Course Syllabus

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Course Name:  Earth and Environmental Science

Teacher Name: Mr. Daniel Croke

Course Description:

Welcome to Honors Earth & Environmental Science!  I am passionate about science, and I hope you will enjoy it as well.  The goal of this course is to provide you with scientific principles, concepts and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world around us. We focus on interactions between the solid Earth, its water, its air and its living organisms, as well as the dynamic, interdependent relationships between these four components. If you have any questions, the best way to contact me is through email, or just come by before or after school.

North Carolina Essential Standards:

https://www.dpi.nc.gov/media/4071/open (Links to an external site.)

Tentative Pacing:

Unit

Tentative Days

Introduction to Earth Science

4

Geology

18

Hydrology

11

Meteorology

11

Ecology

8

Environmental Impact

9

Astronomy

10

Final Exam Review

3

Honors Differentiation Statement:

Earth and Environmental Science HN is an honors level course. This course is also available in the Program of Studies at the College Preparatory level. Students earning credit for an Honors level course receive an elevated number of Quality Points for their Grade Point Average. Students choosing the Honors level course should be aware that this Honors level course will include:

  • Required extension opportunities that are directly related to the Standard Course of Study. This includes additional content beyond that covered in the College Preparatory level.
  • More challenging coursework and assessments. Students will be expected to demonstrate higher levels of understanding for grades.
  • Projects and presentations will be more in depth.
  • Students will have to focus and study regularly to master the content.
  • The expectation that students can move through the coursework at an accelerated pace and students experiencing difficulty should quickly seek guidance from their teacher on how they can be more successful.

Examples of Honors Differentiation in this Course: Below is a sample of how the honors level objectives may differ from the College Preparatory Level.

 

Honors Level Objective

College Prep Level Objective

Students will be able to create and execute an appropriate procedure to accurately identify the density of a penny.

Students will be able to accurately follow a procedure to calculate the density of a penny.

Students will understand the relationship between wavelength and frequency of a wave and be able to calculate variables using the formula c=λν.

Students will understand the relationship between wavelength and frequency of a wave.

 

 Grading Policy:

            Tests and Quizzes-70%

            Classwork/Homework, Labs-30%

A comprehensive Final Exam will count as 25% of the final grade.

Late Work:

  • Late work will be accepted at any time up until the end of the grading period.
  • The highest grade a student can achieve on a late assignment is 70%.

 Make-up Work:

  • Make-up work should be made up within a timely fashion and will be due within one to two days after the original due date unless other arrangements are made with the teacher. Tests should be made up within 1 week.
  • Students are responsible for obtaining make-up work from the folder or the Canvas course.
  • If a student misses a lab, please complete the alternate assignment on the Canvas course.
  • Tests and Quizzes.
    • The student is responsible for scheduling a time to make-up the assignment.

Test Retakes:

  • Students will be permitted to retake quizzes AND midterms.
  • Students will first need to complete the "Request to Retest" form which can be found on Canvas in the “Important info” section.
  • The teacher will then schedule a time with the student to retake the assessment.

Accessing Grades:

Students and Parents have the opportunity to access grades at any time via the PowerSchool Parent Portal.  Report Cards will be sent home every 6 weeks.

Office Hours:

Office hours will be on Mondays and Tuesdays 3:10pm - 4:00pm.  Other days and times are available by appointment only.

Supplies Needed:

  • 1 ½” - 2” 3-ring binder
  • Loose Leaf Paper
  • Pen and Pencils
  • Dividers for your binder: You will need a pack of 10.
  • Writing utensils (both pens and #2 pencils)
  • Highlighter

 

Optional: (Science ToolBox)

  • Colored Pencils
  • Glue Stick
  • Scissors
  • Post-it notes

 Resources:

 Assessments and Assignments:

  • Tests and Quizzes will contain multiple-choice, mathematical calculations, fill in the blank, matching and short essay questions.
  • In-class assignments will include problem sets, online assignments through Canvas, and other labs and activities.

Classroom Expectations:

  1. Respect the teacher, the classroom, and other students.
  2. Be on time, on task, and prepared to learn EVERYDAY!
  3. Be responsible for your own learning
  4. Clean up after yourselves and your peers
  5. Keep all of your personal electronics PUT AWAY.

 Cheating:

  • All forms of cheating (texting test answers, copying test answers, copying homework, crib sheets, plagiarism) will not be tolerated
  • If students are caught cheating all students involved will earn a zero for the assignment, a parent contact, and possible administration referral.
  • You will be marked wrong for each question you navigated away from Canvas. During computer testing, you are expected to remain on the Canvas page. Canvas lets me know when you leave the page.  Each time you leave the Canvas page, I will assume you looked up an answer and are therefore cheating.
  • You may NOT take a picture of someone else’s work so you can copy it. The point of giving an assignment is for practice.  If you don’t practice, then you miss out on learning opportunities.  If you are caught, you will have to complete the assignment again or an alternative assignment.

Lab Safety:

You are expected to follow all lab safety protocols when in lab settings.  The lab safety contract must be signed and on file before participating in lab exercises. These are meant to be done by a trained professional and should not be repeated at home.

Canvas:

The majority of assignments not completed on paper must be submitted on our learning platform, Canvas.  Assignments can be submitted in a variety of ways including uploading files, typing into text boxes, and sharing Google documents/presentations.  Students will be shown how to submit assignments on Canvas as needed.  Individual assignments will indicate which method of submission on Canvas is expected.  If students need a refresher or have questions, they can access the Canvas Student GuideLinks to an external site. for specific instructions.  It is the student's responsibility to ensure assignments are submitted on time and to contact the instructor if there is a problem. Please note that student activity is logged while in Canvas so instructors will be able to see if the student opened the assignment, if there was any activity including a log of student activities during on-line tests and quizzes.  Students are not allowed to leave the testing window during assessments.  Doing so is considered cheating and will be handled as set forth in the Porter Ridge HS handbook.

NOTICE: Although many assignments are submitted and graded in our learning platform, Canvas, the "final" grades shown may not be properly weighted and do not contain assignments that were not graded in Canvas.  For the student's official grades, please continue to access the parent portal through Powerschool. Login information should be the same as last year. If you need assistance accessing the parent portal, please contact the school.”

 

Contact Information:

Email: Daniel.croke@ucps.k12.ns.us (BEST way to reach me!),

Canvas message

Phone: 704-292-7662 (school)

Course Summary:

Date Details Due