Please see the Essential Skill tab for skills students should achieve by the end of each quarter.
Welcome to 8th Grade Science
First quarter we will investigate chemical interactions. Second quarter we will explore the water on our planet. Third quarter we will study microbiology and cells. And our final topic will be Earth’s history and life over time in the fourth quarter. Please visit the link titled "Essential Skills" for more detailed information on the topic and vocabulary covered in 8th Grade.
Assignments
Students should expect with each new unit there will be a final project such as a power point presentation, model, or news report on a given topic. Homework and lab work is also to be expected. We will be doing as many labs as possible that will be accompanied by lab reports. If the lab report is not completed in class, it will be due completed, the next day. Homework will be given often to reinforce or prepare for class work. Late work will be graded as follows:
Late Work Policy
One day late: 70%
Two days late: 50%
Three days late: 0
In addition to homework and labs, students will participate in class work, daily warm ups and assessments such as quizzes and test. Student’s grades will be broken down in the following manner.
Grading Policy
10% Warm Up
20% Class work / Homework
30% Quiz
40% Labs / Test
Extra credit will be available to students. Each quarter students may find four “Science In The News” articles. The articles must have been printed (online, newspaper or magazine) within the last year and may be on any subject as long as it relates to science. Students who choose to do extra credit will be required to not only read and understand the article but present a five sentence summary of the article’s highlights to the class.
Daily Expectations and Supplies
Students are expected to enter the room prepared, sit in their assigned seat, complete their daily warm up and be ready for the day’s lesson. Being prepared consist of having lined paper, writing utensils (pencils and pens), 3 ring binder or section of a larger binder dedicated to science, composition notebook or one subject spiral notebook to be kept in the room for warm ups, colored pencils and expo marker. Students will not need the colored pencils or expo marker daily but we will be using them often for diagrams so I will announce when they are needed.
Students should NOT throw away graded assignments! Students should keep ALL assignments (homework, class work, quizzes, tests and notes) in their notebook/binder for each unit.
In addition to studying our text, class work, and quizzes, the following link will help students study and prepare for class www.classzone.com . You can access interactive models and helpful websites aligned with our units.
I look forward to meeting everyone and having a successful year in science.
Mrs. Omspach
ashley_omspach@iss.k12.nc.us
