Science
Science Department
9th Grade Integrated Core Science
Grades: 9
Graduation Requirement: Physical Science
A-G: G
This course is an integrated science course built around NGSS Standards that looks at the biodiversity of Earth over time. It specifically focuses on the five major extinction events and investigates how space based events, atmospheric phenomena, geological processes, and ecological events can impact biodiversity. The students also study biodiversity from the point of view of the history of the Earth and evolution.
Health/ICT
Grades: 9
Graduation Requirement: Health/Computer Technology
A-G: No
Health/ ICT is a class that covers two separate curriculums. The goal of the Health portion addresses the long-term mental and physical health of students. During the nutrition and physical activity unit, students learn about how to make decisions for optimal physical health. The growth, development, and sexual health unit is also known as Family Life, and students know how to make decisions to take care of their reproductive health. The mental, emotional, and social health unit teaches strategies for maintaining mental wellness. They will also learn about CPR and the immune system. The ICT portion of the class ensures that students learn to master Google tools such as Sheets, Slides, Docs, Sites, and Forms. They also learn about online safety and digital citizenship.
Biology
Grades: 10
Graduation Requirement: Life Science
A-G: D
Biology is a two semester laboratory science course that satisfies part of the laboratory science requirement for colleges and universities. The major units to be covered by this course are Ecosystems, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Genetics and Heredity, Microbiology, Evolution and Diversity, and Organism Biology. Laboratory inquiry activities are an integral part of the course.
Chemistry
Grades: 11
Graduation Requirement: Physical Science
A-G: D
Chemistry is a laboratory science course covering, but not limited to, topics in structure of matter, periodic organization, chemical bonding, chemical reactions and practical laboratory application of chemical principles. (This course meets the University of California laboratory science entrance requirements.)
Physics
Grades: 11-12
Graduation Requirement: Physical Science
A-G: D
Physics will cover the principals and concepts that govern the way our world operates through its physical laws. Practical laboratory applications of physics concepts will be stressed, along with interpretation of data.
AP Bio (H)
Grades: 11-12
Graduation Requirement: Life Science
A-G: D
AP Biology is an advanced, college-level biology. The course emphasizes laboratory experimentation and analysis, as well as an in-depth study of biological processes.
The College Board guidelines for this course and the accompanying exam are as follows: Molecules and Cells 25%, Heredity and Evolution 25%, Organisms and Populations 50%. This content is organized around the following major themes:
Big idea 1: The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life.
Big idea 2: Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce and to maintain dynamic homeostasis.
Big idea 3: Living systems store, retrieve, transmit and respond to information essential to life processes.
Big idea 4: Biological systems interact, and these systems and their interactions possess complex properties.
AP Physics (H)
Grades: 9-12
Graduation Requirement: Physical Science
A-G: D
AP Physics 1 is an algebra based, college level, physics course. This course is driven by what are referred to as "Big Ideas" in conceptual understanding of Physics.
Big Idea 1: Objects and systems have properties such as mass and charge. Systems may have internal structure.
Big Idea 2: Fields existing in space can be used to explain interactions.
Big Idea 3: The interactions of an object with other objects can be described by forces.
Big Idea 4: Interactions between systems can result in changes in those systems.
Big Idea 5: Changes that occur as a result of interactions are constrained by conversation laws.
Big Idea 6: Waves can transfer energy and momentum from one location to another without the permanent transfer of mass and serve as a mathematical model for the description of other phenomena.
Big Idea 7: The mathematics of probability can be used to describe the behavior of complex systems and to interpret the behavior of quantum mechanical systems.
AP Environmental Science (H)
Grades: 11-12
Graduation Requirement: Science
A-G: D
The AP Environmental Science course is designed to engage students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships within 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.
Food Science
Grades: 9-12
Graduation Requirement: Vocational Education or Elective
A-G: No
Food Science is a course that relates scientific principles to personal nutrition and the preparation and consumption of food.
The goals of this class are to:
Increase your knowledge of foods and how food affects your health and the environment.
Understand the science behind cooking and eating.
Improve your skills in cooking and choosing foods.
Affect your attitude as related to food and nutrition.
Science in popular media
Grades: 9-12
Graduation Requirement: Vocational Education or elective
A-G: No
Scientific literacy and understanding is a critical part of our student’s education. Our students live in a society driven by science and technology and yet the popular media frequently misunderstands or misrepresents science. Our students need not only a strong foundation in basic science but the critical thinking skills to evaluate science related claims.
In this student driven, project based class we look at science in the popular media and explore what is possible, plausible, or just bad science. We will look at false, distorted, or misleading claims about science as well as explore some of the amazing inventions and technology that may be possible in the future.
Astrobiology
Grades: 9-12
Graduation Requirement: Elective
A-G: No
Astrobiology is the study of life in the universe. It uses biology, physics, chemistry, ecology, and geology to investigate the origins, nature, and distribution of life in our universe. It is an interdisciplinary field of study that encompasses the search for habitable planets, the search for extraterrestrial life, and the possible expansion of terrestrial life into space.
Based on current research in science this project based, student driven class explores the possibilities presented by the discovery of planets outside of our solar system. The search for exoplanets is one of the most exciting and fast developing fields in astronomy and will perhaps one day answer the question of whether we are alone in the universe. In addition to discussing the techniques and technology that have been developed for this pursuit, we will look at the issues surrounding human space travel, the challenges of colonizing or terraforming new worlds, and the remarkable array of strange new planets being discovered.
Principles of Biomedical Science
Grades: 9-12
Graduation Requirement: Elective
A-G: No
This course provides an introduction to the biomedical sciences through exciting hands-on projects and problems. Students investigate the human body systems and various health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, sickle-cell disease, hypercholesterolemia, and infectious diseases. They determine the factors that led to the death of a fictional person, and investigate lifestyle choices and medical treatments that might have prolonged the person’s life. The activities and projects introduce students to human physiology, medicine, research processes and bioinformatics. Key biological concepts including homeostasis, metabolism, inheritance of traits, and defense against disease are embedded in the curriculum. Engineering principles including the design process, feedback loops, and the relationship of structure to function are also incorporated. This course is designed to provide an overview of all the courses in the Biomedical Sciences program and lay the scientific foundation for subsequent courses.