• Physiology 1-2

    Mrs. Paula Berry, Room 319

    pberry@tamdistrict.org

    Equity Statement-Our classroom environment should be mutually respectful and inclusive of all students. The classroom should be an environment without discrimination, where everyone is comfortable to contribute to and benefit from the entire learning experience. Any suggestions to improve class interactions or any concerns should be brought to my attention. Your small group interactions in physiology are a good way to adopt this attitude of inclusion and enhance positive interactions in the larger class. We are a community of learners! 

     

    Course Objectives

    • To provide students with a thorough introduction to the human body while developing an understanding of the interdependence of the human systems and the complexity of their functions.
    • To introduce students to skills, vocabulary, and knowledge needed to pursue a career in health related fields.
    • To develop critical thinking and deductive/inductive reasoning skills in science through a variety of different activities that focus on cause and effect of diseases.
    • To help students develop awareness of healthful living and its relationship to students, their families and friends.

    Course Content-Learning goals will be organized into the following units throughout the year.

    Unit 1: Keeping it real. (homeostasis, respiratory system, body organization)

    Unit 2: Moving it. (muscular and skeletal systems)

    Unit 3: Inside talk and making babies. (endocrine and reproductive systems)

    • Fall Term Project: The Balance Challenge

    Unit 4: Your inner boss. (nervous system)

    Unit 5: Your heart and juices. (cardiovascular, lymphatic, immune systems)

    Unit 6: Keep it fed (and remove the wastes). (digestive and urinary systems)

    • Spring Term Project and Culminating Experience: The Fetal Pig.

     

    Grading Policies

    Students will be graded through a model where multiple opportunities will be given to demonstrate proficiency in the learning goals of the course. Grades will reflect a student’s level of understanding of the learning goals at the end of the semester. This system will help to personalize the learning experiences for students so that I can target instruction to your individual needs.  

    Weekly assessments in various forms such a quiz, writing prompt, laboratory analysis, project report out, short answer, model diagram, etc will be used to assess your progress towards the learning goals.  These assessments will gauge your conceptual understanding of the material covered and will be worth 5 points each. We will have a summative exam at the end of each unit, during which you will be assessed on the same learning goals but with different questions. If you perform better on the summative score, this will wipe out your previous score. If you perform worse, the two scores will be averaged (this may happen if you stored information in your short-term memory for an assessment but didn’t commit to long-term memory). You will also earn grades on your unit portfolios (the work that we do to learn the material- it will be in your binder), term project work, and a final exam.  Scores will be published periodically on Home Access Center. Your letter grade will be determined as follows:

     90% and above = A, 80% and above = B, 70% and above = C, 60% and above = D, 59.4% and below = F

    Materials-You will need:

    • A three-ring binder (this can be a stand-alone 1” binder or a larger binder shared with other classes)
    • Five section dividers 
      • Course information
      • Warm-Ups
      • TOC and Portfolios
      • Assessments
      • Miscellaneous
    • Binder paper and writing utensils

    *Please see me if you need any assistance with these supplies
     

     

    Digital Code of Conduct

    This year Drake has a new school-wide policy for cell phones:

    “DHS requires that during all classes all student cell phones must be turned off and placed in a cell phone holder, of the teacher’s choosing. However, the teacher can give permission for cell phones to be used for academic purposes. Exceptions can be given for medical reasons.”

     

    To be successful as a physiology student:

    1. Be on time, prepared and ready to learn.
    2. Read the agenda for the day, update your table of contents and respond to the warm-up prompts on the board/overhead as soon as the bell rings.
    3. If absent, check Google Classroom, get work checked upon return and pick up any missed work.
    4. Focus on learning, not just doing work.
    5. Be aware of your progress in the course. There will be weekly assessments to demonstrate your understanding towards our learning goals. Summative assessments will take place in various forms at the end of the unit where the learning goals you worked toward mastering will be assessed again. If you perform better on the summative assessment, this will wipe out your previous score. If you perform worse, the two scores will be averaged.  You will also earn grades on your unit portfolios (the work that we do to learn the material- it will be in your binder), term project work, and a final exam. Scores will be published periodically on Home Access Center.
    6. If you need help or are feeling overwhelmed at any point, please see me. My commitment to you includes your commitments to me. I am here to serve all students and make this a great year! I promise to be prepared, commit to serving all students and their needs and make our time together engaging and productive.