MR. PICHOLA’S CPE SCIENCE CLASS

• Welcome! Hopefully you had a great summer and are ready to get going.

• My goal is for everyone to be successful and have fun

• With that in mind, here are some things you need to know

Things you need to do (your responsibilities)

• Know what to do

• Do it the best you can

• Learn from mistakes rather than make excuses

• If there’s a problem, propose a solution

Things I will do (my responsibilities)

• Let you know what to do• Expect you to do it• Hold you responsible• Be available for help• Listen• Provide the environment• Be consistent/fair to all

My Philosophy

• Help you become more independent

• Learning how to learn just as important for life-long learning as science content

• 2 posters…

• “Never do for a (child) what they can do for themselves”

Materials• Text book: take it home, bring it back in June• Binder: 3 ring binder with pockets, paper, and dividers

(10)• Composition notebook for daily writing (graded

quarterly…50 + points)• Planner: checked every Monday weeks’ assignments

from SchoolPointe• Also: calculator with scientific notation, pens/pencils,

goggles (I supply)

Homework• Posted on Schoolpointe Friday for

upcoming week, must copy into planner by Monday

• Assigned about three times per week

• Accepted 1 day late for ½ credit

• Due at beginning of class.

Absences• 1 day for every day absent

• It’s in your planner (copied from SchoolPointe), so you know what you missed.

• Also written on board and announced in class

• Papers in blue bin.

Cheating• Copying anything anytime for this

class or any other• INCLUDES COPYING FROM A

PARTNER (only data is OK)• See school rules; taking credit for any

work that is not your own, original work

What about…• Group work?

– Directly copying an answer from someone else’s paper is cheating

– Showing where an answer is in book is OK

• Talking about bookquizzes/tests?– Telling someone what is on it is cheating.

– Giving your opinion is not.

Tests: 70% of gradeTend to be between 50 and 100 points• Retakes if:

– Within 2 weeks of getting test back– Complete compass learning topics– Take notes

• If passed, and Compass tests are better, improve up to 5%

• 75% maximum if not passed, still have to do a retest

“Other stuff” 30% of grade

• Bookquizzes: on reading everytime, use notes if take them (20 – 40 points,

double the number of questions) Sometimes no quiz, just notecheck. No retakes.

• Labs, worksheets, etc.

“Other stuff” 0% of grade

• Pretests/posttest: – Beginning/end of unit to measure growth

• Self Assessments:– Formatives along the way in a unit

• Both are graded and recorded, but not part of final grade…0 weight

• Both help you (and me) keep track of your progress, and see when you need to come in for help

Extra Credit• Maximum of 30 points each quarter.• Due at least 1 week before the end of

the quarter. • Tell me what you want to do, I don’t

have little papers/projects for you• Should relate to class and extend your

knowledge• CPE Cents, sticker cards, bathroom

passes

Grading scale• Tests are 70% final grade, other stuff 30%

– A = 100 - 89.5 B = 89.4 - 79.5

– C = 79.4 - 69.5 D = 69.4 - 59.5

– F = 59.4 – 0

• I don’t constantly update grades...keep track yourself (I’ll show you how) and check that when I update about every 2 weeks.

Extra Help• Afterschool Study Center, Rm. 94,

tutors available M – Th, 2:30 – 3:30• Office hours …open room…Tues.,

Weds. & Thurs. 2:30 – 3:30.• Morning before a test

Behavior

• Respect– including respect for one’s self,

others and their property.

– I respect you and your property and I would expect the same from

you.

Class Rules

• 1. Listen when others are talking

• 2. Be on time to class, with materials, seated and ready

• 3. Keep hands to self

• 4. No inappropriate outbursts,

• 5. Not eat or drink in class (gum is OK)

• 6. Clock does not dismiss, teacher does.

Lab Safety

• Get 1 warning to get back on track

• Then lose ½ points

• Then lose rest and possibly detention

Participation Grade• Everyday Question of the Day

– on board writing assignment. Come in, write down question and answer it. By the time the bell rings, everyone should be seated and silently working.

• Lose points for: not silently working during warm up

• About 50 + points per quarter

Topics, sem. 1• Intro topics, measurement, graphing, scientific methods• Laws of Motion• Work, Power, Energy• Heat Transfer• Wave Phenomena (light and sound)

Topics, sem. 2

• Origins of the Universe

• Atomic structure

• Periodic Table

• Chemical Bonding

• Chemical Reactions

Welcome

• Your job to do the work

• My job to let you know what to do and to help you

• Anything I can do to help…let me know

• Hope we have fun in Science!