Spend a few moments reflecting on what
you have learned over the years. You are
able to read, write, and do arithmetic. These are pretty remarkable accomplishments,
so don’t sell yourself short. Science class
provides an opportunity to put all your basic skills into practice and to
stretch them a bit further.
By this point in your education, you
should have mastered basic skills that will allow you to get the most out of
your experience this year. I expect
certain things from you; but am more than happy to help you if you are
struggling in some areas. The only way I
can do this, however, is for you to communicate with me when you are having a
tough time.
If any of the following skills are difficult
for you, spend some time reviewing them and let me know. I can suggest ways to improve your
understanding and mastery of them.
Although mastery of these skills will certainly help you in science, and
in life; don’t let them distract you from learning science. You will still be able to do well in science
if you pay attention and do your best!
Math Skills: Science and math are close partners and many
math skills are essential in science.
Making measurements tops the list.
We will be making many measurements of length, mass,
volume,
and temperature. For all of these, we will be using the metric
system. In addition, we will be
learning equations for which we will need to be able to add,
subtract,
multiply,
and divide. Measuring angles with protractors
and time
with stopwatches
will also be taking place.
Writing Skills: Science requires communicating your findings
to others. When you write in science,
don’t ask if spelling counts or if
you should write in complete sentences
(the answer is yes). You should view
writing in science as an opportunity to practice your skills of penmanship,
spelling,
grammar,
vocabulary,
and sentence
structure. Try to remember these
things when you are writing in any class.
Reading Skills: Science also involves reading what others
have to say about a topic. It is said
that scientific accomplishments are achieved by standing on the shoulders of
others. This means we learn more by
knowing what others have already learned.
This can only be done if we are able to read. Practice this skill as much as you can. Learn how to scan texts for important
points. Read captions of pictures and
diagrams. Don’t let technical jargon
confuse you; use a dictionary frequently to improve your vocabulary.
Science Grades
There will be a variety of assessments in science class. These will include completing vocabulary, home activities, laboratory
activities, quizzes, and tests.
At the end of each topic, students will be evaluated with a quiz. They are required to be signed and brought back
to me. By doing so, you will be kept
updated on the progress of your son or daughter. Up-to-date grades are always available online
as well.
Please check the website frequently, and
communicate with your child, to know what assignments are currently being
worked on in class. For each topic, a regular routine is followed. All assignments are checked at the end of
each week during quizzes.
If your child is absent from school and misses a lab, quiz, or test, there is a one-week grace period during which it
can be made up. After that, they are subject
to receiving a zero for the missed work.
It is the students’ responsibility to stay current and the website makes
that possible.
Academic
honesty is a must. Not only does
this prohibit cheating on quizzes or tests, it also means a student’s work
should be their own. Copying a friend’s
assignments provides no help in developing the skills of completing the work. Plagiarism, in general, will not be
tolerated. Students found cheating will receive a zero with no opportunity to retake the
assessment or redo the assignment.
Several options exist for earning bonus points in science. These are applied to the weekly grade and can
negate points lost for missing assignments.
Among these options include: knowing the scientist of the week and their claim to fame, asking “good questions” in class, answering the
“weekly challenge” correctly,
completing additional readings,
watching suggested movies, and visiting relevant sites of interest.