Teacher: Mr. Rainbeau
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
http://www.brainbeau.com
Phone: 438-3785 x18308

Course Objectives:

Welcome to Honors Biology!  This challenging introductory biology course combines traditional teaching techniques such as lecture with hands-on techniques to increase student involvement and learning.  The Biology Honors course follows the BSCS (Biological Sciences Curriculum Study) goal to establish a curriculum based on inquiry and experimental laboratory work.  Throughout this course, students will discover the molecular basis of how living things function and how they interact with each other and their environment.  Students will be able to relate classroom activities to personal, local, and global events associated with biology.  There is a strong emphasis on the use of the scientific method to design and carry out laboratory research projects.  This will allow students to continue to develop problem solving skills, critical analysis of experimental data, research skills, and follow the appropriate use of laboratory equipment.

Textbook:

BSCS Biology: A Molecular Approach (Glencoe, 2006) (Hardcopy and Online 9th editions).

Grading:

Tests will be administered at the completion of each unit. Material covered on assessments will come from notes, discussions, labs, readings, and homework assignments.  There will be quizzes within each unit.  One midterm exam and one final exam will also be administered throughout the course of the year, each of which count as 10% of the year-end grade.  Quarter grades will be calculated based on the following weighed points system:

Tests/Quizzes = 50%           Labs = 30%           Homework, Classwork, and Projects = 20%

Labs will be followed up with both lab reports and lab write-ups.  Lab reports will be typed and graded using the lab report rubric; write-ups are usually completed on the lab hand-out themselves.  The due date of each lab report will be posted at the conclusion of the lab.  Late reports will be deducted 10% per day.

Homework will be assigned on a daily basis.  All students are expected to have their homework completed upon entering the class.  A successful year in Honors Biology is dependent on  students completing their homework nightly.

Make-up Policy:

It is the student’s responsibility to determine what, if any, work was missed and to hand it in.  In the event of an absence from school, all assignments will have a grace period of one day per day of absence.  See me if you are absent for more than two days to set a schedule for make-up work.  If absent during a Lab Day, you will have a one week grace period to make up the lab experiments after school and pass in the Lab Report.  If absent for a test or quiz, you can take the make-up test or quiz on the day you return or the following day.  All work not completed within the required time will be graded as a zero.

Materials:

Students must come prepared for class! The following materials should be brought to class everyday:

• Notebook- devoted to Honors Biology
• 3-ring binder (This will help keep all assignments organized to study for tests and quizzes)
• Pen and pencil
• A basic calculator
• “Do we need to bring our textbook to class every day?” – No!!! - There will be times when you will need your book in class, but I will tell you a day or two in advance.

Suggested Materials:

• A flash drive
• White Out
• Highlighters
• Colored Pencils

Extra Help:

Seeking extra help as soon as problems/questions arise is strongly encouraged.  I offer extra help whenever a student needs it, he/she should speak with or email me to schedule time during the school day or after school.  I am also available every Monday and Wednesday from 2:20– 3:00 to answer any questions you may have.

The BSCS Biology Curriculum:

The BSCS Biology has identified seven unifying principles that form a framework for this course.

• Evolution: Patterns and Products of Change—Living systems change through time.
• Interaction and Interdependence—Living systems interact with their environment and depend on other systems.
• Genetic Continuity and Reproduction—Living systems are related to members of other generations by genetic material passed along during reproduction.
• Growth, Development, and Differentiation—Most multicellular organisms begin as a zygote, the single cell produced and fertilization that will grow into a mature organism.  In all mutlicellular organisms, cells differentiate through time, taking on specialized roles.
• Energy, Matter, and Organization—Living systems are complex and highly organized, and they require matter and energy to maintain this organization.
• Maintenance of a Dynamic Equilibrium—Living systems maintain a relatively stable internal environment through their regulatory mechanisms and behavior.
• Science, Technology, and Society—Society has an everyday association with technology and science in a variety of ways.