Course Syllabus

Honors 

Earth/Environmental Science

 

Welcome to Earth Science  at CATA! Teacher:    Elizabeth Cross Reach me at elizabeth.cross@ucps.k12.nc.us or call 704 296 3088 and leave me a message.

 

Class Expectations

Elizabeth Cross

 

 

Dear Parent/Guardian and Student,

 

As we begin this semester, I want to welcome and familiarize you with this year’s Earth and Environmental Science objectives and requirements.  If you have any questions, conferences can be arranged with me.  Arrangements can be made by contacting your child’s guidance counselor or by emailing me at elizabeth.cross@ucps.k12.nc.us.  I believe it is important to maintain communication with parents/guardians for both positive feedback and feedback on areas of concern.

 

Materials:

The following materials are required for This class.  These should be purchased during the first few days of class, if possible.  If this is not possible, please let me know.

• 1 1/2 inch 3-ring binder
• A minimum of 8 tabbed dividers
• Loose leaf paper
• Colored pencils for lab drawings and projects

Optional Item:

• One Roll of Paper Towels

 

 

Resources:

• Each unit of Honors Earth and Environmental is linked to a resource module in Canvas, specific to that unit, which contains class Powerpoints, vocabulary, video clips and more. (Students can access these modules using the home page for this course.)
• UCPS subscribes to a variety of resources for students to use in all their classes located on the student "Start Up Page" linked to the UCPS web page. Students will find access to many resources including videos, current events, and software for creating digital projects.( Click here to access the High School Student Start Up Page. 
• EmpowerED Family Portal:  UCPS online resources are available by grade level and subject!  (Click here to access the EmpowerED Family Portal 
  • You will find links to UCPS provided resources as well as guides instructing you how to access these materials.
• CATA provides a wide variety of  print and digital resources through our media center. Students will find resources for researching any topic, writing citations, and a lot more. (Click here to access The Media Center. 

• There are "old fashioned" textbooks available as well that can be checked out to students for the semester.  Please contact the teacher if you are interested in checking out a textbook. 

  Note: Students are responsible for lost or damaged books while in their care. Fines vary based on the book and/or the damage.

 

Honors Earth/Environmental Science: 
Earth Science consists of 4 major divisions: Meteorology, Geology, Oceanography, and Astronomy. Students will be engaging in lab work exploring these topics. They will study how the earth sciences work as systems each affecting the other. Students will look at the human impact on these systems. Students will analyze and evaluate environmental problems and search for sustainable alternatives. To see a detailed description of the standards and objectives please access the following link.

NCDPI essential standards.pdf

 

 

Honors:

Honors students will be required to complete extension and enrichment opportunities that are directly related to the NC Essential Standards.   Students who choose an honors level course receive an elevated number of quality points for their grade point averages.  Students should consider the challenges of an honors level course before making their choice.  Tests may be more challenging.  Projects and presentations will often be more in depth.  Students will have to focus and study regularly to master the content. I am available for tutoring Tuesdays and Thursdays after school by appointment, as well as some days before school.  I am also available some Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, by appointment, for students who were absent and need to make up tests or work. Additional assistance is much more effective if students use it as soon as a concept or assignment is missed or misunderstood. 

Here is an example of a possible honors level objective and assignment. 

 

This differentiation in objectives results in different assignments and assessments.  Below is a sample of how the Honors level assignments/assessments may differ in this course:

 

HONORS level assignment for the following Objective: 2.7.1 Evaluate how abiotic and biotic factors interact to create the various biomes in North Carolina and analyze patterns of similar biomes throughout the world 2.7.3 Evaluate how human activities impact the biosphere. Analyze your specific behavior in order to minimalize your impact on the biosphere.

Honors Project Criteria include:   Create an Advertisement for your biome as a vacation spot! Must include: travel poster with all your criteria explained, Short commercial,  and catchy slogan or jingle to persuade people to visit your biome Include the following research:  1)      Climate conditions:  average temperature and precipitation, soil type, latitude and altitude.  Include maps and a climatogram.  This is a graph of the average monthly rainfall and temperatures with rainfall as a bar graph and temperature as a line graph. (see   http://www.bcit.cc/cms/lib04/NJ03000372/Centricity/Domain/150/Biome_Climatograms.PDF) 2)      Create or find a map that illustrates the worldwide distribution of your biome (use a bright color to identify your biome). 3)      Plant communities: at least 5 dominant types of plants (full names ex: white pine tree), levels of organization (ex: in rainforest: canopy, understory, shrub layer, herb layer, and lianas), and adaptations of plants to environment (ex: thorns on cactus to conserve water loss).  Include pictures.   4)      Animal species:  Name the dominant animal species (at least 10) and an example of adaptations to environment (for at least one species in detail); try to include indicator and/or keystone species.  Include pictures.  Include at least: 3 mammals, 3 birds, and at least 4 in any combination chosen from reptiles, fish, amphibians, and insects. 5)      Environmental Impacts:  What is the human culture like in the biome, and most importantly, what impacts do humans have in the biome?  What are some environmental concerns this biome is facing?

 

COLLEGE PREP level assignment for the following Objective: 2.7.1 Explain how abiotic and biotic factors interact to create the various biomes in North Carolina 2.7.3 Explain how human activities impact the biosphere.

Powerpoint Presentation on Ecosystem & Biomes:   ..\powerpoints\ecosystems.ppt   Possible Word Wall/Vocabulary Activity

 

 Procedures:

 All classroom expectations will be implemented according to the Central Academy Handbook.  This covers a wide range of expectations so you need to be familiar with EACH and EVERY aspect of this handbook.  

 

Expectations:

1. Be prepared with notebook, pencils, and required materials each day.
2. Food and drink are not allowed in class. Water is allowed if it is in a clear bottle.
3. Be in your seat and copying the question of the day when the bell rings.
4. Raise hand for everything. Choral responses are accepted upon teacher’s request.

Respect the teacher, fellow classmates and school property while following all aspects of the Central Academy Handbook.  This includes keeping your desk and lab area CLEAN!

 

Lessons:

When you arrive in the classroom, you need to be seated and do the following:

• take out all class materials
• READ the agenda board. Be sure to copy your homework into your planner
• begin working on your Question of the Day - you may use your textbook, notes and homework, however this is an individual task

 

 Homework:

It is absolutely necessary that you complete and regularly review your homework. Review the student handbook for excused absences and turning in assignments for full credit.  LATE WORK MAY NOT BE ACCEPTED. Occasional exceptions must be arranged with the instructor and will never receive greater than 70%.  

 

Tutoring:

Students are expected and encouraged to attend tutoring as necessary to enable their maximum success in class.  I welcome the opportunity to help students on an individual basis. I am available for tutoring a minimum of two days per week from 3:30 - 4:30 and I will work with students to determine the days as needed.  I am also available for students to make-up tests and quizzes most mornings M-F (7:40 - 8:10) just contact me to confirm.  

 

 

Final Grades:

Grades will be based on tests, quizzes, homework, class work and lab work.  LATE WORK MAY NOT BE ACCEPTED. Occasional exceptions must be arranged with the instructor and will never receive greater than 70%. (See the CATA policy for turning in assignments for full credit with an excused absence.) 

 Note:  Students who miss assignments due to an absence will be allowed to make up assignments according to school policy.  Missing assignments will be submitted with a "1" as the grade indicating that the grade is not yet a zero and should be made up as soon as possible.  Any missing assignments that are not completed as instructed will become permanent zeros.  These zeros will be entered periodically as grace periods expire.  

 

Notebook:  Your notebook will be a crucial aspect of your course work and grade.  You will be required to keep your papers ALL YEAR!  Your notebook will be graded once per grading period (or more) on the following criteria…

1. All handouts are in the proper notebook sections.
2. Student notes are complete and in the proper sections.

Note: The notebook will count as more than one grade. You will pass the notebook checks by following the above guidelines. 

 

Canvas:The majority of assignments not kept in the science notebook will  be submitted on our new "learning platform," Canvas.  Assignments can be submitted 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 well as create a shared Google folder for submitting Google documents and presentations on Canvas at the beginning of the semester.  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 Guide 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. This includes 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 CATA handbook.

Graded Assignments:   Include many assignments such as lab work, classwork, and at home projects.

Tests and Quizzes:  Tests will generally cover two to three chapters.  Quizzes will be given as needed.

Your grades for each six-week period will be based on the following criteria:

            Tests                                            35%

            Quizzes                                       25%

            Graded Assignments                   25%

            Homework                                   15%

 

NOTICE: Although many assignments are submitted and graded in our new 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 is usually sent home with the students at the beginning of the year, and should be the same as last year. If you need assistance accessing the parent portal, please contact the school.

  

Absences and Snow Days: 

This course is extremely fast paced. Since we are on the block schedule, it is extremely important that you practice good attendance.  If you are absent, please check the Canvas site, and see me in the morning when you get back to school, before classes begin. You may ask your classmates for any missed notes. It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to get your make up work within the allowed limit. If you miss a test, be prepared to make-up the assignment on the day you get back, or arrange a time before or after school to come take it if you don’t want to miss instruction.

 

Assignments will be posted on the Canvas site to be completed in the event school is cancelled for inclement weather to prevent students from having to “double up” when they return to class.

 

PLEASE NOTE: All make up work must be completed in accordance with school policy.  Any work that is not completed in the established time frame is late and will not be accepted.

  

Lab Privilege:

 

In order to retain lab privileges, students must:

• follow all instructions and rules on laboratory safety sheets in addition to all verbal instructions from the teacher
• dress appropriately based on pre-lab discussion (closed-toe shoes, long pants, etc.)
• wear protective eyewear - keeping these on at all times during the activity
• refrain from loud talking, running or moving too quickly, throwing items, horseplay and performing unauthorized lab procedures
• refrain from eating, drinking and gum-chewing
• come to lab prepared with all lab materials - including pre-lab work

 

Students who fail to follow these regulations will be removed from the lab setting and will receive a zero for the activity.  An alternate assignment on the same material will be required.

Additional Information:

Movies that will possibly be shown this year either in part or whole:

Twister PG 13 (This is the only Feature Film I show during the school year. )

Super Volcano

How the Earth Was Made Season 1-2

Magnetic Storms

World Water Wars

Plastics

Gasland

Inside Hurricane Katrina

The Lorax (original)

Various Science YouTube Clips

 

Earth/Environmental Science will consist of many hands-on activities including projects, labs, presentations, discussions and cooperative learning.  We will be applying much of what we learn to “real world” issues.  I am very excited about this year and I believe with the help of parents and students, we can have a productive and enjoyable experience. 

 Sincerely,

 Elizabeth Cross