Earth Science 8, Regents course, taught by Mr. Young and Mrs. Kelly

The goal of this course is not to see how much knowledge can be stuffed into your head, but rather to broaden your perspective and enlighten your knowledge of our world. We all live on the 3rd planet from the sun and depend on it for our survival. With our world’s population increasing extremely fast we are putting Earth under a lot of strain. The more we know about our planet, the better we can take care of it. Some of you will ask, “Why do we have to learn this?” at some point during the year. You will not directly use every concept that we learn this year. Many of the concepts however, will teach you to think, and you all need to learn how to think.

Earth Science is constantly around you. On a given day you see the sun, the moon, the stars, clouds, rain, snow, rocks, dirt, water, rainbows, waves, etc. You can’t escape Earth Science!!! In the news you might hear about earthquakes, floods, droughts, forest fires, blizzards, hurricanes, volcanoes, tsunamis, meteorites, the space shuttle etc. Earth Science can really get your attention.

Learning requires a serious investment of time and energy by the student. Be an active learner. You will be asked to think independently and to take responsibility for your learning. The most important part of a successful year is you, the student. I am only here to guide your learning experience. Learning Earth Science can be challenging and fun. Your generation will soon be running this world. The more you know about it, the better you can take care of it.

Text Book:

Earth Science, Spaulding & Namowitz

Review Book:

Brief Review in Earth Science, The Physical Setting, Callister

Topics:

(The following chapters are from the review book and will not necessarily be covered in this order.)
1. Introduction to Earth’s Changing Environment
2. Measuring Earth
3. Earth in the Universe
4. Motions of Earth, Moon, and Sun
5. Energy in Earth Processes
6. Insolation and the Seasons
7. Weather
8. Water and Climate
9. Weathering and Erosion
10. Deposition
11. Earth Materials – Minerals, Rocks, and Mineral Resources
12. Earth’s Dynamic Crust and Interior
13. Interpreting Geologic History
14. Landscape Development and Environmental Change

Use of Books

The review book covers the entire curriculum. The material will be covered using the review book chapters. The textbook will primarily be used for homework assignments. The review book will be used to enhance notes and for in class and at home review. It contains sample Regents questions at the end of each section.

Tests & Quizzes

Quizzes can take on any format, including completing tasks such as filling in a weather station, completing a graph, filling in a water budget and finding the epicenter of an earthquake. Tests at the end of each topic will contain multiple choice questions from previous Regents Exams and possibly some free response questions.

Regents Exam

Preparing for the Regents exam will obviously be one of our ongoing goals. The exam covers a lot of material and we can’t afford to waste time. It is my belief that 100% of you can and will pass the exam, but only after a year of hard work and studying!

Notebook

You are expected to have a 3-ring binder divided into 5 sections as follows: notes, homework, labs, classwork, and tests & quizzes.

Extra Help

I am available for after school help Monday through Friday, from 2:30pm – 3:30pm, unless I have a meeting or an appointment. I will be in room 135 after school or in the Earth Science prep room.

Grading Policy:

Categories:
Tests & Quizzes 40%
Labs 30%
Classwork 15%
Homework 10%
Productivity/Extra Credit 5%
Total = 100%

All students will start each quarter with a 50 point productivity grade. Points will be deducted from this grade if a student disrupts the smooth flow of learning in this class. You can also lose points for not coming to class, coming to class late, being unprepared, calling out, not participating in group work, etc. (every 10 points lost is 1 point off of your average).

Extra Credit: up to 30 points or 3% (10 points per %) extra credit may be added to your productivity average. A poor productivity grade will offset extra credit! Extra credit can only bring you up to a 99% average. It is the student’s job to propose extra credit ideas to the teacher and have them pre-approved.