Earth Science Course Syllabus
Welcome to Earth Science!
This course is designed to introduce students to our dynamic Earth and its place in the universe. This course will prepare you for the Earth Science Regents Exam as well as college-level courses in the natural sciences.
What can you expect from this course?
Science is both a body of knowledge and a process! In this class we will learn key information about the universe, our solar system, and the Earth. We will also learn how to do science by conducting hands-on experiments and scientific research.
This class will be challenging but also immensely interesting! What is more important than understanding the world in which we live? What is more spectacular than exploring the 92 billion light-years of the known universe or the 13.8 billion years of our universe’s history?
You will be expected to do work outside of the classroom! Sometimes there will be homework but even when there are no assignments given, it is your responsibility to be studying, reviewing your notes, and making sure that you are mastering the material.
What is expected of you in this course?
-Be on time and present – mentally and physically.
-Come to class prepared! You must bring all your supplies every day.
-Engage with class activities with enthusiasm and professionalism.
-Focus on all tasks diligently and responsibly.
-Collaborate productively and respectfully with your teacher and your classmates.
-Keep our classroom neat and clean.
-Do not be afraid to make mistakes! Sometimes we fail on our way to success. In this class, we work together and support each other.
Course Outline
This course is divided into three primary sections that address the three big ideas of Earth Science. For more details, take a look at the course overview and course calendar posted in the back of the classroom or on our Google Classroom page.
UNIT 1: What is Earth Science?
UNIT 2: Astronomy
UNIT 3: Meteorology
UNIT 4: Geology
Grading
20% Active & Authentic Participation (Includes online meetings, discussion boards and chat groups, breakout sessions, check-ins, etc.)
80% Scholarship which is broken up into the following:
25% Assessment (Topic Quizzes and Unit Exams as well as Midterms & Final)
25% Labs & Projects
20% Readings (Includes Annotations & Reading Checks)
10% Classwork & Homework
Academic Dishonesty
Cheating or plagiarism of any kind is not tolerated in this class. Penalties for academic dishonesty included a score of zero for the task, disciplinary action, removal from the course, or in cases of multiple violations, failure of the course. All determination of academic dishonesty will be made by the course teacher(s) or school administration.
Cheating is the unauthorized use or attempted use of material, information, notes, study aids, devices or communication during an academic exercise. Example of cheating include:
-Copying from another student during an examination or allowing another to copy your work.
-Unauthorized collaboration on a take home assignment or examination.
-Using notes during a closed book examination.
-Taking an examination for another student, or asking or allowing another student to take an examination for you.
-Changing a graded exam and returning it for more credit.
-Submitting substantial portions of the same paper to more than one course without consulting with each instructor.
-Preparing answers or writing notes in a blue book (exam booklet) before an examination.
-Allowing others to research and write assigned papers or do assigned projects, including using commercial term paper services.
-Giving assistance to acts of academic misconduct/ dishonesty.
-Fabricating data (in whole or in part).
-Falsifying data (in whole or in part).
-Submitting someone else’s work as your own.
-Unauthorized use during an examination of any electronic devices such as cell phones, computers or other technologies to retrieve or send information.
Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s ideas, research or writing as your own. Examples of plagiarism include:
-Copying another person’s actual words or images without the use of quotation marks and footnotes attributing the words to their source.
-Presenting another person’s ideas or theories in your own words without acknowledging the source.
-Failing to acknowledge collaborators on homework and laboratory assignments.
-Internet plagiarism, including submitting downloaded term papers or parts of term papers, paraphrasing or copying information from the internet without citing the source, or “cutting & pasting” from various sources without proper attribution.
Attendance & Participation
Your attendance and participation in this class is critical. If you are absent it is your responsibility to find out what you have missed and to make up the work in an appropriate time frame. If you know that you will be absent ahead of time, please speak with the teacher as soon as possible so you can get your work before you leave. All of our assignments and materials are available on our Google Classroom, the Course Website, and on your Weekly Agendas. You can access these at any time (including previous weeks). If you need help getting caught up or not sure where to find what you’re looking for, just reach out to one of your teachers and they can help point you in the right direction.
Active participation in class in vital, whether you are attending class in person or remotely. Every student in expected to engage and contribute in every class. Failure to do so, will affect both your grade and your learning. Much of this class is discussion based and students are expected to contribute to the best of their abilities in pairs, small groups, and whole class discussions.
Tardiness
Class starts promptly at the time posted on the schedule. It is important that you make every effort to be present, in your seat (whether that’s in our classroom or in your home), and ready to begin class when the class starts. (Please note the new bell schedule for the 2020-2021 school year.) We know this year is going to be different in a lot of ways. Please stay in contact with your teachers and let us know if you are not going to be able to attend or be on time to a class or zoom session so we can work with you so you don’t get behind.
Required Materials
To be successful in this class, you must bring all materials every day. These materials are the same whether you are attending remotely or in person. If you are attending in person, it is important that you have your own materials as we will not be able to share materials between students right now.
-spiral notebook used only for Earth Science notes
-highlighters (multiple colors for annotating)
-black or blue pen (some students like multiple colors for annotating)
-pencil (with an eraser)
-internet-enabled device (Preferably a laptop or tablet – if you are still waiting for a device please bring your cell phone to class. Talk to your teacher if you need help getting a school-issued device.)
If you have any questions or concerns about course materials, please contact your teacher. BCA can help supply all these materials and any other school supplies you may need. Just let us know!
Laboratory Practice
As part of the Earth Science Course, all students are required to complete at least 1200 minutes of laboratory practice. We will be completing 14 labs – one per topic. This is a state requirement and without these labs, students cannot sit for the Earth Science Regents Exam. It is vital that you attend all labs and make-up any that you miss. This year will obviously be a little bit different but we will still be engaging in labs and interactive activities. Most of our labs will be virtual but they still require the same level of completion and thoroughness of an in-class lab.
Study & Organization Skills
As we prepare for college and careers, it is important that we are practicing skills that are critical to long-term success. For that reason, we will be working together to improve our study skills and organization. There will be periodic checks of student notebooks and other check-ins to ensure that everyone is working toward this goal. Additionally, we will be learning ways to promote personal organization and improving the ways we learn and grow. This will include learning how to take better notes, improving our reading comprehension of academic and rigorous texts, as well as learning how to prioritize and effectively manage our time.