Welcome to Biology with Randi!

My wish for you in our class is that you have fun while you learn, that you put your best into your work, and that you grow in your ability to apply the tools of science to questions you have about the world around you.

Expectations:

1. Always behave in ways safe, responsible and appropriate.

2. Please come to class on time. When you are late you miss important directions, your homework may be late, and it disrupts the class, and there are no unexcused tardies!

3. Bring your text to class every day! Checks will be at random.

4. No food or disposable bottles in the Biology classroom.

5. Respect Everyone in the room–always! Listen when others are speaking /Acknowledge the contributions of others/Don't interrupt!

6. Participate and ask questions. Communicate. Let me know how I can help you do your best. I check emails until 5 p.m. After that, know that I will not see it until the next day.

Binder Checks

1. You need to have a 1-inch three ring binder for this class with tab dividers. Please organize with sections for each unit and chronological order including all notes, handouts, labs, quizzes and homework. Put the date on the upper right hand corner of EVERY page in your notebook to stay organized.

2. I will come around the class at random times through the year to check on your binder. Your grade is determined by the degree of organization and completeness of your binder.

Academic Honesty

You are responsible for your own work. It is academically DISHONEST to: 1) copy any part of a homework assignment from another student, 2) to present the work of another as your own on homework assignments, assessments and lab reports, 3) to copy answers to homework questions directly from your text or another source, 4) to ask another student who has taken an assesment anything at all about that assesment, 5) to copy without quotes and citations the words of another whether from the internet, a book or any other source, 6) to paraphrase information from a source without proper citation, 7) to disregard directions for group work that will be clearly identified as collaborative, semi-collaborative or non-collaborative.

Work

1. It’s due at the beginning of the period. Assignments must be physically turned in at the START of class to be considered on time (see grading for consequences).

2. Assignments may not be emailed.

3. Be neat and organized; follow all directions!

4. Always practice and apply MA's Habits of Good Writing

5. Assignments longer than one page shall be double-sided. After the 1^st quarter, you will be marked down for single-side papers.

6. Your syllabus will be online. There may be changes made from time to time so get in the habit of checking the webpage the night you do your assignment.

7. If you are sick or otherwise miss class, look at the syllabus to see what was covered in class and your homework assignment. Also, check in with a classmate on what you missed and communicate with me! When you are able, drop me an e-mail at rmartin@ma.org. We can set up a time to meet when you return. Any assignment due the day you were absent is to be turned in as soon as you return to school. For missed labs and classwork, plan to come to tutorial as soon as you return to school.

8. Tests and major assignments must be made up within 2 class periods for excused absences only.

9. You are responsible for your own work…if you miss something, come to me to schedule a make-up as soon as you can…if you are responsible, I am much more likely to be flexible.

10. Be neat and organized.

11. Use the web page: http://courses.ma.org/sciences/Biology/9_Bio/MA/biology_MA.html!

Grading

1. Turn in your work on time. If you have something that prevents you from doing your work, come to see me ahead of time (if possible) to schedule an extension. Extensions will only be given for legitimate reasons. Homework assignments that are turned in late will be marked down 50% and must be completed prior to the completion of the unit (date of assessment). After the assessment, you will receive a zero for any missing assignments. Feel free to check in with me after class or during tutorials to see if you are missing any work.

2. Major pieces of work (ie. lab reports, essays & projects) will be penalized one letter grade per day if late.

3. We use a points system. Each assignment has a point value and your final grade is simply your total points earned out of total possible points. If you are curious about your grade at any point, you should come speak to me privately after class or at tutorial.

Assignment	Point Value Range
Labs/Activities	10-50 points per lab
Homework	1-10 points
Quizzes	5-30 points
Assessments	50-150 points

Have fun, be organized, don’t get behind on homework, attendance or assessments, and let me know whenever I can help you!