Biology P

Mr. Jang

Class Syllabus/ Class Management/ Grading Policy

Classroom Objectives:

          The main objective is to have each student become self reliant and to be responsible for knowing what is expected and to follow though with all assignments on a timely basis.

            In order to establish a positive learning and growing environment in this class, we must all work together and agree to the following

1.      Attentive listening: Listening to others and checking for understanding

2.      No Put-downs: treat each other kindly, no negative remarks or name calling, no hitting or violence.

3.      Right to Pass: voluntary participation enhances learning, you can choose to what extent you want to participate in the group

4.      Mutual Respect: recognizing the value and uniqueness of each person, and resolving conflict that naturally emerge due to the differences among us

5.      Everyone must be in their seat when the bell rings with materials out, quiet, and ready to learn

What is not allowed in class:

• No gum, food, or drinks except water
• No sunglasses, curlers, caps, or hats
• No electronics of any kind, beepers, walkmans, phones, etc. all electronics are to be turned off before entering the classroom. If electronics are taken from a student, only a parents or guardian can reclaim the item. If not reclaimed in one week, then item may be picked up from the front office.
• No restroom passes so please use the facilities before class
• No unsafe lab techniques, a separate lab contract will be issued before use of the lab

Consequences for violating the above agreements:

      1. Verbal reminder of the agreements

      2. Teacher/ student conference with reduction of the citizenship grade by one letter

      3. Call parents and another reduction of citizenship grade

      4. Teacher/parent/student conference

      5. Referral to counselor and another reduction of citizenship grade

      6. Referral to the Dean and another reduction of the citizenship grade

      7. Continued severe behavior problems will be directed to Dean of Students and the student will receive a “U” in citizenship

Attendance:

Absences must be cleared with the teacher by bringing a note and obtaining a pink slip from the attendance office. Un-cleared absences are considered cuts.

• Absences for activities such as assemblies and fieldtrips must be cleared with me in advance, please bring appropriate forms for me to sign. If this procedure is not followed then the absence is considered a cut.

Tardies:

If you are not in your seat when the bell rings, this is a tardy. Tardiness affects the citizenship grade as follows:

            Each student gets one free tardy per marking period.

            Each additional tardy subtracts one grade from citizenship grade.

           * Tardiness may also affect the scholarship grade if class work and/or quizzes are missed because of tardiness.

Parent- Teacher Communication

Parents can monitor their student’s work in the following ways:

1. Parents are to put their signatures on a list of completed assignments every Friday. This list is called a “Student’s Assignment Log.”
2. Parents and students can get information on Mr. Jang’s syllabus, class management plan, and course of study by visiting his web-site: www.skylinetitans.net/jang
3. Parents and students can communicate with Mr. Jang by:                                                                            a)E-mail to robin.jang@ousd.k12.ca.us

b) Telephoning Skyline High at (510)879-3060 ext 155 and/or by leaving a message. The best time to reach Mr. Jang is between 2:15pm and 3:00pm (MTTHF)

4. Our Biology textbook publisher has provided a complete website at www.classzone.com.  Students are encouraged to utilize this resource as a means to review and enrich their classroom experience.

Classroom Expectations:

Materials required for class:

* Textbooks are to be brought to class each day

*2 pencils and eraser

*A Notebook consisting of a three ring binder with paper and five dividers

(1 Assignment log, 2 Class work/homework, 3 Test/ Quizzes, 4 Labs, 5 Projects)

*Notebooks will be check and GRADED on a regular basis

All work must be kept in a notebook.

Work required by students:

Homework: may be assigned daily and it will be due the following day at the beginning of the period.

 - Allow yourself 30-45 minutes for homework each day

- Students are individually responsible for making up missed work due to absence.

- Full credit will be awarded for homework if the work is complete and neat, work is shown, and directions are followed.

- All Completed assignments are to be kept in your notebook, for the entire semester

Complete a listing of three students who are also in Mr. Jang’s class that you can call to get class work/homework assignments, in case you have no internet access.

            1.­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_____________________Phone Number___________________

            2._____________________Phone Number___________________

            3._____________________Phone Number___________________

Testing and Grading:

            * Chapter test given at the end of each chapter or lesson.

            * Unannounced quizzes are given at least once a week.

            * A comprehensive final exam will be given at the end of each semester.

* If any test, quizzes, or homework/ class work are missed (due to excused absence) and are not made up within the 3 day limit, a failing grade will be automatically assigned (No Exceptions).

* There may be EXTRA CREDIT assigned to improve grades. No extra credit will be accepted the last week of the grading period.

* NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED

Grading:

Grades are calculated in the following manner:

            Class work/ Homework/ Projects/ Research Papers                  60%

Tests                                                                                        30%

            Quizzes                                                                                    10%

Grading Scale:

A         Outstanding work                     100-90%

B         Work is done consistently         89-80%

C         Work level satisfactory 79-65%

D         Work needs improvement         64-50%

F          Work is unsatisfactory  below 50%

Course Description:

September: Scientific method, microscope

October: Cell theory, biochemistry-nutrition and digestion, cell parts and functions

November: Photosynthesis and respiration

December: Genetics

January: Evolution, classification, virus-immunology and infectious diseases, bacteria

February: Protests, fungi, plants

March: Invertebrates, vertebrates

April: Mammals, ecological succession

June: Ozone hole, global warming, rainforest depletion

Required Text:

         Biology, Stephen Nowicki,(McDougal Littell , ISBN #0-618-72515-6)

EXTRA CREDIT

Rules:

·        Each extra credit is worth 20 points

·        Only one extra credit is accepted per week

·        No extra credit will be accepted the last week of the grading period.

How to do Extra Credit:

·        Choose a two page article from a  Current Science  magazine

·        Read the article                                                  

·        Prepare a four page brochure.

Title Page

·        Title of article/authors name/date of article.

·        Your name/date/period

Use 3 colors to decorate the title page.

Page 2

      Write a summary of the article. Be sure to answer the following questions:

1.     Who is the article about?

2.     What is the subject?

3.     Where did this happen?

4.     When did this happen?

5.     Briefly describe what the article was about.

6.     Underline 5 new key words that appeared in the article

Page 3

     Define the 5 new words that you learned from the article.  Use           your own words in writing the definitions.

Page 4

     Make a drawing or include a picture that best describes the article.  Be sure to label all important items and include a title for your picture.

Holiday Extra Credit

Bacteria Disease Mystery              Name _________________________

Small microorganisms such as bacteria can cause many different diseases in humans.  Most bacteria live harmlessly in the environment and our bodies without causing sickness.  In fact, bacteria play numerous positive roles in our lives by helping us to digest food, decomposing our sewage at water treatment plants, and helping plants we eat take up nutrients from the soil.  Bacteria cause disease when our bodies’ homeostasis, or state of equilibrium, is disrupted.  This can happen for several reasons.  Can you think of reasons why you might get sick at some times of the year?   

Humans are getting sick at alarming rates with diseases that have never been seen before.  We call a new disease an emerging disease.  In humans, West Nile Virus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Bird Flu are emerging diseases that you may have recently heard about on the news.  Can you think of any others?

Most emerging diseases actually come from animals in our environment.  These are called zoonoses.  There are several ways in which humans get zoonoses from animals.  Humans might pick up animal diseases through bites or contact with feces, or they may get animal diseases from an intermediate “messenger” or vector.  A vector, which is usually an insect, easily transfers a disease from an animal to a human. 

List a few disease vectors that you have heard of:

One of the reasons why emerging diseases are of current concern is that humans are at higher risk for zoonoses than ever before.  In fact, the Center for Disease Control, a US governmental agency that tracks the spread of new diseases, has an entire branch called the Bacterial Zoonoses Unit.   Can you think of a few reasons why humans living today (compared to thousands of years ago) have more contact with 1) animal bites or feces or 2) disease insect vectors? 

1)

By the end of class today, you will have learned several ways in which humans get zoonoses.  Keep these in mind as you complete your disease mystery.

Your task today:  You have just been urgently called by the Center for Disease Control’s Bacterial Zoonoses Unit.  People are becoming sick with a deadly disease that needs to be identified, and only you can help.  Scientists who need to identify the source of a disease use several types of information (lab results, patient symptoms, patient exposure to different animals) in combination.  Today you will do the same with the clues provided to identify the bacteria before it’s too late!  Good luck!

Instructions:  You will receive each clue one-by-one from your teacher.  The table and the questions provided (one per clue) will help guide you through the mystery.

Bacteria Disease Mystery              Name _________________________

Answer the following questions as you go through the clues:

1. Clue # 1 tells you that the culprit is gram + or gram –  _________

Can you eliminate any bacterial shapes?    _____________________________

2. Clue # 2 suggests that the disease came from the following possible vector:  

_______________________________________

3. Clue # 3 gives you some information about the source animal.  Vectors carry diseases from the source animals (usually another mammal) to humans.  What source animal do you suspect?  List the evidence that backs up your claim.

Possible Source Animal(s): ________________________________

Evidence: 

4. With Clue # 4, you finally confirm the shape of the bacterium:  ______________

Does your internet research give you any additional information?  Be sure to look back at earlier clues. 

6.  Clue # 5 suggests that the new pathogen has the same bacterial fingerprint as

__________________________.   Often bacteria that are in the same scientific genus have similar DNA profiles.  Can you now identify the bacteria causing the new disease (using your chart) and explain how it got into the victims?

Bacteria responsible: __________________________

According to the chart, identify the source animal for this disease: ____________

7.  Using Clue # 6, speculate as to why humans contacted the source animal this

year.  What can studies of the environment tell you about new diseases?

Name _________________________

Scientific Report to Center for Disease Control

(Complete After Solving Mystery)

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has asked you to design a policy to control the spread of this new disease, now that you have identified its source.  Work in small groups (3-4) to answer the following questions from policy-makers at the CDC.

1. Scientific data suggest that red squirrel numbers are increasing, especially near human parks where the squirrels like to eat trash.  What would you suggest in order to control the spread of this disease?

2. Name three different ways in which we could control this disease by targeting different parts of the bacteria’s life cycle (including vector, source, and human).

3. Is there any way, using clues from the environment, that we can predict a future outbreak of this disease?

4. Do you expect certain humans to be impacted more than others by this disease?  Why?

5. In some parts of the world, grey squirrels are outcompeting red squirrels and driving down their population numbers.  Should we try to protect red squirrels?

6. Given your expertise, list a few ways in which diseases can “jump” from animals to humans.  How can we prevent these jumps?

The clues to this assignment may be found at

http://csip.cornell.edu/curriculum_resources/CSIP/Hawley/DiseaseDetectivesClues.pdf