Science Class - Guidelines

Science Class – General Guidelines • Classes will be mostly dictated using SMART Board presentations in the Science Lab located in the 1st floor of the secondary level.

• These classes will be available to the students through the subject’s wiki: http://science-learning2011.wikispaces.com • Even though the class will be available printed and electronically, these classes and their important ideas, facts, comments and/or questions, should be annotated in an organized folder containing numbered sheets.

• The student’s folder will serve 3 purposes: i. It will contain the class notes, suggestions, questions, general instructions and optional work that can be done. This folder will be periodically checked as part of the evaluation criteria (Attitude); ii. It will contain the student’s tests, quizzes and exams with the parents’ signature, this will also be periodically checked and is part of the evaluation criteria (Attitude); iii. It will help the student the subject’s contents to be reviewed on a weekly basis by students as a preparation for assessment.

• The students are allowed to communicate electronically or online with the teacher, via email, chat or school-approved blog, and wiki. It is important to inform the students that this type of communication will be recorded and available at all times to the headmistress and class coordinator and tutors.

• The teacher will also recommend the students to visit websites directly related to the topics in discussion for their further understanding and knowledge. Being a suggestion, the student is not under the obligation to visit the websites. These websites have been previously reviewed by the teacher for safe browsing. Please let the teacher know if there’s any problem with the suggested pages.

1. For Attitude • Every student will be able to accumulate bonus points. For every bonus sign (+) that is obtained during the trimester, one point will be increased to the Class/Participation indicator of the Attitude evaluation criteria. If the student accumulates 20 or more bonus signs per trimester, then the following trimester will be increased in one point as a reward for a trimester’s worth of extra work.

2. For Labs and Lab Reports • The student will have a lab class at least once a month in a subject directly related to the topics in current discussion.

• One report will have to be presented (by the next science class) for every lab activity during the academic year, as part of the ongoing student evaluation.

• The format for the lab reports will be indicated by the teacher at its appropriate time, having most lab reports following the same format.

• For formats, deadlines and delivery of written work (lab reports, home works/assignments, article reports, folder check up, etc) refer to point number 7.

3. For Home work/Assignments • The home work or assignments will be occasional or at least once a month.

• The home work or assignments will have to be presented following the indicated format for each occasion, but always including these parts as a minimum: o proper identification, including: Full Name, Grade and Section, Subject, Date, Title; o answer or response to the requested task; o citation of sources of information, considering at least three (3) sources of information; and an electronic version of it, if there’s no possibility to convert it to a digital or electronic format, consult with your teacher.

• Any written work that is detected to be copied or containing plagiarized information, will automatically receive the minimum grade of zero (00), and a parents’ meeting to discuss the plagiarizing attitude.

• For formats, deadlines and delivery of written work (lab reports, home works/assignments, article reports, folder, etc) refer to point number 7.

4. For Article/Reading Reports • The articles/readings will be occasional or at least once a month.

• The articles/readings will be provided by the teacher or could be suggested by the class, if there’s agreement with over 50% of the class.

• The articles will have to be read and complemented with additional information from textbooks or informed websites.

• The report will have to be presented hand-written in one page, two as a maximum, when using pictures or graphics.

• When questions from the article contents are formulated, they will have to be answered based on the supportive and complementary information searched for the report, done in the same way as in the Home work/Assignment section.

• For formats, deadlines and delivery of written work lab reports, home works/assignments, article reports, folder, etc) refer to point number 7.

5. For Folder • The folder will have to contain the most important ideas, facts, as well as it is highly recommended to take note of the questions and comments mentioned during the classes, serving as a guide for the student to be prepared for the evaluations (tests and/or exams).

• Either the students or the teacher will provide the class with a list of words for the section of vocabulary/glossary for each new chapter or unit of study. These words will be directly related to the topic in discussion and finding the meanings will be a way to better understand the topic and prepare for the evaluations.

• Remember, the folder will serve three purposes: i. It will contain the class notes, suggestions, questions, general instructions and optional work that can be done. This folder will be periodically checked as part of the evaluation criteria (Attitude);

ii.

It will contain the student’s tests, quizzes and exams with the parents’ signature, this will also be periodically checked and is part of the evaluation criteria (Attitude); iii. It will help the student the subject’s contents to be reviewed on a weekly basis by students as a preparation for assessment.

• For formats, deadlines and delivery of written work (lab reports, home works/assignments, article reports, folder, etc) refer to point number 7.

6. For Weekly Activity Sheets • The Weekly Activity Sheet is a periodic activity sheet that MUST be worked by students as part of the class duties and it has to be filed in the student’s folder for its review.

• It will have to be presented following the same rules as in any other written work.

• For formats, deadlines and delivery of written work (lab reports, home works/assignments, article reports, folder, etc) refer to point number 7.

7. For Written work • The deadlines of written work (lab reports, home works/assignments, article reports, notebook, and work book) will be indicated by the teacher, with a usual length of seven (7) days for the work to be completed, unless otherwise indicated.

• The delivery of the work does not include emails with attached documents. It must always be delivered to the teacher usually during class days, unless otherwise indicated.

• Every written work must contain the following basic information: i. Topic’s title (Example: Bacteria). ii. Student’s Full Name (Example: John Doe). iii. Class Year (Example: 6th Grade). iv. Date Delivered (Example: 08-15-08). v. Date Due (Example: 08-15-08).

• In the case that the student was absent during the delivery date of a written work by medical or justified personal reasons, the student will have to present the written work by the very next science class

or following day, whichever comes first, otherwise the student will receive the minimum grade. • The students are allowed to present any written work before the due date. For those students who choose to do that there will be one bonus sign (+) for each day prior to the due date. This will only be valid if the written work fulfills all its requirements as indicated. • The font to be used is Arial, size 12 and with single margin.