Marine
Biology Course Agreement
2008-2009
School Year
Mr.
Rosenoff’s Class
Thank you for your interest in this
Apologia Science Marine Biology class. I
am excited about the new school year for two reasons: (1) our class will be live-feed Internet.
Unlike some Internet courses which require you to send in assignments which I
grade and then return, you and I will be communicating directly with each other
on at least a weekly basis. This
arrangement gives us greater opportunity to interact and learn from each other
because we will be together for ninety minutes each week; (2) our curriculum
will be challenging and exhilarating.
Sixteen major topics will be covered during the course of this year. These units are all outlined in the book Exploring Creation with Marine
Biology, by
Sherri Seligson, which will also be our classroom text. As a former medical and industrial research
scientist, you can be certain I will bring a depth of knowledge to the topics
we will study together. I am eager to
share my experience with you in an educational capacity.
In order to start out with a firm
understanding of my expectations for this class, I would ask that you please
review the following requirements with your student:
1. Students entering marine biology
must be concurrently enrolled in or have
completed Algebra I prior to the start of the 2008-2009 academic year. (Success in biology at this level and math
ability goes hand-in-hand, according to research.)
2. Incoming marine biology students
must have mastered the introductory concepts covered in a pre-college biology
course, including basic laboratory procedures and experiment report
writing. (Please see Exploring
Creation with Biology, 2nd Edition, by Dr. Jay Wile, for guidance as to
basic curriculum covered in these courses.)
3.
Students are expected to have a basic understanding of document citation
and have the ability to produce a two to three page laboratory experiment
report following a standardized documentation style I will provide.
4. Students or their parents are
required to have basic computer literacy, including knowledge of how to
download files, load web pages, open and create e-mail attachments in Word
6.0/95 format, and how to copy from a Word document and paste to a website
template. (These are not skills I teach
in class.)
5.
The text we will be using for our course, as stated earlier, is Exploring Creation with Marine Biology, by Sherri Seligson. You are also required to purchase the
textbook Solutions
Manual.
The textbook and manual or a complete CD-ROM version of the text and
other support materials are available through Apologia Educational Ministries,
www.apologia.com
at a reduced cost to you once your tuition is paid. The text is divided
into 16 modules. Unless otherwise noted
in the Marine Biology Course Schedule, (1) a parent-graded module study guide;
(2) a paper and ink informal report (following an informal format I will
provide) for each module experiment; and (3) an instructor-graded online module
test MUST be
completed for each module. Each student will also produce a formal lab report each
quarter following a formal report format that I will provide. There will also be
an instructor-graded semester exam given at the end of 1st and 2nd
semesters. I will also require that the
student maintain a penciled lab notebook of all lab experiment work completed:
I will post a list of the required experiments to be completed for each
semester. Remember - in general, these
assignments MUST BE COMPLETED BY THE DUE DATES LISTED in the course schedule
which I will post online.
6. Students
must complete the module test and the semester exam and post their formal
experiment report ONLINE on the Apologia Educational Ministries website: www.apologiascience.com. Parents MUST post
their parent notebook report on the Apologia site also. Completing this assignment submission process
provides the student/parent with a receipt for the assignment which is time
stamped and gives me a computer-stored copy to look back on. There is a
link for posting each one of these assignments available on the site. Please note: I require
that you word process (Word 6.0/95, Times Roman, 12 font) and spell check the
formal experiment report prior to its being posted to the Apologia site. I will provide you with a Steps to Success handout which will
detail the best method to accomplish all the assignment work once class begins
in September.
7. Laboratory work is an important
endeavor in your child’s overall grade and education and must be completed to
continue on to chemistry. A microscope is required for this course. Please, be sure to be diligent in completing
(Those of you living and working
overseas have special need regarding completion of laboratory work. Please feel free to contact me on an
individual basis so that I can help with any concerns you may have.)
8. Students must be disciplined enough
to submit required work on time. As per stated
policy, I will deduct 10% per day from the score received on the assignment on
all late work (including
the parent notebook report),
unless the lateness results from personal illness, family emergency, or
computer problem of a non-reoccurring nature.
In these instances, I will grant full points. A schedule for the course, providing due
dates for all assignments for the entire year, will be posted before the start
of the 2008-2009 academic year. (If you
are leaving on vacation or some other personal choice holiday, please adjust
your study schedule to submit the assigned work before leaving. I will always accept an assignment
early. I am available during my office
hours to help you complete assignments before the due date, when and if
necessary, during the school year.)
All class assignments are due by 6:00
PM, Eastern Time, on the date indicated in the Schedule I will post.
(The Apologia Science time stamp on your work is the final authority on
whether something is submitted on time or not.)
NOTE:
9. In order to begin class immediately,
students are expected to be signed on to their computers at the class start
time with materials ready. Technology is
often a fickle thing. Many students have
to log in several times to get a decent connection. Try to log into class early
to avoid being late. (This also provides the student time to chat
with classmates prior to the start of our session.) Those students who are habitually tardy for
no valid reason will be referred to the school administrator.
(Those of you living and working
overseas have special problems regarding absences and tardiness. Please feel free to contact me on an
individual basis so that I can help with your needs.)
10. Students are expected to come to
class prepared every day, which means all assigned reading, exercises, and labs
have been completed.
The following rules and procedures have
been established to create an environment conducive to learning:
a. Be Prepared -- have assignments finished
prior to class.
b. Be Prompt -- turn in all work on the date it
is due.
c. Be Respectful -- to yourself, other
students, and your tutor.
d. Be Involved -- daily participation is
required.
Those students who follow the rules
stated above will receive positive reinforcement through the use of
participation points. These points will
be given, at my discretion, to students who are organized, complete work on
time and to the best of their ability, and have behaved in an appropriate manner.
11.
Daily participation in class is also required. Students are expected to ask questions,
participate in discussions, and generate and share ideas. Often participation is the deciding factor
when figuring grades (an ‘A’ vs. an ‘A-’ or perhaps a ‘D’ vs. an ‘F’). You need to do more than show up to class and
complete your assignments to succeed -- you need to be an active participant in
your education.
(Please note: I cannot and will not, in
good conscience, pass a student who does not participate in his or her
education.)
12.
The following grade scale will be used for the course:
A 93 - 100% C+ 77 - 79% F
59% and below
A- 90 -
92% C 73 - 76%
B+ 87 - 89% C- 70 - 72%
B 83 - 86% D+ 67 - 69%
B- 80 - 82% D 60 - 66%
The two, typewritten, formal,
laboratory write-up (one required each quarter) and the parent notebook report
detailing completion of all required experiment work comprise 25% of the
student’s semester grade, seven module tests each semester make up and an
additional 50% of the student’s grade, and the end of semester exam comprises
25% of the total score for each semester.
A perpetual grade report for each
semester for every student is available on the password protected Apologia site
www.apologiascience.com for your viewing at anytime during
the school year.
If you have further questions regarding
course requirements, my e-mail address is
rosenon@apologia.com.
Please feel free to contact me on Monday, Wednesday,
or Friday afternoons between
Looking forward to seeing you in
September.
God Bless,
Steve Rosenoff
Marine Biology Instructor
