Course Syllabus

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Course Title: Honors Biology

 

Teacher’s Name: Mr. Dave Hicks

 

Textbooks:  Biology (Miller/Levine)

 

Major Emphasis of the Course:  The goals and objectives of this course align with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for Life Science and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).  Reading and Writing Standards are a part of every Course curriculum. In addition to course work and tests, Core and Benchmark assignments will be used to assess student attainment of the Standards.

 

Course Expectations:  All Sherman Oaks CES teachers expect students to conform to the SOCES Attendance Policy, Standards of Student Behavior, Standards of Conduct, Dress Code and Academic Integrity Policy. These policies can be found on the SOCES website on the Internet at http://soces.lausd.net, Agenda Book, and in the Parent-Student Handbook.

In addition, this course has the following expectations:

 

Classroom Supplies

 

 

The majority of work will be turned in at the class Canvas site at http://canvas.instructure.com. Something to write with and paper would be useful for taking notes, data and other information during the time we are working in groups.

Course of Study and Targeted Standards

 

Successful students will understand the NGSS core sciences ideas. 

  • The following topics will be covered first semester: Experimental Design, From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes, Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
  • These topics will be covered the second semester:  Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy and Dynamics, Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

NGSS performance expectations require students to:

  • Develop and use models,
  • Plan and conduct investigations,
  • Analyze and interpret data,
  • Use mathematical and computational thinking,
  • Construct explanations; and
  • Use several engineering practices including design and evaluation

    These performance expectations build on the K – 8 experience and require students to:
  • Explain ideas central to life science,
  • Blend core ideas with scientific and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts and 
  • Using this knowledge to explain real world phenomena.

The complete Next Generation Science Standards for High School can be found at http://www.nextgenscience.org/

Grading Policy

 

 

20%

Labs/Projects/Calibrated Peer Reviews

10%

Participation

Students will receive deductions from their grade for what includes but is not limited to the following:
•    “Disappear” for extended periods of time
•    Leaving trash
•    Eating during class
•    Not cleaning up properly
•    Negligence and/or abuse of equipment
•    Questions that clearly indicate that you are not prepared
•    Non-participation (your lab/group partner(s) are doing all of the work)

15%

Final Semester Test

10%

Mid Term Test

30%

Assessments/Quizzes

15%

Assignments

 

Grading Scale

 

ACADEMIC GRADE

All students:

F – Less 56%

D – 69.99% - 56.00%

C – 70.00% - 79.99%

Standard Course Students will be expected to demonstrate Levels 1 & 2 cognitive complexity on designated assignments, tests and projects based on Hess’ Cognitive Rigor Matrix (Hess, 2009; http://static.pdesas.org/content/documents/m2-activity_2_handout.pdf) in order to earn more than a C.

B – 80.00% to 89.99%    AND demonstrate Level 1 & 2 cognitive complexity on at least a quarter of designated assignments or projects

A – 90.00% to 100%  AND demonstrates Level 1 & 2 cognitive complexity on at least a third of designated assignments or projects.

Honors Course Students will be expected to demonstrate Levels 3 & 4 cognitive complexity based on Hess’ Cognitive Rigor Matrix (Hess, 2009; see above) in order to earn more than a C.  At a minimum, honors students will be required to develop plans or an approach to a problem, employ some decision-making and justification and solve abstract, complex, or non-routine problems that often have more than one possible answer. 

B – 80 to 89%   AND demonstrate Level 3 & 4 cognitive complexity on at least at least a third of designated assignments

A – 90 to 100%  AND demonstrates Level 3 & 4 cognitive complexity on at least half of designated assignments or projects

Homework & Projects

Students will have weekly reading assignments.  Several projects will be assigned during the year.  Each project will include a timeline of incremental-steps (progress monitoring points) with due dates.  Students are encouraged to complete work in a timely manner, but ultimately it is the student’s responsibility to budget their time to ensure that adequate progress is made each week to meet the task due dates in addition to completing their other assignments.  Additional homework may be assigned approximately once a week.  All assignments will be posted in the assignments section of Mr. Hicks’s Canvas website.

Class Rules

 

 

 

1. Follow directions

2. Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself

3. Use appropriate school behavior and language

Students who are unclear about what is appropriate school behavior and language can meet with Mr. Hicks for additional details and examples.

Conference Period

I have no conference period this semester, therefore conferences and meetings will, by necessity, take place after school.  Please send an email at dave.hicks@lausd.net to schedule a mutually convenient appointment time.

Communication with Parents

Preferred Method:  e-mail, dave.hicks@lausd.net

School Voicemail:  not checked

 

 

Honor Definition

 

Honors science courses are designed to demand more challenging involvement than standard science courses. They must be demonstrably more challenging than standard courses and provide multiple opportunities for students to take greater responsibility for their learning. Honors science courses should be distinguished by a difference in the quality of the work expected rather than merely by the quantity of the work required.

 

Purpose of Honors Science Courses

 

Honors science courses are designed for students who have demonstrated an advanced level of interest and achievement in a given subject area. The rationale for honors courses is NOT to provide a means to attract students to enroll in classes for additional credit, but rather to offer challenging, higher level courses for students who aspire to an advanced level of learning. Furthermore, students and parents should be aware that honors science courses are more demanding and have requirements beyond those of standard science courses.

 

Honors courses should be developed as an integral component of a differentiated program of study that provides an array of opportunities for all students based on their aptitudes, affinities, and interests. A well-developed science program will have both standard and honors courses.

 

Characteristics of Honors Science Courses

 

Honors science courses will address the same goals and objectives as the corresponding Non –Honors Science Classes; however, they should address the content with greater complexity, novelty, acceleration, and/or pacing. Honors science courses should reflect a differentiation of curriculum, both in breadth and depth of study.

 

Honors science courses should exemplify the following characteristics:

 

  • Require a higher level of cognition and quality of work than the standard course
  • Enable students to become actively involved in classroom and laboratory learning experiences
  • Involve students in exploratory, experimental, and open-ended learning experiences

 

Honors science courses should provide opportunities for the following:

 

  • Problem-seeking and problem-solving
  • Participation in scholarly and creative processes
  • Use of imagination
  • Critical analysis and application
  • Personalized learning experiences
  • Learning to express/defend ideas
  • Learning to accept constructive criticism
  • Becoming a reflective thinker
  • Becoming an initiator of learning

 

 

Honors Definition and Criteria

An honor student . . . . .

  • is self-motivated to succeed.

 

  • has consistently high scores on academic measures such as SBAC, NGSS, SAT, ACT, and class grades.

 

  • stays true to The KNIGHTS Code seven Core Values: KNOWLEDGE OF HEALTHY LIFE CHOICES: SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, AND PHYSICAL, Notable Effective Communication Skills, Respect, Responsibility, Involvement in Community, Global Awareness, Higher Level Thinking, Technological Competence, Self-Respect.
  • has a strong work ethic as demonstrated by consistently completing homework and projects on time.

 

  • is a reflective learner. Takes the time to consider the questions: What did I learn? What did I not understand? How can I improve my learning?

 

  • self-advocates. Seeks help from staff members when they don’t understand something or need help.

 

  •  desires to understand and apply learning to real life situations. How can this better our community and our world?

 



An honor student is not . . . . .

  • un-motivated – someone who doesn’t care about grades or success.

 

  • a struggling learner that needs extra support to succeed.

 

  • lacking in the demonstration of character – cuts class, disrupts class or struggles to support “The Knights Code.”


  • someone who tends to miss deadlines or not complete work that is assigned.

 

  • satisfied with knowing whether they got a question right or wrong. Cares more about “getting the grade” than “learning the material.”

 

  • quiet when they don’t understand. Satisfied with “not knowing” something.

 

  • stopping with simple classroom application. Someone who often thinks, “Why do I need to learn this? I’ll never use it in real life.”

In addition the LAUSD has the following criteria which students should demonstrate to identify them as “Honors” or “Gifted” students:

 

The student utilizes strong powers of reasoning, ability to make comparisons and generalizations, and ability to see cause-and-effect relationships.

 

Ability to concentrate, to become totally submerged and absorbed in an assignment, project, or activity.

 

Approaches tasks in different, unusual, and original ways.

 

Ability to use humor to make a point, to change a situation to gain an advantage, to connect diverse

knowledge.

 

Displays keen powers of perception and observation that can frequently detect fallacies and inconsistencies.

 

Thinks of and asks questions which involve logical-thinking process.

  • Students who choose an honors science course are expected to work more independently than students in standard level courses.
  • Because students can be expected to cover the standard level material more independently there will be time for more enrichment topics as specified in the course descriptions for specific honors courses.
  • Students who choose an honors science course will be expected to complete more independent in-depth scientific investigations and to report on them using a more formal scientific laboratory report format.
  • Students who choose an honors science course will be expected to read and present orally and in writing recent scientific findings.

Using mathematical and computational thinking

Analyzing patterns and interpreting data

Developing and using models

Planning an investigation

Planning and conducting an investigation

Constructing an explanation and designing solutions

Engaging in argument from evidence

 

Patterns
Students will demonstrate the ability to observe and describe patterns in natural and human designed phenomena and use those patterns to support claims about the observed or predicted relationships among phenomena.
Cause and Effect
Students will demonstrate the ability to investigate, explain, and evaluate potential causal relationships by using evidence to support claims and predictions about the mechanisms that drive those relationships.
Scale, Proportion, and Quality
Students will demonstrate the ability to describe and represent the significance of changes in observable and non-observable phenomena in terms of relative scale, proportion, and quantity.
Systems and System Models
Students will demonstrate the ability to investigate and analyze a natural or human designed system in terms of its boundaries, inputs, outputs, interactions, and behaviors and use this information to develop a system model that can be used to understand and empirically evaluate the accuracy of models in terms of representing the underlying system.
Energy Matter in Systems
Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze evidence from a variety of sources (investigations, models) to predict, connect and/or evaluate the cycling of matter and flow of energy within and between systems in order to understand, describe, or predict possibilities and limitations of systems.
Structure and Function
Students will demonstrate the ability to use evidence to support claims about the relationship among structure and function of natural and human designed objects.
Stability and Change of Systems
Students will demonstrate the ability to investigate and analyze static and dynamic conditions of natural and human designed systems in order to explain and predict changes over time.
Nature of Science
Student will demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively and individually to generate testable questions or define problems, plan and conduct investigations using a variety of research methods in a various settings, analyze and interpret data, reason with evidence to construct explanations in light of existing theory and previous research, and effectively communicate the research processes and conclusions.

 

Course Summary:

Course Summary
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