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2017-18

Earth Science Syllabus


Ms. Topliff/ Room 145/ Tobr1302@Stcloudstate.edu/ Misstopliff.Weebly.Com

Course Description
During this course we will learn about the scientific
method, astronomy, meteorology, geology,
engineering, and oceanography by utilizing hands-
on activities and lab experiments. We will strive to
not only learn the “what” of the scientific concepts
that govern the world around us, but understand
the “how” and “why”, as well. I firmly believe that
every single one of you has the ability to succeed
in this course as long as you come to class with a
growth mindset and a willingness to learn.
Welcome to Earth Science!

Course Objectives
By the end of this course you will be able to:
● Understand that science is a way of knowing about the world around us that is
characterized by the utilization of empirical data, logical thinking, and skeptical review.
○ Understand that there are certain steps that need to be completed in order to
conduct truly scientific research.
○ Understand that everyone has the ability to contribute to the scientific community
● Utilize multiple skills to design solutions to scientific problems.
○ Understand that science and technology are human efforts to control the world
around us to benefit humanity, and that they are ever-changing.
● Identify Earth’s place within our solar system, galaxy, and universe.
○ Understand how we believe our universe, galaxy, and solar system formed.
● Identify the Earth’s composition, structure, and processes.
● Understand how the atmosphere interacts with the Earth’s systems.
○ Recognize that even small changes in the Earth’s natural systems have the
potential to cause great change.
● Investigate human impact on the environment.

Readings
The majority of readings will be from our eTextbook, Earth and Space Science (8th edition) by
Jean and Louise Brainard. Because this is an eTextbook, you are able to have the computer
program read passages to you, create a digital notebook of content you wish to highlight, and
translate the book into Spanish.

A reading schedule will be given to you during the second week of class (and will also be posted
on our classroom website). You are expected to keep up with the assigned readings, and
approach me with any concerns or problems that may prevent you from completing your
readings in a timely manner. Additional readings may be assigned, and will be available to view
and download on our classroom website (misstopliff.weebly.com) under the “classroom content”
section.

Resources
There is an abundance of resources available to help you succeed in this course, including:
● Our classroom website- Mstbiology.weebly.com. Here you will find the PowerPoint
presentations, notes, handouts, and links that we utilize during class. There is also a
section of the website labeled “student resources” that contain links to different websites
and other materials that may allow you to better understand and/or explore a topic.
● Helpful Hints sheets available on the topic we are currently covering (they will be in the
purple bin near the door).
● The Student Tutoring Center (3pm-5pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in the
Media Center)
● Me! Please do not hesitate to approach me with any questions, concerns, comments, or
suggestions. I am here to help you succeed!

Course Requirements and Expectations


It is required that you bring the following materials with you every day to class:
● An Earth Science folder and notebook
● A CHARGED Chromebook (bringing the charging cord may not be a bad idea, either)
● A working pencil or pen

You are expected to:


● Come to class ready to learn. This means that you
have completed the required readings, are caught up on
any outstanding assessments.
○ If you are absent, please review the materials on
our classroom website for the day that you
missed. I’ll check in with you when you get back,
but remember that ultimately you are responsible
for ensuring that you’re caught up. With that being
said, please feel free to approach me with any
questions!
● Have a growth mindset and a willingness to learn.
○ No one is perfect, at some point we will all fall
short of our expectations. Although you’ll face
challenges, you have to recognize that you can
learn from your failures and come out the other
end better off for having worked hard and knowing you have done your best. This
is called a growth mindset and it is going to be your single most invaluable tool
throughout your whole academic career.
■ Being willing to learn is a big part of having a growth mindset. I would
challenge you to try to go even further and develop a desire to learn.
● Follow the schoolwide Respect, Responsibility, and Relationship Matrix.

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Policies
Policies on attendance, accessibility and disability, and academic dishonesty will follow the
district-wide policies. Please see the handbook uploaded on our classroom website for specific
guidelines. As always, approach me with any questions or concerns regarding these policies.

Late work: Any work that is late (with the exception of work not completed because of an
excused absence) is subject to a 10% grade reduction, per school day it is late unless a later
deadline has been worked out with me. All of the assignments, along with an assignment due
date calendar, will be available on our school website which means that “I did not know it was
due” is not a valid excuse. I completely understand that sometimes life gets busy and you may
need an extra day or two on an assignment, but it is your responsibility to approach me before a
problem arises so we can work something out.
● Tests that are missed because of an excused absence will be taken by the
student the day after they return back to school. Use the day before the test to
ask my any questions you may have and to make sure you have all of the
material that is going to be covered on the test.

Behavior: You are almost a high schooler and are therefore expected to act responsibly and
respectfully. Any disruptive or disrespectful behavior will be dealt with on a case to case basis,
and major disruptions will result in referral to the administration (assistant principal or principal),
a call home, or a combination of the two. I want you to be successful in this course, so if you
can think of a way that I can help you make better behavior choices, let me know and we will
figure something out.

Grading
Your grade will be determined by the number of points you achieve out of the total number of
points available in the class. These points will be earned through daily work, homework, tests,
and projects. Many of the assessments you will complete will give you option on how you can
go about completing them (making a poster, drawing a picture, writing a paragraph, and more),
so I encourage you to explore your options and figure out what works best for you. There will
occasionally be extra credit assignments available, but do not reply on that to get a good grade.
Grades will be determined using the schoolwide grading scale:

A: 100%-90% B: 89.5%-80% C: 79.5%-70% D: 69.5%-60% F: 59.5% or below

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