John F. Kennedy High SchoolMarine Biology Honors 2015-2016

Trish Wigginton / Cami Jensen(720) 423-4367 (Office)

patricia_wigginton@dpsk12.org (e-mail)cami_jensen@dpsk12.org (e-mail)

http://jfkmarinebiology.wordpress.com Course DescriptionMarine Biology is a course about the plants and animals in the marine environment. Students will set up, monitor and maintain a saltwater aquarium for the duration of the class. Topics covered include the chemistry of seawater, plankton, ecosystems, mammals and human impact. Honors students will be required to complete a semester project in the spring. Student Expectations / Class RulesEVERYDAY students are expected to: Be on time to class. (2 tardies = no extra credit). Bring the appropriate materials to class including a writing utensil, and a 3-ring notebook for class notes (that will

be handed in). Demonstrate appropriate behavior. There will be no food, soda, iPods, phones or hats permitted in class! AssessmentsStudents will be formally assessed using pre and post tests, and by the use of rubrics on laboratory write-ups and other class work. Students will be informally assessed by observation and class participation. AbsencesIt is the responsibility of the student and/or parent to call in an absence with the attendance office. Missed assignments will not be graded if the absence is unexcused. Parents: if your child is sick and going to be out of school for a few days, please call me and I will provide the missing assignments. The Attendance goal at JFK is 92% or better. Make-up PolicyMake-up work will be graded ONLY when absences are excused! Missed assignments are due the next day after the student returns to school. I will allow students to make up tests for one week after it is given. Special circumstances will require a call from the parent.

Grading PolicyThe grading scale is as follows: 100- 89.5 = A, 89.4-79.5 = B, 79.4-69.5 = C, 69.4-59.5 =D and 59.4 or lower = F. Grades are updated on Thursdays and posted in class on Fridays to allow students to monitor themselves and make sure all assignments have been turned in. Additionally, a progress report will be sent home on the following days: September 11th, October 23rd, and December 4th. This will help both students and parents be aware of what assignments are missing and what the current grade is at the time of the report. Grading Policy

Parents: PLEASE ask your child for these reports! A report with a grade of a “C” or lower will require a signature from you that your child must return to me. Final grades for the semester will be based upon the six, twelve and eighteen-week grades with the value of each marking period weighted differently.

1st 6 weeks = approximately 30%2nd 6 weeks = approximately 30%3rd 6 weeks = approximately 40% (this includes a project and the final exam)

Athletes: Your eligibility grade follows the above grading and make-up policy!

Homework:

Homework will reinforce concepts learned in class giving students the opportunity to refine skills as well as a method to introduce new topics into the class that will be used as the groundwork for further exploration of the content. Late workIt is understood that some students may miss an occasional assignment, or not turn in an assignment when it is due. I will accept late work for TWO days after it is due. One day late = 2-3 points off the assignment; two days late = half credit. Cheating Students caught cheating on assignments, tests, or papers will receive a "0" for that assignment and the parents will be notified. If an assignment has been copied, BOTH parties will receive a "0" for the assignment.  Extra Credit Students may submit extra credit work during the first 5 weeks of every grading period. Students may earn up to 20 extra credit points per grading period, PROVIDING they do not have more than three missed assignments. If a student submits a report and then misses three assignments, the extra points will be disregarded. I will provide a handout that details the extra credit possibilities.CommunicationAbove all I want to stress that communication is very important. Students: if you are having a difficult time understanding a topic or concept, please talk to me and we will work out a solution. Parents: please know that I will do my best to communicate with you. I will call home if I notice a problem with attendance or if assignments are not being turned in. I hope you will contact me if you have any concerns. By using the Parent Portal link of Infinite Campus, found on the Kennedy home page, you may monitor your child’s attendance and grades daily! Please contact the main office at 720-423-4300 to sign up for this useful service. It’s quick and easy! Grades are updated every Thursday! Tutoring I will be available after school from 2:45 to 3:15 or by appointment on any day except Wednesdays. Please let me know if you need to schedule an alternate time to see me. Fund-raisingBecause this is a hands-on course that allows students to set-up and maintain a saltwater aquarium, students will be required to participate in fund-raising activities to offset the costs of the marine animals. Students will have the opportunity to keep these animals at the end of the year. All proceeds from fund-raising go into the marine biology account and are non-refundable. District Standards Science Standard 1: Students understand the processes of scientific investigation and design, conduct, communicate about, and evaluate such investigations.

Science Standard 3: Life Science: Students know and understand the characteristics and structure of living things, the process of life, and how living things interact with each other and their environment.

Science Standard 7: Students use appropriate technologies to facilitate understanding of scientific concepts, communicate scientific information, and conduct scientific inquiry.

Reading and Writing Standard 1: Students read and understand a variety of materials.Reading and Writing Standard 3: Students write and speak using formal grammar, usage, sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. Please complete and sign the “Student Information Sheet” and return it to me as soon as possible.

Trish Wigginton, Instructor