
develop sensitivity towards the living and non-living environments
reflect on learning experiences and make informed choices.
AACPS Unit Title
MYP Unit Title
Unit Question
Global Context
Food For Life
I Am What I Eat
How do choices change
performance?
Scientific and Technical
Innovation
Control Yourself
What Comes In Must
Come Out
How do living things
maintain balance?
Scientific and Technical
Innovation
Energize Me
We Are In This Together
Why do plants and
animals need each other?
Scientific and Technical
Innovation
All Systems Go
Staying alive
What does it mean to be
alive?
Scientific and Technical
Innovation
Intercultural Understanding
During this course students will be challenged to understand other cultures as we examine global and local environmental
issues, explore advancements of biotechnology in different cultures, study the evolution of organisms and their
relationship to their environment, and investigate how the practices of cultures affect human health.
Required materials
Students are expected to bring the following materials to every class every day.
1. 3” Binder (with 3 dividers)
a. Drills
b. Notes
c. Classwork
2. Lined Paper
3. Pencil and/or Pen
4. Monthly school calendar provided by their English teacher
Textbooks and Resources
Students have the option of taking home a textbook or accessing the textbook online.
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Miller, Kenneth R., and Joseph S. Levine. Biology. Pearson, 2011.
Online textbook: www.pearsonsuccessnet.com
o Click Login under Returning User
o Username: annapolisbio
o Password: biology16
Assessment:
Students will be informally assessed throughout each unit, and formally assessed at the end of each unit. Students will be
assessed through various assignments, including laboratory reports, projects, science research connections (SRC), quizzes,
and tests. These assignments will be graded using the four MYP science criteria. Not every assignment will be assessed
using all four criteria. Students will know the specific criteria being assessed prior to beginning an assignment. In MYP
Honors Biology, students are assessed using the following criteria:
Criterion A: Knowing and understanding
i. explain scientific knowledge
ii. apply scientific knowledge and understanding to solve problems set in familiar and unfamiliar situations
iii. analyse and evaluate information to make scientifically supported judgments.
Criterion B: Inquiring and designing
i. explain a problem or question to be tested by a scientific investigation
ii. formulate a testable hypothesis and explain it using scientific reasoning
iii. explain how to manipulate the variables and explain how data will be collected
iv. design scientific investigations.
Criterion C: Processing and evaluating
i. present collected and transformed data
ii. interpret data and explain results using scientific reasoning
iii. evaluate the validity of a hypothesis based on the outcome of the scientific investigation
iv. evaluate the validity of the method
v. explain improvements or extensions to the method.
Criterion D: Reflecting on the impacts of science
i. explain the ways in which science is applied and used to address a specific problem or issue
ii. discuss and evaluate the various implications of using science and its application to solve a specific problem or issue
iii. apply scientific language effectively
iv. document the work of others and sources of information used.
Grading/Assessment:
A (90-100%) - Outstanding level of achievement
B (80-89%) - High level of achievement
C (70-79%) - Satisfactory level of achievement
D (60-69%) - Low level of achievement
E (0 -59%)- Failure
0 – If student does not attempt the work
Grades earned will reflect each student’s mastery of national, state and industry standards pertaining to Honors Biology.
A minimum of 9 separate assignments exclusive of homework and quarterly assessments in the following categories will
be used to report student grades. A minimum of 4 assignments/assessments are required in each grading category with the
exception of the quarterly assessment.
Grading Categories
Category
Percentage of Overall Grade
Assessments
Classwork
Homework
Quarterly Assessment
Total
65%
15%
10%
10%
100%
Assessments
Opportunities for students to independently demonstrate their understanding and mastery of content, including but not
limited to tests and quizzes, lab reports, etc.
Classwork
Opportunities to work independently or collaboratively towards understanding and mastery of content in class.
Minimum
A minimum grade of 50% will be given for all assignments or assessments for which the student made a good faith effort,
as determined by the teacher. If a student does no work on an assignment or assessment, the teacher shall assign a grade of
zero. No grades of between 0% and 49% will be recorded in the gradebook.
Parent Notification:
Parents will be notified at least three weeks prior to the end of a marking period if a student is currently earning a failing
grade. At any time, parents may check parentconnect.aacps.org to see their student’s grade. Please contact the guidance
office if you do not already have a login.
Late Work:
Please endeavor to turn all work in when due. If you have a reason that the work must be late please meet with me.
Students are expected to complete assignments, in full, to the best of his/her ability and students should take advantage of
tutoring and reteaching opportunities so that the student can submit his/her best work. Late assignments are penalized 5%
for each day it is late up until five school days (not A/B days). After five school days, the assignment becomes a zero and
may not be submitted for a grade.
When a student is absent, it is the student’s responsibility to get the make-up work. The student will be allotted the same
number of days equal to the number of days absent to make-up work.
Opportunity for Mastery/Redos:
Consistent with Anne Arundel County Board of Education policy on grading, students who have not yet met mastery
standards shall have one additional opportunity to improve their scores on four assignments of their choosing with the
exception of homework, some multi-component research papers/projects, quarterly assessments, and assignments due
during the last week of the marking period. Teacher facilitated re-teaching is recommended before a student uses his or
her opportunities for mastery (re-do) but is not required. Students must complete and submit re-do assignments within 10
school days of receiving returned original graded work and the highest score earned will be recorded. For re-dos, the
teacher may elect to create an alternative assessment that measures student mastery of the same content standards. After
an opportunity to re-do for mastery has been submitted, the higher grade will be the grade of record.
All student re-teaching will take place after school Tuesdays please endeavor to schedule this meeting in advance so that
we both are prepared.
Attendance/Tardiness:
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IF YOU ARE ABSENT, PLEASE CONTACT Mr. Yu at [email protected] to receive your make up work.
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All effort will be made to facilitate students when absent. Please make prior arrangements, if possible, to collect
work from the instructor for days that are to be missed.
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It is the Annapolis High School expectation that all students will be on time. The policies for the tardy table will
be followed.
Recording of Grades and Communication with Parents:
Per AACPS regulation, all grades, with the exception of lengthy assignments such as projects and extended writing
assignments, will be entered into Parent Connect within one week of assignment submission. Parents can check Parent
Connect regularly to monitor student grades.
Academic Integrity:
Annapolis High School emphasizes personal, social, and technical academic integrity by ensuring that student work,
either individual or collaborative, is valued and others’ work is appropriately acknowledged. Academic dishonesty is a
violation of the Code of Student Conduct. Students will receive discipline consequences and will receive a zero for any
incidents of academic dishonesty.
Cell Phone Expectations:
It is the expectation that cell phones and other electronic devices will not be present in the classroom. Exceptions will be
made when the lesson plan dictates that the electronic device will be used for an academic purpose. There will be a
red/green sign in the classroom that will let the students know when cell phone / electronic device usage is appropriate.
Behavioral Expectations:
Annapolis High School students, staff, and visitors will make a pledge and commitment to their school and its mission. In
doing so, students show respect for themselves, learning, others, and property.
Self
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Be prepared
Use appropriate school language
Have respect for yourself
Try your best!
Have a “Can Do” Attitude!
Others
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Listen when others are talking
Participate in class activities
Use language appropriate for school
Avoid conflict in class
Offer and accept constructive criticism
Learning
Property
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Come to class daily and on time
Bring all required materials
Participate in class
Study for tests and quizzes by doing practice
problems
Ask for help when needed
Follow instructions and stay on task
Complete all assignments on time
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Keep an organized notebook complete with quality
notes
Keep your space clean
Stay in your seat and keep the desk clear
Please sign below to indicate that you have read and understood the course syllabus for MYP Honors Biology.
Student (print name): __________________________________________________________
Student signature: __________________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian (print name): __________________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian signature: __________________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian daytime phone number: ________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian e-mail: ________________________________________________
Is there any particular information that would be helpful for me to know as we begin the year to support your
student’s success this semester?
Do you have any questions or comments?