BIOLOGY (Full Year)
Required Grade 9
Prerequisite: None
Biology focuses on developing in students a deeper understanding of basic biological principles. The course investigates seven unifying themes: structure and function, energy relationships, reproduction and inheritance, development, evolution, ecology, and science and society. This course is lab oriented and emphasizes the process of science.
PHYSICAL SCIENCE
(Full Year)
Elective
Grade 10-11
Prerequisite: None
Physical Science introduces students to the physical principles that govern the world around them. The first semester is devoted to the study of chemistry and the second semester is devoted to the study of physics. The process of science is explored through hands-on laboratory experiments.
EARTH SCIENCE
(Full Year)
Elective Grade 11-12
Prerequisite: Biology
Earth Science is a college preparatory course designed to introduce students to the dynamic forces shaping the earth's surface. Course of study includes physical and geological aspects of the changing earth. Students will analyze the following topics: astronomy, climatology, environment, geology, meteorology, mineralogy, paleontology, and plate tectonics. Careers in the earth sciences will also be explored.
CHEMISTRY (Full Year)
Elective Grade 10-12
Prerequisite: Biology and Geometry or current enrollment in Geometry
Chemistry is a college preparatory course designed to introduce students to the chemical principles that govern the world around them. The course is divided into three components: lecture/ demonstration, laboratory, and problem solving. Lecture/demonstration is a means of introducing new material. Laboratory sessions offer students the opportunity to discover chemical principles through experimentation. Problem solving allows students to develop skills in this area while interacting with other students. College credit is available via the AP Exam in May.
PHYSICS
(Full Year)
Elective Grade 11-12
Prerequisite: No less than a C+ in Geometry; concurrent enrollment in Algebra II or Trigonometry; instructor approval.
Physics aims to give students an understanding of the contemporary view of the physical world. Topics to be covered include mechanics, heat, light, astronomy, electricity and magnetism. Emphasis is placed on investigating these concepts through laboratory and problem solving activities. Students planning on a medical or science career are encouraged to enroll in this course.
HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY: HONORS
(Full Year)
Elective Grades 11-12
Prerequisite: To be enrolled in Human Anatomy and Physiology students must have successfully completed Biology and Chemistry with a “B” or above.
Human Anatomy and Physiology is a full-year course designed for the student that has a medical career as a goal. Human Anatomy and Physiology will include a detailed study of the structure and function of the body, including digestion and metabolism, the respiratory system and cellular development, circulatory system and immunity, excretory system and body fluids, muscular and nervous systems and the reproductive system and human development. Students will be able to identify all assigned body parts as well as their physiology, and be able to apply this information to life situations involving the human body.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT BIOLOGY
(Full Year)
Elective Grade 11-12
Prerequisite: Biology; Chemistry; Teacher Recommendation.
Advanced Biology places emphasis on the study of basic biological principles through lecture, laboratory, and discussion. The course serves as an investigative science of living organisms by examining the common themes that unite the diversity of life that exists on the planet. Topics include cellular biology, genetics, anatomy and physiology, ecology, and evolution. College credit is available via the AP Exam in May.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT CHEMISTRY
(Full Year)
Elective Grade 11-12
Prerequisite: Chemistry; Teacher Recommendation.
Advanced Placement Chemistry is a college level course that focuses on the study of basic chemical principles through lectures, laboratories, and problem solving sessions. Topics include atomic theory, molecular weights and moles, thermochemistry, gases, chemical bonding, acids and bases, oxidation-reduction, and reaction rates. Students completing this course are eligible to gain college credit by taking the AP exam in May. Because AP Chemistry is a college level course, the workload involved is greater than that of other high school science courses.