8th-Grade Honors Biology
2014- 2015 Syllabus
Teachers: Beverley Paes, Jennifer Smith
Email: [email protected]
Planning Times: Paes 1:11- 1:49 or 2:57- 3:55
Smith 10:27-12:54
Text: McDougal Littell Biology
Course Description: 8th- Grade Honors Biology is a program for the top 8th-grade science
students in the Brookwood cluster. It will be taught as an advanced biology class and will cover
ALL required GCPS Biology AKS. Honors Bio is a course that will use a variety of educational
approaches to provide students with the basic conceptual framework, factual knowledge, and
analytical skills necessary to deal critically with the rapidly changing science of Biology.
Students who successfully complete Honors Biology can accept a Carnegie Unit (high school
credit) for this course.
Attendance Policy: For students to learn material of increasing complexity, good attendance is
mandatory. Assignments can be made up, but time missed from instruction due to student
absences is unrecoverable.
 Students may drop the course at any time with parental permission. This request must
be made to AP Debbie Smith in writing.
Students in this class are expected to demonstrate mastery of all parts of the Biology AKS.
 After the midterm exam, students must have earned an overall class average of 75% or
higher to remain in the course.
 To continue on to the second semester, students must earn an overall semester average of
80% or higher.
 Only students who earn an overall grade of 80% or higher BOTH semesters will be
allowed to be placed directly into chemistry as a 9th-grader.
 For any student not meeting these requirements a conference will be held with the
teacher, student, parents, and administrator to decide if the student will continue or be
dropped from the class.
 Students are allowed to retake biology as a 9th-grader if they do not accept the Carnegie
Unit (high school credit).
 Students’ families should check the portal often for grade updates.
Grading:
 Semester grades will be calculated using the following percentages:
o Classroom Assessments (may include but not limited to: Daily Work , Quizzes,
Labs, etc.) 30%
o Homework 5%
o Interim Assessments 2%
o Tests, Major Projects (including science fair project), research papers 43%
o Semester Final/ End of Course Test 20%
o Grading Scale:
A: 90-100
B: 80-89
C: 74-79
D: 70-73
U: 0-69
1
Materials Needed:
 2 Composition Notebooks
 10 sharpened Pencils
 Eraser
 Pens (Blue or Black ONLY)
 Colored Pencils
 USB drive
 calculator
Classroom Procedures:
Notebooks: Students are required to maintain an organized notebook that follows the same
order as the table of contents established by the teacher. Notebooks will be graded by an
announced check
Make-up work: It is the responsibility of the student to schedule to make up work missed due to
an absence. The student is responsible for scheduling a time to make up work with the teacher.
All make up work must be completed and turned in by the unit test day. If there are
extenuating circumstances, please notify the teacher so that a reasonable deadline can be
determined.
Late Work: Students are expected to turn in ALL homework and projects at the announced
time. If there are extenuating circumstances, please notify the teacher so that a reasonable
deadline can be determined. No late work will be accepted after the test for that unit has been
administered.
Laboratories: Labs will occur often in this class. Students are expected to follow all lab safety
instructions. Any student, who violates lab safety rules may be removed from the lab, may
receive a zero, may receive an administrative referral, or may lose lab privileges for the
semester.
Projects: 8th-Grade Honors Biology will require the development of a science fair-style project
from start to finish. Two to four smaller projects will also be completed each semester. These
will combine research, presentation, and/or creativity.
End of Course Test:
The state-mandated End of Course Test will assess students’ mastery of the biology content.
This test, typically given in early May, is comprehensive in nature and will count 20% of the
Spring Semester grade.
Classroom Expectations:
 Follow the directions the first time they are given.
 Be polite and respectful.
A. Respect your fellow classmates, the teacher, and the school.
B. Insulting each other will not be tolerated.
 Be a participant.
A. All students are expected to participate appropriately in all assigned activities.
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B. You are expected to do your own work- not copy other’s. Cheating will not be tolerated.
Be prepared.
A. Be on time to class. This means in your seat and not needing to leave the room.
B. Bring all materials to class each day.
C. Complete homework and regularly review the material in your notebook.
Students are to comply with ALL Crews Middle School rules and policies
Consequences:
1. Verbal warning
2. Written warning + parent contact
3. Referral to administrator
Course Outline:
Each unit is broken down into topics that we will cover using a variety of methods including,
but not limited to: labs, notes, articles, group work, projects, and independent studying.
Students are expected to read the appropriate chapters in the textbook before or during each
unit.
Topics
AKS
Intro to Biology
1-7
Ecology
11
Biochemistry
8
Book
Chapters
Chapter
1
Chapters
13-16
Chapters
2
Weeks
1.5
4
3
Science Fair Part I:
Research
Cells (Structure,
Transport, Energy,
Cycle)
Science Fair Part II:
Writing Scientific
Papers
DNA & Protein
Synthesis
1-7
9
Chapters
6-9
2
Evolution
12
2
Classification
10
Chapters
10-12
Chapters
17-19
Review & Finals
8
Tests
4
2. Ecology Test
3. Midterm
4. Biochem Test
.5
Ecology
Project
Silent Spring
excerpt
The Double Helix
excerpt
Science Fair
5. Cells Test
1.5
3
Potential Course
Readings
1. Skills Test
1.5
Chapters
3-5
Projects
Cell Video
Project
TBA
Science Fair
6. DNA &
Protein
Synthesis Test
Writings of
Watson, Crick,
Franklin, and
Gosling
Evolution
Project
Classification
Test
Lab Exam,
County
Benchmark
Final and Local
Objective Final
3
4