Main class rules and policies:
1.  BE POLITE.  This includes paying attention, raising your hand, waiting your turn, remaining quiet and other common courtesies.
2.  AVOID HURTING OTHERS.   This includes respecting others feelings and property, and keeping your hands to yourself.  
3.  Read the chalkboard when you enter the room.  The daily homework and activities will be listed there.  You are responsible for these items.
4.  All work turned in must be your own.  You may ask someone to explain a question to you, but you may not copy anyone else’s answer.  It is ok to get help from someone on most homework assignments, but it is cheating if you just copy someone’s work.

Homework and labs
1.  For all assignments write the question and the answer.  If you are given the questions on a worksheet, there is no need to copy the questions.
2.  Homework will consist of book questions, concept mapping, experiments, journal work, reading or some combination of these. 
3.  Homework may be done in pencil or pen.
4.  You must show your work on all calculations.
5.  Late homework will be accepted, but will not count for credit.
6.  If you do not understand an overnight assignment, you must come in before the class it is due and turn it in on time even if it is not complete.

Proper lab format - Labs are to be written on loose leaf paper.
Title: . . . . . . . . .Should indicate the nature of the experiment.
Purpose: . . . . . .What you are testing and trying to determine.
Hypothesis: . . .What you think the outcome will be and your reasons for thinking this.  Always remember to include both parts.
Materials: . . . . .What equipment and materials were used.
Procedure: . . . .The steps followed to test your hypothesis.  There should be enough detail so that someone else could do the experiment by following your  procedure.  The procedure should include the plan you started with and problems encountered on the way.
Data/results: . . What was the outcome.  Data should be given in such a way as to be quickly and easily examined.  Graph and charts are appropriate.
Conclusions: . . A conclusion includes two parts, a simple part and a complex part.   The simple part is a statement about whether your hypothesis was correct or not.  The more complex part of the conclusion is a discussion of the data/results.  This is one of the  most important parts of the lab write-up.  Here are some examples of what to discuss:
     a.  How do the results compare to the hypothesis and why.
      b.  Did the data contain aberrations (unexpected results).  Try to explain any     aberrations.
     c.  What was the effect of altering the variable?
     d.  Why do you think the experiment turned out as it did?

Tests and Quizzes
1.  Includes multiple choice, T/F, matching, fill-in, short answer, calculations, and essay.
2.  Mistakes on tests must be corrected as we review them.  You must save all of your tests for exam preparation.  Keep all tests all year long.
3.  Be sure to check the secrets page for study suggestions.

Extra-credit and make-up work 
1.  There are many extra credit opportunities throughout the year.  One is to read an article related to science in a magazine or newspaper and then write down a summary, your opinion, and the source and turn it in.  All other extra-credit requires prior approval from Mr. Aden.
2.  Extra-credit is limited to raising your grade 5% per quarter.  No extra-credit will be accepted the last week of any quarter.  You will usually be limited to one extra-credit item per week.
3. You are responsible for getting make-up work and completing it according to school  policy.  Make sure you are aware of this policy.
4.  Big assignments, other than homework, will have a 20% reduction in credit each day they are late.

EXTRA CREDIT ARTICLES

Materials.  The following materials should be brought to class each day:
1.  Loose leaf paper. 
2.  Pen and pencil.
3.  Three ring binder
4.  English and metric ruler. (inches should be divided into 16ths).
5.  Highlighter.