Digital Learning Department

Biology 1 is the first semester of a full year science course offering a broad introduction to the scientific method, basic chemistry, cells, cellular processes and genetics. A semester final and research essay will be required.

This course helps meet the state minimum requirements of 2.0 science credits in addition to it meeting a lab requirement. Please check with your district for more specific requirements. 

State Standards and Learning Expectations

Objectives stated within course lessons. Washington State Standards guided the design of the course. Learning expectations are found within the course itself.

EALR 1 SYSTEMS: The student knows and applies scientific concepts and principles to understand the properties, structures, and changes in physical, earth/space, and living systems.
1.1. Properties: Understand how properties are used to identify, describe, and categorize substances, materials, and objects and how characteristics are used to categorize living things.
1.2. Structures: Understand how components, structures, organizations, and interconnections describe systems.
1.3. Changes: Understand how interactions within and among systems cause changes in matter and energy.

EALR 2 INQUIRY: The student knows and applies the skills, processes, and nature of scientific inquiry.
2.1. Investigating Systems: Develop the knowledge and skills necessary to do scientific inquiry.
2.2. Nature of Science: Understand the nature of scientific inquiry.

EALR 3 APPLICATION: The student knows and applies science concepts and skills to develop solutions to human problems in societal contexts.
3.1. Designing Solutions: Apply knowledge and skills of science and technology to design solutions to human problems or meet challenges.
3.2. Science, Technology, and Society: Analyze how science and technology are human endeavors, interrelated to each other, society, the workplace, and the environment.

Course Outline

 

Unit 1 Science Basics, 2 weeks
Unit 2 Basic Chemistry, 2 weeks
Unit 3 Cells, 2 weeks
Unit 4 Respiration and Photosynthesis, 2 weeks
Unit 5 DNA, RNA, and Protein Synthesis, 2 weeks
Unit 6 Mitosis and Meiosis, 3 weeks
Unit 7 Genetics, 3 weeks
Semester Final, 1 weeks

 

Course Work

Students are expected to put in 6-8 hours per week to complete their lessons. Teacher may return assignments and ask student to make modifications if it does not meet minimum standards.

Units and lessons should always be done in the order presented on the course checklist. Tests can only be taken once, and are timed. Students should study all unit instruction and lessons prior to taking tests to prepare themselves.

 

Grading Description

 

A = 93 - 100%

A- = 90 - 92.9%

B+ = 87 - 89.9%

B = 83 - 86.9%

B- = 80 - 82.9%

C+ = 77 - 79.9%

C = 73 - 76.9%

C- = 70 - 72.9%

D = 60 - 69.9%

F = 0 - 59.9%

Note: Grades of D are not considered passing for Federal Way Public School students.

 

Lesson assignments will be graded using the following criteria:

• Proper spelling and grammar should be used at all times.
• Lab write-ups should follow standard format provided in the course.
• All lesson answers should be paraphrased from the information in the sources. Copying and pasting from sources will not be tolerated. Students must write answers in their own words.

Projects will be graded using the following criteria:

• All prescribed formats will be followed.
• Bibliographic citation of all web resources must accompany the project, including the URL, name of the web site, and author or editor if available.
• Copying or plagiarism will not be tolerated. Plagiarism may result in no credit given for the lesson or project.

Revision Policy:

• Students may be either given a score for submitted work or work may be returned for revision.


• Students have one opportunity to revise and return work for credit.


• Revised work should be returned to the teacher in a timely manner.


• Revised work will still be worth up to full credit.


• Work submitted in bulk either during the semester or especially at the end of the semester will not be available for revision and will be scored as submitted.


• Unit tests may only be taken once and semester projects may not be revised.

By turning in work steadily each week, you are given the feedback needed to revise work and the opportunity for additional learning with your teacher which can result in the highest grade possible. The opportunity is lost if you choose to wait until the end of the course to turn in the bulk of your assignments. Your grade will be negatively impacted if you turn in more than one unit's worth of work in a week near the end of the 17-week course. You will have lost the opportunity for revisions, feedback and the one-on-one teaching that you could have had throughout the course. If you have not turned in work each week, your teacher is unable to evaluate your learning and give you feedback in order to give you the opportunity to earn full credit.

Lesson assignments will be graded using the following criteria:

• Proper spelling and grammar should be used at all times.
• Lab write-ups should follow standard format provided in the course.
• All lesson answers should be paraphrased from the information in the sources. Copying and pasting from sources will not be tolerated. Students must write answers in their own words.

Projects will be graded using the following criteria:

• All prescribed formats will be followed.
• Bibliographic citation of all web resources must accompany the project, including the URL, name of the web site, and author or editor if available.
• Copying or plagiarism will not be tolerated. Plagiarism may result in no credit given for the lesson or project.

Revision Policy:

• Students may be either given a score for submitted work or work may be returned for revision.


• Students have one opportunity to revise and return work for credit.


• Revised work should be returned to the teacher in a timely manner.


• Revised work will still be worth up to full credit.


• Work submitted in bulk either during the semester or especially at the end of the semester will not be available for revision and will be scored as submitted.


• Unit tests may only be taken once and semester projects may not be revised.

 

Policies and Requirements

Academic integrity is essential to learning. Students are expected to complete their own work. Copying, plagiarizing, cheating or other methods of intentional deception are prohibited and may result in loss of grade or credit for the assignment or the course.

Expectations for assignment and course completion: IA students assume the major responsibility to be self-motivated, and to stay on target with the class. All work for the course must be completed at a passing level to earn credit, and must be completed within the school year or semester time. We expect students to consistently complete assignments for each class each week. Successful students use their class checklists to determine daily and weekly assignment schedules.

By turning in work steadily each week, students are given the feedback needed to revise and the opportunity for additional learning with their teacher resulting in the highest grade possible. This opportunity is lost if students choose to wait until the end of the course to turn in the majority of their assignments. Grades may be negatively impacted if work is submitted in bulk.

E-mail and software agreements: Students agree to maintain electronic integrity and face disciplinary measures if they do not abide by their promise.

Teachers reserve the right to make adjustments to the course content and expectations.

reserve the right to make adjustments to the course content and expectations.

 

 

Expectations

Students taking this class are expected to:

1. Contact their instructor each week by sending in several assignments. This lets the Internet Academy, parents and guardians, the school district, and the state know that students are attending class. It also helps students move at a steady pace toward completing the class in a reasonable amount of time. Students who do not meet this requirement will be withdrawn from the class.
2. Have the computer hardware and software necessary for the class work.
3. Communicate with the instructor in a clear, friendly, courteous manner. This includes signing communications with their full name and the name of the class they are in.
4. Communicate in Standard English. "e-english," the informal, lower-case, run-together communications used in chat rooms, is appropriate for the audiences and purposes of some e-mail. It is not appropriate for communicating with an instructor in class.
5. Turn in original work. Internet Academy teachers monitor for intentional deception through the use of an on-line subscription service and IA email archives. The consequences for intentional deception (copying, plagiarism, cheating, using someone else's work) may result in:
   • No credit for the assignment
   • Parent contact
   • Proctored testing
   • Failing the course
6. Do their very best work at all times.
7. Proceed at a steady pace toward finishing the class.
8. Have fun writing, reading, and learning!!

The instructor of this course is expected to:

1. Know the course material.
2. Communicate at least weekly with students and guardians in a clear, friendly, and courteous manner.
3. Respond to emails within a reasonable amount of time. It is your instructor's goal to answer QUESTIONS and HELP requests within one school day during the school week. Assignments will be graded and returned within three school days of receipt.
4. Be available for meetings and tutorials, and return phone calls promptly.
5. Keep accurate records.
6. Encourage and maintain high standards.
7. Help make learning fun!

Tech Support:

• Tech Help
  • 253-945-2249
  • helpdesk@iacademy.org

 

Weekly Contact Requirements: Students are expected to submit work each week following the provided checklist. They are also expected to maintain weekly communication with their teacher, ask for assistance when needed, and respond to e-mails from the teacher. If they are having trouble keeping up with the checklist, they should email their teacher immediately. The teacher is flexible and willing to work with students to meet their needs as they are communicated. If students are unable to meet these expectations, they will be dropped from the class for lack of attendance.