Hugh McRoberts Secondary School
Science 10 Course Expectations
Teacher: Mr. B. Powell Room: McRoberts Room 229
Telephone Number: 604 668 6600 Email: [email protected]
A. Content Competencies
Science 10 reinforces and expands on the knowledge, skills and values introduced to students in Science 9. The course is divided into four major units / big ideas and students are expected to understand the following:
B. Curricular Competencies (Skills)
Students are encouraged to develop the following competencies (skills):
1. Questioning and predicting
C. Assessment
Assessment will follow the guidelines outlined below:
1. Formative Assessment (for learning)
Science 10 Course Expectations
Teacher: Mr. B. Powell Room: McRoberts Room 229
Telephone Number: 604 668 6600 Email: [email protected]
A. Content Competencies
Science 10 reinforces and expands on the knowledge, skills and values introduced to students in Science 9. The course is divided into four major units / big ideas and students are expected to understand the following:
- Chemistry - Chemical reactions and radioactivity
- Earth Science - Energy transfer in natural systems
- Physics - Motion
- Ecology - Sustaining Earth’s ecosystems
B. Curricular Competencies (Skills)
Students are encouraged to develop the following competencies (skills):
1. Questioning and predicting
- Identify a question to answer or a problem to solve through scientific inquiry
- Make predictions regarding the outcome of experiments
- Plan and carry out an experiment following the scientific process
- Use scientific understandings to identify relationships and draw conclusions
- Represent data and relationships in data using a variety of methods
- Evaluate their experimental method and the validity of data and identify sources of error
- Transfer and apply learning to new situations
- Communicate scientific information and findings in a variety of formats (lab reports, diagrams, scientific drawings, projects)
C. Assessment
Assessment will follow the guidelines outlined below:
1. Formative Assessment (for learning)
- Teacher, student and peer assessment
- For feedback only – not for marks in determining the student’s term and year end marks
- Assessment tools may include:
- Workbook questions
- Textbook questions
- Practice quizzes
- Homework check
- Laboratory skills checklist/rubric
- Laboratory report writing skills checklist/rubric
- Formative assessment tools are re-doable and students are encouraged to redo formative assessment tools until concept mastery is obtained
2. Summative Assessment (of learning) - Teacher assessment
- For marks and to be used in determining the student’s term and year-end marks
- Assessment tools may include:
- Quizzes and tests
- Laboratory evaluations
- Projects
- Summative assessment tools are not re-doable
- Each major unit will include multiple summative assessments
- A student who misses a summative assessment tool and who is excused by a parent/guardian’s note acknowledging the missed assessment tool will be offered the opportunity to write an alternate summative assessment tool at the teacher’s convenience
- A student who misses this second opportunity to write the excused, missed summative assessment tool will receive a mark of zero on the summative assessment tool
- A student who has an unexcused absence on the day of a summative assessment tool will receive a mark of zero on the summative assessment tool and will not be able to write an alternate summative assessment tool
- Cheating, plagiarism, or any form of academic misconduct on a summative assessment tool will result in a mark of zero for all parties involved in the academic dishonesty
- Opportunities are provided in class for students to review summative assessment tools. Summative assessment tools cannot be taken home and are the property of the teacher
3. Reporting of Student Progress - Your Science 10 course mark is cumulative and based on summative assessment tools completed up to the marks cut-off deadline imposed by the teacher for each school term.
4. Evaluation
Evaluation is an ongoing process. Students will be assessed continuously throughout the year. Grades will be assigned on midterm reports and at the end of the year based on marks collected for tests, quizzes, projects and laboratory work based approximately on the following percentages:
Tests 30%
Laboratory Work 25%
Quizzes 25%
Final Exam 20%
5. Grades - Letter grades will be assigned according to the following percentages:
- A 86-100%
- B 73-85%
- C+ 67 - 72%
- C 60-66%
- C- 50-59%
- I 0-49% ***”F” if this is your final grade not a term grade
D. Student Behaviour
Lates - Students are expected to arrive to class before the bell rings. If you are not in the classroom when the bell rings, you are late.
- If you arrive late to class, either
- if the door is open: quietly enter, sit down, and begin work, or
- if the door is closed: knock once, quietly wait outside the door and review until I open the door.
- Do not be late for a summative assessment tool. You will not receive extra time for the summative assessment tool due to your tardiness.
Absences - Students are expected to attend class on a regular basis.
- If you miss a class for any reason, it is your responsibility to talk with Mr. Powell on the morning of the day you return to school.
- A student who misses a summative assessment tool and who is excused by a parent/guardian’s note acknowledging the missed assessment tool will be offered the opportunity to write an alternate summative assessment tool at the teacher’s convenience
- A student who misses this second opportunity to write the excused, missed summative assessment tool will receive a mark of zero on the summative assessment tool
- A student who has an unexcused absence on the day of a summative assessment tool will receive a mark of zero on the summative assessment tool and will not be able to write an alternate summative assessment tool
Academic Dishonesty - Cheating and/or plagiarism are not acceptable. Cheating and/or plagiarism on a summative assessment will result in a mark of zero. Your parents/guardians and the school administration will be notified of this academic dishonesty. The following Ministry of Education Examination Rules will apply in the course:
- Students must not be in possession of or have any secure examination materials prior to the examination session.
- Students must not communicate with other students during the examination.
- Students must not give or receive assistance of any kind in answering an examination question during an examination, including allowing one’s paper to be viewed by others or copying answers from another student’s paper.
- Students must not possess any book, paper or item that might assist in writing an examination, including a dictionary or piece of electronic equipment, that is not specifically authorized for the examination by ministry policy.
- Students must not copy, plagiarize or present as one’s own, work done by any other person.
- Students must immediately follow the invigilator’s order to stop writing at the end of the examination time and must not alter an examination after the invigilator has asked students to hand in examination papers.
- Students must not remove any piece of the examination materials from the examination room, including work pages.
- The use of inappropriate language or content may result in a mark of zero being awarded.
- Upon completion of the examination, return all examination materials to the supervising invigilator.
- E. Miscellaneous
- Food and/or drink are not permitted in the classroom.
- Electronic devices are not permitted in the classroom without prior permission.
- The primary goal in the classroom is student learning. No student will be allowed to interfere with another student’s learning.
- F. How to have a great, successful year in Science 10
- Maintain a good attitude in class and try your best
- Make good use of class time
- Keep your binder organized
- Ask for help if you are having any difficulties
- Complete all assigned work on time
- Review regularly
- Begin studying for tests several days in advance, not the night before
- Some concepts in Science 10 are difficult and you may find that you need extra assistance. If you need extra help, please come to see me immediately after class to make an appointment so we can get you on track again. Often 5-10 minutes at lunch or after school is enough to help you understand a concept more fully. I am more than happy to help you with your learning.
Photo used under Creative Commons from wuestenigel