Welcome to BIOLOGY Time to Jump into the New School Year!

Syllabus for Unit 1: Scientific Method

Essential Question: How do we study life?

Date	In-class	Homework-due the next class
Day 1 8/25 - 8/26	Observations of walking sticks, discussion, writing scientific questions, making inferences Names, introductions, and expectations Lab Safety!	Obtain a 3-ring binder, dividers, loose-leaf paper and organize yourself. Read, highlight and add margin notes to “Designing Your Very Own Science Experiment,” through page 3. Design Your Own Experiment This is a link to the document if you can't find your copy! You may download and print it. Read in Biology pages 3-6. Try to shift your brain toward “thinking like a scientist” in your everyday life. WRITE down: What scientific questions do you have about figure 1-5? Relate the text to your summer reading by stating how Farley Mowat thought like a scientist. Find one"fun fact" on walking sticks to share with the class! Be sure to include and cite your source. Get your Safety Contracts Signed!!! You won't be able to do the lab next class without it!
Day 2 8/27-8/28	Turn in Safety Contract. Begin discussion of “Designing your very own science experiment.” Science Inquiry Stations	Study for small QUIZ over scientific method. Complete any Science Inquiry Lab questions that you did not have time to complete in class. Read, highlight and add margin notes to “Designing Your Very Own Science Experiment,” pages 8 & 9.
Day 3 8/29-9/2	QUIZ on day 1 + 2 material More debrief on stations Intro to Pillbug Lab: discussion of scientific method, observations of pillbugs, design experiments	Bring in any matrials that you need for pillbug lab to class. 1) Bring in any materials that you need for pillbug lab to class. 2) Type up your rough draft of the introduction and procedure. 3) Please gather at least 1/2 page to 1 page of research about pillbugs. Cite your sources. (This can ultimately be stapled/attached to your introduction/procedure.) You will use this research to write your introduction. Do not use Wikipedia! Use your observations and the inferences you made in the field today to guide your particular research on pillbugs. *Within your introduction you should include the information about pillbugs that you learned from doing your research. The information you decide to put into your introduction should be related to the question you are pursuing in your particular investigation. For example: If you are wondering if pillbugs prefer light or dark environments your research might describe the natural habitat of pillbugs. 4) Be sure to Make reference to MA's Habits of Good Writing and be sure you practice these habits in your writing! 5) Prepare your pillbug data table.
Day 4 9/3-9/4	Pillbug Lab completion Lab Report Format	Edit the introduction and procedure. Type rough draft of lab report for pillbugs. Don't forget to follow Habits of Good Writing!
Day 5 9/5-9/8	Excelling at Excel Directions for Excel Review for unit assessment	Finish details on lab reports; use the rubric as your guide! Don't forget your bibliography: MLA Citation Guidelines with examples The best way to be prepared for the assessment is to study your quiz and lab that you have now completed. Quiz corrections: if you scored below 6/7, you may do corrections on a separate piece of paper, attach your quiz (do not alter your answers on your quiz!) and hand it in to get one extra point.
Day 6 9/9-9/10	Peer edit pillbug lab reports Assesment: Lab Practical	Make revisions on lab report and bring in your final draft next class. Use the rubric and Habits of Good Writing to help you produce top quality work!

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