Spring 2020

Earth & Environmental Science

Marc Pooler

Email: Marc.Pooler@ucps.k12.nc.us                 

Phone:  704-708-5530

Canvas Class Website:  https://ucps.instructure.com/courses/126437

 

I am very excited to have you in EES!  If you have any questions, the best way to contact me is through email, or just come by before or after school.  Environmental Science provides an overview of how science affects our environment. We focus on interactions between the solid Earth, its water, its air and its living organisms, and on dynamic, interdependent relationships between these four components.

Within our semester long class we will focus on Geology, Hydrology, Meteorology, Astronomy, and the Environment. As stated above, we will assess these ideas individually as well how variations in one area can affect the other(s).

Class Rules:

 

You are expected to follow all Union County Public Schools and Weddington High School rules.  If you are unfamiliar with these rules, please refer to the pre-school packet that you received either in the mail or at orientation.

 

Class Expectations: P.R.I.D.E.

 

• Punctuality: Be on time!  See “Tardy” section below
• Respect: Show respect to all students and teachers. No sleeping.  Pick up after yourself.
• Integrity: Academic Integrity
• Dependability: Show up, Have your work done, study. 
• Excellence: Do your best.  Give 100%

 

Consequences:

 

• 1^st offense: verbal or written warning
• 2^nd offense: conference with student and parent contact
• 3^rd offense: referral to administration
• 4^th offense: other consequences will be used depending on the offense

 

What you will need:

 

• One 2 inch 3 ring binder
• 6 subject dividers for your binder (YES, you will have to keep a Notebook)
• Pens, pencils, and a highlighter
• Colored Pencils
• Note cards for vocabulary (optional)

 

What you will study: Spring 2020 Syllabus

Unit 1: Introduction   ~1 week

1. Observations
2. Scientific Method
3. Graphing
4. Metric System

Unit 2: Geology   ~5 weeks

1. Introduction material
2. Plate Tectonics, Volcanoes, and Earthquakes
3. Rock Cycle, Weathering, Erosion, and Soil
4. Environment within the Lithosphere/Tied to NC

Unit 3: Hydrology   ~2 weeks

1. Oceans (including tides, currents, and wetlands)
2. Groundwater and Freshwater
3. Environmental Impacts of Surface Runoff
4. Environment within the Hydrosphere

Computerized County Benchmark #1 Geology and Hydrology 3/10-3/13

Unit 4: Meteorology    ~5 weeks

1. Structure and Composition of the Atmosphere
2. Air Masses and Fronts
3. Reading Weather Maps
4. Weather and Climate
5. Environment within the Atmosphere

Computerized County Benchmark #2  Meteorology 4/21-4/24

Unit 5: Astronomy   ~2 weeks

1. The Sun, Seasons
2. Earth’s Motion through Space

Unit 6: Environment/Ecology ~3 weeks

1. Natural Resources and Alternative Resources
2. Sustainability
3. Ecosystems
4. Environment within the Biosphere

 

Computerized County Benchmark #3 Astronomy and Ecology    5/26-5/29

 

Essential Standards 

 

• EEn.1.1 Explain the Earth’s role as a body in space.
• EEn.2.1 Explain how processes and forces affect the lithosphere.
• EEn.2.2 Understand how human influences impact the lithosphere.
• EEn.2.3 Explain the structure and processes within the hydrosphere.
• EEn.2.4 Evaluate how humans use water.
• EEn.2.5 Understand the structure of and processes within our atmosphere.
• EEn.2.6 Analyze patterns of global climate change over time.
• EEn.2.7 Explain how the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere individually and collectively affect the biosphere.
• EEn.2.8 Evaluate human behaviors in terms of how likely they are to ensure the ability to live sustainably on Earth.

*Note: bold indicates the Essential Standards that have the highest collection of questions on the NC Earth & Environmental final exam.

Notebook Checks: 

 

The final exam in Earth and Environmental Science is a mandatory NC state exam. The exam will be 25% of your final grade.  Due to this, a notebook is very important.  Students are expected to keep a notebook and notebook checks will be done at the conclusion of each unit.  Each unit will be separated from the other by one of the dividers mentioned in the “What You Will Need” section. 

 

Homework:

 

• Homework will be assigned two to three times a week. Homework will be checked at the beginning of each class period.
• All homework will be graded. Homework will be graded for either completion or accuracy.  
• You are responsible for keeping track of your homework assignments!
• Late Homework Policy: If you do not have your homework assignment completed by the beginning of class on the day it is due, you may turn it in at a later time. Each day it is late will result in a 10% deduction. However, once homework has been graded and returned to the class, no late work will be accepted.

 

Grading:

 

Grades will be done using a total points system.  Points for assignments are listed below:

Test:  100 pts.                                                 Labs/Classwork: 10-30 pts.

Quizzes: 5-30 pts.                                          Homework: 5-20 pts.

Projects: 50-100 pts.                                      Weekly Participation: 5 pts/day or about 25 pts/week

 

Tutoring:

 

If you have questions about any of the material covered in this course, please seek help outside of class.  I will be available to answer any questions that you may have during the following times:

• Warrior Block
• Monday and Wednesday 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Any other time by appointment

 

I ask that you tell me in advance whether you will be coming to tutoring.  This ensures that I will be in my room!

 

Labs:

I love doing hands-on lab activities and want you to have the opportunity to do as many labs as possible during this course.  Because some labs present dangers to students if not taken seriously, I require that you act in an appropriate and orderly manner while in lab.  I expect cooperation from every member of this class in keeping our labs safe.  If I feel as though the lab has become an unsafe environment, I will revoke lab privileges.  You will be asked to sign a lab contract at the beginning of the year. 

 

Tardy: New Policy as of Spring 2020

• 1^st Tardy – Student Warning with parent contact making parents aware of future

                         consequences if tardies continue; copy of tardy policy sent home

                        

• 2^nd Tardy – 2 days of lunch detention for non-student drivers or loss of parking

              privileges for 2 days for student drivers; parent contact made again, tardy

              policy resent home

                        

• 3^rd Tardy – 4 days of lunch detention for non-student drivers or loss of parking

                         privileges for 1 week for student drivers

                    

 

• 4^th Tardy – 1 day of Saturday work detail (four hours) for non-student drivers or loss of

parking privileges for 2 weeks for student drivers. 4 or more tardies will

delay the student’s sign-up time for a parking permit for the following school

year.

                      

• 5^th Tardy – Parking privileges suspended for 3 weeks for student drivers or one day of ISS for non-student drivers

  

• 6th Tardy – Two days of ISS for non-student drivers or loss of parking privileges for 1

                         month for student drivers

 

• 7th Tardy - One day of OSS for non-student drivers or loss of parking privileges for the

remainder of the  semester for student drivers. Assigned time of this

incident could impact the privileges being removed for part or all of    

the following semester.  Next tardy will impact the student’s ability to register for a parking permit for the following school year.

 

• 8th Tardy - Two days of OSS for non-student-drivers or loss of parking privileges for the remainder of the school year for student drivers. Student is no longer eligible to sign-up for a parking permit for the following school year.

 

• 9th Tardy - Referral to MTSS Team

Absences:

 

If you are absent for any reason it is your responsibility to make-up anything that you have missed.  You will have 5 school days to make-up and turn in any work that you may have missed.  Missed tests or quizzes must be made-up before or after school.  

 

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

IS CHEATING and CHEATING IS

EXAMPLES INCLUDE

·         Using any extra materials or sources in any form while taking any form of quizzes, tests, or exams without permission of the teacher. ·         Intentionally getting information of any kind about any quiz, test, or exam questions without permission of the teacher. ·         Using sources beyond those permitted by the teacher in completing any assignment either in or out-of-class. ·         Giving or receiving assistance on any kind of assignment without teacher permission.  Assistance includes but is not limited to talking, getting or copying information from another student or source, or using electronic devices. ·         Working together on assignments (both in class and out-of-class) without teacher permission. ·         Making a false excuse for an absence or tardiness or a false explanation for failing to complete an assignment, quiz, test, exam, or project by the due date. ·         Misrepresenting facts regarding the submission and/or grade about an assignment. ·         Plagiarism, or presenting the information, ideas, or phrasing of another person as your own work without proper citation.

·        Trying to ­­­­­________ answers during socrative or nearpod quizzes. ·         When allowed to use _______ or completed work on tests/quizzes, it must be _______.  If you didn’t take the initiative to complete notes or work, you can’t benefit from someone who did. ·        ___________ someone to an answer by inducing thought is different from copying.  Also, taking __________ of work to copy later if not instructed to do so IS __________ ·         Unless instructed to do so, you can’t split a worksheet into __________ with group members and then copy from each other. ·         If we are in a unit for 3 weeks and you miss one day just prior to the test, this does not _________ you from the test.  You will always know about a test at least a _______ in advance ·         Basically, _________ your ______ stuff!  If you use up your time to copy a friend’s really bad answer onto to your paper, I will use it as bedding for my snake.

Adapted from Washington University-Vancouver at http://studentaffairs.vancouver.wsu.edu/student-affairs/academic-dishonesty

Syllabus/Academic Integrity/Lab Safety

 

I have read through the syllabus for Earth & Environmental Science, the Academic Integrity form, and the Lab Safety contract.  I understand what is expected from me/my child for this course.  I will honor and respect these rules and will maintain a safe learning environment over the course of this semester.

 

Student Name (Print) _____________________________     Student Signature ____________________________     Date________

 

 

 

Parent/Guardian Name (Print) ________________________     Parent/Guardian Signature ______________________     Date________