1. Welcome to Environmental Science, Room D217 Mrs. Gage, kgage@bcit.cc Mrs. Pine, vpine@bcit.cc

2. What Is Environmental Science? Environmental Science is the study of the air, water, and land surrounding an organism or a community, which ranges from a small area to Earth’s entire biosphere. It includes the study of the impact of humans on the environment. Environmental science is an interdisciplinary science, which means that it involves many fields of study.

3. Major Fields of Study

4. Course Topics 1. Earth Science – Geosphere, Atmosphere, Hydrosphere 2. Ecosystems - Food Chains and Food Webs, Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Cycles, Biomes 3.Populations - Animal and Plant Interactions, Human, Biodiversity 4.Water, Air, and Land - Use and Management, Pollution, Global Warming 5. Energy - Nonrenewable Energy, Renewable Energy 6. Waste - Solid and Hazardous, Landfills and Management, Reduction and Recycling, Human Health 7. Environmental Policy – Economics, U.S. Policies, The Individual

5. Class Rules  Be respectful – Be respectful of your teachers, classmates, their ideas, their property and school property.  Be prepared – Be prepared for class everyday with a pen or pencil, binder, and required work on time. After 3 times late to class, you will be written up.  Be responsible – Be responsible for your actions, behaviors, and appearance (dress code). Any behavior or actions that interfere with another student’s learning will be addressed.  Be courteous – No cell phone or mp3 player use is permitted, unless specific permission is granted.  No food or drinks, except bottled water.  Follow the school’s rules as stated in the student handbook.

6. Materials 3 ring binder 2 black or 2 blue pens 2 sharpened pencils Pack of pencil top erasers, mini pencil sharpener and colored pencils (optional) Binders Table of Contents A copy of class rules, policies and safety rules should be in the front of binders all semester (signed at beginning of semester). Sample Binder available for students. Binder (Notebook) Checks periodically (will be timed and based on organization, may be announced or unannounced).

7. Class Procedures Entering the Classroom – Upon entering class you will begin the Warm-up assignment. Take out agenda, notebook list, and homework. Be sure to be in proper dress code including ID’s visible.

8. Classroom Procedures Absent – Please see the teacher for any missed class work and homework. Missing assignments and warm-up questions can be found in the Warm Up/Agenda/Notebook List binder located on whiteboard. You have as many days as you were absent to complete the work.

9. Classroom Procedures You are responsible for making up the Warm-Up questions when you are absent. If a lab is missed, an alternate writing assignment will be provided. If absent on the day of a test or quiz, it will be made up the next day in class.

10. Classroom Procedures Leaving the Classroom – you will be given 5 hall passes each marking period to leave classroom (lav, guidance, locker, etc). Passes not used will be turned in for extra credit at the end of the marking period. Exiting the Classroom – Papers, pens, and other trash should not be left at your seat or on the floor when you leave.

11. Regular Assignments Warm-ups – There will be a warm-up question on the board each day. Warm- up sheets are turned in and checked every day. Warm-ups will receive a 100 point class work grade on Friday. Warm-up questions must be made up when absent.

12. Regular Assignments Current Event – Current event assignments will be handed out on every Monday and will be due the following Monday. They are worth one 100 point class work grade.

13. Regular Assignments Homework – Homework is usually checked for completeness and effort at the beginning of class. Occasionally, homework assignments will be collected and graded. Homework assignments that are gone over in class cannot be made up.

14. School Grading Policy Calculation 10% Homework 15% Class Participation/Class work 25% Quizzes 25% Tests 25% Midterm and Final Exam

15. Quizzes – Quizzes can be announced or unannounced. Notice of an announced quiz is given one to two days in advance. Quizzes are normally given every week. Tests – Tests will be administered when a unit of study is complete. Study guides will be provided for tests. Tests are normally given once every two to three weeks. Notebook Quiz – Notebook quizzes will be given throughout the semester. The notebook quiz will be timed and based on completeness and organization.

16. Midterm and Final Exams – At the end of the 1 st marking period, you will take the midterm exam. The midterm exam will contain material covered during the 1 st marking period. The final exam will be given in June. The final exam is comprehensive and will cover content from the entire semester. Projects – Depending on the project, it will either be a quiz or test grade. Some projects will be completed independently and others in groups. Specific guidelines, expectations and rubrics will be provided for individual projects.

17. Grade sheets – Grade will be continually updated in Genesis. If your grade drops below a 70, a grade sheet will be emailed home. You can always request a grade sheet to check your progress. Late work – Graded assignments that are collected can be 1 day late for a grade deduction of 20%. Work more than 1 day late will not be accepted. Copying & Plagiarism – Copying another student’s work will result in a ZERO for both the student who copies and for the student who allows the copying. Plagiarism from a source will result in a ZERO on the assignment.

18. Extra Help If you need extra help outside of class, please do not hesitate to ask. Homework Club is available on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school. Make sure you sign up in the guidance office the day before to ensure there is enough room on the late bus.

19. Extra Help **Mrs. Gage’s website is updated daily with homework assignments, class notes (both as a power point and pdf) and upcoming tests and quizzes so you can keep up-to-date if absent or would like to view power point presentations again. Mrs. Gage’s Website