Ms. Anderson Life Science 2013-2014 janderson@csov.org Welcome to 7th grade Life Science.

I hope to have an exciting year filled with many new discoveries as we explore the many topics that encompass life science. Most of the class will be focused on hands on activities as well as laboratory experiments. In order to ensure that we have the most successful class we can, I have a few expectations that I ask everyone to follow: 1. Come to class prepared and ready to work- Every day I ask that you bring two sharpened and/or mechanical pencils. NO PENS ALLOWED!!! Also you will be required to have 2 spiral notebooks. One will be used as your notebook to take notes in while the other will be your science journal. Your science journal will be the place that you will record your data and observations from lab experiments. These books will be checked periodically and will go towards your participation grade. 2. Listen to all instructions before starting an assignment- For safety reasons I expect you to listen while I am giving you instructions. If you jump in right away without listening you may miss an important piece of information that may cause harm to you or your fellow classmates. 3. Respect the school and your fellow classmates- This year we will be doing a lot of group work both in the classroom and in the lab. I expect that we all do our part to keep it in good clean working order. Also I expect that we will work together to create a classroom environment in which every person feels safe and has an opportunity to learn and grow. Attendance I expect you to be on time to class every day and ready to work. The faster everyone is settled and ready to go, the more fun and exciting things we can fit into every class. If you are ever absent, please look to the homework page on the school website to see what you have missed. It is your responsibility to make sure that you complete any assignments that you miss while you are absent. When you return to school please check the plastic bin marked 7th Grade for any worksheets, labs etc. Please talk to me if you need help locating and finishing these items. Every night your homework will be posted on the school website. Whenever possible I will attach copies of the worksheets labs etc. as links so you may access them. Assignments (Labs, Worksheets, Homework, Projects etc.)

Many of the assignments that we will do this year will be completed in class. With hard work and dedication, there is no reason that we as a class can not finish these assignments in the time allotted. When homework is assigned, I ask that you return it to me at a specified time. Failure to do so will result in a deduction on 10% per day with you receiving a maximum of 50% if it is turned in after two weeks. Tests and Quizzes Short quizzes will be given regularly in order to check for understanding. At the end of each unit, a larger test will be given. No notes and or books will be allowed to be used on the test. Study guides and or review packets will be given out prior to the test and we will go over them as a class. I will be available the morning of the test for you to come see me if you need anything clarified before the test. Grades Your grade will be broken down as such: Tests -35% Quizzes- 15% Homework/ Labs- 10% Projects- 35% Participation-5% Teachers Right If modifications to this document are ever needed, I will make sure to inform you.