ASB 8th Grade Science
Tia
Birmingham
524-7452
ext. 95
Welcome
to 8th grade science! The
students have been very engaged and positive in class! I am excited by their enthusiasm and looking
forward to a great year. Physical
science is a very different branch of science and, for some students, they find
it very frustrating. This is due to a
few factors - there is more math than any other year of science and the
concepts are much more abstract. Also,
the concepts build on each other throughout the year so it is important that
the kids don’t cram. If your child struggles in science, I am available before
and after school as well as during lunch.
Feel free to contact me for any reason!
My
personal style of teaching is to get the kids excited about the subject in
order to foster a desire to find the answers.
That being said, I want to also spend time getting the kids ready for
high school science expectations and success.
Many activities, procedures and standards are held in my class that strive toward that end.
Science
explores a way of thinking about the world around us and asks us to think about
our role in that world. We will have
many opportunities to experience science, not just to study it from a
distance. The state EALR’s,
and the National Science Standards, and our own Student Learning Expectations
are incorporated into each lesson so that students are achieving the
appropriate level of knowledge for their grade level. All of the SLE’s
fit into our various topics but those that I will be focusing on most
(especially are the start of the year) are that of communicating effectively,
striving for excellence, and thinking critically.
A
few notes on basic classroom expectations:
Ø
Students
can expect to have homework 3 to 5 times a week. I will try to avoid weekend homework but
occasionally, it will happen. This is
especially true of long-term projects.
Ø
When
students come to class, assignments are to be turned in within the first 5
minutes or they are late and subject to the middle school late homework policy. (Please see that handout – they have it in
their notebooks.) This is so that
students stay focused on class and are not trying to finish work during class.
Ø
Sometimes,
the homework will be assigned reading with notes in their notebook. When this is the assignment, they MUST have
it completed by class time. If they are
unprepared, they are going to struggle through the whole class. If notes are not done, they still need to do
them so that they have the subject matter read and reinforced. If a student is not prepared often, I will
contact you quickly to nip the problem before it damages grades too much.
Ø
Students
should do their own work – help them, but please do not do it for them. The same goes for study groups – if students
get together to work on an assignment, make sure that they are not just
swapping answers.
Ø
Due to
my hours this year, I am only available to meet with students before school at
7:30 for lab make-ups or additional help.
If students miss a lab due to an absence, they will need to schedule
coming in to see me in the morning.
There is the rare lab that can be done at lunch recess without me – this
will have to be determined on a case by case basis.
Categories
break down in the following ways:
Tests – 30% Quizzes – 25%
Labs – 20% Homework/participation – 25%
þ Review of scientific method þ Electric Circuits
þ Force & Motion þ Structure & Properties of Matter
þ Energy þ Elements, Mixtures, & Compounds
þ Acids & Bases þ Astronomy
Go to:
Parent &
Student page