Course Guidelines - Geometry - Mrs. Powell - Room 39

Email: powelln@district87.org Phone: 828-5201 ext. 5130

Dear Parents and Students,

The overall goal of Geometry is to have you thinking critically through problems involving geometry and clearly communicating mathematical solutions. If students are to be successful, you will be able to think logically, creatively, and imaginatively about problem solving. Students should master geometry definitions, theorems, postulates, and constructions without the use of technology, and use technology to investigate and explore the concepts of geometry to deepen your understanding. Geometry will be useful and applicable in numerous fields within and outside of mathematics. Students will be challenged to use your imagination and outside resources when discovering and creating solutions to geometry problems.

My 2009 - 2010 Schedule:

1st Period	(7:30 - 8:20)	AP Calculus
2nd period	(8:24 - 9:14)	Geometry
3rd period	(9:18 - 10:08)	AP Calculus
4th period	(10:12 - 11:02)	Conference
Lunch A 5th period 5th period	(11:02 - 11:31) (11:31 - 12:02) (12:02-12:27)	Lunch Conference Conference
6th period	(12:31 - 1:21)	Geometry
7^th period	(1:25 - 2:15)	Lead Teacher

GRADES

Grading Scale

Tests are 50%

A = 90% - 100%

Projects and Labs are 25%

B = 80% - 89.9%

Quizzes are 10%

C = 70% - 79.9%

Daily work is 10%
Participation is 5%

D = 65% - 69.9%

Use this formula to compute your grade.
50 (your test pts)/(possible test pts) + 25(your project pts)/(possible project pts) + 10(your quiz pts)/(possible quiz pts) + 10(your homework pts)/(possible homework pts) + 5(your participation pts)/(possible participation pts)

Daily Work

Daily work is NOT busy work. It is to be completed in order to reach your goals. Homework and daily quizzes fall into this category. If a daily quiz is given in class, these cannot be made up due to any absence. Opportunities to make up lost points will be available throughout the quarter.

Quizzes

Quizzes are formative grades. This means that they are meant to help you monitor your learning (and lack of learning) of skills and concepts. If you complete daily work as assigned, and given the fact that test grades exceed those of quiz grades in a chapter, I will replace quiz grades in a chapter with the original chapter test grade if they show growth at the end of the chapter. If any two assignments that were collected during the chapter are either late or missing, this option is no longer available. Original grades will stand.

Projects/Labs

Projects and labs are to enhance your understanding of subject matter. Applications, the ability to work in groups, and problem solving are the emphasis of these projects and labs. Assigned class notes also fall into this category.

Tests

At the end of a chapter of study, you need to pass the exam with a minimum of 70% or better to achieve mastery. If you do not achieve a minimum of 70%, you will be required to complete correctives and retake the test after school within one week of the day the test grades were given to you. Retake grades DO NOT replace any quiz grades. The grades on a retake will replace the original exam grade with the exception that the first retake will not be recorded higher than 79%. If additional retakes are required, 70% mastery is still required but the highest score recorded drops 10% (i.e. 69%, 59%, etc.) on each retake. Retakes are only offered first semester. So, my suggestion is to get help BEFORE the exam so that you won't have to spend additional time to get a lower grade for work that needs to be mastered.

Participation

Participation points can be earned by putting problems on the board, participating in group and partner work, turning ni movie papers, and other things as described in class.

WEB SITE: www.district87.org/staff/powelln/

Geometry has a web site. It will contain course information, the chapter syllabus, web sites and other resources for parents and students to use to increase your learning and understanding. Students will also find the form for class notes and project descriptions. From time to time you will be adding to this web site.

Homework/Make-up/Absences
·        Find a study-buddy. Share phone numbers and email addresses. ALL take-home exams and quizzes are designed for you to complete in groups. Students working on these take home evaluations by themselves is discouraged.
·        Homework should be complete. This means that anyone looking at work in your notebook should have no problem understanding what was asked, how it was solved, and what the complete answer is. If you need to write the problem or a short version of it to meet this goal, it is expected that you will do this.
·        Homework should include your name, date, page number(s) and assigned problem numbers on each page.
·        No credit will be given for late homework. It is the student’s responsibility to follow the syllabus and find out what happened in class on days when you are absent.
·        Projects are due on the assigned due dates and are expected to be turned in on or before that date.
·        Make-up quizzes and tests should be made up or scheduled to be made up within two days of the absence unless otherwise arranged with me.
·        Homework assigned before an absence is still due on its due date.

Materials that you'll need:
·        Paper and notebook, writing utensil (not red), and book. Graph paper will be helpful from time to time. ·        Scientific Calculator (must have sin, cos, and tan buttons) - there will not be any loaners for class work, quizzes or tests and you may not borrow a calculator during a test or quiz.
·       Student’s computer network login and password. We'll be using this for projects, Geometer's Sketchpad labs, and word processing of lab reports.
·        Colored pencils are recommended.
·        Graph Paper
·        At home: students must have access to a compass, a protractor, and a ruler.

I'm looking forward to getting to know you and helping you to grow mathematically this year. Please talk to me or email me if you have questions, concerns or suggestions about this class. I'm here after school regularly (usually from 2:15 to 4:30). Please let me know if students are planning to stay after school (if possible) in case of commitments that I may have right after school such as lead teacher duties, staffings, meetings, etc. Please call or email if you have questions, comments, or concerns. Let's make this a great year! --- Mrs. Powell