Our Legacy. Our Responsibility.

8
th
Grade Physical Science Syllabus
2014-2015
Ms. Elizabeth DiRenzo
E-mail: edirenzo@kippstrive.org
Telephone Number: (609) 501-3737
***My preferred method of contact is text or e-mail. Any contact past 8:30 PM will receive a response the next day.

Course Description:
Welcome to Ms. DiRenzos 8
th
grade Physical Science class! I am very excited to get the year started, and I know that
we will be able to achieve a lot together. This year we will be learning about the foundations of Chemistry and
Physics through scientific investigation to prepare you to enter high school as true scientists!

Big Goal:
Our Big Goal this year is that 100% of us will meet the Science CRCT, and at least 40% of us will exceed it.
To ensure we meet this goal, we will have a weekly aim of all scholars mastering weekly assessments
with an 80% or higher.

Year-at-a-Glance:
This year will be split into 8 Units as follows:

Semester 1: Semester 2:
Unit 1: Nature of Science (August) Unit 7: Electricity and Magnetism (January)
Unit 2: Nature of Matter (August) Unit 8: Waves, Sound, and Light (February-March)
Unit 3: Atoms and the Periodic Table (September) Unit 9: CRCT Review (March-April)
Unit 4: Interactions of Matter (September) Unit 10: Teacher Choice (Post-CRCT)
Unit 5: Energy and Transformations (November)
Unit 6: Force, Motion, and Newtons Laws (December)


What I expect from you:
Come to class prepared
o As a developing science scholar you
are expected to have all materials
and homework prepared. This will
help you to develop responsibility
and ensure you get the most out of
every lesson.
Always remain productive
o Nothing in life is easy, and my class
is no exception! Scholars will push
themselves every day to develop grit
that will help them succeed in 8
th

grade, high school, through college,
and beyond.
Be respectful
o There is only one you in the world,
make sure you are representing
yourself positively at all times. Treat
yourself, your peers, Ms. DiRenzo,
classroom guests, and our materials
with the highest respect at all times.
What you can expect from me:
Organization
o Just as I expect you to be
organized, I will always be
prepared for class too! Also, our
room will always be kept clean
through a team effort
Respect
o Your point of view and thoughts
are very important to me and I will
be sure to find appropriate times
to hear them.
Hard work
o We are partners in the path to your
successI will work extremely
hard to ensure I am providing the
best instruction for your individual
needs.

Our Legacy. Our Responsibility.


Rewards: Consequences:
1. Learning! 1. WarningVerbal or Non-verbal
2. Positive phone call home 2. Paycheck deduction
3. Verbal praise 3. Chill Out time/Alternative assignment
4. Scholar time 4. Phone call home
5. Fun lab 5. Referral to Dean
6. Group Reward **Ms. DiRenzo reserves the right to
individualize consequences based on the
incident and/or scholar(s) involved.
Supplies:
Scholars must have their science binder, a pen and/or a pencil every day. Students will need to keep
college ruled filler paper in their binders. Colored pencils are useful, but not required.

Grading:
We will be using the standard grading scale (90-100%=A; 80-89%=B; 70-79%=C; less than 70%=Fail)
Your grade in this class will be based on the following:
Participation/Binder 15%
Homework 15%
Classwork/Labs 30%
Tests/Projects 40%

Tests:
All tests and quizzes will take place on FRIDAYS, unless field trips or shortened weeks interfere.
Weekly quizzes to track progress
End of unit exams
Binder quizzes every other week

Assignments:
Homework will be assigned nightly. Students will receive a homework completion grade (5/5=100%;
4/5=80%; 3/5=60%; 2/5=40%; 1/5=20%; 0/5=0%) for each week. In addition to an overall weekly
homework grade, at least one homework per week will be collected unannounced and each question will
be graded for accuracy.

Classwork will be given daily and will be collected and graded at the discretion of Ms. DiRenzo based on
the skills that need to be analyzed for mastery.

Make-Up Policy
Only students that have been absent may make-up classwork and homework. Absent students will be
given the same amount of days they missed to make-up their missing work. It is the responsibility of the
student to collect their missing work from their teachers when they return to school.

Re-Take Policy
Students may not re-take any classwork or homework assignments if they were present for them. On
assessments, only students who have made below an 80% will be allowed to re-do missed problems for
half-credit to earn a score not to exceed 80%.


Our Legacy. Our Responsibility.