8TH SCIENCE COURSE SYLLABUS

Instructor:
Kristin Nolan

Contact Information:
Email: nolank@fultonschools.org
Website: www.Kristinnolan.weebly.com

Textbook:
HMH Georgia Science Grade 8
Online Textbook also available on https://launchpad.classlink.com/fcs under HMH ed

Supplies:
Students will need to bring the following supplies to class on a DAILY basis:
Pens/pencils, school provided laptop, 3 ring binder with paper and dividers

Course Description:
The 8th grade science class is a study of matter, energy, and their relationship. This class covers
basic chemistry and physics but also includes a review of some Earth & space science concepts.
Students will spend time working on laboratory activities to apply principles studied, improve
laboratory techniques, and learn more about the world around them. Being able to apply what is
learned to everyday life is prime objective of this class.

The major areas of study will include: learning to use different types of measurements, force,
work, moving objects, classification of matter, the Periodic Table, patterns within the different
elements, chemical reactions, simple and compound machines, waves, light, sound, heat energy,
electricity and review Earth science concepts.

We will cover the majority of information in the textbook, but I will also use other supplemental
materials. There is an emphasis on scientific problem solving and higher level thinking skills.
Classroom activities are: laboratory exercises, videos, demonstrations, PowerPoint lectures, lab
reports, OneNote, individual projects, and group projects. These plans are directly integrated
from the Georgia Standards of Excellence website.

Primary Objectives:
Check GA Standards of Excellence for more detail.

** All activities and their plan times are subject to change due to yearly science budget,
time constraints, progression of student achievement, & students being absent & etc.**

Method of Evaluation: Students will be assessed on worksheets, vocabulary foldables, tests,

labs, lab reports, individual presentations, group presentations, quizzes, journal entries,
classroom participation, Cornell note taking, & homework.

Grading Scale:
Summative 70% (Final Exams/Midterms are worth 2 summative grades) A = 100 – 90
Formative 30% B = 89 – 80
C = 79 – 70
F = 69 and below
Academic Dishonesty:
Cheating will not be tolerated. Anyone caught cheating (taking or supplying answers) will be
given zeros. Cheating is considered to be copying from any source or reproducing any ideas that
did not originate from your own mind, including, but not limited to, classmates, friends,
websites, books, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and magazines. Any type of plagiarism is to be
considered cheating. Plagiarism will be an automatic 0% with no opportunity to make-up.

Make Up Work:
For every day a student is absent, two days are allowed to complete any missed assignments.
Addition time given may vary on the situation of the student. It is the student’s responsibility to
complete the make-up work. If a student knows in advance that he or she will miss class, they
need to make arrangements to have the assignment(s) completed before leaving. If absent near
the end of a grading period, discuss with me for appropriate deadlines.

Recovery Policy:
During the 1st Semester, students will be given the opportunity to recover one summative for up
to a 100%. All other the summative assessments are recoverable for up to an 80%. If the student
receives a 69% or below on any summative, recovery is mandatory. Students will be required to
recover for up to a 100% on their first mandatory recovery. Students must recover all summative
assessments within 10 days from when scores are released. During the 2nd Semester, all
summative assessments can only be recovered for up to an 80%. Mandatory recovery remains
the same as 1st semester.

Prior to attempting recovery, student should have demonstrated legitimate effort in remediation
(reviewing previous assessment with teacher, attending extra help sessions, etc.) Students
should initiate the recovery process by indicating their desire to attempt recovery to the teacher
within 10 days of the grade being posted in Infinite Campus/ Parent Portal. All recovery work
must be directly related to course objectives and must be completed before the recovery
summative assessment is completed or turned in.
NOTE: Teachers may determine when and how students with extenuating circumstances
may improve their grades.

Student/Teacher Expectations:
The expectation of the student is to be engaged in learning chemistry during the entire class
period. The expectation of the teacher is to provide an environment that is conducive to learning.
Should a student get distracted from learning, the teacher will provide a variety of techniques to
help the student redirect back to the goal of learning chemistry. Students are expected to follow
directions.

Technology Use:
The student should not use their cellphones or any electronic device during any school hours. It
should be kept in their lockers or in bookbags during 7th/8th period classes.

Office Hours:
I will be available before on Fridays from 8:00 until 8:30 morning unless I have a meeting.
Appointments are made by going to http://bit.ly/leefridayhelp. Working Lunches are every day
except for Mondays and Tuesdays. Students must sign up on http://bit.ly/leeworkinglunch and
meet the teacher in the lunch room.

This syllabus should remain in your notebook!