Ms. Amy Underwood » Welcome to 8th Grade Science!

Welcome to 8th Grade Science!

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Keys to a year of success in SCIENCE:
1. Participate and be engaged in class instruction. You will need to take all notes in your science 
    journal/notebook and BRING YOUR NOTEBOOK/JOURNAL TO CLASS EVERY DAY. This is
    like a textbook you are building throughout the year.
2. Be prepared to learn: bring your science notebook/journal, charged computer, and alert, rested
    body to class everyday.
3. Participate and do your part in all activities and complete all lab sheets completely. 
4. Complete all homework, daily assignments on time as late work may be accepted up to 5 days 
    late, but will only receive 75% credit.
5. Study for tests/quizzes/CFAs using your journal notes. You may also use your textbook content
    for additional material. Review sheets/study guides will sometimes be given, but are not
    designed to be exactly like the test. Science is about analyzing diagrams, models, chart,
    scenarios and applying knowledge. Class engagement is essential to success. You cannot
    memorize the content....you must be able to apply what you have learned.
5. CFAs (Summative tests over standards) will count 50% of your grade. They may be retaken
    after receiving remediation and completing a remediation assignment.
6. You will find links to the class PowerPoints and all journal notes in Schoology.
7. If you are absent, you must find what out what you missed by clicking on "Daily Assignments"
    tab on this webpage. It is then your responsibility do everything you missed including all notes.
    All notes are in the "Science Notebook" folder. You have 5 days to get absent work turned in for
    credit.
8. You must ask for the code to take any missed quiz or test.
9. ASK QUESTIONS and communicate with me! :) I always answer emails, too!
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                    TOPICS
(See "Daily Assignments" tab on the right for specific assignment information.)
Grading Period 1/Quarter 1 (2023-2024)
Aug 7-11:  Classroom Expectations and Get to Know You Activities
Aug 14-18: Monday & Tuesday-Measurement Lab
                    Wed-Fri- Begin Force and Motion Unit- Storyline: Drones
Aug  21-25: Motion Unit- Collisions, Forces, Free Body Diagrams
Aug 28-Sep 1: Motion Unit - Forces, Newton's First Law, Relative Motion
                          Net Force, Speed/Distance/Time, Motion Mapping, Time
                          Position Graphs
Sep 4-8: Continuation of Motion Unit; with assessment on 9/7 & 9/8
Sep 11-15: Newton's 2nd and 3rd Laws 
Sep 18-22: Newton's 3rd Law and Motion Review. Unit Test 9/21 & 9/22
Sep 25-29: Begin Unit on Magnetism!
END OF 1ST GRADING PERIOD
Oct 2-6: Fall Break
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Grading Period 2/Quarter 2 (2023-2024)
Oct 9-13: Electromagnetism, Electromagnetic Induction, Motors, and
                 Generators
Oct 16-20: Electromagnetism, Electromagnetic Induction, Motors, and
                    Generators
Oct 23-Oct 27: Waves
Oct 30-Nov. 3: Waves
Nov 6-10:   Finish Waves (Nov 6, 7 Benchmark Test)
Nov 13-17: Wave Communications
Nov 20-2: Thanksgiving Break
Nov 27-Dec 1: Finish Wave Communications and Wave Unit Test
Dec 4-8: Universe Expansion and Gravity
Dec 11-15: Tides and Gravity
Dec 18-21: Tides/Gravity and Space Technology
Dec 21-Jan 5: Winter Break and Admin/Teacher Work Days
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Grading Period 3/Quarter 3 (2023-2024)
Jan 8-12: Review Universe, Universe/Space Unit Test; Begin new unit: 
                 Earth Science 
Jan 15-19: No School all week (MLK Day (15th) and Snow Days (16-19)
Jan 22-26: (Mon: Snow Day) Rock Cycle, Plate Movement, and Plate
                    Processes (ESS2.3)
Jan 29-Feb 2: Earth's Layers and Seismic Waves, Plate Tectonics (ESS2.2)
Feb 5-9: Plate Tectonics/Plate Boundaries (ESS2.4)
Feb 12-16: Pangea/Fossil Distribution, Landforms/Events at Plate 
                     Boundaries (ESS2.5)
Feb 19-23: President's Day (19th)
Feb 26-Mar 1: Uneven Distribution of Natural Resources (ESS3.1)
                          Geologic Time and The Fossil Record (LS4.1)
                          Spring Benchmark (County Assessment)
Mar 4-8: Finish Spring Benchmark
                No School (Tues 3/5)
                Finish all activities with Geologic Time and Fossil Record
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Grading Period 4/Quarter 4 (2023-2024)
March 11-15: Evolutionary Relationships, Homologous Structures,
                         Evolutionary Development, and Cladograms (LS4.2)
March 18-22: Monday (18th) PT Conferences
                         Finish LS4.2
                         High School Registration, Charger Cinema (22nd)
March 25-29: Spring Break 🌴
April 1-5: LS4.3, LS4.4, LS4.5
April 8-13: TCAP Review
April 15-19: TCAP Review
April 22-27: TCAP Testing (Science, Thursday 25th)
April 29-May 3:
May 6-10:
May 13-17:
May 20-24:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Classroom Behavior Expectations:
A well-managed classroom is key to student learning, therefore:
  • Students are expected and encouraged to participate in class labs/activities, discussions, and written assignments.
  • Students are expected to stay on task and alert during during class (labs and instruction) and listen (not talk) when instructions/procedures are being explained. 
  • Students are responsible for their own behavior in the classroom. If another student or issue in the classroom is disrupting their learning, they are to make the teacher aware of any problems in order to address and eliminate them.
Classroom Academic Expectations:
Completing assignments and practicing skills are essential to academic growth therefore:
  • If an assignment is due in class (classwork), it must be turned in that day in class in order to receive credit. Any exception must be approved by the teacher before leaving class.
  • If homework is assigned it will be given a specific due date. The assignment is due on the due date to receive credit. Late homework will not be accepted unless the student was absent on the day the homework was assigned or due. Circumstances at home that prevent a student from completing homework should be accompanied by a signed parent note to the teacher.
Oakland School-Wide Grading Calculations:
20% Daily Assignments (classwork and homework)
30% Formative Assessments (Exit Tickets, Quizzes, Journal Quizzes)
50% Summative Assessments (CFAs/Unit/Topic Tests, major projects)
Students will be given the opportunity to retake most all summative assessments. In order to retake any test, a student must complete a remediation assignment. This could include watching a video with a corresponding quiz, completing a NearPod or PlayPosit, attending a Charger Station Session for one-on-one help, or any other activity designed to help students master the success criteria. The remediation assignment will be in Schoology in the folder labeled "Remediation". After completing the remediation and turning it into the teacher, the student will be cleared to complete the Retake Test. The retake test will be a different test with different questions. The highest of the two test grades will be taken.