The instruction in this class will be based on presenting the Science Academic Content Standards developed by the State of California Board of Education appropriate for this grade level.  The student will experience lectures, discussions, presentations, reality demonstrations and laboratory discovery activities.  Both individual study projects and group cooperative activities will be used in this class.  In this way students can develop individual comprehension and skills as well as cooperative learning and social skills necessary in laboratory and assignment partnerships.  Remember, parents and students, the Science classroom is a working laboratory with unique safety, responsibility and appropriate behavior considerations.  Rules in Science class are very important and must be followed.  Refer to the list of Classroom Rules and Discipline if you have questions regarding student responsibility and behavior.

Language Arts: Reading, writing, speaking and listening are all proficiencies in continual development throughout life.  Students in Science class will be encouraged and supported to improve these proficiencies.  Through reading, writing and oral presentation assignments it is my hope to develop these areas as well as the students' comprehension of the subject matter in Science and develop their skills in inquiry and problem solving consistent with learning using the Scientific Method of Investigation and Experimentation.  The link below will take you to the Academic Standards for Language Arts appropriate for this grade level.

This course of instruction will be based on presenting the Academic Content Standards for Science appropriate to this grade level.  The areas of content to be covered in this semester focus on Physical Science.  Topics to be covered include Motion, Forces, Structure of Matter, Earth Sciences, The Periodic Table of the Elements, etc.   One or more of the content standards will be presented in each lesson.  The lesson plan, laboratory activities and assignments will be designed to provide the student with the best opportunity for acquiring these content standards.  The standards are linked below as an attachment to this website.  I suggest you print a copy to refer to if there are ever any questions about what is being taught to the students.

    According to research studies, students change their thoughts, feelings and behavior based on the influence they receive.  This includes positive and/or negative influence from friends (peers), society (media), parents and teachers.  When teachers advocate responsibility over making demands on students, classroom behavior becomes student-directed and results in a more positive learning experience and a reduction of stress for both the student and teacher.

Social behavior in the classroom has been described as having four levels:

        Level 1 - ANARCHY:  The student pays no attention to expectations or rules; has no sense of purpose, responsibility or accountability; accomplishes little if anything worthwhile.

        Level 2 - AGRESSION:  The student is bullying, forcefully directing or bothering others without consideration for the effects or consequences.  The student obeys only when the instructor demonstrates strength of authority.

        Level 3 - COOPERATION:  The student meets the expectations of the instructor or class.  The student is influenced by peer pressure to become cooperative with the instructor and fellow students.

        Level 4 - RESPONSIBILITY:  The student displays self-discipline in behaving responsibly and doing what is right.

Level 3 and 4 are acceptable classroom behavior with level 4 being preferred.

    It is my hope that students will aspire to reach level four, but in reality I know that most students fall into level three.  Levels two and especially level one are unacceptable examples of behavior with disciplinary consequences such as parent conferences, detention, administrative referrals and/or suspension.  Please refer to the attached (downloadable) file:  "CLASSROOM CODE OF CONDUCT AND RULES OF BEHAVIOR".  This attachment can be copied for future reference or discussion with the student.

     Also included as an attachment is Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Reasoning.  It is very instructive and self-explanatory. 

     The science classroom warrants responsibility and "doing the right thing", even when no one else is watching.  Students should be given the opportunity to make decisions for themselves as opposed to having them made for them and imposed upon them.  Students should understand that just doing the right thing is the best thing, not just for the teacher or the class, but for them as well.  This is the essence of responsible behavior.