WELCOME BIOLOGY STUDENTS
COURSE WEBSITE AND SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTORS CONTACT INFO:
H 401-932-0516
C 508-508 836 5409
E MAIL- sharon.kozlowski@ppsd.org
GOOGLE CLASSROOM G MAIL sharon.kozlowski at use symbol providenceschools.org
site updated: SEPT 10 2020
WELCOME NEW STUDENTS TO CLASSICAL HIGH
THIS BIOLOGY 1 COURSE IS A CORE COURSE AND A LABORATORY SCIENCE WHICH FULFILLS 2 REQUIREMENTS TOWARD YOUR GRADUATION. IT IS IMPORTANT TO DO WELL IN SCIENCE THIS YEAR FOR A WELL ROUNDED EDUCATION. GOOD GRADES IN SCIENCE AND MATH IMPRESS. KNOWLEDGE OF LIFE ON EARTH IS ESSENTIAL. WE FOCUS ON SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE OF BIOLOGY AS RECOMMENDED BY STEM AND NGSS-21ST CENTURY SCIENCE CORE.
IT IS MY GREATEST PRIVILEGE TO BE YOUR TEACHER THIS YEAR. IT IS MY 31TH YEAR TEACHING SECONDARY SCIENCES.
TEACHING CREDENTIALS
31 YEARS-29 PROVIDENCE SYSTEM; MS. SECONDARY EDUCATION/CONCENTRATION BIOLOGY; BS BIOLOGY, BS EARTH SCIENCE; MINORS: CHEMISTRY, MICROBIOLOGY, SECONDARY EDUCATION; NAUI CERTIFIED DIVER; FOSSIL HUNTER; ADVENTURER AND NATURE ENTHUSIAST.
SPECIAL NOTES AND UPDATES-MEMOS ABOUT ANYTHING WILL BE HERE OR ON OUR OWN GOOGLE CLASSROOM.
HOME WORK THIS WEEK
USUALLY POSTED ON FRONT BOARD IN CLASSROOM; GOOGLE CLASSROOM ALSO SHOWS SOME ASSIGNMENTS
GOOGLE CLASSROOM IS SET UP FOR YOUR CLASS CODE IS ON FRONT BOARD IN ROOM 255
YOU COULD SAVE MATERIALS TO YOUR COMPUTER OR STORAGE DEVICE AS THE CONTENTS OF THIS WEBSITE DOES CHANGE. ALL MATERIALS ARE NEEDED FOR MIDTERMS AND FINALS.
LAB CORRESPONDING TO UNIT
POSTED ON FRONT BOARD
HOME WORK IN GENERAL
HOME WORK IS GIVEN ON MONDAYS AND IS COLLECTED ON FRIDAY. GROUP STUDY IS ENCOURAGED. NO LATE WORK IS ACCEPTED UNLESS ABSENCE, ILLNESS, OR DISCUSSED SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES. SINCE THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DAYS OVER WHICH TO COMPLETE THE HW. THERE ARE USUALLY NO EXTENSIONS ON DUE DATE.
DO NOWS
THESE OCCUR AT ANY TIME- REGARDING ANY TOPIC. THEY ARE GRADED AND PLACED IN THE CLASSWORK CATEGORY. SOME ARE NOT COLLECTED.
FINDING OUT GRADES, AVERAGES
GRADES ARE POSTED ON SKYWARD AND SHOULD BE ACCESSED BY STUDENTS AND FAMILY AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE.
CURRICULA 2020-21
WE ARE USING THE RECOMMENDED CURRICULUM FOR THE UPDATED NGSS WITH UPDATED ANCILLARY MATERIALS THAT ARE APPROPRIATE FOR NGSS.
TEXT IS ON-LINE WWW.OPENSTAX.COM; BOOK 2e c 2018 and BIOLOGY BY MILLER/LEVINE
DIGITAL
STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO GOOGLE ANY OF THE TOPICS COVERED IN CLASS TO LOOK AT VIDEO CLIPS, MOVIES, ETC. USE OF INTERACTIVE, DIGITAL LESSONS PROVIDED BY TEXT BOOK AUTHORS SHALL BE USED TO FORTIFY; USE OF LAPTOPS IS ALWAYS AN OPTION FOR RESEARCH; SEVERAL ARE AVAILABLE TO US FOR USE ANY TIME. THE CURRICULUM GUIDE PROVIDES URLs FOR WEBSITES THAT GO ALONG WITH UNITS. GUIDES ARE ACCESSED ON-LINE AT PROVIDENCE SCHOOLS.ORG.
STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO USE THE WEB SITES PROVIDED FOR FORTIFICATION ON THE CONCEPTS IN THE EACH UNIT.
GENERAL PROCEDURES NUTS AND BOLTS
IT HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU KEEP A NOTEBOOK. 3 RING IS BEST. SAVE ALL PAPERS, IN ORDER, WITH DATES ON THEM. THESE PRACTICES INCREASES CHANCES OF A GOOD GRADE IN ANY COURSE YOU TAKE.
HOME WORK IS USUALLY GIVEN ON MONDAY AND COLLECTED ON FRIDAY. SOME NEW INFORMATION AND REVIEW IS GIVEN THE DAY OF THE TEST SINCE NOT MANY TESTS TAKE THE WHOLE CLASS PERIOD.
DON'T FORGET TO IDENTIFY YOUR WORK WITH THE SECTION ASSIGNMENT. PUT A DATE ON THE PAPER TOO SO IT WILL BE VERY EASY TO FIND YOUR WORK FOR BOTH YOU AND I. IT IS WORTH IT TO CHECK EVERY PAPER YOU DO. WHEN PREPARING FOR TESTS,ETC, IT IS ALWAYS A BIG HELP TO YOU TO KNOW WHEN IN THE SCHEME OF A UNIT AN ASSIGNMENT OCCURED. A DATE ON YOUR PAPER LETS YOU KNOW WHERE THE ASSIGNMENT OCCURED IN THE SCHEME OF THINGS.
TESTS
TEST OCCUR APPROXIMATELY EVERY TWO TO 3 WEEKS. FREQUENTLY-QUIZZES AND TESTS ARE ON FRIDAYS; QUIZZES CAN AND DO OCCUR AT ANYTIME.
MOST TESTS ARE 33 QUESTIONS, MULTIPLE CHOICE-TRUE AND FALSE, AND DONE ON SCANTRON STRIPS. THERE ARE A FEW OPEN QUESTIONS THAT REQUIRE WRITTEN ANSWERS. BONUS QUESTIONS ARE GIVEN. THEY ARE COMPLETED ON THE SAME STRIP IN THE WRITING SECTION. WE ONLY TEST WHAT WE HAVE COVERED IN CLASS UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED.
QUIZZES IN GENERAL
FREQUENT- ANY NUMBER OF QUESTIONS.
THESE ARE REINFORCEMENTS TO LEARNING EVERY FEW DAYS. WATCH THE BOARD FOR REMINDERS.
DO NOWS
THESE ARE REALLY GOOD TO HELP KEEP TRACK OF WHAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE LEARNING. THEY GIVE INSIGHT TO UPCOMING TESTS
GENERAL-BEST PRACTICES
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JUST A REMINDER- PLEASE- DO NOT PUT ANYTHING DOWN ANY OF THE DRAINS. THANK YOU.
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COUNTERS AND DESKS ARE NOT USED FOR SEATS.
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BE SENSITIVE TO THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU AT ALL TIMES. SPRAYS AND FOOD CAUSE ALLERGIC REACTIONS.
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PLEASE DO NOT WEAR BACK PACKS TO THE BENCHES -THERE IS LIMITED SPACE.
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ANY MEDICAL ISSUE-PLEASE NOTIFY TEACHER IMMEDIATELY
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BE IN CLASS EVERYDAY AND BE PUNCTUAL
WHAT YOU WILL NEED THIS YEAR
GET A 3-RING NOTEBOOK. HAVE A FEW PENS AND A FEW PENCILS WITH YOU EVERYDAY. CARRY ERASERS AND A SMALL POCKET SHARPENER. AND, PLEASE GET A CALCULATOR. DOLLAR STORE HAS SCIENTIFIC CALCULATORS FOR 1.00. AMAZING.
KEEP ALL PAPERS, HANDOUTS-EVERYTHING. YOU CAN ORGANIZE THEM ACCORDING TO DATES AND QUARTERS. YOU WON'T NEED TO CARRY AROUND A YEAR'S ACCUMULATION OF PAPERS IF YOU USE A SMALL 3-RING BINDER EACH QUARTER. PUT YOUR NAME ON EVERYTHING. PUT THE DATE ON EVERYTHING. YOU WON'T BE SORRY.
MAKE UP FOR EACH QUARTER
ALL MAKE UP IS COMPLETED UPON RETURN FROM ABSENCE. WHILE YOU ARE OUT, YOU CAN GET TAKE HOME WORK WHICH MAKES KEEPING UP EASIER FOR YOU. MY E-MAIL IS FOR USE WHILE YOU ARE ABSENT OR IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT ANY TIME. MATERIALS FOR MAKE UP CAN BE SENT BY E-MAIL.
FOR ANY MAKE UP DUE TO LONG ABSENCE, SEE YOUR GUIDANCE OFFICIAL. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS ARE POSSIBLE.
THERE IS NO MAKE UP LAST WEEK OF ANY QUARTER EXCEPT IN SPECIAL CASES THAT ARE DISCUSSED WITH TEACHER / OR GUIDANCE PRIOR TO THAT WEEK.
OUR FRESHMEN CLASS
GREAT THINGS HAVE BEEN PASSED ALONG ABOUT THIS FRESHMEN CLASS. WE HAVE HIGH HOPES FOR ALL OF YOU. CONTINUE TO ACT RESPONSIBILITY. PEOPLE HAVE SEEN GOOD THINGS. EXCELLENCE IS THE NEW STANDARD. BRING YOUR BEST SELF.
BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS OF THE PRINCIPLES. ANYTHING THEY WANT YOU TO DO IS THE SAME AS WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO. BE SURE TO BE ON TIME TO CLASS. THIS IS A RESPONSIBILITY THAT ONLY YOU CAN MAKE HAPPEN. BEING ON TIME TO ALL YOUR CLASSES IS A MUST WITH EXCEPTION OF EMERGENCY.
GARDEN CLUB/SCIENCE CLUB
SPECIAL THANKS THANKS TO THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION FOR GENEROUSLY PROVIDING FUNDS TO BEAUTIFY THE GROUNDS AROUND CLASSICAL HIGH SCHOOL. FLOWERS AND SHRUBS HAVE BEEN ADDED AROUND THE SCHOOL AND ADD PLEASANT EFFECT.
THE GARDEN CLUB MET TO PLANT FLOWERS IN VARIOUS LOCATION AROUND THE SCHOOL. DUE TO THEIR HARD WORK AND COOPERATION, THE AESTHETICS OF THE GROUNDS ARE UPGRADED.
GARDEN CLUB STUDENTS TEAMED UP WITH HELPING HANDS TO DO SPRING CLEAN UP IN THE SCHOOL YARD. THE PLAN IS TO DO THIS EVERY YEAR. BEAUTIFUL BLOOMS CAN BE SEEN FROM HELPING HANDS PLANTINGS IN THE FRONT OF THE SCHOOL.
COURSE SYLLABUS
Biology I - 2020-21
Science and Lab Credit
Classical High School, PROVIDENCE, RI
Rm 255
Second floor
TEXT : MILLER AND LEVINE, BIOLOGY 2019 "THE BEE BOOK" (STUDENT TAKE HOME); ON LINE UPDATED TEXT AT WWW.OPENSTAX.COM BIOLOGY 2e; TEACHER REFERENCES-BIOLOGY, CAMPBELL AND REECE -8TH ED. AND ALSO OPENSTAX AP BIOLOGY
INSTRUCTOR SHARON KOZLOWSKI
CREDENTIALS:
B.S EARTH SCIENCES
B.S BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
M.S. + 60 SECONDARY ED/CONC SCI/BIO SCI
MINORS: CHEMISTRY, MICROBIOLOGY, EDUCATION
30 YEARS EXPERIENCE SECONDARY ED
NAUI CERTIFIED DIVER
SPECIAL LAB EXPERIENCES AT Bermuda Biological Station for Research AND URI MICRO LABS
CONTACT:
E MAIL: Sharon.kozlowski@ppsd.org
CELL: 401 932 0516
HOME: 508 508 836 5409
COURSE WEB SITES:
ww.skoz7387.wix.com/biology
GOOGLE CLASSROOM codes will be posted on board in classroom
CURRICULUM:
We will be following the curriculum developed for BIOLOGY I by the Providence School Department in conjunction with the Dana Educational Center. Curriculum guide is available on the internet at www.providenceschools.org. May of 2017 modifications and additions have been made to this curriculum to satisfy NGSS and STEM required skill sets and keep materials up-to-date.
Grading:
1. Tests 40 %
2. Classwork 20
3 .Quizzes 20
4. Home work 10
5. Class participation* 10
*Grading criteria are for participation: attentiveness, preparedness, follows direction, cooperation in class and groups, punctuality.
TOPICS COVERED THIS YEAR -
CELLULAR BIOLOGY; ENERGY AND LIFE; INCREASING COMPLEXITY-SINGLE CELLS TO SYSTEMS; MOLECULAR GENETICS; INTRODUCTION TO EVOLUTION; ADAPTATION AND BEHAVIOR; EVOLUTION AND THE ENVIRONMENT; MEASURING EVOLUTION; THE ECOLOGY OF NUTRIENT CYCLING; COMMUNITY INTERACTIONS; HUMANS AND BIODIVERSITY; SUSTAINABILITY AND HUMAN ACTIVITY.
Mid Term and Final Exams covid year - not valid
Mid Term and Final will be weighted according to the department measure-20% of first semester- then 20% of second semester, respectively (subject to change). There may be an exit exam since Biology is a core requirement for graduation so saving everything is very important.
Emphasis this year will be placed on:
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Scientific writing-doing this and studying other people's scientific writing
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Making accurate, descriptive observations; designing research projects
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Hypothesizing and testing hypotheses
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Collection of data, compilation of data; use of computer for graph making
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Analysis and Synthesis of data
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Proposals for progressing, communicating, and applying knowledge of Biological Sciences for preservation or improvement of world conditions.
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Graphing and mathematical models for scientific concepts.
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Becoming a more informed individual in the community
Requirements for best success in the course:
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Three ring binder-to save all work for each quarter.
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PENS/PENCILS ARE THE STUDENTS RESPONSIBILITY.
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Save all work-to get credit for work in the grade keeper-you must be able to show a piece of work in the event you think some credit was missed.
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Date of assignment should be on all work.
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Name must appear on all papers; there is no credit for unidentified work.
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Work must be passed in on time; there is no credit for late papers except by permission. Late papers go into a late folder for reference.
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Tests are made up as soon as possible- right after absences
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All students are to focus on our subject only in class; other work for other classes should not be done in a class unless instructors say it is ok.
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Attendance is taken everyday; the exact number of days missed from the class will be shown on our report cards.
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Be in every class-every day.
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All students must attend all classes, all the time. There is no independent study.
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Class attendance is different from school attendance in that excusals for days out may be granted by the office. A tab of classes missed must be kept by the teacher so a grade may be correlated to attendance. Not in class=absent.
Food, Electronics, Water, Drinks, Calculators
Having water is encouraged; leaving class to fill water bottles is not allowed. As in all classes following Administrators’ directions, there is no cell phone use during class. This is pretty much the policy of all the teachers at Classical-in accordance with Principal Barr's directions. As a science class, we do need to use the phone for certain activities. We will be using school laptops and other school issued devices. Food can’t be present on a lab table-food is never allowed in any lab room. No drinks are allowed other than water.
Labs/Activities
Labs-will be usual for hands on application (one or two dissections may occur but no one is forced to carry out a dissection-virtual lab on computers can be used to complete dissections; diagrams are provided. Activities are frequent and enhance instruction.These are part of the 20% class work grade.
Absences
Maximum number of days absent each Quarter is 5. If you must be absent for a longer period of time-call the school and talk to the Principal, Vice Principal or School Nurse. These people will contact the teacher about extended absences and make up. With permission you can send them to my e mail or google docs but this must be by permission only.
Make up
All make up work is completed upon return from absence. Any papers due are passed in upon return from absence.
GENERAL GOOD SENSE
Follow the rules of the Principal and Vice Principals-these will be upheld by this teacher-all year.
Set your mind to pass the class. Permission to retake a class in summer school is not guaranteed; be smart-spend you precious time succeeding -this is wisdom. Try your best-all the times. Plan on success. Teachers are rooting for you. Successful students mean Classical is a successful school.
Focus is very important. There are many distractions that are empty of value to your success and education. Do your best to avoid unnecessary conflicts and distractions-these take up your energy and time which you could be devoting to your studies. Aim high-we all hope the best for our students.