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Mr. Brian Murtagh: Brian.murtagh@edison.k12.nj.us

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sites.google.com/site/murtaghscience/

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This course is based on the New Jersey curriculum standards for science, and is designed to
prepare students for Biology to be taken during sophomore year. In addition, this course will help prepare you for
the end of the year Biology HSPA which will be taken during your sophomore year. The course covers topics such
as: Our Planet, Humanity and the World Biomes, and Achieving Sustainability,




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Àm o not speak while anyone else is speaking
Àm ¦aise your and wait to be called on before speaking.

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Àm Make sure you are in the classroom before the tardy bell rings, or you will be considered late.
etention will be given if a student is late for class.
Àm Try to attend to personal needs in between classes. Bathroom visits will be allowed during the
class period when needed. ¦emember: you cannot leave the classroom until 10 minutes into the
period and no later than 10 minutes before the end of the period, as per school policy. Excessive
bathroom visits will not be tolerated.

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Àm Œou must have your organized notebook as well as a writing utensil with you every day! ’
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Àm Have your completed homework in your notebook, and have it out and ready to be checked at
the beginning of class.

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Àm The warm up question will be written on the board every day.
Àm These questions are ’optional and must be completed every day. Trust me, they end up
being a big part of your grade and are easy points.
Àm Write all warm-ups for the week on the same sheet of paper. This sheet of paper will be left in
your notebook and will be collected and checked every Friday

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Àm Beverages in clear plastic bottles will be permitted, as long as they are in visible sight of the
teacher. Improper disposable of any bottles will lead to the revoking of any food or drink in the
classroom.

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Àm If a student is seen using his or her cell phone during the class period, the cell phone will be
confiscated and will be returned to the student at the end of the school day. In addition, proper
disciplinary action will be taken

   
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Àm There is a possibility of your notebook being collected at any time during the year to be graded,
so please be as organized as possible.
Àm I suggest using a loose leaf binder as your notebook, so that you can insert any handouts or
worksheets directly into the notebook in the section we are working in.

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Àm Notebooks will be turned in on Friday of every week, unless specified otherwise.
Àm Homework assignments can be turned in a day later for half credit, but we will not ask for it. It is
your responsibility to show me any late work.
Àm All late assignments, such as lab reports and class work, can be handed in for partial credit until
the day before that chapter test. No work for a specific chapter will be collected after that
chapter͛s test is taken.

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Àm rades will be posted online for assignments as soon as possible. It is your responsibility to
check your grades frequently throughout the marking period to ensure that you have completed
all of the assignments.
Àm I will not chase you for late or missing work.

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Àm In a perfect world, every student would attend every class period, but that is unrealistic. If you
are absent, ask me or a fellow classmate what you have missed.
Àm For all assignments given while you are absent, you are given as many days as you were absent
to complete the work and have it turned into me.
Àm If you are absent on a test day, you will need to complete the test during the next class period
which you are present in.
Àm If you are absent on a day in which we reviewing for a test, but are present on the day of the
test, you x expected to take the test.

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Àm I am more than willing to help anyone who is having a problem with any of the material.
Àm ¬ome see me after any class period to set up an appointment to stay after school or during study
hall. Œou can also set up an appointment with me via email. My email address is
brian.murtagh@edison.k12.nj.us 
Àm ’ be shy or embarrassed to ask for help. That͛s what I am here for.

  

Œou will NOT receive an Environmental Science textbook to be kept at home. Access to the textbook will be
available online for use at home. A textbook will be provided for every student while in the classroom. Œour
textbook is very useful tool to be used to help master the material at hand. It has many practice problems,
alternate explanations of the material, definitions of important terms within the chapters, and a full review of
every chapter.


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Àm Some examples of cheating are: talking during a test or quiz, looking at another quiz or test paper other
than your own during an assessment, copying another student͛s lab report, copying homework, and
writing information on your hands or desk. If you are not sure if something is cheating, please be safe and
ask beforehand.
Àm With plagiarizing, we know it is very easy to cut and paste information that is not your own. If you use
information that you did not write, then you must reword the information and give credit to your source.
Plagiarism is considered stealing.
Àm If you plagiarize or cheat on any assignment, you will receive an  on that assignment. ’¬’ .

 

rades are determined by the percentage of points earned out of the total number of points possible. Œou will be
informed of the value of each assignment, including tests and quizzes before it is handed to you.

Term grades will be based on:

1.m Tests
2.m Quizzes
3.m In class assignments
4.m Labs
5.m Homework
6.m Warm-ups
7.m Notebook checks
























  

Assignment Points Earned Points Possible

Warm Ups Week 1 4 5

Lab 1 23 25

¬hapter 1 Questions 10 10

¬hapter 1 Vocabulary HW 8 10

Quiz ¬hapter 1 13 15

Warm Ups Week 2 3 5

Lab 2 21 25

¬hapter 2 Questions 8 10

¬hapter 2 Vocabulary HW 9 10

Quiz ¬hapter 2 11 15

¬hapter 1 and 2 Test 39 50

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rade ¬alculation: 149/180 = 0.827 = 82.7% rounds up to 83% = B by Edison istrict scale

*Please see me if you have any questions about this grading policy. rades can be easily followed online




        

    
A+ 97-100% ¬+ 77-79%

A 93-96% ¬ 73-76%

A- 90-92% ¬- 70-72%

B+ 87-89%  65-69%

B 83-86% F ч64%

B- 80-82%