Teacher’s Information

Mr. Peter WongPhone: (951) 490-4690 X27510E-mail: pwong@valverde.edu

Welcome to Jr. Scholars Pre-AP Physical Science

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome your child to the Eighth Grade Jr. Scholars Pre-AP Physical Science of Vista Verde Middle School.This course will prepare you for the rigors of high school AP Chemistry or AP Physics course and will focus on developing fundamental understanding of Chemistry and Physics through critical thinking, problem solving, application of mathematical knowledge, scientific processes, and laboratory skills.

Course Outline

This course is designed with inspiration from the Big Ideas as identified in the AP Chemistry and Physics Curriculum Framework. Below you will find the Big Ideas and the correlation to the California Science Content Standards.

Big Idea: Structure of Matter ( 1st quarter )California State Standard: 3. Each of the more than 100 elements of matter has distinct properties and a distinct atomic structure. All forms of matter are composed of one or more of the elements.

Big Idea: Periodic Table ( 1st quarter )California State Standard 7: The organization of the periodic table is based on the properties of the elements and reflects the structure of atoms.

Big Idea: Chemical Reactions ( 2nd quarter )California State Standard 5: Chemical reactions are processes in which atoms are rearranged into different combinations of molecules

Big Idea: Organic Chemistry ( 2nd quarter )California State Standard 6: Principles of chemistry underlie the functioning of biological systems.

Big Idea: Understanding Motion (3rd quarter )California State Standard 1: The velocity of an object is the rate of change of its position.

Big Idea: Newton’s Law and Forces (3rd quarter)California State Standard 2: Unbalanced forces cause changes in velocity.

Big Idea: Solar System and beyond (4th quarter )California State Standard 4: The structure and composition of the universe can be learned from studying stars and galaxies and their evolution.

Investigation and Experimentation Component

This course is also structured around the investigation component of California State StandardsScientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations.

GradingStudent’s grades will be based on the following criteria.

Tests and Quizzes 40%Benchmark exam 20%Lab activities and projects 12%

Classwork/Homework 12%participation 16%

The grading scale is as follows:

Letter Grade Percentage Points A+ 100 – 97 A 96.9 – 93 A- 92.9 – 90

B+ 89.9 – 87 B 86.9 – 83 B- 82.9 – 80 C+ 79.9 – 77

C 76.9 – 73 C- 72.9 – 70 D+ 69.9 – 67 D 66.9 – 63 D- 62.9 – 60 F Below 60

Important information:

❖ Student must participate in the science fair❖ Students will be placed on academic probation if they do not maintain an overall

GPA of 3.5 and adhere to the minimum standards of the program as outlined in the application.

1.    Be Prepared● Be seated and engaged in the warm-up activity before the tardy bell rings.● Bring student materials to class daily:

o Pencils, pens (Bic 4 Color), and highlighterso Notebook and paper (graph paper)o Pencil sharpener o scientific calculator with sine, cosine, tangent functionso Binder reminder (for homework)o Colored pencils o Glue stick

2.            Be Productive● Work on assignments during class time ● Always do your best to create an excellent work product● Do not waste time in class by talking or other off-task behavior

3.            Be Respectful● Raise your hand to speak.  Dialogue and creative thinking are encouraged but only in an orderly

fashion. Work collaboratively in your group/team.● Students should remain in their assigned seats.● No eating, drinking, or chewing gum.  These are potentially dangerous activities in the science

classroom and labs.4.            Be Responsible

● Follow all directions the first time they are given.In the science lab the safety of all the students is the top priority, therefore, students who act in an unsafe manner will immediately be removed from the laboratory environment and given an alternative assignment.

Consequences: The following are a list of consequences should your child choose to disregard the above stated classroom behavior guidelines:

1st Infraction: Verbal Warning (Low End Referral) 2nd Infraction: Time out, Low End Referral and/or Parent Contact3rd Infraction: Time out, Detention and/or Parent Contact4th Infraction: Referral

*Please note: Some actions on the part of your child may result in immediate suspension or referral.

Methods of Recognition for Outstanding Performance:* Parental Contact / Certificates of Achievement/Verbal Praise.

Homework:

Homework will be assigned Monday through Thursday; students should keep a daily record of their assignments. I highly encourage this practice to keep our students organized as well as to keep parents informed. Regular attendance is also mandatory to maintain a good grade. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain any missed assignments and missed exams must be made up after school. All students are required to check out a book from the library OR have internet access to log on to Prentice Hall’s interactive textbook at www.pearsonsuccessnet.com.

The username for this account is: vistaverde2015 and the password is: cougars1

Grading Policy:

The Val Verde Unified School District will continue to use common assessments given at the end of each of the 4 Benchmarks. Student performance will be evaluated as follows:

● The district established assessments (tests) will constitute 20% of the grade.● Tests and quizzes will be 40 % of the grade.● Labs and activities 12 % of the grade.● Homework/ Classwork 12% of the grade.● Participation 16 % of the grade

I look forward to providing your child with a challenging and successful learning experience in science this year. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me here at Vista Verde Middle School any time via e-mail or phone, and of course you are always welcome to stop by after school.

Sincerely,

Mr. Peter Wong (pwong@valverde.edu )Science Department(951) 490-4690 ext. 27510

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