Farmington Jr. High7th grade Integrated Science

Ms. Purdy

My goal and perspective is to be a facilitator not a distributor.

I want to help my students create their own knowledge, to make it theirs.

Teaching Strategies and their Effectiveness:

-90% Use learning to teach others -75% Practice and real application -50% Discussion group-30% Demonstration-20% Audio visual-10% Reading-5% Lecture

Course Objectives:

Students will…

develop an understanding that all substances are made of smaller parts and are themselves parts of larger wholes.

When parts come together, the whole often has properties that are very different from its parts…. AND ….

Students will use science as a process of obtaining knowledge based on observable evidence.

Through hands-on explorations and inquiry-based projects and activities, students will come to a better understanding of how the pieces of science work together and play a part in our lives.

State Core Curriculum STANDARD I:

Students will understand the structure of matter.

STANDARD II:Students will understand the relationship

between properties of matter and Earth’s structure.

STANDARD III:Students will understand that the organs in

an organism are made of cells that have structures and perform specific life functions.

Standard IV:

Offspring inherit traits that make them more or less suitable to survive in the environment.

Standard V: Structure is used to develop

classification systems.

7th grade Honors Science

• The difference between Regular Science and Honors Science in my class is that Honors Science gives the student more depth and breadth. In other words, usually at the end of each regular assignment there will be a continuation of work at a higher level of thinking.

• The other difference is Honors students are required to complete and present a Science Fair Project to compete at the District level.

Grade Breakdown

• Notebook/Daily Work 20%• Quizzes 20%• Reviews 20%• Tests 20%• Projects 20%

You will get two grades in Junior High for each class:

One letter grade: A, A-, B+, B etc.and

One citizenship (conduct) grade: – H=honor, – G=good– S=satisfactory– N=needs improvement– U=unsatisfactory

GRADING SCALE

A- 93-90B+ 89-87B 86-84B- 83-80C+ 79-75

C 74-70C- 69-65D+ 64-60D 59-55D- 54-50F 49-0

Citizenship stays up when you …

…are not tardy, raise your hand to speak out loud, use indoor voice, keep chair on all four legs, not sit on tables, stay on

task, keep your hands to yourself and your own belongings, stay on websites approved by the teacher, come to class

prepared with class supplies, stay in your seat when instruction is being given, put lab supplies away, clean your work area, engage appropriately in class discussion, tuck in

your chair as you leave, pick up trash around your work area, don’t chew gum or eat candy, get along with others, listen to others speak when it’s their turn, complete all work honestly, work constructively and quietly when there is down time and

respect the property of others.

Absent/Late Work• Due within 3 days.• If you are absent, click on the day you were absent

on my webpage calendar and either do the work in your notebook we did in class or something similar in terms of effort that covers that days objective.

• If it’s a test you missed, click on tests on my webpage and take it.

• If it’s a Review you missed check with your teacher to find out how to make it up.

• After 3 days a student should still turn his/her work in with a ‘Purdy Please Pass’ for full credit. If you don’t have anymore passes, still turn it in for ½ credit!

Classroom Violations1st time rule violation, student warned of violation.2nd time rule violation, conference with student and intervention.3rd time rule violation, parents are notified.4th time rule violation, administrator intervention.

Online Textbook

Each student will be issued a redemption code to access an online textbook.

The media center will be open one hour before and after school for computer use if you do not have online access at home.

A limited number of hardcopy textbooks are able to be checked out.

Supplies needed-Two Composition Notebooks

(one for each semester)

-Working pencils with erasers.

Flash Drive

Zippered Pouch

Yellow ‘Post-its’(very small)

I have a few of these items you can borrow if you forget yours.

Students will get four of these per term.

“Purdy Please” PassThis pass may be used to:

-excuse a tardy-use for late work-trade for a hall pass-buy a pencil-extra credit at end of term

Name ____________________________Period____________________________

Get extra-credit AND/OR win a prize with Box Tops for

Education• The science department purchases lab supplies and

technology for use in the classrooms with the extra credit box tops.

• Check for expiration then neatly cut them out and Glue/staple/tape them to a Box Top form.

• Forms are found in the classroom or on my webpage.• Turn them in the box top bucket near the end of each term.• Fifty box tops for extra credit will give 3% or ½ grade increase.• for more info on ways to earn Box Tops, go to

www.boxtopsforeducation.com

• Student with the most box tops in their class wins a Soda!!!!

• Student with the most box tops out of all my classes wins a personalized goodie basket of your favorite things!!!

How you can help your student:

Purchase suppliesCheck their notebook for understanding

of the days learning.Encourage them to write neat, complete

and thoughtful. Encourage and support, but don’t ‘do’

their projects for them.Check to see if they understand what

they missed on the Reviews.Use online textbook as one of many

resources.

Watch for grade print outs to come home to be signed near midterm

and terms end.

CRT TestingUsually scheduled for the second week of May. Please plan vacations around this time.

Cell Phones/ipods, itouches etc.

Unless individual teachers say otherwise, electronic devices including Cell Phones are to be left off except before and after school and during lunch.

If parents need to get in touch with their student they are encouraged to do so through the office secretary.

The Utah State Science Core requires that 7th grade Science curriculum cover cellular sexual and asexual reproduction.

Periodically, I will have students trade a quiz, test, or assignment with a peer to grade. This practice has an important educational purpose in that it allows the student to review assignments and consider problem solving that may be different than their own.

Thank you for coming!

Ms. Purdy7th grade Integrated Science

7:45-8:00 & 2:55-3:15 (after school is preferred so I have

time to set up labs)cpurdy@dsdmail.net