9th Grade Biology Syllabus 2015 - 2016

_______ High School

Mr. Matthew Bailey - Room 120
School Phone: (517) 548-6252 ext. 83120
Email: baileym@howellschools.com
Class website: http://matthewbailey1.weebly.com/
Dear Parents / Guardians,
I have the pleasure of welcoming your student into my Biology class. I hope that he/she
will find it enjoyable and interesting and that they leave my classroom with a greater
understanding of the world around them. The following information outlines what the
students will cover, my expectations and rules and my grading policy. Please review
and discuss this information with your student. When finished, please have your
student, as well as yourself, sign the last portion of this handout. Your student will
need to turn in the signed portion of this syllabus by September 6th, 2015.
Students will keep this copy of the syllabus in their Biology notebook. If you would like
an additional copy, please let me know and I would be happy to provide you with one.

Rationale
Welcome to Freshman Biology! Every student that takes part in this class will have a
plethora of opportunities to ask questions about the natural world and to investigate
how things work and why things are the way they are. Biology is the study of living
organisms. YOU are a living organism, thus everything we will be studying happens
either inside of your body or explains how you, as an individual, fit into the natural world
around you. Biology explains a multitude of things, such as: how organisms are formed
from the molecular level to the macro-level, how organisms are related based on their
structure, the ways in which our internal body (and cell) parts function, why organisms
behave the way they do, where organisms and species come from and their
relatedness among each other, and how living organisms are distributed among the
Earth, to name a few. Many of the major events you will experience and the decisions
you will have to vote on in the future, will be affected by your knowledge of biology.
Some of the things you will encounter as an adult that we will discuss in this class are:
Genetic modification practices (e.g. GMO foods)
Gene therapy (on humans)
Cancer studies and treatments
Studies on genetically inherited mutations
Viruses and pathogens
Antibiotics and their uses
Greenhouse gas emissions
Global climate change

Materials
Required Materials:
Students should come to class with their composition notebook (100 pages),
planner, loose-leaf paper, and pencils every day.
Students should bring a 1-2 inch 3-ring binder with inside pockets and
dividers, which they will need to have in class each day.
Students should bring completed homework when assigned.
Suggested Materials:
Pens (Black/Blue)
Flash drive to save computer work done at school.
Requested Materials:
Box of tissues
Sanitizer Clorox wipes
Package of colored pencils and/or markers
Hand sanitizer
#2 pencils
Dish soap

Overview
Throughout the year, we will explore a diversity of challenging topics that are
best learned through a variety of ways, such as: inquiry and application labs, interactive
discussion, project-based learning, research of scientific literature, using the
engineering design process to solve real-world problems, and interactive computer
based technology. Inquiry-based laboratory investigations will comprise a large portion
of the course. This course is designed to develop an understanding of all living things
and the common characteristics that they share according to their structure and
function, diversity and classification, protein synthesis and genomes, change over time,
relatedness among present and past species, and connections between the micro and
macro. We will explore biodiversity and classification of living organisms, cells and
cellular processes, genetics, ecology and evolution, and microbiology.
Students are expected to demonstrate their understanding of the Next
Generation Science Standards (NGSS) throughout the course and will be given a
variety of assessment opportunities. The NGSS are structured so that content
knowledge builds upon itself from grade to grade. Therefore, the content taught in this
freshman biology course is an extension of the content taught in earlier grades. Not
only does the content build upon itself, but NGSS incorporates the engineering design
process and cross-cutting concepts from earlier grades. Science and engineering share
a relationship where the practices used in one are equally beneficial if applied in the
other. For this reason, students in my classroom will be using the engineering design
process to refine their ability to investigate, analyze, evaluate and synthesize
information. The scientific method is applicable in engineering situations, thus making
students more scientifically literate adults.
There are four disciplinary core ideas that students in this class will learn: 1)
From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes, 2) Ecosystems: Interactions,

Energy, and Dynamics, 3) Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits, 4) Biological

Evolution: Unity and Diversity. The core ideas and scientific practices learned
throughout the year can be applied across all science disciplines. Proficiency in content
knowledge will be assessed through occasional formative assessments (e.g. exit slips,
warm-up questions, sticky notes, etc.) and summative assessments at the end of the
term. Assessments will be based on the standards included in the NGSS Framework.
Aims
To provide a rigorous and enjoyable scientific curriculum to students
To provide students with the knowledge necessary to excel in future science
courses and scientific careers
To inspire students to explore the natural world around them with a sense of
curiosity
To enable students to investigate and analyze real-world problems and use
critical-thinking skills to develop solutions
To enable students to develop their abilities to analyze, evaluate and synthesize
information
To apply cross-cutting concepts and real-world applications that make science
more relevant
To provide students with opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills in
science, technology and engineering design
To create a safe environment where students ideas and opinions are welcomed
and where communication is at the forefront of learning
Objectives
Demonstrate an understanding and ability to apply the following:
Scientific facts, terminology and abstract concepts to the natural world and
personal experiences
Methods and techniques to investigate phenomena
Ways in which scientific ideas are communicated with the general public and
peers in the scientific community

Expectations and Rules

Behavior Expectations:
Do not talk while the teacher is talking or while a classmate is asking a question.
Please raise your hand if you have a question. Be courteous to others in the
classroom at all times.
Be responsible. Come to class prepared with a writing utensil, your Biology
notebook, 3-ring binder and any completed homework, everyday.
Be on time. Come to class on time!
General Rules:
1. RESPECT. Respect yourself, your classmates, the teacher and the classroom
each and everyday. If this rule is followed, all other rules will take care of
themselves.

 No eating or drinking during class. Our classroom will do lots of lab

activities and eating or drinking during class becomes a safety hazard.
Students with medical needs must bring a doctors note for permission to
eat or drink during class.
No cell phones, ear buds, MP3 players, IPods, etc. When class starts, I
expect all electronic devices to be OFF and OUT OF HAND. If a student is
seen using an electronic device during class, it will be confiscated for the
remainder of the hour. If you feel you cannot control checking your phone
during class, please give it to Mr. Bailey at the start of class where it will be
kept safely in a locked box during the class period and returned when class
is over.
ZERO tolerance for cheating! Anyone seen cheating will receive a zero on
the assignment or exam and further disciplinary measures will be taken if
necessary.
General Routines:
Pencils: If you forgot to bring a writing utensil to class, you may pay Mr. Bailey 25
cents for a pencil loan. At the end of class, please give the loaned pencil back to
Mr. Bailey in return for your 25 cents. If a loaned pencil is not returned, Mr. Bailey
will use the 25 cents to buy new pencils at the end of the semester.
Warm-Up Question: At the start of each class each day, students must sit in their
seat, open their notebook and answer their Warm-up question. The expectation
is that it is answered in the first 2 minutes of class.
Passes: Students must have their planner to leave the classroom. Passes must
be filled out and signed by Mr. Bailey before a student may leave the classroom.
Work Bins: Students will place all completed work (to be graded) in their class
periods Turned In bin. All no-name papers will be marked as missing in the
grade book until a student claims it as theirs.
Class Participation: Students are expected to participate in class each day.
Students will earn a tally mark for each time they participate in class and students
must accumulate 10 tally marks throughout the week to earn full credit for the
week. This grade is based on the quantity, not quality of a students answers.
Each tally mark represents 10% of their participation grade for the week (e.g. 7
tally marks, week 1 = 70% for week 1 participation grade).
Absences:
When a student is absent, he/she is responsible for checking the class agenda for the
day he/she was absent and then completing the required assignments. A student with
an excused absence will be allowed to make up missed work (including exams) with
no penalty. However, he/she will only be granted time to make up missed work equal to
the number of days he/she was absent. It is the responsibility of the student to
request and complete make-up work. If a student misses Biology class because of a
school related activity, but is at school for another portion of the day, work will be
assigned and due at the same time as the rest of the class. Please see me before/after
school to turn in/pick up assignments. Students with unexcused absences will not be
eligible to receive credit for missed work or exams.
4

Late Work:
If an assignment is one day late, students may earn a maximum of 75% of the total
points possible for the assignment. If an assignment is late by two days or more, a
student may earn a maximum of 50% of the total points possible for the assignment.
All late work must be turned in within a week following the assignments due
date. After a week of an assignments due date, students are no longer eligible to turn
in late work. (e.g. 8 days late = No credit).
Tardiness Policy:
1st & 2nd: Warning by teacher
3rd: Detention with teacher after school.
Subsequent Tardies: Detention with teacher after school.
Excessive Tardies: Referral to Office.
Failure to stay for a teacher detention will result in a referral to the office. Students who
are more than 10 minutes late without a pass will receive an automatic detention.
Class Structure
In this course, there will be approximately 10-15 minutes of note taking, discussion,
reading, or writing at the start of class each day. This will be followed by an interactive
lab or project activity for the next 20-30 minutes where students will primarily work in
small groups or with a partner. Then, class will end with a debrief of the daily activity
and some form of formative assessment to assess student learning.

Grading Procedures
Grading Scale:
Grades will be based on the following percentage scale
A+ = 97-100%
B+ = 87-89%
C+ = 77-79%
A = 93-96%
B = 83-86%
C = 73-76%
A - = 90-92%
B - = 80-82%
C - = 70-72%

D+ = 67-69%
D = 63-66%
D- = 60-62%
F = 59 and below

Grades will be rounded up if they are within 0.5 of the next grade (e.g. 89.5% rounded
up to 90%...89.4% will NOT be rounded up)
Grades for this class will be based on the following components:
In-class Assignments
10%
Homework
15%
Labs/Projects
25%
Active Class Participation
10%
Quizzes
10%
Exams
30%

Daily Work, Homework, Exams:

Daily Work: In-class assignments and class participation make up a significant portion
of the class grade, so a student who participates and works responsibly in the
classroom will not fail this class.
Homework: Will be assigned frequently, but not every night of the week. Homework will
be used a supplemental learning to what students learn in the classroom. Some nights
will require students to read an article and answer analysis questions. Other nights,
students will be working with a group or partner on a project or will be asked to
complete a lab write-up. Students can expect to work on homework for approximately
30-45 minutes each night work is assigned.
Labs and Group Activities:
Labs and group activities require every student to work responsibly and to
communicate respectfully with their classmates. If students fail to follow the classroom
safety procedures and expectations of a good team member (following directions,
participating and contributing ideas, being safe and responsible), then appropriate
consequences will follow. Initially, a student who does not comply with the rules will be
given a time-out. During a time-out, the student will complete a behavior reflection form
that must be signed by the student and turned in to the teacher to receive a maximum
grade of a C on the assignment. If a reflection form is not filled out, the student in
question will receive an F on the assignment. If the inappropriate behavior continues,
the student will be given an after-school detention.

Schedule of Topics
Timeline
Week 1

Week 2 Week 4

Week 5

Topics
Syllabus
Introduction to Lab Safety
What is DNA?
Structure and Function of DNA
Formation of Genes
Structure and Function of Proteins
What are chromosomes?

Formation of Chromosomes
Coding of genetic material into characteristics traits

NGSS
Connections
HS-LS1-1,
Constructing
Explanations and
Designing Solutions;
Structure and
Function
HS-LS1-1, HS-LS3-1;
Constructing
Explanations and
Designing Solutions,
Asking questions and
defining problems;
Structure and
Function, Inheritance
of Traits
HS-LS3-1; Asking
questions and
defining problems;
Structure and
Function, Inheritance
of Traits

Week 6 - Week Cellular Division (Mitosis) and Differentiation

7
Systems of Specialized Cells

Week 8 Week 9

Week 10 Week 12

Week 13

Week 14 Week 16

Week 17 Week 18

Week 18 Week 19

How are traits inherited from parent to offspring?

Purpose of meiosis
Variation and distribution of expressed traits

What factors lead to genetic variations?

Cross-over in chromosomes
Errors during replication (Transcription/Translation)
Random Mutations & their effects on an organism

HS-LS1-1, HS-LS1-4,
Constructing
Explanations and
Designing Solutions,
Develop and Using
Models; Structure and
Function, Growth and
Development of
Organisms
HS-LS3-2, HS-LS3-3;
Engaging in argument
from evidence,
analyzing and
interpreting data;
Variation of traits,
Scale, proportion and
quantity
HS-LS3-2; Engaging
in argument from
evidence; Variation of
Traits

HS-LS4-2, HS-LS4-3;
Constructing
explanations and
designing solutions,
analyzing and
interpreting data;
Natural selection,
adaptation
HS-LS4-2, HS-LS4-3;
The 2 requirements for Natural Selection to Occur
Constructing
Four factors of evolution
explanations and
Differential survival and reproduction of organisms
designing solutions,
analyzing and
interpreting data;
Natural selection,
adaptation
HS-LS4-3, HS-LS4-4,
Adaptation of populations - Biotic and Abiotic factors
Speciation - expansion, emergence and decline of certain HS-LS4-5; analyzing
and interpreting data,
species
constructing
explanations and
designing solutions,
engaging in
argument from
evidence; Natural
selection, adaptation
Relatedness of all organisms - embryological similarities HS-LS4-1; Obtaining,
Evaluating and
and differences
Communicating
Investigating the fossil record
Information; Evidence
Is there a common ancestor?
of Common Ancestry
Evidence of common ancestry in genomes
and Diversity

UNIT EXAM - Genetic Inheritance and Variation

What is natural selection?
Who is Charles Darwin?
Darwins finches
Rosemary and Peter Grant - Daphne Major

HS-LS1-2, HS-LS1-3,
Developing and Using
Models, Planning and
Carrying out
Investigations;
Structure and
Function, Stability
and Change
HS-LS1-5, HS-LS1-6;
Week 21 - 22 What is photosynthesis?
How do plants transform light energy into stored energy? HS-LS2-5;
Developing and Using
Harvesting solar energy
Formation of Amino Acids and Carbon-based molecules Models, Constructing
Explanations and
Designing Solutions;
Organization for
Matter and Energy
Flow in Organisms;
Cycles of Matter and
Energy Transfer in
Ecosystems, Energy in
Chemical Processes
HS-LS1-7;
Week 23 - 24 Flow of matter and energy
Developing and Using
Cellular Respiration
Models; Organization
Bodily uses of energy from cell respiration
for Matter and Energy
Flow in Organisms

Week 20

Week 25 Week 26

Week 27 Week 28

Week 29 Week 30

UNIT EXAM - Biological Evolution: Unity & Diversity

Hierarchical organization of interacting systems
Feedback Mechanisms - Homeostasis

HS-LS2-5;
Developing and Using
Models; Cycles of
Matter and Energy
Transfer in
Ecosystems, Energy in
Chemical Processes
Cycling of matter and flow of energy among organisms in HS-LS2-4, HS-LS2-3;
Using Mathematics
an ecosystem
and Computational
Cycling of matter and flow of energy in aerobic and
Thinking,
anaerobic conditions
Constructing
explanations and
designing solutions;
Cycles of matter and
energy transfer in
ecosystems
UNIT EXAM - Flow and Cycles of Matter and Energy in HS-LS2-1; Using
mathematics and
Organisms and Ecosystems
computational
Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems: Carrying
thinking;
Capacity of Ecosystems
interdependent
relationships in
ecosystems

Carbon Cycle in Photosynthesis and Cell Respiration

Week 31 Week 32

Week 33 Week 35

Week 36

Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning and Resilience: Changes HS-LS2-2, HS-LS2-6;

Using mathematics
to the environment or populations
and computational
thinking, Engaging in
argument from
evidence;
interdependent
relationships in
ecosystems,
ecosystem dynamics,
functioning and
resilience
Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning and Resilience: Human HS-LS2-7, HS-LS4-6;
Constructing
Impact on the Environment and Biodiversity
explanations and
Increases and decreases in biodiversity
designing solutions,
Adverse impacts of human activity
Using mathematics
Benefits of sustained biodiversity
and computational
thinking; ecosystem
dynamics,
functioning and
resilience,
biodiversity and
humans, adaptation,
biodiversity and
humans, developing
possible solutions
HS-LS2-8; Engaging
Social Interactions and Group Behavior: Role of group
in argument from
behavior on survival and reproduction
evidence; social
UNIT EXAM - Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning and
interactions and
Human Impact on Biodiversity
group behavior

I have read and understand the Biology Syllabus that has been provided to me:
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