Why Our Weekly Structure Stays the Same
Consistency helps both students and teachers succeed. When the weekly layout stays the same, students always know what to expect, what to work on, and how to prepare, which reduces stress and confusion. Teachers can also give clearer guidance and feedback because everyone is following the same structure.
Both Biology and Environmental Science use the same general weekly outline. While the content changes from week to week, the format remains consistent so students can focus on learning the material instead of figuring out new routines.
Weekly Outline
| Monday & Tuesday:Reading, Discussion, and Direct Instruction | Wednesday: Visual Journal | Thursday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher Notes | • Guide popcorn-style reading aloud from the textbook. • Pause after each section or a few paragraphs to explain key ideas, clarify vocabulary, and guide discussion.• Explicitly tell students what to write in their Cornell Notes, including example cues (questions, key terms) and important details for the notes column.• Encourage student-led discussion while redirecting when needed.• Select the next reader to keep reading moving efficiently.• Require students to stand and face one another during discussion.• Reserve the last ~10 minutes of class for students to review their notes, highlight key words, and write a summary. | • Introduce and clarify the visual journal assignment, tied to a specific topic from the chapter. • Circulate to support content accuracy, organization, and effort.• Call students up individually to enter Cornell Notes grades from Monday and Tuesday (10 points each).• Use the final 10 minutes of class to select 2–3 students to share their visual journals with the class. | • Introduce the discussion board case study connected to the chapter and review posting expectations. Prior to class post the outline of the discussion board into Infinite Campus where students will complete the discussion board. • While students work, call students up individually to grade the visual journal completed on Wednesday. And check to see if students students completed there chapter reading questions. • You can give students 40 minutes to do discussion board and use the last bit of class for chapter reading quiz.(Google forms auto-graded) |
| Student Notes | • Set up Cornell Notes at the start of class (cue column, notes section, summary area). • Actively take notes during reading and teacher explanations.• Practice writing strong cues (questions/key terms) and clear notes.• Participate respectfully in reading and discussion.• Use the last ~10 minutes to highlight key words, organize notes, and write a summary of at least 3 complete sentences. | • Complete a visual journal based on a chapter topic, following all required sections. • Use notes and the textbook to support accuracy and detail.• Be prepared to share your visual journal if selected.• Meet briefly with the teacher for Cornell Notes grading if needed. | • Write a discussion board post based on a real-world case study related to the chapter. This will be done on infinite Campus • Respond to classmates when required.• Use class time productively while the teacher grades visual journals. |
| Assignments | Chapter reading and notes assigned and Due Thursday . Must be hand written and completed in Cornell Note Format. We will not cover all the chapter on Monday/Tuesday. It is students responsibility to complete the resst of the reading and the questions | Notes from Monday and Tuesday Due | Visual Journal Graded. If student did not finish Visual Journal in class on Wednesday it is there responsibility to complete this before class on Thursday |
| Grades | 20 points total (10 for each set of notes) | 10 points for visual journal / 10 points for completed reading questions | |
| Lab Week | Virtual Labs or Hands on Labs depending on teacher preference | Unit Review | Unit Test |
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