7TH GRADE SCIENCE SYLLABUS 2016-2017

Teacher: Pakize K. Tombak Email: TBD Class Website: http://mstombak.weebly.com Room: TBD

Dear Parents and Students,

I am so excited about this upcoming school year and I am looking forward to going through the science learning

process with you! In this school environment, I plan to make the world of learning science positive, safe, creative, and

fun. I also would like to emphasize that we will form a partnership that will ensure student’s success in and out of the

classroom. As we all know, education of our students require the effort from the student, the teacher as well as from you

as the parent. We will be working together as a team to educate and nurture your child. You are the most important person

in your child's life and your involvement and support is imperative for a successful and fulfilling school year. Within this

syllabus, you will find the expectations and requirements for this course.

This course will be directed by the different learning styles (visual, audio, kinesthetic, etc.). Each student is

expected to participate classroom discussions and group or individual assignments. I believe we will create our classroom

culture to maximize the learning hours together. On the very first day of the school, I tell my students two things in order

to be successful in this class. The first thing is; they need to be ready to think each and every day. The second one is; they

need to be ready to work hard. There is only one major rule that is practiced in my classroom: NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT

TO INTERFERE WITH THE LEARNING, SAFETY OR WELL-BEING OF OTHERS!

I feel that good home/school communication is critical for a student's success. To ensure this success, we must

keep the lines of communication open. All the available class related material will be on the class website including

the assignments. Please access the class website regularly to follow through what has been happening in the

classroom. Another way to learn about what we have been doing, will be doing in the class as well as your child’s

progress is to check PowerSchool account regularly. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to

contact me. The most convenient way to reach me is through e-mail. My email address is TBD. I check my e-mails daily

and will try to answer your e-mails as soon as possible. I look forward to a successful school year.

“Hard work brings its own gift”

COURSE SUPPLIES:

All students are required to have a 3-ring binder (which will be dedicated to a single subject), 8.5” x 11” three subject

note-book, 2 sharpened pencils per class, colorful pencils, eraser, ruler, file (name labeled) for class work sheets, pencil

sharpener, glue sticks, mini stapler. Other supplies may be requested for projects and activities throughout the year.

UNITS:

Scientific Method

Forces and Motion

o Understand motion, the effects of forces on motion, and the graphical representations of motion.

Energy Conservation and Transfer

o Understand forms of energy, energy transfer, and transformation and conservation of energy in

mechanical systems.

Earth Systems, Structures and Processes

o The Atmosphere

o Weather and climate

Structure and Function of Living Organisms

o Understand the processes, structures and functions of living organisms that enable them to

survive, reproduce and carry out the basic functions of life.

o Human body systems

Evolution and Genetics

o Understand the relationship of the mechanisms of cellular reproduction, patterns of inheritance,

and external factors to potential variation among offspring.

GRADING POLICY:

Major Assessments (Test / Quiz / Project) = 50%

Minor Assessments (Classwork / Lab / Participation) = 40%

Homework = 10%

TEST/QUIZ:

Students will be assessed in a variety of ways throughout the course. The most common way that the students will be

assessed is through their chapter and unit tests, and quizzes. These tests will consist of a variety of questions from the

unit/chapter. Questions are all directly based on questions in the homework assignments, class works, labs and lectures. I

expect the students to understand WHY they are doing certain steps as well as the steps themselves. In order to

communicate scientifically, students need to be able to explain why they are doing. To me, this is as important as the

correct answer. Most Fridays, students will be given a quiz. The quiz will only cover the sections and assignments

learned during the week. These quizzes will allow the student to gain more practice using the concepts taught during the

week, and will allow them to see the types of questions that will be on the unit test. Occasionally, the students will also

have a vocabulary quiz on scientific terms introduced in the lesson. By knowing the definition of key scientific terms, the

student can learn new concepts more quickly. This policy encourages students to be in class on Fridays. If students know

that they will not be in class on the day of a test or quiz, it is their responsibility to notify me and make

arrangements to take the test or quiz either before or immediately after the test.

PROJECTS:

You will be given at least one project for each unit. You will have enough time to complete each project. Please provide

the necessary items to your child when they are needed and encourage your child to complete his/ her project on time with

mostly no help from outside. Please check class website and PowerSchool to get the information about classroom projects,

tests, quizzes, grades, necessary supplies, etc. I will try to update PowerSchool every Monday, please stay updated.

CLASS WORK:

I expect the students to complete all the class work assigned during guided practice and independent practice. Classwork

is an important part of our grading policy and must be completed during the class period. There may be times that

uncompleted classwork may be assigned as a homework. Warm-up activities are graded as classwork.

Grading Scale

A 90-100

B 80-89

C 70-79

D 60-69

F Below 59

PARTICIPATION:

Students are required to attend and participate in class each day in order to be successful in the class. Students may gain

participation points for things such as asking and answering questions, volunteering to do a problem on the board, or

anything else above and beyond the normal expectations of the class. However, a student may lose participation points for

not doing the warm-up, talking excessively in class, misbehaving, or not doing work during designated work times.

HOMEWORK:

Homeworks will be assigned through Monday-Thursday, and completed homeworks need to be returned by the

next Monday. If the next Monday falls into a holiday or the student is absent on that day, it will be due the next day the

student is in the school. It is the student’s responsibility to return their completed homeworks to the teacher. If they do

not return their homeworks on time, then the grading will be based on Late Work/Homework policy.

LATE WORK POLICY:

Homeworks: There is enough time for the students to do their homeworks. If the homework sheet is lost, it will

still be accessible through the class website. Any homework that is submitted late will incur a 10-point

penalty for each day that it is late.

Projects: Students will have 5 days to make-up any missing projects. The five days will start on the day the

assessment grade has been entered into PowerSchool. The assignment will incur a 10-point penalty for each day

that it is late. For instance, an assignment that is turned in 3 days after the assignment grade has been entered into

PowerSchool will receive a 30-point penalty. Then, the highest grade possible for the assignment will be a 70. It

is the student’s and the parent’s responsibility to check PowerSchool and class website daily and complete any

missing work on time.

WORK MISSED DUE TO AN ABSENCE:

It is the student’s responsibility to make up work missed due to an absence. If a student is absent, he/she must follow

school procedures concerning attendance as stated in the student handbook. Student will speak with the teacher before the

bell rings for class or after the bell rings to dismiss the class. Work assigned prior to the absence is due upon return. The

student will have the days he/she is absent plus 2 additional days to complete work assigned during the absence. If the

assignment is not returned on the new due date, it will then be considered as late, and the grading will be based on Late

Work Policy.

HONOR CODE:

Students must complete their own work. CHEATING OF ANY KIND WILL NOT BE TOLERATED! Students will

automatically receive a ZERO for the assignment or test. Cheating includes wandering eyes on a test or quiz, copying

homework assignments or test answers, sharing of any information on tests/quizzes with others, and using a cheat sheet.

PLAGIARISM of any printed material or online sources will also receive a grade of ZERO.

RETEST POLICY:

From time to time, students may be able to re-test MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS if they receive a score of 70% or below.

The re-test will not be the same as the original test. The reassessment grade, if higher, will replace the original grade. It is

up to the teacher to give a re-test chance on a given assignment, therefore it should not be considered as granted.

ELECTRONIC DEVICES:

All electronic devices and cell phones need to be turned off and put in locker. IF YOU CHOOSE OTHERWISE, THEY

MAY BE CONFISCATED OR MAY BE PICKED UP IN THE MAIN OFFICE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE

SCHOOL RULES AND REGULATIONS.

TUTORING DAY:

Extra help may be offered to the students who need or want to make up missing works/test/quiz. The time will be

announced. It is recommended that parents notify me in advance and student have permission slips when they show up in

the classroom.

CLASSROOM RULES:

Be on time.

Be prepared for the class. (Bring all necessary items to class everyday such as interactive notebook, assignments,

pencil, etc.)

Enter the room quietly and start working on the warm-up.

NO food, gum or drink at your desk.

Be Respectful: Disrespect of any kind will not be tolerated in or out of the classroom. This includes but is not

limited to: talking back to teacher, inappropriate language, laughing at other students, speaking while the teacher

or other students are speaking, taking things that do not belong to you, etc.

Keep your hands and feet to yourself.

Raise your hand to speak.

Remain seated unless given permission to move.

Follow the directions the first time when they are given.

Complete all given assignments and tasks.

Always use the hall pass if given permission to leave the room.

Calculators can only be used when directed by the teacher.

NO work other than the science material is allowed on your desk or work area. If you choose otherwise, it may be

confiscated, including books.

Push chair under the desk when the class dismisses.

Tardy Policy Consequences

1st Tardy Warning

2nd Tardy Warning/Parent contact

3rd Tardy Behavioral referral

4th Tardy Behavioral referral/lunch detention

5th Tardy or more Administrative referral

Misbehavior Consequences

First Offense Verbal Warning

Second Offense Verbal warning/parent contact

Third Offense Lunch detention/parent contact

Fourth Offense Write-up/Administrative contact

YUMMY PERMISSION SLIP

Students / groups may receive such rewards as ice-cream, chocolate, cakes, doughnut & pizza parties throughout the year.

Your child needs your permission to be rewarded in that way.

Please sign, if you agree, and list any allergy information below.

o YES, I would like my child to receive food and drink from his /her teacher.

o NO, I would like my child NOT to receive food and drink from his/her teacher.

If you have checked YES above, please include allergy info:

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Parent Signature: ___________________

CLASSROOM CONTRACT

I, ___________________________________________________ hereby agree that Ms. Tombak’s expectations on her

syllabus are needed in the 7th grade classroom. I will always try my best to uphold her expectations on her syllabus and

from her procedure presentation (during her first day of the classes). If I failed to do so, I am willing to accept the

consequences of my actions and misbehavior.

I have read Ms. Tombak’s syllabus. I understand that my child will be held accountable towards all of Ms. Tombak’s

classroom rules and policies.

Student Signature:…………………………………………..

Parent/Guardian Signature:…………………………………

Parent/Guardian E-mail …………………………………………………

Cell Phone Number ……………………………………………………

Home Phone Number ………………………………………………….

Work Phone Number ………………………………………………….

Home Address …………………………………………………………

Please write the best time for phone contact ……………………………..