Mr. Kobe’s Biology Syllabus Welcome to Beverly Hills High School. This handout contains information regarding guidelines & expectations for the upcoming school year. Please contact me at any time during the year regarding questions/concerns that you may have. Email: This is by far the fastest way to get a response from me. I check my email daily. My address is:
[email protected] Website: I keep a daily website where you can check announcements, download materials, and view class activities. Simply search for my name on the BHHS website to find my website. YouTube Channel: My entire curriculum is available on my YouTube channel. This is a great resource if you are ever absent or simply want to review a lesson that you may have found to be difficult. The address is: www.youtube.com/MrKEKobe Phone Number: I do not check my voicemail on a regular basis, however my number is listed below. If you want a fast reply, use the email address listed earlier. 310-551-5100 x8404 Goal: Be responsible for your own education and actions. I am here to assist you in your learning, but in the end you will determine your knowledge learned and grade received. Course: Honors Biology is a college prep class integrating both lecture and lab to create a full understanding of the life sciences. Due to this fact, many demands will be expected from any student who enrolls in this course. You can expect this class to be very demanding (quantity of reading, writing, time, effort), and hopefully fun. During this year, we hope to help you move from being a middle school student to a college student, ready to tackle AP Biology next year! We will be engaging in Advanced Placement Labs, including a lab that will involve techniques of genetic engineering. Throughout the course of the year, we will study: Biochemistry, Cells, Energy, Chromosomes, DNA, Genetics, Evolution, Ecology, Human biology, Classification, & Microorganisms. Graduation Requirements: As determined by BHUSD, two years of a laboratory science are required in order to graduate. However, three years or more of science is recommended for students who are college bound. Completing this course with a passing grade will satisfy one year of the district requirements. When in doubt, see your counselor for help. Daily Activities: Throughout the school year, students will be expected to perform a variety of activities such as: lecture/note taking, Internet lessons, quizzes, tests, lab analysis, research projects, worksheets, and online simulations and tutorials. Students are expected to come to class prepared and should maintain a biology only binder to help keep their assignments tidy and organized. Classzone.com: This website is the online companion to our textbook. You can find study guides, review games, concept maps, textbook audio, videos, animations, and more! Take some time to get familiar with this FREE resource. Grading: Progress reports are sent home in the mail every 5 weeks, but grades will be updated online with JupiterGrades more frequently. Grades are calculated according to a typical point/percentage scale. The scale below will outline grading. Typical Assignments: Homework 5 points each Grading Scale: A 100-90%
Tests 100 points each
Quizzes 20 points
Dice Quizzes 5 points + 1 ec
Lab Activities 10-20 points
B 89-80%
C 79-70%
D 69-60%
F Below 60%
Student Name (printed): _____________________________________ Date: _____________ Period: _____ Mr. Kobe’s Honors Biology Syllabus: Cut away this section of the syllabus and return the signatures. Please keep the rest of the syllabus as a guide during the course of the school year. By signing, you acknowledge that you have read and understand the topics described in the syllabus. Please do not hesitate to ask if you found any areas to be confusing.
_____________________________________ Parent/Guardian Signature
_____________________________________ Student signature
At the end of each semester, all biology students (regardless of teacher) will be given a department final exam that will be worth approximately 15% of the overall semester grade. The final exam will cover the entire semester. Keys to Success: 1) Attendance: One very important key to success will be regular attendance. The following information highlights the Beverly Hills High School attendance policy. This policy will be enforced within my classroom. Be sure to have a parent/guardian call the attendance office when absent. 1 unexcused absences per semester = -3% from semester grade 2 unexcused absences per semester = -6% from semester grade 3 unexcused absences per semester = -9% from semester grade 2) Tardiness: Unlike absences, tardiness interrupts other students while also disrupting the learning process and can therefore not be tolerated. The tardy policy of Beverly Hills High School will be enforced. Each tardy is counted as 1/5 of an unexcused absence (-0.6% from semester grade) 3) Study Skills: Biology is designed to be demanding. Few students are able to earn high grades without studying on a regular basis. Be prepared to set aside time outside the classroom to refresh material or work on assignments several times per week. 4) Absent Work: Absent assignments will only be given full credit if the absence is “excused.” If you miss a test/quiz because of an excused absence, the test/quiz will be taken before or after school the day you return. If you fail to makeup the test/quiz then you will receive a 0%. Lab makeups will be allowed on a per lab basis. Be sure to review my personal website if absent. You are not excused from announcements because you were absent! 5) Cheating: Students are expected to complete all work in an independent manner. The BHHS cheating policy is enforced if a student(s) is/are caught cheating. If caught cheating on any assignment, the student(s) will receive a 0% and be referred to their AP for further disciplinary actions. 6) Extra Help: Don’t wait until the day of a test to ask for help. I am usually easy to find during the course of a school day, but occasionally I have other commitments before school, during lunch, and after school. Therefore, allow yourself time to see me for help by scheduling an appointment. Kobe Class Rules: 1. Be in school, on time, and on task! I do enforce the BHHS tardy and attendance policies. 2. Be courteous and respectful to others. 3. All assignments are due at the beginning of class periods unless otherwise stated. Assignments are considered "late" even if they are turned in later in the same class period. 4. Late work will only be accepted for 1 day and will only be worth a maximum of 50% credit. 5. Excused absent work must be turned in the following day. Don't forget to download assignments from my website if you are absent. This is your responsibility. No excuses! 6. If absent, it is the responsibility of the student to obtain missing notes, news, and/or assignments. I post class information online daily. The excuse "I was absent." is never acceptable. You are not excused from work if absent the previous day. Go to my website to read what you missed. 7. Absences must be excused in order to receive full credit on makeup work. If the absence is unexcused, no credit will be given for the assignment. This includes tests, quizzes, and labs! 8. Electronic devices used in class (Cell phones, mp3 players, etc) will be confiscated according to BHHS policy. 9. Cheating is not tolerated, no matter how big or small the incident may be. The BHHS policy is enforced. 10. Only completed work will be graded.
