6th Grade Science

Instructor: Ms. McNamara

Website:
www.mcnamarascience@weebly.com
I.

Course Description

II.

Text/Materials Needed

Students will be introduced to topics ranging from the branches of physical,

life, and earth sciences. Students will be able to describe the properties and
types of energy, changes in matter, organization and interactions of living
things and ecosystems. Students will also be able to explain details of the
solid Earth and how geologic time is determined. ***Its not as scary as it
sounds!!! ***
Textbook: We will utilize a classroom set of texts as well as various other
printed materials.
Materials: You need to bring each of the following to class each day!
PENCIL/PEN
Paper
Colored Pencils

Expectations

III.

Be on time: You should be in your seat working on Think & Dos when the
bell rings.
Be prepared: This includes bringing all of your materials to class every day,
completing all assignments by the required due date, participating in class
activities, and completing make up work in a timely fashion.
Be polite: Students are expected to be respectful to each other and to the
teacher (myself or a substitute) both inside the classroom and in the hall.
This includes respecting school property, others' belongings, and the
thoughts and feelings of others.
Be professional: This includes turning in neat and legible work. This also
includes respect to the teacher and your classmates when any one person is
talking.
Cell Phones: Phones are only allowed in school-designated zones. Improper
use of phones will result in discipline as stated in the student handbook.
Phone use in my classroom is a privilege that can be taken away if abused. If
I declare a red zone day for phones (such as test and quiz days) you MUST
abide by the red zone rules.
Class Participation: 10% of your grade is based on class participation.
Attendance works with this grade; if youre not in classhow can you
participate?

Failure to follow any of the behavior expectations will result in verbal

warnings, loss of points, detentions, parent conferences, removal from
class, and/or office referrals.

IV.

Important Information

Attendance and Absences:

If you are absent:
It is your responsibility to find out what you missed by checking what
was assigned by checking the absent bin first. If there is no assignment,
you must ask me for the assignment missed.
Homework due the next class is still due for you. If you were assigned
homework, but absent when it was due it is expected your first day back.
You must reschedule make up tests/quizzes.
If you missed the review day, it still means you take the test!
Refer to student handbook for more information.
Discipline: See student code of conduct.
Tardy: If you are not sitting in your seat at the time of the bell, you will
be marked tardy.
Homework/Classwork: Assignments will be collected and graded for
completion points. Completion points will only be rewarded if the
assignment is completed. Most homework will be completion grades but
some will be graded for accuracy as well. No late work will be
accepted after a unit has been completed.
Think and Do: At the start of each class a Think and Do question will be
on the board. You are to quietly work on the question as soon as you
enter the class. We will then discuss the possible answers. This is also a
great way to help you study for the quizzes and tests since the questions
are a review of the days topic.
Labs: You will be given a lab safety contract to read through, understand,
and sign. Lab safety is my number one concern and I will not tolerate any
horseplay.
Cheating: Cheating on any assignment in the class will not be
tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to, copying material during
tests, quizzes, projects, labs, homework, and plagiarism. Any student (or
students) caught cheating will receive an automatic ZERO on that
assignment. Cheating on any assignment, quiz, or test will result in an
automatic zero, notification to the principal/assistant principal, and a
phone call home. This could seriously affect your overall grade in the
class. It is not worth it!
Hall Passes: You will be given hall passes as needed/required. You must
quickly go where you were given permission to go. No loitering in the
hallways!

V.

Basic Outline of the Year

Physical Science
Energy
o Kinetic and Potential Energy
o Energy Transfer

Changes in Matter
o Changes in State
Life Science
Organization of Living Things
o Producers, Consumers, and Decomposers
Ecosystems
Interactions of Organisms
Relationships of Organisms
Biotic and Abiotic Factors
Environmental Impact of Organisms
Earth Science
Solid Earth
Soil
Rock Formation
Plate Tectonics
Magnetic Field of Earth
Earth in Space and Time
Fossils
Geologic Time

VI.

Grading Policy:
Students total grade will be earned as follows:
Percent of
Semester Grade
50%
20%

Category
Assessment
Quizzes
Classwork/Homewor
k
Participation/Attend
ance

20%
10%

The school wide grading scale:

Grad
e
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D

Percent
age
93-100%
90-92%
88-89%
83-87%
80-82%
78-79%
73-77%
70-72%
68-69%
63-67%

DE

60-62%
0-59%

VII.

Grading Policy:

Students total grade will be earned as follows:

Percent of
Semester Grade
50%
20%

Category
Assessment
Quizzes
Classwork/Homewor
k
Participation/Attend
ance

20%
10%

The school wide grading scale:

Grad
e
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DE

Percent
age
93-100%
90-92%
88-89%
83-87%
80-82%
78-79%
73-77%
70-72%
68-69%
63-67%
60-62%
0-59%