Homework Policy
- I will be assigning
various homework activities from Sunday - Thursday. Students may not get
written homework every day, but should dedicate themselves to spending
some time with science concepts each evening/or during academic
enrichment. When homework does not involve a written activity, students
can review material they explored in class or prepare for future work. I
do not assign homework on Thursdays or over vacations. I also do not
give written homework on nights before a quiz or test so students can
concentrate on studying/preparing for assessments.
- I ask students to
spend approximately 20 minutes on their science homework. I do not
always expect that they will finish every activity, but do expect that
they spend 20 uninterrupted and focused minutes doing their best
work. I realize they have homework in other subject areas, as well as
other activities, and know they must manage their time effectively. All I
ask is that they put forth their best efforts.
- I reserve the last
five minutes of each class for students to write their homework assignments in their agendas. I
write the homework assignment out on the mentioned white board, posted clearly
in the room every day. I then ask students to do a “peer check” where
students check the agendas of those sitting next to them to verify that
they have written out the homework assignment. Parents can look at these
agendas to know what the homework assignment is for that evening. You can
also check assignments on www.sci-club.com
or atislifescience.blogspot.com.
- Students start off
with a 100 as a homework grade. When a homework assignment is one day
late, the student looses 5 points off their 100 grade. If the assignment
is 2 days late, the student looses another 5 points for a total of 10
points off their homework grade. The maximum amount of points a student
can loose for any given homework assignment is 10 points. After the
homework assignment is 2 days late, I will no longer ask for it. Because
it is important that students do their homework when it is relevant to the
learning in the classroom, this is the only grade that make-ups are not
offered. The final homework grade for the quarter is calculated based on
the amount of late homework assignments. If all homework assignments have
been submitted on time, the student receives a 100 test grade for the
quarter.
- If students fall
behind in multiple assignments, I will make efforts to notify parents that
assignments have not been turned in.
- Homework is important
because:
- If students complete their homework, then
any review we do in class is more meaningful.
-
I may use information
directly from homework assignments when developing quizzes and tests. If students
do their homework, they will be more confident with the test.
