• Biology

    What we will learn

    Biology is the study of life.  We will adhere closely to the Washington State and Next Generation Science Standards for Life Science.  In June, all biology students will take the End of Course Exam (EOC).  Students are required to pass this exam in order to graduate from high school and to take further science classes.

    What I need to bring to school every day

    Students should come with a reliable pencil or pen and loose leaf paper daily. Cascade will provide a science notebook in September; students will be responsible for purchasing an additional notebook in January.  Although not required, it would be helpful for students to have colored pencils, highlighters, a metric ruler, and a basic calculator.   

    What I need to do at home

    Students should expect homework on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings.  This homework will usually take 5 to 20 minutes.  Homework will include reading, writing, researching, preparing for tests, and skill-building activities. In addition, students should review their notes or materials from the previous day's class.  Late homework will not be accepted. 

    What happens if I’m late to class

    Per the laws of the State of Washington, tardies of more than 5 minutes will be counted as absences.  Class starts the moment the bell rings, and all minutes of class are important.  Thus, there are consequences for tardies: individual conferences on how students will make up the missing work and prevent being tardy in the future, phone calls home, detention, and referral.

    What happens if I miss a day

    The attendance policy is that of Cascade High School.  Students are responsible for finding out what they missed and making up missing work and tests.  Lab re-dos are available on a limited basis.  Class discussions and demonstrations are critical for understanding and cannot be made up.

    How my grade is calculated

    Summative: Summative assessments show what students have learned.  These may include tests, projects, and lab analysis. Summative assessments make up 80% of the grade.

    Formative: Formative assessments provide the teacher and the student feedback with how the student is learning, and are absolutely essential for doing well on summative assessments.  These may include homework, science notebooks, class work, and quizzes. Summative assessments make up 20% of the grade.

    Missing assignments:  All assignments in this class are important and support the learning of critical concepts and skills.  As such, missing work will not be tolerated.  Missing assignments will result in conferences with the teacher, phone calls home, and detentions. 

     

    Re-assessment policy:  To be eligible for retakes of summative assessments, students must have completed all associated class work and the study guide.  Additional supplemental activities may also be required. 

    Check your grades frequently:  Grades can be checked online any time.  I will do my best to update them frequently.  Parents can check grades at http://LMS.everettsd.org.

    Cheating:  Copying is cheating.  Copying will result in 0s for both parties.  Cheating will result in 0s.  Repeat offenders will be referred to the main office for further consequences. 
     
    Honors Biology
     
    Honors biology differs from Biology (above) in a few significant ways. 
     

    What I need to bring to school every day

    We will use notebooks to record and organize our learning.  Thus, students must acquire a composition book for use just for biology as soon as possible.  Graph paper (grid) pages are preferred.  In addition, students should come with a reliable pencil or pen and loose leaf paper daily.  Although not required, it would be helpful for students to have colored pencils, highlighters, a metric ruler, scissors, and a basic calculator.   

    What I need to do at home

    Students should expect homework every evening.  This homework will usually take 15 to 30minutes.  Homework will include reading,writing, researching, preparing for tests, and skill-building activities.  Many times it will also require access to the internet.  If you do not have internet at home, computers in the classroom and in the library are available before school, after school, during lunch, and during PAWS. In addition, students should review their notes or materials from the previous day’s class. 
     
    How is Honors Biology different from Biology?
    Honors biology moves at a more rapid pace than biology. This gives us time to dive into the material deeper, with additional lab experiences, ethical analyses, societal applications, and connections across subjects, to name a few.  More cognitive demand is placed on the student for independent thinking, and I expect students to spend more time on biology outside of class.