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Course Description: Biology - Phase 4

This is a rigorous introductory biology course for the high ability student. It studies biology with the molecule as the focal point and proceeds to present the levels of organization of living things. The student will utilize a study-guide that supplements the text, will spend a considerable amount of time in laboratory work, and will be encouraged to pursue independent study topics.

Our Biology Text Our text is molecular in focus. That means we'll start with the smallest building blocks of matter, make up atoms and molecules, then macromolecules, then cells. From there we'll proceed up a heirarchy of living things until we get to ecology at the end of the year.  The principal author of out text, Dr. Neil Campbell, is the same author whose team wrote our A.P. Biology text. I find his team's presentation the best one in print.

Biology-4  Study Guide The study guide is intended to give you a basic outline of what I think is the important material you should be able to master in the text. It contains a number of exercises that are supplementary to the text. You will receive a number of handout pages through the course of the year. Place them, as well as your class notes and assignments in the study guide binder.

Course Guidelines

Before/after school help. Even though this is a challenging course, you will always be able to count on me to assist you in your study of biology. As I've stated on my home page I get to school early in the morning, usually by 7:00 AM, and remain at school after school until at least 3:00 PM. You can feel free to schedule a meeting time with me, or simply "walk-in", provided that I'm not working with another student, or attending a meeting. Play it safe and schedule something in advance. (I'm usually out of the room between 7:40 and 8:05 AM, and have afternoon meetings on most Wednesdays). 

Homework every night. Students sometimes feel that if they don't have a written assignment, they don't have homework. You will have either written or non-written homework every night. You should keep up with your assigned outlines, with reading, and once that is complete, your review of your notes each and every night. If you do this, you'll excell in the course. If you don't, it will become obvious to you. 

Grading Policy. Your grades in this course should reflect that you're enrolled in a rigorous college preparatory course: 

Tests. Most of your grade (80%) will be based on your performance on written tests, which will be scheduled in advance. You will see after a test or two that modern biology is not an exercise in memorization, but a study of a modern science. Accordingly, we will try to test your mastery of concepts and processes. Tests will almost always include an essay ("free response" question).

Lab  reports and written assignments. Lab  reports and written assignments will be collected and graded, and will constitute 20% of your grade.

Grading Scale. Your grade will be based on the school's official grading scale: A = 93, B+ = 89, B = 85, C+ = 81, C = 77, D+ = 73, D = 70. 

Keeping track of your grades. It is your responsibility to keep track of your grades. Check the FAWeb site often to make sure you have received the correct grade for all the work you've done. FAWeb is readily available for both parents and students.

Attendance, behavior, and preparation. Class "citizenship" points will be deducted from your final average in the event that you violate the Attendance and Behavior guidelines below. I rarely every have to resort to this, as students seem to be able to gauge whether they belong in the course or not... 

Attendance. You  are expected to arrive at class on time, be seated before bell, and remain for the entire class. 

Behavior. You should not engage in behavior that would jeopardize lab safety, nor distract the teacher or other students from doing their work. 

Preparation. You should have assigned readings completed, have any written assignments turned in on time, and have have your text, workbook, and Study Guide at each class.

Academic Integrity. The following is a quote from page 7 of the Student Handbook, available on the Salesianum web site:

"Each student is encouraged and required to respect what God has given him and others, both in material goods and scholastic ability. This respect implies honesty with oneself and others. Taking the property of others -- material, intellectual, or scholastic -- is a betrayal of respect as well as a violation of honesty." "Academic integrity is the expectation of every Salesianum student. Any student who jeopardizes this by plagiarism, cheating or taking another's work will receive a zero for the assignment in question. He will also receive a demerit. In addition, the student's parent/guardian will be contacted by his teacher."

I truly hope that none of my students feel so pressured that they need to resort to copying someone else's homework, lab report, or test. The same could be said about improperly using material from printed and electronic media. The results of being caught doing so would be so devastating to one's grades! Do the math -- a homework or lab grade of zero might be the difference of a letter grade; a test grade of zero would probably result in your failing the quarter, and academic ineligibility for participating in co-curricular activities. All of the work I give is doable -- all of my students are capable. If something happens that you can't get an assignment in on time -- ask me for more time. If you feel unprepared in the days before a test, ask for help.

The question often arises when two or more students are partners for a lab or project. Of course your data and information should be the same, but your conclusions, while similar, should not be word-for-word. Whenever you collaborate, you should list those persons and resources you used. A great temptation might be to use material available electronically or on the Internet. Always be sure to attribute credit to your sources! The problem comes when you try to pass on someone else's work as your own.

Testing Procedures (taken with permission from syllabi of several Salesianum Science Department members).

• no talking during tests
• test materials in the center of your desk at all times; your eyes on your own test materials
• use of cell phones prohibited; calculators will be provided if needed
• have additional materials to work on if you finish test early
• if absent for a test, arrange with me to take it on the first day back, even if we don't have a scheduled class that day

    Failure to comply with the above test procdures will result in an automatic grade of "0" with no opportunity to retake the test.

Final Assessment. Beginning with the 2007-08 school year, rather than having only a written exam, Bio-4 students have a two-part final assessment. Half will be a "final exam" in the traditional sense, and the other half will be an alternative assessment. The alternative assessment will be assembled as a portfolio during the course of the school year, mostly during the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Quarters. For more information see the Final Assessment information sheet.