Mr. Douglass's Web Page, 2007-08
Biology: Course Requirements

Syllabus for Biology, Semester One

Mr. Douglass
419-865-5743 x407
jfdouglass@sjjtitans.org

I. Rate of work, Note-taking, Review for Tests, Citizenship

TO THE STUDENT: The best preparation for performing well in Biology is for you to read carefully and take notes each night, and then to pay close attention in class and annotate your notes during our daily 20 minutes of review and discussion of the material.

In Biology we will have one chapter test every 1 to 2 weeks, all year. The amount of reading and outlining assignment is normally one section of one chapter per night. Each night’s assigned reading and outlining requires ½ hr – 1 hr to complete.

In completing the nightly homework, I encourage you to use the “survey/scan, read-and-take-notes, review” method. The final (review) step each night should consist of stepping back from the material, gaining an overview, looking back over the assignment, and asking yourself, ‘Did I learn what I should have learned from this section?’, ‘What are some test questions that can reasonably be asked on this?’, ‘What questions am I likely to be asked in class tomorrow on this material?’ This review step normally takes only a few extra minutes, but experience suggests that it can make the difference between a student’s earning a lower grade and earning an A in a particular subject.

II. Grading

A. Composition of Grades

Semester One:
QTR 1 = 40%
QTR 2 = 40%
Sem. Test = 20%

Semester Two:
QTR 3 = 40%
QTR 4 = 40%
Final Exam = 20%

B. Semester Tests
The Semester Test (Dec.) will be cumulative, emphasizing DNA and Darwinism.
The Final Exam (May) too will be cumulative, emphasizing human organ systems (anatomy & physiology)

C. Letter Grades
Each student’s letter grade (each quarter and each semester) will be determined using the straight scale appearing in the SJJ Handbook.

III. Reaching Me
My voicemail number at SJJ (24 hrs.) is ext. 407. I check messages daily and will return any calls promptly. I anticipate a wonderful year of exploring life science.