Hello Everyone!
Welcome to Biology, Natural Science, and Physical Science!
Dear Students,
My name is Mr. Smith and it is wonderful to meet you. I just want to start off by telling you how excited and honored I am to have you all in class. I hope you are all looking forward to this semester as much as I am, because there is so much opportunity to learn and grow this year. I have a passion for science, especially biology, because I truly believe that there are few better examples of God's miracles than the myriad of life that surrounds us. While we will cover a great many topics through our lessons, I pray that above all that you learn to develop a love for the wonders of nature.
About Me
I graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with my degree in Biology. While it is a general Biology degree, my emphasis was in Zoology, which is the study of animals. I have been jokingly referred to as a walking compendium of animal facts, and anyone who knows me well can tell you that it is rightly earned. I spent a great deal of my time at university around their environmental center where I also had the opportunity to take several courses on botany, which is the study of plants. I found this to be invaluable because it really allowed me to grasp the larger concept of just how important plants are to the stability of the natural world.
I live in Hattiesburg Mississippi in a cozy apartment and am grateful to have the opportunity to be working from home. I have two cats which I adopted from a shelter, Oberyn and Minnow. They mean the world to me and while they are very well behaved, they may both make brief appearances during our meetings. I've taken the liberty of posting a picture of them both here because why not? Look how cute they are!
Lesson Plan and Expectations
Lesson Plans in Livebinder
My Expectations For You
2. At the beginning of each unit, complete the reading for the project first so you know what to plan for and what supplies you will need to gather in order to complete it.
3. Take full advantage of LiveBinder and all it offers. As you go through the lesson, make sure to have the LiveBinder open to the material in question and follow along with it in unison. It will make the information much easier to process and help you move through the lessons.
4. All writing should be done in complete sentences using proper grammar as well as spelling. I want you to be able to show me that you comprehend the material and the best way to do that is through clear and concise writing. Many of the discussion questions will have a word count of 125 words minimum. Please be aware of this, as I strictly adhere to them.
5. Blank answers are simply not acceptable. Do your very best to fill out each question to the best of your ability. Refer back to your written notes and retrace your thoughts to find an answer. If you are unsure of what to write, please feel free to reach out to me.
6. Our goal in the science department is to help students succeed in their studies. Quizzes are allowed two attempts, which means the quiz will only be allowed to be unlocked once. After this, the student can be allowed to do quiz corrections if requested (www.smore.com/619ht) and the score is below 70. For a test, there is only 1 attempt. If needing to have an alternate test assigned, the student must review the first test without receiving an increase in score on the first test and then message the teacher when finished.
7. With projects and labs, it is at the teacher's discretion if they will be reassigned pending the situation, but the student can message the teacher inside Ignitia. It will not be reassigned more than three times and only for different circumstances. If a project is reassigned, 10 points will be deducted, so the maximum grade possible on the project will be 90. Middle school and high school use Turn It In; however, middle school teachers upload it into Turn It In for the students. The report must not match 15% or more or it will be counted as a plagiarism strike.
8. Students are able to ask a question inside of Ignitia with the help box instead of submitting an assignment. Teachers will reassign the first time a student accidentally submits their assignment if they submit it when a student asks a question. However, if they submit their assignment when they ask a question the second time, the teacher will grade it as is, and the student will have to request it back which could possibly be counted as a blank submission.
9. Open communication is paramount. My primary responsibility is to be here for you whenever you need help; be it through email, meetings, videos, or tutoring. I will have links to all methods of getting in touch with me in this letter for your convenience.
10. The easiest way to find answers to your questions is by clicking the "Ask for Help" button in Ignitia which can help me locate the source of your issue and make the process much smoother. You can also contact me directly by phone or email. When choosing those more direct lines of communication, be sure that you have all the information you can regarding your problem; this includes class, unit, and assignment number.
11. Be sure to read any communication I send you thoroughly to ensure that you understand the message.
12. Remain focused on your goals: to learn the material. Correctly answering questions while lacking the understanding of key concepts is taking the easy way out. Please be diligent with your studies.
13. Do your own work. Learning is more than just getting good grades, it is developing key life skills. The ability to take in information and use it to formulate your own thoughts and sentences is invaluable in the age of information. Furthermore, copying words and work from others is plagiarism and will not be tolerated. A single incident of plagiarism can be placed on your record, and further incidents will force us to notify your parents. We take academic integrity very seriously, which is why we utilize TurnItIn and require you to turn in all written assignments using that resource. A rule of thumb to follow: If you cannot explain a concept in your own words, you may not understand it.
Support Package Details
Bronze - grading is completed within the next 72 office hours of the submission, and messages are responded to within 72 office hours of being posted.
How To Reach Me
Office Hours
About Open Office Live Sessions:
Fridays from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time is when live meetings for my classes take place on a biweekly basis. I will cover physical science from 11:00 - 12:00 and natural science from 12:00 - 1:00. Aside from those times, feel free to reach out. I am here to help!
Open Office Live Session Links: