Course Syllabus

Anatomy & Physiology

496 Honors / ACP

Instructor: Dr. Robin
Classroom: Room 438
Email: robinj@wellesleyps.org
Office Hours: Mondays, 2:30–3:05 PM in Room 438

Course Description

Taken verbatim from the Program of Studies

This course examines the eleven organ systems of the human body: nervous, urinary, respiratory, skeletal, reproductive, integumentary, muscular, endocrine, immune/lymphatic, cardiovascular and digestive. Anatomy will be studied from a microscopic to a gross anatomical level. Dissections of mammalian organs appropriate to each system being learned will take place during laboratory time. Laboratory time will also consist of experimenting with models of physiological systems and will culminate with the complete dissection of a fetal pig. In addition, medical disease correlations will be examined. This course is a terrific opportunity for any students interested in pursuing a career in the health care field or the life sciences; or simply any student interested in learning about how the human body works.

Canvas

Canvas is the central hub for this course. All course packets and presentations are posted on Canvas, along with assignments, due dates, announcements, and other course materials.

Students are responsible for checking Canvas regularly, particularly following an absence.

Course Materials

Textbook

Students may choose to sign out the textbook Human Anatomy and Physiology at any time during the school year.

At the end of the year, or if a student drops the course, the textbook must be returned. If the textbook is lost, a $120 replacement payment to Wellesley Public Schools will be required.

Colored Pencils

Students should purchase a box of 24 Crayola colored pencils. Packet Worksheets will frequently require students to use specific Crayola colors to identify anatomical structures and regions.

 

Cell Phones

Wellesley High School follows a bell-to-bell cell phone policy. Phones must remain docked for the duration of the class period unless the teacher specifically directs otherwise.

In this classroom, phones are docked in the numbered hanging phone pockets located on the wall. Each student will be assigned an individual numbered pocket for the year.

Students are expected to place their phone in their assigned pocket at the beginning of class and leave it docked until instructed otherwise. Phone docking is verified on the class attendance clipboard. For attendance purposes, a student will not be considered present for class until their phone has been properly docked.

When appropriate, students will generally be given approximately the last five minutes of class to retrieve their phones for the specific purpose of photographing completed work for submission to Canvas. Phone use during this time is limited to that instructional purpose.

Students who do not have a phone with them should notify Dr. Robin at the beginning of class.

 

Assessment & Grading

Total-Points Grading System

This course uses a total-points grading system rather than category-based or weighted grading.

There are no percentage weights assigned to categories such as quizzes, classwork, or homework.  Every point earned has the same value toward the term grade, regardless of the type of assignment from which it was earned.

Only fully completed Packet Worksheets are scored; therefore, points earned from Packet Worksheets can only increase a student’s grade. Students are not penalized for choosing not to finish a Packet Worksheet outside of class.

Year Grade Calculation

Term	Contribution to Y1 Grade
Q1	25%
Q2	25%
Q3	25%
Q4	25%

 

 Assessment & Assignment Overview

Assessment/Assignment	Typical Value	Key Information
Regular Unit Quizzes	40–60 pts	Approximately one every two seven-day cycles
Practical Assessments	12–18 pts	Separate station-based grade; anatomical identification and application
Nervous System Unit Quizzes	40–60 pts	Generally 4–5 during the year; mix of direct and application-based questions
Honors Unit Quizzes	40–60 pts	Honors only; two per term; strong emphasis on application and higher-level reasoning
Lab & Review Activities	6 pts	Required in-class laboratory, application, or review activities
Stop & Checks	2 pts each	Required; accompanies each in-class presentation
Canvas Discussions & Reflections	Typically 3 pts each	Required for both ACP and Honors
Packet Worksheets	1 pt/page; 2 pts/page when coloring is required	All-or-none credit; optional to finish outside class; strongly encouraged
Term Locked-In Score	50 pts/term	Explained in a separate Locked-In Score syllabus

 

Assessment Policies by Course Level

Assessment	ACP	Honors
Regular Unit Quizzes	Closed notes · 10% boost · Retake maximum: 83% final score after boost	Closed notes · No boost · Retake maximum: 73%
Nervous System Unit Quizzes	Open notes · 10% boost · No retakes	Open notes · No boost · No retakes
Practical Assessments	10% boost · No retakes	No boost · No retakes
Honors Unit Quizzes	—	Open notes · No boost · No retakes

 

Quizzes & Practical Assessments

Regular Unit Quizzes

Students can typically expect one Regular Unit Quiz every two seven-day cycles. These quizzes are generally worth 40–60 points and are taken by both ACP and Honors students.

Regular Unit Quizzes are closed-note assessments and primarily assess students’ knowledge and understanding of the anatomy and physiology presented during the corresponding unit.  Questions are generally more direct and straightforward than those found on the open-note Nervous System Unit Quizzes and Honors Unit Quizzes.

There are no traditional unit tests or cumulative examinations in this course.

Regular Unit Quizzes are eligible for retakes according to the ACP and Honors policies shown in the table above.

 Practical Assessments

Many Regular Units include a separate Practical Assessment, typically worth 12–18 points.  Practical Assessments are entered as their own grades and are not part of the Regular Unit Quiz score.

Practical Assessments are always administered in a station-based format, with stations arranged across the laboratory benches.  Students rotate through the stations and identify or interpret anatomical structures using anatomical specimens, histological slides viewed under the microscope, photographs and other anatomical images, and diagnostic images such as X-rays.

Dissections

Dissections are a major hands-on component of Anatomy & Physiology and will be conducted several times throughout the school year. Each dissection is incorporated into a unit in which the specimen or structures being examined directly support the anatomy and physiology under study.

Students should make every reasonable effort to attend scheduled dissections. Because of the nature of these laboratory experiences, dissections cannot be made up if missed.

The dissection itself is not assigned a separate grade. Depending on the unit, however, the anatomical knowledge associated with the dissection may be assessed through either a separate Practical Assessment or a Canvas quiz administered shortly after the dissection. Dissection-related Canvas quizzes are typically worth 6–8 points, do not receive the ACP 10% boost, and allow up to two attempts for a maximum score of 100%.

A student who misses a dissection remains responsible for the associated material and for completing the corresponding Practical Assessment or Canvas quiz.

Students will typically work in groups of two. A third student may join a group when that student prefers to participate primarily in an observational rather than hands-on role. Groups may not contain more than three students.

Nervous System Unit Quizzes

Several Nervous System Units are studied progressively throughout the school year, typically during the A blocks of double-block classes.

Students will generally complete four Nervous System Units, although there may be five depending on the progression of the course.

Instruction for these units is intentionally distributed across double blocks that occur approximately one seven-day cycle apart. Because the learning is spread across this extended period, Nervous System Unit Quizzes are open-note assessments. Students may use the corresponding course packet during the quiz.

Nervous System Unit Quizzes include a mix of direct questions assessing knowledge and understanding and questions requiring students to apply, interpret, or integrate course concepts.  In overall difficulty and emphasis, they generally fall between Regular Unit Quizzes and Honors Unit Quizzes.

Nervous System Unit Quizzes are not eligible for retakes.

Kahoot Bonus Points

Following in-class presentations, students will typically participate in a Kahoot review of the material covered.

Students finishing in the top five positions on the Kahoot leaderboard may earn bonus points. Any Kahoot bonus points earned during a unit are added directly to the corresponding upcoming Regular Unit Quiz or Nervous System Unit Quiz.

Honors Units

Honors students complete two independent Honors Units during each term in addition to the regular course curriculum.

The first Honors Unit is typically assessed around the midpoint of the term, while the second is typically assessed near the end of the term.

For each Honors Unit, students are provided on Canvas with an Honors Unit packet, the corresponding presentation, and a narrated version of the presentation recorded by Dr. Robin.

Students are responsible for independently working through these materials in preparation for the corresponding Honors Unit Quiz.

Honors Unit Quizzes are open-note assessments, and students may use their completed Honors Unit packet during the quiz.

Although these quizzes are open note, they are intentionally challenging and place a greater emphasis on application, interpretation, and higher-level reasoning than Regular Unit Quizzes. The availability of notes is not intended to substitute for learning and understanding the material.

Honors Unit Quizzes are not eligible for retakes.

Other Coursework 

Lab & Review Activities

Lab & Review Activities are required, worth 6 points, and may occur throughout a unit or serve as a culminating review. These activities often include a required accompanying activity sheet that asks students to use the corresponding packet to locate, interpret, and apply information closely aligned with the concepts and types of questions emphasized on the upcoming Regular Unit Quiz.

Students who are absent are not required to make up the in-class Lab & Review Activity itself.  Any accompanying activity sheet, however, remains required and must be completed independently. The activity sheet must be submitted by the date of the corresponding Regular Unit Quiz to receive full credit; submissions after the quiz may receive a maximum of half credit.

Stop & Checks

Stop & Checks are required and are worth 2 points each.  A Stop & Check accompanies each in-class presentation and is completed in class during the presentation to reinforce and check understanding of the material being learned.  Students who are absent remain responsible for completing the Stop & Check independently.

Stop & Checks must be submitted by the date of the corresponding unit quiz to receive full credit; submissions after the quiz may receive a maximum of half credit.  For students present in class, credit also requires appropriate engagement with the presentation and productive participation during class.

Canvas Discussions & Reflections

All ACP and Honors students will complete Canvas Discussions & Reflections, typically worth 3 points each.  These may include reflections following dissections, responses to anatomy- and physiology-related films or documentaries, laboratory reflections, current events, and other applications of course content.

These assignments must be submitted by the date of the corresponding unit quiz to receive full credit; submissions after the quiz may receive a maximum of half credit.

Packet Worksheets

Packet Worksheets reinforce course content and provide practice with the material presented in Regular Units, Nervous System Units, and Honors Units, as applicable.

When class time is provided for a Packet Worksheet, students are expected to work on the worksheet appropriately and productively.  If it is not completed during class, finishing it outside of class is optional but strongly encouraged because Packet Worksheets provide valuable practice and serve as useful study materials for the corresponding unit quiz.

Answer keys are posted in advance so that students can check and correct their work and use the Packet Worksheets effectively for studying. Students are expected to complete the work independently rather than use the answer key as a substitute for completing the worksheet themselves. 

Completed Packet Worksheets can only increase a student’s grade.  The total value of a Packet Worksheet is calculated at 1 point per page, or 2 points per page when coloring is required. Packet Worksheets are graded on an all-or-none basis.  Fully completed Packet Worksheets receive their full point value; incomplete Packet Worksheets are not scored and are not entered as zeros. Partial credit is not awarded. When coloring is required, the Packet Worksheet specifies the exact color to use for each structure or region, and the posted answer key uses the same color coding for reference.  Students are expected to follow the assigned color key exactly and complete the coloring carefully and with appropriate effort. A Packet Worksheet with any incomplete or careless required work, or with required coloring completed using an incorrect color, will not receive credit.

Packet Worksheets must be submitted through Canvas by the posted deadline to receive credit.

 

Canvas Submission Requirements

All assignment submissions are made through Canvas.  Canvas Discussions & Reflections are completed using the Canvas text-entry field.  Paper-based assignments, including Stop & Checks, Packet Worksheets, and Lab & Review activity sheets, must be photographed and uploaded to the appropriate Canvas assignment.

To submit a paper-based assignment for credit, students must upload clear photographs of every completed page.

For a photographed paper-based submission to receive credit:

• the student’s name must be clearly written at the top of the assignment;
• every page containing required work must be photographed and submitted;
• each photograph must be clear, complete, and readable;
• the work submitted must be the student’s own completed assignment; and
• students are responsible for confirming that the submission has been successfully uploaded to Canvas.

Paper-based assignments submitted without the student’s name clearly visible may not receive credit.

 

Term Locked-In Score

Each term includes a 50-point Locked-In Score designed to reinforce appropriate productivity, engagement, and use of class time.

These 50 points are included directly in the total points for the term and have the same point value as all other course points.

The expectations and procedures associated with the Locked-In Score are explained in a separate Locked-In Score syllabus. Students are responsible for understanding and following the expectations outlined in that document.

Course Expectations

Checking Your Grade

Students are responsible for checking PowerSchool regularly and reporting any grading discrepancies.

Tardiness

Students arriving after the bell without a pass will receive an unexcused tardy.

Three unexcused tardies equal one class cut.

Missing Class

Students who miss class are responsible for checking Canvas and completing any required work.

District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP)

District accommodations (DCAP) are available to all students, and in the 26-27 school year, WHS is committed to moving this forward with fidelity. While some accommodations can be offered at the moment, others require advanced notice. For example: Extended time on an in-class assessment is a collaborative decision made by the teacher, student, and family to meet individual student needs. The WHS guideline is up to 25% extra time. This accommodation relies on proactive student communication prior to the date of the assessment. The student and teacher must establish how the accommodation will be provided.

Extra Help

In addition to the office hours listed above, I am willing to meet at other mutually convenient times during or after the school day.  Please speak with me or email me to arrange a time. Outside of class, I can usually be found in Room 438 or in the Science Office, Room 358, near the library.