Highland Community Middle School

8
th
Grade Science Syllabus 2014-2015
Teacher: Jamie W. Link
Email: jlink@highland.k12.wi.us
School Phone Numer: !"#$% &2&'()2) E*+. ,1&
-ourse .escri/+ion: $
+h
Science
The $
+h
0rade Science curriculum s+ar+s +he e*/lora+ion and in1uir2 o3 science. The course is
designed +o con+inue wi+h +o/ics wi+hin +he +hree main areas o3 science !Ph2sical4 Li3e4 and
Ear+h%. The goal is +o uild u/on +he science skills learned.
-lassroom 5ules
6n order 3or our class +o run as smoo+hl2 as /ossile4 6 sim/l2 ask all s+uden+s +o e polite
organi!ed and punctual !P7P%.
"e polite# This rule includes res/ec+ o3 school rules4 school8indi9idual /ro/er+2 and4
mos+ im/or+an+l24 res/ec+ 3or o+hers. S+uden+s will e working in collaora+i9e grou/s o3
some +2/e nearl2 e9er2 da2 in science4 so +his rule is o3 /ar+icular im/or+ance. E9er2
s+uden+ should e*/ec+ res/ec+ in our classroom and e willing +o gi9e res/ec+ in re+urn.
"e organi!ed# S+uden+s are res/onsile 3or coming +o class /re/ared. 5e1uired dail2
ma+erials are as 3ollows:
$ssignment %oteboo&
Class 'older
$( "oo&
Class %oteboo&)*ournal
+e,tboo&
-encil and a -en .blac& or blue/
"e punctual# 6n order +o make +he mos+ ou+ o3 e9er2 class /eriod4 s+uden+s are e*/ec+ed
+o e in +heir assigned sea+s and read2 +o s+ar+ class when +he ell rings. S+uden+s who are
unale +o make i+ +o +heir sea+s 2 +he ell will recei9e a +ard2. 010% 2' 345 $(0 2%
+H0 C6$SS(44M7 S+uden+s will e gi9en se9eral minu+es a+ +he s+ar+ o3 e9er2 class
/eriod +o u/da+e +heir assignmen+ no+eooks.
0rades
.uring +he school 2ear4 s+uden+s will e graded on numerous ac+i9i+ies including las4 1ui::es4
homework4 /rojec+s4 and 2es; +es+s. <2 grading scale looks like +he 3ollowing:
=> ? &&'1## @> ? &#'&1 -> ? $1'$2 .> ? A2'A,
= ? &('&$ @ ? $)'$& - ? A"'$# . ? "A'A1
=' ? &2'&, @' ? $,'$( -' ? A('A) .' ? ")'""
"(.&& and @elow ?
0rading Polic2
808 Standards $ssessment .+ests 9ui!!es -ro:ects ; 6abs/
108 Home<or&
108 (esponsibility
S+uden+s will ha9e +he o//or+uni+2 +o re+ake an2 1ui: or +es+ in m2 class. Bowe9er4 an2
re+ake is u/ +o +he +eacher. =n2 s+uden+ wishing +o re+ake an assessmen+ !1ui:4 +es+4 e+c.% mus+
/u+ +oge+her !in wri+ing% a /lan on how +he2 are going +o o+ain a higher le9el o3 mas+er2.
The /lan mus+ e a//ro9ed 2 +he +eacher e3ore +he s+uden+ is allowed a re+ake.
<iddle School Bomework Polic2
Bomework is mean+ +o /rac+ice +he necessar2 skills or conce/+s o3 a +o/ic. Wi+hou+ /rac+ice4
s+uden+s +end +o ha9e a more di33icul+ +ime when i+ comes +o assessmen+s !1ui::es and +es+s%. The
amoun+ o3 homework assigned is a re3lec+ion o3 where C7D4 +he s+uden+4 are on +he road +owards
mas+er2 o3 a cer+ain +o/ic. There will e +imes +ha+ s+uden+s do no+ recei9e +he same amoun+ o3
homework. -er+ain s+uden+s jus+ need more /rac+ice. Bowe9er4 i3 a s+uden+ 3ails +o com/le+e an
assignmen+ on +ime4 +ha+ s+uden+ will 3or3ei+ +heir res/onsiili+2 /oin+s 3or +he da2 and e re1uired
+o make +ha+ assignmen+ u/ during +heir lunch /eriod in Lunch @unch.
0eneral 7u+line
Like 6 said e3ore4 we will e discussing man2 di33eren+ +o/ics during +he school 2ear. Bowe9er4
+o gi9e 2ou a general ou+line o3 +he +o/ics we will e co9ering:
17 Geological +ime
27 0arth=s Systems
5ocks E <inerals
Fossils E -hanges o3 Ear+h
-2cle o3 5esources
Wea+her E -lima+e

>7 0ngineering ?esign
@ridge @uilding
47 0arth ; Human $cti@ity
0loal -lima+e -hanges
Na+ural 5esources
Buman 6m/ac+ on En9ironmen+
Buman <oni+oring