Garthe's Classroom
by Bill Garthe
Welcome to 8th Grade Life Science
Approximate Curricular Agenda:
UNIT 1: Scientific Method, Microscope, Review of Atoms/Molecules
UNIT 2: Cytology (Cells)
UNIT 3: Zoology (Lower Animals)
UNIT 4: Zoology (Upper Animals)
UNIT 5: Anatomy (Frog)
UNIT 6: Anatomy (Human)
UNIT 7: Drug Education and Sex Education
UNIT 8: Genetics (Heredity)
UNIT 9: UBME (You Be Me---student teaches small life-science lesson)
UNIT 10: Metrics (optional and may be abbreviated in duration)
UNIT 11: Botany (Plants)
UNIT 12: Ecology (Environment)
UNIT 13: Entomology (Insects)
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SUGGESTIONS and GOOD IDEAS to best foster success:
1. Study what was done in class every night. Don't wait until the last moment. Making a study-sheet is a good idea. It is expected that students bring home their notebooks every night to study even if it is a mere 5 minutes. Failing to do so can cause pupils to fall further behind when absent and not having it may hinder the ability to stay caught up when missing my class. Many of the Homework Request Forms that I fill out will refer to this notebook.
2. Ask for help when needed. I am all-too-happy to assist a caring student. Getting my help after the unit is over is rather ineffective for grades.
3. This class offers a unique option---the "Second Chance Quiz". After taking the first Quiz, I post it on the door and even invite students to come in and copy it down. In a few days, I'll give the same exact(verbatim) Quiz again for 2x or 3x point value. So, if a student studies what they missed on the first Quiz, they should be ready for the same question again in a few days. If they get an A on the larger 2nd Quiz, their grade will go up nicely. If they get a perfect score (after getting to look at and study the questions for several nights), they'll get a bonus large enough to literally replace the low first Quiz grade (F) with a passing grade or higher. See Examples A. and B below.
EXAMPLE: A
Monday--Quiz #1, student earns 25 points out of 50 (grade F 50%)
.......student copies the Quiz down and really studies it
Thursday---Quiz #2, student earns 95 out of 100 (grade A)
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Average for two Quizzes is 120 pts. out of 150 pts. (grade B- 80%). Here the grade in science went from an F on Monday to a B- on Thursday BECAUSE the student took the time and cared to study/improve.
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EXAMPLE: B
Monday--Quiz #1, student earns 20 points out of 50 (grade F 40%)
........student copies the Quiz down and really studies it
Thursday---Quiz #2, student earns 100 out of 100 (grade A+)
.........student earns Bonus for perfect score (extra 30 points)
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Average for two Quizzes is 150 pts. out of 150 pts. (grade A+ 100%). Here the grade in science went from an F on Monday to an A+ on Thursday BECAUSE the student took the time and cared to study/improve.
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Also------------work/projects/coming to class prepared/practice sheets done all earn 'sticks' to be tallied at quarter's end for a Test score. Merely doing the above things will do two things----1. they'll earn a good test score easily, 2. their grade in class is likely to be better because they did the needed work/brought the necessary tools to do well learning-wise/grade-wise.
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If a student shows me something, he/she will get something. If a student shows me nothing, he/she will get nothing.
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Basically, one who really tries will find it very hard to fail. Genuine effort is highly encouraged and rewarded nicely.
I can be reached at (815) 539-6237 ext. 122. Good times to call would be between 8:10 to 8:45a.m. and between 1:00 and 1:30p.m. Note: in the afternoon time, I may be in another teacher's rooom for our Team Meeting.
Mr. G.
