• Gorton High School - Class Requirements and Expectations

    Teacher:               Mr. Derrick Haughton

    Course:  Earth Science Regents /CH Earth Science Regents

     Classroom (in-person & virtual) Rules and Student Accountability

    1. Sit in your assigned seats (in-person).
    2. No eating or drinking during class (except water).
    3. Respect each other.
    4. Be always prepared for class. *
    5. The use of electronic devices for purposes not related to teaching and learning is prohibited in class.
    6. Follow all online protocols for virtual learning when class is in session.

    Note: All school rules apply and are reinforced in your Earth Science class.

     Consequences of Inappropriate Behavior and Lateness:

    • One-half of a point will be deducted from a student’s end of marking period grade per incident of inappropriate cell phone use in class.
    • One-quarter of a point will be deducted from a student’s end of marking period grade per incident of eating or drinking when class is in session (water is not included).
    • One-half of a point will be deducted from a student’s end of marking period grade per incident for behavior deemed inappropriate as defined by the District Code of Conduct, or behavior that is contrary to proper classroom decorum (virtual or in-person). 
    • One-quarter of a point will be deducted from a student’s end of marking period grade per incident of unexcused lateness to class.

     Rewards for Good Classroom Citizenship:

    • One point (per incident, up to a maximum of five points) will be added to students' end of marking period grades for performing behavior deemed worthy of good citizenship. (This includes, but is not limited to, helping/supporting a classmate with language deficiencies, mediating a disagreement between peers, volunteering to help the teacher with classroom chores, etc.)

    Primary Sources Used in this Course:

    1. Earth Science the Physical Setting: Brief Review for New York (Jeffrey C. Callister) - Required (classroom set available)
    2. Earth Science Reference Tables (2011 Edition) - Required (provided)
    3. Earth Science: Geology, the Environment, & the Universe (Glencoe McGraw-Hill) - Reference
    4. EarthComm: Project-Based Space & Earth System Sciences - 2nd Edition (American Geosciences Institute in Association with It is About Time) - Reference

     Grading Policy

    The grading policy outlined below is consistent with the Science Department and will be strictly adhered to throughout all four marking periods. Please note that it is the policy of the New York State Department of Education that every student must score a minimum of 65% on all examinations to obtain a passing grade.

    Tests & Quizzes - 50% (Tests 35%, Quizzes 15%)

    Formal Earth Science assessments usually mimic the New York State Earth Science Regents Examination: They are usually comprised of multiple-choice and short- and extended-response questions. However, quizzes may be vocabulary based, open-note, class-work practice, or reading comprehension based.

    All Earth Science students will be engaged in science inquiry-based learning regularly. Inquiry-based scientific research projects will be assessed on a four-point rubric, and each will be assigned a quiz or test grade based on its comprehensiveness. Unless otherwise instructed, all research projects must be typed. Handwritten projects on loose-leaf paper without a justifiable reason will be awarded a grade of zero.

    There are usually 4-8 formal Earth Science assessments per marking period, including the end of the marking period assessment. Makeup tests and quizzes will be scheduled during my extra help session (in-person class) to facilitate students who were absent when these were administered. Students with missing test grades who fail to show up to these makeup sessions will have to make other arrangements to take their assessments at the teacher’s convenience. Virtual makeup assessments will be scheduled at a mutually agreed upon time by the teacher and student. At the teacher’s discretion, under certain circumstances, a student may have his/her lowest test grade dropped at the end of each marking period.

    Earth Science Labs - 20%

    All students must complete a minimum of four labs, or any assignments given in lieu of labs each marking period. Students who are falling behind in their labs will have an opportunity to make these up during my extra help session (in-person or virtual). Information regarding my extra help day and time will be communicated as soon as possible. Please refer to the information sheet under the subheading: Student-Parent Contract (last page).

    Class Work & Participation (in-person or virtual) - 20%

    Class participation means being actively engaged in every exercise or activity that the teacher employs to facilitate learning in the classroom (in-person or online). This includes reading, answering questions, volunteering, participating in whole-class or group discussion, note-taking, and other class work practice. Please note that cutting class (virtual or in-person), tardiness, and poor school or class attendance will negatively affect the score a student receives in this grading category.

     Homework - 10%

    Homework will be assigned regularly. Typically, 10-15 homework assignments are collected and checked during each marking period. The format of these will differ, with the goal being to either facilitate the learning of new material (for example, a reading assignment), or to reinforce certain concepts (for example, answering skill-based questions). In my class, homework is not busy work! Therefore, under normal circumstances, a homework assignment will not be accepted if it is more than one day late. If, however, a student gets sick or is otherwise legally absent from class, arrangements will be made to accommodate such a student. No grade will be assigned for careless or plagiarized work. Homework will be posted in Microsoft Teams or Schoology, and students are encouraged to complete and submit their work online unless instructed otherwise. 

     *Supplies Needed Daily

    • One notebook 
    • One pencil and a pen (black or blue ink only)

     

    Earth Science Syllabus: Curriculum Units and Subtopics

     Unit 1: Introduction to Earth Science

                Understanding the Earth Science Reference Tables 

                Units of Measurement in Earth Science

                Graphs & Tables

                Earth’s Size, Shape & Coordinate System

                Earth’s Outer Spheres

                Map Skills

     

     Unit 2: The Universe

                Formation of the Universe

                Formation of the Solar System 

                Formation of Galaxies

                Stellar Evolution

                The H-R Diagram

     

     Unit 3: The Solar System

                The Sun, Planets, and other Celestial Objects

                Planetary & Lunar Motions

                Eclipses & Tides

     

     Unit 4: Minerals & Rocks

                Mineral Formation & Mineral Resources

                Igneous, Sedimentary, Metamorphic Rocks

                The Rock Cycle

     Unit 5: Earth’s Dynamic Crust

                Continental Drift

                Seafloor Spreading

                Plate Tectonics

                Earthquakes

                Earth's Interior

                Volcanism

      Unit 6: Weathering, Erosion & Deposition

               Physical & Chemical Weathering

               Mass Wasting/ Erosion by Gravity

               Water Erosion

               Glacier Erosion 

               Wind Erosion

               Sediment Deposition, Depositional Features & Landforms

      Unit 7: Landscape Development

                Mountains, Plateaus & Plains

                Stream Drainage Patterns

                Landscape Regions & Physiographic Provinces

                Factors of Landscape Development

      Unit 8: Geologic History

                Relative Dating of Rocks & Geologic Events

                Absolute Dating of Rocks Using Radioactive Decay

                Geologic Time Scale 

     Unit 9: Meteorology

                Energy in Earth Processes

                Atmospheric Variables

                Air Masses & Fronts

                Synoptic Weather Maps

                Weather Forecasting

                Storms & Severe Weather

     Unit 10: Water & Climate

               The Water Cycle

                Climate Types

                Climate Variables

                Climate Change      

                  

     

     STUDENT–PARENT CONTRACT

    School: Gorton High School             

    Subject: Earth Science Regents/ CH Regents

    Teacher: Derrick Haughton

      The science course that the student is currently enrolled in is a Regents-level class. To obtain hands-on experience and be prepared to take the Regents examination, he/she has been assigned laboratory practice that is incorporated into his/her regular subject period. Laboratory work accounts for 20% of the marking period grade.

    The student must:

    • Attend the assigned laboratory classes/sessions (in-person or virtual).
    • Follow all safety rules and instructions.
    • Complete a minimum of 1200 minutes (about 20 hours) of satisfactory lab work.
    • Complete all the state-mandated laboratory activities and follow the check list provided.
    • Demonstrate an understanding of the skills learned.
    • Hand in completed laboratory reports on time.
    • Maintain a lab folder (virtual or hard copy) and a list of completed lab work.
    • Maintain proper decorum.

    If a student is transferred, it is his/her responsibility to transfer the lab folder to the next teacher. Upon completing the lab work, the student can sit for the State exam. If a student does not complete the lab work, he/she will fail the course; lab is not offered in summer school. If a student passes the course but fails the Regents examination, he/she may retake the exam the following August (in summer school or school districts where walk-ins are allowed), January or June.

     If you have any questions, please contact the teacher by telephone: 914-376-8350 or email: dhaughton@yonkerspublicschools.org.

     Please complete the form below and return it to the teacher.

    ____________________________________________________________________________

    I have read my child’s Earth Science class document, and I am aware of all the course requirements and expectations, including the mandatory laboratory requirements. I will ensure that my child attends all classes and hands in all reports and assignments when they are due.

    Student’s Name: ___________________________________           Grade: ____      Period: ____

    Parent’s Name: ____________________________________          Phone __________________

    Parent’s Signature: _________________________________            Date: __________________

    Student’s Signature: ________________________________             Date: __________________

     

     

                                                                                           

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