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Course
Requirements and Criteria for Grade Determination Biological Science is a project based
course with a heavy emphasis on working in groups. What follows is a summary
explanation of course requirements and of how grades will be determined.
More detailed explanations will be
given as the semester progresses. The class is scheduled to meet on
Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 12:00 until 2:30 P.M. A student’s semester grade for the
course will be based on tests, quizzes, a series of projects, class
participation, attendance, and a final examination. During the first eleven weeks of the
semester, class sessions will include lecture/discussion periods concerned
with a survey of significant topics of modern biology. The last four weeks
will be devoted to intensive preparation for and presentations of group
projects. In addition to the lecture/discussion
periods during the first eleven weeks, work on several project also will be
done. Tests. There will be five tests associated
with the lecture/discussion work done during the first eleven weeks of the
semester. Missed tests cannot be made up; however, the lowest test grade of
the five will be dropped while the highest grade will be doubled. Quizzes. Quizzes periodically will be given,
either at the beginning or the end of a lecture/discussion session. As with
tests, missed quizzes cannot be made up but the lowest quiz grade will be
dropped while the highest will be doubled. A student’s average quiz grade
will count the same as one test. Projects. There will be six projects, each
carrying the same grade value as one test. Five of the projects will be group
efforts while one will be done individually by each student. A student will receive an individual
grade for each project but a significant portion of the grade for five of
the six projects will be based on the performance of a student’s group. Since a portion of each student’s
grade on a project will be based on his or her group’s performance, it is
important that all members of a group cooperate and closely work together.
This, almost certainly, will require meetings outside of class time. Students unwilling
or unable to work cooperatively in a group should not take Biological Science. Three of the projects are group
presentations and each member of a group is expected to actively
participate in the presentations. A student who misses his or her group’s
presentation should expect an F as a semester grade. Student groups will spend a
significant amount of time and effort preparing their presentations and they
deserve the attention of non-presenting groups. A student from a
non-presenting group who is absent from a presentation will loose points on his or her presentation. Each of the six projects is designed
to investigate some aspect of the science of biology and to aid students in
their acquisition of one or more of the transferrable skills listed as
objectives for the course. Class
Participation and Attendance. Each student will be given a grade for
class participation and attendance. Participation involves more than being
present. Students who meaningfully and actively participate in the course
will receive a higher grade than students who display a passive or apathetic
attitude. According to school policy, class attendance
requirements are to be established by each instructor. Biological Science is
a four-credit course and the class meets only twice each week; therefore,
one absence will count the same as two absences in a four-credit course that
meets four times each week. Anyone absent more than two days should not
expect a semester grade higher than a C and anyone absent more than six days
should not expect a passing grade for the course. Students are expected not only to
attend class but also to be on time. While almost everyone occasionally is
late for a class, late arrivals are distracting to the class and to the
instructor. Three incidences of tardiness will be counted the same as one absence
in a regularly scheduled, four-credit course. Final
Examination. The final examination will be based on
the five tests given during the first eleven weeks of the semester. If a student has missed none of the
five tests, has a test average of 80% or better, and has no more than two
absences, he or she may exempt himself
or herself from the final examination. |