REGENTS EARTH SCIENCE COURSE
INFORMATION
OTHER ITEMS OF POSSIBLE
INTEREST
WELCOME TO THE 2002-2003 SCHOOL YEAR ! !
September is an exciting month as we begin the school year. We look forward to meeting parents at our Open House on September 19th. As school begins students receive a number of handouts explaining course requirements and classroom procedures. Parents are encouraged to review the material and sign the last sheet of the Classroom Procedure handout.
Our school year begins with activities presenting an overview of the sciences
that make up the study of Earth Science and the importance of laboratory skills
to collect, interpret, analyze and report data findings. We begin our study
of Earth by investigating its shape, size and composition. Some of our first
labs deal with investigating the concept of density as it relates to Earth
material and on measuring Earth’s circumference based on the method Eratosthenes
used over 2000 years ago. In these laboratory investigations students will
apply a number of mathematical procedures.
One of our major goals for this month is to understand the importance of thoroughly
completing laboratory work, handing in work on time, learning to cooperatively
work together with different groups of students, following directions and
adjusting to new situations.
Our textbook is Earth Science: Geology, the Environment, and the Universe.
It covers the NYS Physical Setting/Earth Science curriculum and was designed
to meet all New York State Math, Science and Technology Standards. There are
many supporting aspects of the book including a web page supported by the
publishing company for students to use. At his site students have options
for reference and review. The main menu for this textbook can be found at
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/science/earthscience/index.html. Parents are encouraged
to visit the site to see what is available and encourage students to use the
site when preparing for class and tests.
Students will be working in lab groups on projects of their choice for Earth
Science Week, which occurs the second week in October. This is an important
assignment and is equivalent to one test grade. Students are encouraged to
plan ahead so that the project can earn them the best grade possible. They
should select an area that they are most interested in and one that allows
them to apply areas highlighting their own talents. Earth Science Week is
designed to be fun for students and should involve others in the school and
community. Ask how their projects are coming and join in with them in the
fun of completing the projects they have self-selected and self-designed.
This year we are working on the possibility for selected students to participate
in an enriched Earth Science class for college credit through the State University
College at Oneonta. The program has not completed the approval process by
either our school or the college but it is hoped to be approved by the mid
fall semester. If this program is successful in being approved selected students
may opt to be part of the program. These students will enroll for the course
through the college for a yet to be determined tuition fee and upon successful
completion of their enriched program receive three college credits. They will
also take the Regents exam at the end of the course and be able to receive
Regents credit. This is an exciting and wonderful opportunity. In the past
we have offered college credit bearing courses and students, as a result,
have saved time and money while at college. It is also a great plus for students
on their college applications.
If parents have any questions or concerns anytime during the school year they
are encouraged to call. The school telephone number is 547-8181. This year
I am available most days between 10:30 – 11:30.
Our first month of school has past and students are
settling into their new school year. The beginning of this month marks the end of
the first five weeks of school. Five week interim notices will be sent home for
students if they have a less than 70 average or have missing labs. It is very
important for students to keep up-to-date with completed labs. It is a state requirement for students to
successfully complete laboratory investigations, including laboratory reports,
representing a minimum of 1200 minutes of in class laboratory work. This is
equivalent to 30 labs. The Regents Exam begins with the Lab Performance Exam,
given a couple weeks prior to the end of the school year. For this reason May
15 has been selected as the deadline for all labs to be satisfactorily handed
in. Students who do not meet the laboratory requirement are not allowed to sit
for any portion of the Regents Exam, which is the course’s final exam. It is
highly unlikely that a student will have an average high enough to pass the
course without taking the final exam. This is why completing labs is so
crucial. Students are strongly encouraged to sign up to make up labs and catch
up on corrections during the following times:
Monday: Before School;
Periods: 4, 5, 6;
After School
Tuesday: Before School;
Periods: 4, 5; After School.
The second week of October is Earth Science Week. Students
have selected a project of their choice to complete during this week. For this
project, students earn a grade equivalent to an exam. Students should do well
on this project since they were able to select the topic and area of their
interest with the encouragement to incorporate and showcase individual talents.
During this week the State Education Department will be videotaping a class to
incorporate into their Tools
for Schools program.
October 23 is an important date for students. This is the
last date labs can be submitted for a grade that will count on the first 10
week marking period. First marking period labs may be submitted any time up
until May 15th to be counted as one of the 30 required labs but
without any grade point credit. Student report card grades will be much higher
with a late lab grade than a missing lab grade. Late labs grades could be as
high as 80 but missing labs receive a zero. This grading procedure is designed
to encourage students to keep up-to-date with their labs and reward students
who get their labs in on time.
November is a short month with time set aside to enjoy
Thanksgiving. The second Friday in November is the end of the first 10-week
marking period. Students have been given the opportunity to build a strong
first marking period grade. Course work difficulty increases as the year progresses
and students need to remain focused on keeping up-to-date with labs and on
increasing the time they devote to studying for exams. This month students are
learning about Rocks and Minerals. Students have a good grasp of the integrated
use of the computer and are applying their skills in laboratory investigations.
Parents are encouraged to call Dr. Hess if they have any questions or concerns
or if there is something happening in their child’s life of which they think
the teacher should be made aware.
December
This month we are studying Unit 3: Surface Processes on
Earth. This unit includes the topics of weathering, erosion, soil formation,
mass movements, wind, glaciers, surface water and ground water. There are many
topics in this unit that are highly stressed on the NYS Regents exam. With only
three weeks of class in December it is likely we will finish this topic in
January.
Students are working on an expanded lab in which they are
developing a rock or mineral field guide. This assignment is due December 17th
and will earn a grade equivalent to a test grade. Students had the option to
work individually or in pairs to complete the field guide. The guide will be
computer generated and photographs are required to be included. Students have
access to the classroom’s digital camera to use for this project. Students will
be impressed with their work and it should prepare them well for the Regents
lab performance expectations.
January
The end of this month completes our first semester. The
school year is already half over!
Students are learning about weather, storm patterns and
hazards, climate and the interrelationships of energy transfer with Earth’s
system. The weather channel is a good resource frequently used in class and
encouraged to be watched by students throughout this unit of study, if
available at home. There are many good weather sites students can use to
monitor and predict the weather. Students particularly enjoy predicting a “snow
day”. Each season in the northeast is
perfect for the study of weather and climate and we try to take advantage of
each season’s attributes.
At the close of the first semester students check and
organize laboratory investigations in their class lab folder. We continue to use the computer as an
integrated resource for both class work and enrichment. During the second
semester we plan to have each student produce a computer generated laboratory
report complete with a photograph or diagram, data table and graph.
Happy Snow… Yes, the length of daylight is
already getting longer….
Yakety Yak Long Term Group Musical Assignment
Students will work with their lab partners to develop either a live or taped
musical production on an environmental issue as modeled in the Yakety Yak video
production viewed in class. It should be 3-5 minutes in length and no longer
than 5 minutes. Each member of the group must have an active role in all
aspects of the production. Students will receive a grade equivalent to a test
grade. Students are encouraged to let their creative juices flow and to have
fun. The assignment is due the first class period, the last week of May.
Regents Laboratory Requirement
All students enrolled in Regents science courses are required to complete the
equivalent of 1200 minutes of successfully completed and documented laboratory
work to be allowed entrance into the Regents Exam. (This is the equivalence of
30 labs.)
In Regents Earth Science the Laboratory Performance Exam is given on a
designated day at the end of May or beginning of June and is a part of the
Regents Exam.
All student laboratory reports must be successfully completed, corrected and on
file in the students classroom folder by Wednesday, May 9th .
Students can earn up to 15 points of their Regents Exam grade from the
Laboratory Performance Exam.
This year's Laboratory Performance Exam is scheduled for Wednesday and
Thursday, May 23 and May 24. Please do not schedule doctor appointments on
these dates. The Laboratory Exam will only be given on these dates and it is
very important students be in attendance on these dates. Students absent will
be able to take the exam at the end of the next school year.