Does your student love science? Do they take things apart around the house? Do they spend all their free time programming computers? Do they have a secret passion for electricity, veterinary medicine, rocketry, or other scientific hobby? If so, you should consider having them display their brilliance in the Brighton Science Fair on Friday, May 4. (And of course you may also choose to enroll them “just because” :) This is going to be a great opportunity to showcase a private project for the public to see on the same day as the Choir Concert and Art Exhibit at Brighton. Students should pick a subject they like, within all the broad realms of science, and think about how they can display a particular invention, experiment, or series of experiments they perform. Here are a few guidelines:
I believe there will be a peer voting contest with some kind of prize for the winner! Time, effort, and creativity will be rewarded! Please consider taking advantage of this opportunity to expand your student’s experience with science, especially if they have a particular interest that this year’s science curriculum doesn’t cover. It is a great way to keep their interests growing. As homeschoolers, it’s also an opportunity to do something more fun and hands-on, past the basic textbook. Students could also consider pairing up, to making it more social and rewarding! NOTE: I am requiring science fair participation for all my Earth Science students desiring high school credit, but am otherwise not requiring it for my other students. If anyone wants to consider a project for extra credit in Life Science or Biology, please let me know and we can schedule a parent-teacher conference about that. More effort and planning will be involved in these cases, i.e. making an actual hypothesis, making a plan to experiment, collect data and analyze it, etc. An official lab report will also be required as part of the end product. Welcome to Life Science! Life science is the study of living things and what makes life possible. This year will include major units on animals, plants, microorganisms, and human beings, in preparation for high school biology. We will be doing all kinds of experiments and activities to make this subject come alive for students! Students will need: 1. BJU Press “Life Science” textbook, fourth edition 2. Life Science Lab Manual, fourth edition 3. A three ring binder with notebook paper in it. Students will need to bring these supplies to class every session. The lab fee of $45.00 is due by Aug 23, which covers all lab materials for the year. Cash, check, or Paypal me at [email protected] Structure of the Class For some students, this class is their first “real” science class, or their first class in a school setting. That is completely fine. The text is tough, but getting a routine down is the key. Students will study one chapter per week, taking the weekend to read and answer questions in the text. Mondays will be for discussing concepts and making sure everything in the chapter was understood. Wednesdays will be for experiments and other activities which explore the key ideas further. Homework is the largest part (50%) of student’s grade. Reading the text is the most important part of mastering this subject, so the majority of homework assignments will be weekly section review questions and vocabulary from the text. Occasionally there will be a lab to do at home, or other homework besides the weekly questions from the chapter. At this age, completeness and quality matters more than accuracy, so make sure your child does not stress if they do not understand something—but do encourage them to do work carefully and completely. Homework will be collected at the start of class every Monday, and returned to the student on Wednesday. Homework must be handed in on time. Half-credit will be given for any late homework, except in the case of absence. This is to foster good habits for high school, and also because of time pressure; with 24 chapters, the student cannot make up missed parts of the text easily. Parents are welcome to contact me about sickness, vacation, etc., to work out what is appropriate in those situations. Several tests will be given in class this year, after a larger unit is complete. Brief pop quizzes will be given in class on a regular basis to make sure students are keeping up with the reading. Tests and quizzes will comprise 25% of the student’s grade. The remaining 25% of the student’s grade will be a participation grade which includes things like participation in class & labs, attitude, and work ethic. A rubric for the participation grade will be provided to students, so they can get a sense of what is expected from them. The general idea is for middle schoolers to be rewarded for diligence, helpfulness, doing work well/completely—even if science is not their best subject or they struggle with tests. Extra credit opportunities may also become available if the need arises. To sum up, the student’s grade consists of: Homework (50%) Tests/Quizzes (25%) Participation (25%) Class Rules
Please also be aware of some other important Brighton rules, per the Code of Conduct. I am obliged to speak to students in class regarding the following: 1. No hats in class 2. No immodest clothing or inappropriate images/messages on clothing 3. No eating/lunches—(but drinks with lids are fine) 4. No peanut products of any kind on the premises Absences should be reported that day to the administrator at 816-500-7763. Other Issues Please be aware that the BJU Press textbook teaches life science from a creationist perspective, and evolutionary theory will be critiqued in Chapter 8. Feel free to alter or augment your student’s education on this subject according to your own family’s convictions. They will not be tested on the details of any particular creationist perspective. For several reasons, the earthworm and frog dissection labs will not be conducted this year—we will be watching a video on those dissections instead. If it is important to you that your student do a live dissection, please let me know. Alternatively, these will be done in high school biology. Final Words In closing, thank you so much for the opportunity to teach your child! This is a great year to explore biology and make a big deal about scientific opportunities. I will be covering the basics, but this is a prime time to let them watch documentaries, get involved with health issues that arise, take the pet to the vet, experiment with lawn care or address a bug infestation… ANYTHING science! This will help the subject come alive for your kids. And who knows? You may find that you have a budding doctor, nurse, arborist, or researcher on your hands!
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AuthorMrs. Riddle teaches Life Science, Biology, and Earth Science at Brighton Academy for 2017-2018. She homeschools four children and has 10 years of co-op teaching experience. Her family is part of Radiant Church in Overland Park, KS. ArchivesCategories |