Course Overview
Integrated Math & Science
Instructors: Mrs. Oliver (Math) & Mrs. Engelbrecht (Science)
Description: This six-week accelerated summer course is designed as a “bridge class” to help incoming freshmen students enrolled in Unified Geometry and Biology master skills and concepts needed to be successful in those courses. Students will be taught these concepts and skills using a project-based format that utilizes current collaboration and web 2.0 educational technology. All students will be required to create projects that are answers to scientific questions that require the learning and use of both math (Algebra I) and science (Physics) concepts. These projects will also require students to communicate about their projects using a variety of technology. A variation of IMSA's PBL model will be used during this course as the primary method of instruction. This model encourages true and meaningful learning through student self-discovery of knowledge and teamwork rather than through rote memorization of information.
Class will meet on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11:15-1:30 in room #2203. Mrs. E and Mrs. O will have online “office hours” on Mondays and Tuesdays from 11:15-1:30. During online office hours, Mrs. E or Mrs. O will be available via e-mail and Edmodo to help students and answer any questions related to the class.
Instructors: Mrs. Oliver (Math) & Mrs. Engelbrecht (Science)
Description: This six-week accelerated summer course is designed as a “bridge class” to help incoming freshmen students enrolled in Unified Geometry and Biology master skills and concepts needed to be successful in those courses. Students will be taught these concepts and skills using a project-based format that utilizes current collaboration and web 2.0 educational technology. All students will be required to create projects that are answers to scientific questions that require the learning and use of both math (Algebra I) and science (Physics) concepts. These projects will also require students to communicate about their projects using a variety of technology. A variation of IMSA's PBL model will be used during this course as the primary method of instruction. This model encourages true and meaningful learning through student self-discovery of knowledge and teamwork rather than through rote memorization of information.
Class will meet on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11:15-1:30 in room #2203. Mrs. E and Mrs. O will have online “office hours” on Mondays and Tuesdays from 11:15-1:30. During online office hours, Mrs. E or Mrs. O will be available via e-mail and Edmodo to help students and answer any questions related to the class.
Requirements & Responsibilities
- All students will be issued a netbook for the entire course, and students must abide by netbook agreement they sign on the first day of class. The netbook must be returned to Mrs. E or Mrs. O on the last day of the course, or the consequences outlined in the netbook agreement will be applied.
- All students will be required to sign up for a Gmail account on the first day of class. Students are required to remember their Gmail account and password for the entire course. This Gmail account will be used to login to an Edmodo account. Edmodo is the learning management software that will be used for the course, and it is where all assignments will be posted and turned in. Also, this is the spot where students can ask questions, have discussions, and connect with their team members to collaborate on group projects. For a video tutorial on how to use Edmodo, click here.
- Students will also be asked to create a Google Docs account. The purpose of this account is to allow students to collaborate in their teams outside of class in a virtual environment on projects that will be due on a weekly basis.
- Students will also be asked to use a variety of free web 2.0 tools in order to complete or present their projects. Basic instructions will be given on how to use these tools during class; however, if students want to use the more advanced functions of the tools, students will be responsible for learning that on their own.
- It is assumed that students are familiar with the basic operation of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).
- Students are required to write five (5) blog posts on their blog during the course. For more information, click on "Blogs" above.
- Students will hand in quality work at all times. Work that is not considered a student's best effort will be handed back to them and redone.
Behavior Expectations
In class, it is expected that all students will:
Be nice.
Follow all directions.
Be on task and productive.
Take no shortcuts to learning.
Give no excuses.
It is expected that all students will behave online in a responsible and respectful manner. Any e-mails or communications that are written to Mrs. E or Mrs. O that are deemed inappropriate, disrespectful, or insubordinate will be subject to disciplinary action.
REMEMBER: Anything written in an e-mail or on the internet is usually timestamped and recorded somewhere for future viewing. Don't write anything in an e-mail or internet communication that you don't want others to see.
Be nice.
Follow all directions.
Be on task and productive.
Take no shortcuts to learning.
Give no excuses.
It is expected that all students will behave online in a responsible and respectful manner. Any e-mails or communications that are written to Mrs. E or Mrs. O that are deemed inappropriate, disrespectful, or insubordinate will be subject to disciplinary action.
REMEMBER: Anything written in an e-mail or on the internet is usually timestamped and recorded somewhere for future viewing. Don't write anything in an e-mail or internet communication that you don't want others to see.
Projects & Assessment
- The content of this course will be taught using project-based learning. This means that students will be given a project challenge, do research, generate possible alternatives to completing the project as a class, decide upon an alternative, design, build, and test their solution to the project challenge, and then present their results to the class. The same rubric will be used for all project challenges in the course.
- Math homework will be assigned on Wednesdays that will be due on Thursday. There will also be math homework that will be assigned on Thursdays that will be due the following Wednesday.
- There will be a total of 5 projects students must complete during the course. Noncompletion of any of the five projects will result in an Incomplete for the class. The first 4 projects will not be scored; they will be assessed formatively, where students will be given feedback on how well they are mastering the course objectives and be given guidance for how they can improve during the next project. Students are to use the feedback given on previous projects to improve their performance on successive projects. The last project will be scored summatively, and points will be awarded at the completion of this project. The last (5th) project is the project that will count towards the student’s final grade in the class. The purpose of the first four projects will be to help students improve and refine their knowledge and skills in order to be successful on the last project.
- Students will be scored on their weekly blog posts. Posts should be reflective and insightful, making comments about math and science that they have learned and how they are connected, and reflect on issues and ideas that arose
- While some materials will be supplied during class to complete the projects, students may be required to obtain additional materials in order to complete projects.
- For more information about the project challenges, please click here.
Grading
The following grading scale will be used for this class:
90-100 = A
80-89 = B
70-79 = C
60-69 = D
59 and below = F
Math Homework: 15%
Blog posts & comments: 35%
Final project (project #5): 50%
90-100 = A
80-89 = B
70-79 = C
60-69 = D
59 and below = F
Math Homework: 15%
Blog posts & comments: 35%
Final project (project #5): 50%