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Inspire Biology: 2020 Edition
COURSE
DESCRIPTION
Biology 1 is a course intended for college bound students. The knowledge gained during the Biology 1 experience will prepare the student for the first year of post high school biology.
COURSE CONTENT
The
Biology 1 course is designed to provide adequate knowledge in the following
areas of the biological sciences:
1. The Study of Life
2. Principles of Ecology
3. Communities, Biomes, and Ecosystems
4. Population Ecology
5. Biodiversity and Conservation
6. Chemistry in Biology
7. Cellular Structure and Function
8. Cellular Energy
9. Cellular Reproduction
10. Sexual Reproduction & Genetics
11. The History of Life
12. Evolution
COURSE
REQUIREMENTS
In order for the student to achieve a passing grade, an accumulative grade of at least a 70% is required. Border-line grades will be made at the discretion of the instructor. Your grade will be based upon, but not limited to the following objectives:
| TESTS | 50% OF THE TOTAL GRADE |
| WEEKLY QUIZZES | 30% OF THE TOTAL GRADE |
| WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS and LAB EXERCISES | 20% OF THE TOTAL GRADE |
*Your final grade will be calculated using the above scale. This means that you MUST prepare for tests and quizzes. The way to do this is to complete you assignments carefully and on time. The only guarantee that you can count on is that if you do not do your weekly assignments YOU WILL NOT PASS THIS CLASS.
GRADING COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
TESTS:
Tests will follow each chapter and will have a point value of 200 to 400+ points, depending on the amount of material covered in the chapter.
At the end of each semester there will be a semester test. The semester test will contain about 15 to 20 questions from each chapter studied during the semester. The test will contain the most important concepts from each chapter. The semester test will count 20% of your TOTAL GRADE for the entire semester.
QUIZZES:
You will be assigned a weekly quiz that will come online at 8:00am on every Monday. You will have until 4:00pm on the following Monday afternoon to complete this quiz. Due to weather cancellations, and other unforeseen circumstances, this quiz "may" sometimes be extended to a later due date. But for the most part, count on the quiz being available on a Monday and due on the following Monday afternoon. The quiz will be an open notebook quiz that will cover the material that was covered during that week of school. Failure to complete the quiz by the deadline will result in a zero for that quiz. Special consideration will be given to those students that have been absent a significant amount during the week and a reschedule date to take the quiz will be discussed with the student. These exceptions will be sent to the students via JupiterEd messages, so please check your JupiterEd messages often. THE STUDENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING THEIR JUPITERED MESSAGES FOR THIS INFORMATION. Failure to see or view an JupiterEd message rests solely on the student in this case. Again, please monitor your messages!
LAB
ACTIVITIES AND PARTICIPATION:
Lab experiences are extremely difficult to be made up. . . attendance is extremely important! In cases of absences, every possible measure will be taken to make up the lab. . . but some labs will be impossible to make up due to the availability of chemicals, living organisms, etc.
The
lab grade will be mostly subjective. . . this means that the instructor will
look for the following behaviors in determining lab grades:
1)
active participation
2)
cooperation with lab group members
3)
time on task
4) lab safety
ASSIGNMENTS:
Assignments will available by 8am on Monday morning. These assignments will cover the material for the week. These assignments will be due by 11:59pm on Thursday night. This allows for these assignments to be scored and posted on Friday morning so updated grades can be viewed at this time.
Assignments not completed by the due date will be counted as zeros. Unless you are on a special IEP or ELA, this is non-negotiable. You WILL NOT be put on the homework assistance list and given extra time. Due dates are there for a reason. Be responsible.
If you are are on an IEP or ELA, you will be given extra time to complete the assignments as per your IEP or ELA. You and your parents will be given a written notice via JupiterEd messaging as to the assignment(s) that are due and the extended due date. These messages will be sent out on Friday mornings. (Another reason to check your messages regularly.) Failure to complete these items by the extended due date times will then result in a zero. Failure to read your messages is your fault.
Cheating on assignments will not be tolerated. The results of cheating will be no credit for all parties involved (this means that the person who gave the answers will also receive a zero). No exceptions. Answers that are "word for word" are a red-flag. Do your own work. This is your first and only warning on this issue.
Extra Credit
During the course of a quarter or semester there will be plenty of graded opportunities to do well. Therefore, no extra credit will be offered. So please do not ask for extra credit. You have at least 25 or 30 opportunities during each quarter to get your grade up the level with which you are satisfied. Besides it wouldn't be fair to extend extra credit to one person and not another person. As a teacher, you cannot start going down that path because where do you stop? Therefore, it has always been my policy that there will be no extra credit awarded.
Attendance Policy
Biology 1 students will follow the attendance policy that is outlined in the 2024-2025 Student Handbook. Students accumulating more than 10 total excused absences during a semester WILL NOT receive credit for the semester. Some discretion will be taken under consideration for extended illnesses or circumstances beyond the student's control. These will be handled on a case-by-case issue.
Unexcused absences will result in receiving no credit for the items missed during the time the student was absent. This includes assignments, labs, tests, or quizzes that were given on the day of the unexcused absence. This means that if you miss a test because of an unexcused absence, you will receive a zero for that test. The building principal will determine if the absence is excused or unexcused, not the parent(s).
It is up to the student to be responsible and be in attendance when school is in session. One of the biggest predictors of academic success or failure is attendance. Those that have good attendance records have a better chance of academic success. Those with poor attendance records do not. It is that simple.
Semester Test-Out Option
A student will be able to opt out of one of the semester tests provided during the year. If a student opts out of the first semester test, he/she will be required to take the second semester final exam.
Students who wish to opt out must meet the following requirements:
1. student must not have any computer or disciplinary violations during the semester
2. student must have at least a B- as a grade in order to be able to opt out
3. student can only opt out of one Biology 1 semester exam (if you opt out of the first semester. . . you must take the second semester exam).
Advice for Passing Biology 1: (from former students)
1. Check your JupiterEd messages daily. Mr. Breitkreutz sends messages to you about assignments and tests dates often.
2. Do ALL of your assignments. You WILL NOT PASS Mr. Breitkreutz's class if you do not complete your assignments. This is one thing I learned the hard way and it was too late. I thought I could redo my missing work. I couldn't.
3. Take advantage of the lifelines Mr. Breitkreutz tosses your way. If he allows a notecard to be used on a test, take the time to make one and then use it.
4. Ask for help. Mr. Breitkreutz will help you if you ask.