08.23.2020 - Sunday -

Seventh Grade Science – Room B1 – Scott Forbes – Welcome to Seventh Grade and Science class at Ingrid B. Lacy! I’m excited for this unique school year and am posting this new syllabus to guide us through distance learning. We’ll be preparing the students for eighth grade and high school while following the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). We’ll use a combination of “live” teaching (synchronous) and on-line resources (asynchronous) to be sure students are learning and experiencing science as we would if we were in a traditional classroom. While there’s no substitute for being in an actual science lab with our classmates there’s plenty of content and opportunities for covering all of the seventh grade standards. For success in this class we’ve tried to keep everything as straightforward as possible while we protect students and our community from Covid 19. Required materials: We’ll have a NOTEBOOK for science class. While, during in-person learning, notebooks might be a bit more “free-form;” for this class we’ll be very specific on what should be found on each page. At the beginning of class we’ll put the date on the left side of the notebook page and well use the left page for notes and lecture and the right side for labs and bookwork. For checking work, the teacher may ask for a picture of a specific date. With in-class learning this would be available to the student as a resource during a quiz. Since we are distance learning, a “quiz” might take the following form: “Please send the teacher your notes and lab for Monday, August 24th.” – A student has to, simply, keep his/her notebook up-to-date to keep up and excel in our science class. Links are sent out for our currently scheduled “Zoom” meeting. Please join the meeting on time, using your “school” name. (Your name as it appears on your report card.) Please don’t use nicknames or initials, as the teacher will be taking roll at the beginning of each meeting. Classes will begin with “live” teaching and will transition to Labs and bookwork for the right side of the notebook for that day’s work. While the block of time for classes is 80 minutes, that does not mean we’ll be on-line for 80 minutes! (That would be far too long to be “on-line” in a meeting.) Instead, 80 minutes is our block of time and the first 15 to 20 minutes will be the “live” portion. Tests will be assigned, periodically. Those may be typed and turned in via Google classroom. Offline teaching will be facilitated by YouTube videos, our on-line text book, and our notes – which will be updated at my BLOG at the following address (www.pacificascience.org) - Please check the BLOG as that has been the most useful tool for myself, parents, and administration as a place to keep up-to-date with the class. I’ll post links to PDF versions of our text and, together, we’ll explore the science curriculum and LABS that will prepare us for eighth grade and beyond! I absolutely love the subject and am privileged to be teaching here in Pacifica. I answer all emails as soon as possible, always trying for that 24-hour turn-around time. Email volume has increased, a bit, during distance learning.