About the class
Welcome to the most important class of your life. (Maybe.) The world is awesome, and we're going to get to know it, from volcanoes under the ocean that created land, to plate tectonics that broke apart that land and smashed it back together, to weathering and other geologic action that continues to shape it. Sometimes the result is beautiful, like the arches of Utah or the white sand beaches of Florida. Sometimes the result is devastating, like tsunamis in the South Pacific or the volcano that destroyed Pompeii.
Course OBjectives
Students will:
- Use science process and thinking skills.
- Manifest science interests and attitudes.
- Understand important science concepts and principles.
- Communicate effectively using science language and reasoning.
- Demonstrate awareness of the social and historical aspects of science.
- Understand the nature of science.
attendance
Students will be in class and ready to go on time. 4 or more unexcused absences or tardies will result in a U in citizenship, not to mention the academic repercussions of not showing up or showing up late.
Grade policy
A >94%
A- 90% B+ 87% B 84% |
B- 80%
C+ 77% C 74% C- 70% |
D+ 67%
D 64% D- 60% F <59% |
Rules and procedures
Be Prepared: if you have to ask me for a pencil or a piece of paper, you will lose half of your daily points.
Be Positive: complaining will not get you anywhere.
Be Responsible: your work and your grade is up to you, not someone else.
Be Positive: complaining will not get you anywhere.
Be Responsible: your work and your grade is up to you, not someone else.
Food and drink
I want you to be healthy. If you're hungry, you're more than welcome to eat fruits or vegetables. No, Skittles don't count as fruit. If you're thirsty, bring a water bottle. Junk food and other drinks are not allowed in class.
Hall Passes
Each student gets two hall passes per term. If you have a medical or other valid reason to leave more than that, we'll work out another solution. For the rest of you, if you need to go but you're out of hall passes, you'll simply lose half of your daily points. Once or twice won't hurt your overall grade, so it's worth taking the hit if you really need to go.
Extra Credit
There's no such thing as extra credit in this class. If your grade needs help, simply turn in your missing assignments. If all your assignments are turned in, find the lowest scores and redo them.