Frequently Asked Questions
What materials do I need for this class?
You need a spiral notebook of 150 pages. If you find a good deal on 70-page notebooks, grab two of them and use one for the first semester and one for the second semester.
What will we learn this year?
The year is divided into four quarters. We will study the following subjects during the year:
First Quarter: Earth's weather and atmosphere
Second Quarter: Earth's history and geology
Third Quarter: Solar System
Fourth Quarter: Earth's energy resources and water
Is there homework in this class?
Yes, we have regular homework in science class. Homework is handed out on Tuesday and is due on Friday each week. You have Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday night to complete the assignment. You can learn time management and pick the night that is best for your household schedule to complete your homework.
Parents who are interested in reading more about my homework philosophy may be interested in the book, "Rethinking Homework, Best Practices That Support Diverse Needs" by Cathy Vatterott. I base my philosophy around homework largely on the ideas outlined in this book.
How are we graded?
We grade on a four-point scale as follows:
A = 4
B= 3
C= 2
D = 1
F = 0
This means that your percentage grade in Infinite Campus may seem "off" (i.e., a 50% is a "C"). Keep in mind that this is a very fair grading system to you as a student because it provides an even balance between each of the grades (i.e., on a traditional 100-point scale, a failing grade of a "0" is 59 points less than a "passing" grade of "D." On this scale, you are only one point away from a "D" if you get a "0" on an assignment.
Is there a book in this class?
We do have a class set of textbooks. We will practice reading and learning using the textbook. This is primarily a lab-based class, which means that you will mostly be learning through hands-on activities. We will keep a detailed science notebook of our work and you will be reading and writing daily in class.
My parent is a scientist in Boulder and really wants to come to class and present. What should they do next?
The topic needs to be directly related to what we are learning in class and we need to ask the presenter to commit to being at school all day so that every 8th-grade class can experience the presentation. This is a huge commitment of time and energy for the person presenting! If this sounds interesting to your parent, have them email Mr. Schwartz. Please also understand, that with so many scientists in our community, we do not have enough instructional time to accommodate all of the requests to present in class.