1. 7th Grade Earth & Space Science
Vanessa Applehoff

2. About Me Vanessa Applehoff 16th year in Issaquah School District
BLMS- 6th year
Discovery Elementary (10yrs)
Adjunct Professor, CWU (6yrs)
Preschool (7yrs)
3 children: 28, 20, 7 

3. Earth & Space Science Topics of Study
Earth’s Dynamic Systems
Weather & Climate Systems
Space System Exploration
Students may check out a hard copy of the textbooks and/or access the textbooks online from our class website!
Notebooks can be kept in the classroom or brought to class each day.

4. Check out the Rubrics Handout to see how your child is assessed on Homework, Labs, & Notebooks!
Grades
Summative (Content: Assessments) % Formative (Skills: Labs, Notebook, Daily Work) 40%
4- shows full understanding of concepts A
3.4- mostly shows understanding of concepts- B
3- shows some understanding of concepts C
2.5- shows a little understanding of concepts- D
2- has not yet shown understanding of concepts- F
0 - No effort shown

5. Why Standards-Based? Assessments
Allows students to specifically know what they know and what they do not know.
The focus in on learning and mastery.
10 Question test – Student A and Student B both miss 3 questions:
STUDENT A: Missed questions 2, 5, 9. Score given of 70%.
STUDENT B:
Standard 1 Water Cycle: 3/3 (met standard, fully understands)
Standard 2 Climate: 1/3 (did not meet standard, understands very little)
Standard 3 Weather: 3/4 (met standard, mostly understands)
Student B knows exactly which concept(s) they still need to learn and improve upon.
Assessments
Students may re-test every WIN Wednesday until the end of the Trimester to master the standard(s) in which they did not meet, and/or to show full understanding (4)

6. Skyward – Zeros. Don’t panic! 
If the zero is marked ‘0AB’, that means your child was absent on the day the assignment was due/collected. S/he is responsible for turning the assignment in when s/he returns to school. Full credit will be assigned as long as the assignment is turned in within the number of days s/he was absent.
If the zero is marked ‘oMS’, that means your child was at school, but did not have the assignment completed on the day it was due/collected – or it was incomplete. The assignment will remain a zero until it is turned in. Please see the Homework Rubric for how late assignments are scored.
If an assignment is marked ‘0MS’ and your child insists s/he turned it in, ask: ‘Was your name on it? Check the ‘No Name’ folder for your assignment.’ – No name on an assignment is considered late.

7. Homework Science is lab-based. Investigations are done in class.
Students are given 3 Homework Passes (B.O.D.) for the year that allows an extra day to complete homework. YOU get 3 E.L.F.’s! 
SIGN UP FOR REMIND HOMEWORK REMINDERS VIA TEXT/ !
Science is lab-based. Investigations are done in class.
Most homework is unfinished work from class or reflection
Non-fiction, scientific reading following lab investigations.
*Students who use their time wisely in-class will have little or no homework most nights.

8. W.I.N. (What I Need) Wednesdays: Responsibility, Accountability, & Deepening Knowledge
Occurs each Wednesday, in school, during class
Gives students the opportunity to:
Complete any missing work from the previous week (will earn 75% credit)
Missing work is accepted for ½ credit until the end of each Trimester.
Make-up labs and other work from absences
Re-take assessments for standards not met, yet
Ask for help/clarification on lessons/labs from the previous week
Study for upcoming assessments
Organize science notebook
Students who do not need to do any of the above have the opportunity during this time to:
Engage in further engineering challenges and projects
Design and conduct labs based off of their questions
Participate in extension activities/research

9. Learning Independence
Students should attempt to find answers to their questions
“That’s a great question! Where do you think you can find that information?”
Syllabus, website, FAQ handout, etc.
Students should practice self-advocacy
Students checking Meet With Me calendar
Students meeting with me
Students seeking help from me
How you can help foster independence in your child:
Teach your child how to use if they do not know how, yet
for homework questions
Encourage your child to meet with me
questions about grades, make-up work, missing work, help, etc
If you have asked your child to meet with me and s/he has not done so within a reasonable time, alert me via – I’ll make it happen. 
Ask your child why s/he received a grade. If the reply is, “I don’t know”…
Has the assignment been returned, yet?
Have your child show you the assignment with the rubric

10. ABSENCES Homework is not given ahead of time for vacations.
For vacations that are 3 or more school days, a Pre-Arranged Absence form is required.
Pick up from Attendance Office
Handouts are placed in paper organizer by week day.
Students may use the classroom Science Notebook or a group member’s notebook to copy notes.
Students should plan to meet with me BEFORE/AFTER school when they return -- not before, during, or after class--for clarification, help, to complete a missed lab, and/or to confirm a Lab Make-Up option.
Labs are put away at the end of each WIN Wednesday, so students need to plan accordingly.

11. Lab Make-Up Options
It may not always be possible to make up a lab. In this situation, a student may make up a missed lab by completing one of the Lab Make-Up options.
Please see classroom website homepage for options.
Students will need to receive permission from me for the option they choose. Alternately, I may assign a specific option to complete.