5:1 – Thursday – a-g High School Earth Science

Description

Presented by Mary Anne Cheraz DBA Lessons By Design macheraz@verizon.net

Class Cost: $400 per semester,  Private Pay: $350 per semester

All Charters Accepted – ask for purchase order instructions.

Course Title: a-g Earth Science 1A, a-g Earth Science 1B

Thursdays 9:00-11:00

Pre-Requisite/Co-Requisite: none 

Meets High School Graduation Requirement for:  Physical Science

Course Length: Earth Science 1A- 1 semester, 5 units, Earth Science 1B- 1 semester, 5 units

“a-g” requirement category: Depending upon charter: 

‘d’ – Lab Science/Physical Science category   or  ‘g’ – Elective category

Course Overview:

This one-year course is an in-depth study of Physical Earth Science. Through textbook, projects, field exercises, demonstrations, research, group activities, discussions, modeling, and laboratory exercises, students will develop an understanding of the Earth’s Composition (Chemistry, Rocks and Minerals), the History of the Earth, the Dynamic Earth (Plate Tectonics, Earthquakes, Volcanoes), Reshaping of the Crust (Weathering and Erosion), Atmospheric and Ocean influences as well as Space and the Solar System. Inquiry based laboratory and field exercises will help students to ask questions, define and solve problems through investigations, analyze and interpret data, and use it to create models, argue using evidence, and overall think critically about Biology. This course was written to meet the Physical Science Next Generation Science Standards.

Students will meet the objectives within the units through activities, which engage students in the Scientific Practices and provide opportunities to discuss Crosscutting Concepts following the Next Generation Science Standards.  These activities include but are not limited to: reading content and answering questions, investigation and collaboration, using the processes and technologies that real scientists and engineers use, through applied mathematics, by working in teams to formulate questions and answer those questions, make predictions, design investigations, collect and analyze data, make products and share ideas, and create multimedia presentations. Students will participate in wet labs taught by a subject expert, which will comprise 20% of the course.  Students will have the opportunity to design, collaborate and complete inquiry based lab, fieldwork, and investigations for each unit of study.  Students will complete the assignments, including collaboration components, and will be graded on these projects, labs, daily work, midterm and final.

Key Assignments:

For each unit, students will meet the objectives through reading related textbook chapters and taking notes on that reading, including all new vocabulary, participating in group discussions, answering section and chapter review questions, taking section assessments, and taking a chapter test.

1. Students will complete either reading, notes, section and chapter review questions as well as lesson assessments, group discussions, chapter tests.  Students will use online resources, group assignments, and individual projects to explore Cross Cutting Concepts and model Science and Engineering Practices related to Units of Study.  

2. Students will also complete wet labs making up 20% of the course time as well as 20% of the final grade, and must be taught by a subject expert.  During each lab, students will follow written procedures, develop a hypothesis, maintain a lab notebook, solve problems, and use critical thinking skills to complete the lab objectives.  Students will complete lab assignments where they will answer procedural questions, write their results and conclusions for each lab, determine any areas of possible error, and complete a written analysis. 

3. The student will participate in weekly contact and instruction with a content expert for Science. The course will be overseen by the Science HQT. 

Course Materials:

Holt McDougal Earth Science ISBN 13: 978-0-55-400539-3

Grading:

Grades will be based on the following:

Daily Classwork/Homework    30%

Unit Quizzes/Tests                  25%

Laboratory Grade                    20%

Midterm                                   10%

Final                                        15%

100-98%    A+          79-78%    C+             59-0%        F

97-93%      A            77-73%      C    

92-90%      A-           72-70%      C-

89-88%      B+          69-68%      D+

87-83%      B            67-63%      D

82-80%      B-          62-60%       D-