Biology

BIOLOGY

Instructor: Mrs. Karavites-Uhl         Room : 2232

Email:  Deborah_karavites-uhl@glenbard.org        

Website:   http://mrs.kuhl.educatorpages.com  

Text: Pearson  Biology  by Miller & Levine

Course Description

Biology is the study of the life that surrounds us in our environment. It is about the very processes that make each of us a unique individual. We will be using the scientific method to explore how our living world works.

Course Syllabus **

For each unit, students will be assigned a variety of activities and assignments.  These may include chapter outlines, worksheets with practice ACT  questions, study guides, practice essays, teacher demonstrations, concept maps, small group projects, labs, quizzes and tests.  Students will be responsible for reading the text and adhering to due dates.

** please note – syllabus is subject to changes and additions

Teaching Strategies                  I use a variety of the following teaching strategies to engage my students.

• Lecture: introduces new subject matter
• Debates/Discussions : to provide students with a more extensive viewpoint of the subject matter
• Internet Research: Students should engage in independent research to further their knowledge of difficult concepts presented in class.  Internet research is also used for projects and assignments. DO NOT ASSUME EVERY DETAIL WILL BE COVERED IN CLASS.

• Lab Activities and Experiments: All lab equipment is to be handled with care. Carefully read instructions and if still in doubt, ask your instructor. Lab instruction sheets are not used for grading. Please record final results in your notebook.   Group investigation DOES NOT mean group grades. Each student will be responsible for an individual response per lab activity. Be prepared for quizzes on all labs and lab activities.
• Videos and Video Clips: I believe many students are audio/visual learners and educational videos are essential to their understanding and comprehension of the material presented.
• Project based Assignments: Projects help assess students on a level that sometimes is not addressed in tests or quizzes.  This format allows students to use skills and talents from other discipline areas to enhance their study of Biology.

Lab Component

In Biology, we will be spending 100 to 150 minutes per week performing or investigating biological problems/concepts in the lab. Attendance is crucial to your success. The students will work in groups of 4-5 students to complete the work. Students are required to complete any pre-lab, lab write ups and post lab activities individually. Lab Instructions Sheets are not lab write ups and will not be collected. USE NOTEBOOK.

Student Evaluation

• Grades are based upon total points earned. Projects, tests and quizzes are point based.
• Tests and Quizzes may be in ACT format, multiple choice or essay.
• Labs and activities  are graded with the following rubric:

• Absent Work: Students must make arrangements to complete missed assignments.
• Quizzes: may or may not be announced. Quiz topics will include labs, class discussions, homework assignments and readings.
• Zero Grade:  Zero grades will be assigned for any missing work not completed before the second to last week before the end of the quarter. NO incomplete – missed work will be accepted the last week of class before the end of the quarter.
• REDOS: At the discretion of the teacher.

The district assigned grading scale will be used and can be found in your Panther Planner.

Supply List

Text Book                                                                            Pencils, pens, erasers

Calculator                                                                            Highlighter

Lab Notebook                                                                   Folder/binder/loose leaf paper