Science

Biology is a yearlong course for high school students . Starting in 2021 it will be required for all Grade 9 students. In Biology students will learn not only what is currently known about each topic but also what remains to be discovered. They will practice techniques used by scientists in the process of inquiry – different methods of data collection, distinguishing evidence from inference, analyzing data, and testing hypotheses. The first semester is organized around the essential question “What is life?” We will examine the characteristics of life, how the structure of each molecule, organelle, and cell is related to its functions, and how the genetic material allows for transmission of information to the next generation. Students will have extensive training in observation and microscope usage. In the second semester, the essential question focused would be, “How did life originate and diversify?” Through studies of microbes, students will learn the importance of the invisible world to our own survival. They will explore how interactions between organisms and the environment lead to adaptation and changes in species, and the origin of different groups of animals and plants over geological time. Students will be asked to demonstrate their understanding of the scientific knowledge through essays, oral presentations, posters and pamphlets, tests, as well as traditional laboratory reports.

High school chemistry is a yearlong course. Starting in 2022, it will be required for all Grade 10 students. The course emphasizes the chemical basis of the physical world and how energy is transferred at a molecular level. Students continue to develop mathematical and laboratory skills, and report writing, using more formal lab procedures (APA style) and equipment, including working with more open-ended investigations. Ideas in chemistry such as reaction kinetics and electron energy levels build on the background of energy transfer laid in physics. Concepts Are also connected to biology, including properties of bonds and molecules, chemical structures, reaction pathways, and radioactivity. Dimensional analysis and molecular shape allow students to practice skills from algebra and geometry.

Forensics 1 is a one semester laboratory science elective course that introduces various methodologies and applications used in crime scene investigation and criminology. This course will review a wide range of science concepts in physics, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, biology and environmental science. Students will learn through reading, lectures, labs, case studies, online activities, Crime Scene Investigation/Forensic Files film clips, and be able to connect science to real life applications. Topics discussed include history of forensic science, crime scene processing, types of evidence, hair and fiber analysis, serology and DNA analysis, fingerprint analysis, and careers in forensics.

This course provides a hands-on introduction to robotics for students with no programming background using VEX V5 and cortex systems. Students will learn about the engineering design process, students will construct, control and program robots through investigative and exploration activities. Research projects are required and will expose the students to the engineering design process.

Environmental Science is a project based class with a focus on understanding the interrelationships of the natural world, to identifying and analyzing environmental problems both natural and human-made, evaluating the relative risks associated with these problems, and examining alternative solutions for resolving and/or preventing them.

Semester one we will examine the scientific principles and processes which are involved in environmental problems and issues via the topics of ecology and water/air usage. Ecology will delve into the organization of life, energy flow, and change in ecosystems, and local biomes. Additional investigations include water resources and management, air, noise, and light pollution, and atmospheric change.

Semester two we will examine the scientific principles and processes which are involved in environmental problems and issues via the topics of populations, land usage, and mineral/energy resources. Populations will include human populations, population trends, and biodiversity. Inquiry into land management, agriculture, mineral resources, and renewable/nonrenewable energy will be covered.

Python is a general-purpose coding language—which means that, unlike HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, it can be used for other types of programming and software development besides web development. That includes back end development, software development, data science and writing system scripts among other things. This language can be used for web development, machine learning, computer science, data science, or image processing. Python can be taken as a Math or a Science.

Design Thinking follows the 5 principles of Design Thinking which include Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test. Design Thinking is a human centered approach to problem solving that combines technological and non-technological solutions to solve business, societal, and technological problems.

AP Biology is approved by the College Board as equivalent to an introductory college level course. Students are expected to take the College Board Advanced Placement exam upon completion of the course. In AP Biology students will investigate the four big ideas from the AP Biology Curriculum Framework in depth through means of instructor lectures, student-led independent research, inquiry experiments, class discussions, current events, lab activities, and extensive readings.

AP Physics 1 is approved by the College Board as equivalent to the first semester of an algebra-based college level course. Students are expected to take the College Board exam upon completion of the course. A passing AP Exam grade could provide a student with a semester credit in Physics. AP Physics 1 will cover topics including: kinematics, dynamics: Newton’s laws, circular motion and universal law of gravitation, simple harmonic motion: simple pendulum and mass-spring systems, impulse, linear momentum, and conservation of linear momentum: collisions, work, energy, and conservation of energy, rotational motion: torque, rotational kinematics and energy, rotational dynamics, and conservation of angular momentum, electrostatics: electric charge and electric force, dc circuits: resistors only, mechanical waves and sound. About 25 percent of the instructional time will be spent in laboratory work, with an emphasis on inquiry-based investigations that provide you with opportunities to demonstrate the foundational physics principles. Students should have completed geometry and be concurrently taking algebra II. Although the course includes basic use of trigonometric functions, this understanding can be gained either in the concurrent math course or in the AP Physics 1 course itself

The AP Environmental Science course is designed to be the equivalent of an introductory college course in environmental science, through which students engage with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world. The course requires that students identify and analyze natural and human-made environmental problems, evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems, and examine alternative solutions for resolving or preventing them. Environmental Science is interdisciplinary, embracing topics from geology, biology, environmental studies, environmental science, chemistry, and geography.