Class

Participation

10%

Students are expected to come to class on time, prepared, and ready to learn. Students must raise their hand to talk during class discussions. Active participation in class discussions and lab experiments, paying attention, and following directions will help students earn full credit in this portion of their quarterly and final class grade.

Homework

20%

Expect to receive HW every day. While HW is usually not assigned over weekends, sometimes it is necessary. When HW is assigned, the teacher will check if it was completed the following class day.  Homework should take students approximately fifteen to twenty minutes per assignment. If the HW assignment was not completed, the student must complete it within 24 hours – and is responsible for turning it in. If the student is absent, he/she must (1) see her HW buddy to determine what was missed,(2)  turn in her work the day she returns and (3) complete missed work within two class days.

Projects

20%

Each quarter, students will be assigned a major project. Projects may include physical models, posters, presentations (oral and/or PowerPoint), etc., and will relate to the current topic of study. Students must turn in their project by the assigned day. Neatness is required; creativity is highly encouraged!

Labs

20%

There will be approximately one lab every week. The teacher will grade each of them based on the following: content, grammar, timeliness, and participation during the experiment. This will help ensure that students are completing their work, and that they understand the material being covered.

Tests

& Quizzes

30%

Tests and quizzes are an opportunity for students to show the teacher what they know. Students will be told in advance when the tests will take place, and will be given a list of topics to review before the test (HW questions recur as test questions). There will be approximately one quiz per week, and it will incorporate important topics covered in class. Although most quizzes will be announced, Mr. Mahoney may give students an occasional unannounced mini-quiz.