9th and 10th PROJECT SCIENCE

Explaining basic scientific concepts using models and mathematical formulations to represent one’s thinking. Scientific explanations are built by combining evidence that can be observed with what people already know about the world. Inquiry involves asking questions and locating, interpreting, and processing information from a variety of sources. Evidence can create questions that leads to increasingly better understanding of how things work in the living world. Develop and present proposals including formal hypotheses to test explanations.

The fundamental concept of ecology is that living organisms interact with and are dependent on their environment and each other. These interactions result in a flow of energy and a cycling of materials that are essential for life. Diversity of populations within ecosystems relates to the stability of ecosystems - shaped by the nonliving environment as well as its interacting species. The world contains a wide diversity of physical conditions, which creates a variety of environments. Human Population growth has placed strains on the environment—massive pollution of air and water, deforestation and extinction of species, global warming, and alteration of the ozone shield. The Earth has finite resources; increasing human consumption of resources places stress on the alter the equilibrium in ecosystems. Humans modify ecosystems as a result of population growth, consumption, and technology. Human destruction of habitats through direct harvesting, pollution, atmospheric changes, and other factors is threatening current global stability. Students will investigate the impact of technological development and growth in the human population on the living and nonliving environment.

11th Grade

This course aims to provide students with lessons and activities that allow them to actively participate in uncovering the chemistry in the laboratory and in the world around them. Rather than simply writing “correct” answers to chemistry questions and problems, students will learn to support their answers with evidence. Students will also engage in several practice exercises that will enable them to deepen their understanding of chemistry concepts. In addition to doing experiments, students will write scientific papers/formal lab reports and they will follow the required format to prepare them for PBAT presentations. Furthermore, in this course students will be asked to extend their learning beyond classroom walls through independent research, and inquiry-based projects. Students will be asked to reflect upon their own experience and interests as they pose critical questions about their world. There will be a strong emphasis on planning, writing and revision in the writing process as they need these skills to be successful in the PBAT process. Topics to cover include but are not limited to matter and energy, chemical reactions, atomic structure and the periodic table and its trends, acids and salts, organic chemistry. The course culminates in an extended or original Science project.

12th Chemistry of Life

The chemistry of life begins with the basic principles of bond formation and bond breaking, and the nature of the different compounds formed. Life revolves around the balancing act between the energy released as bonds are broken and the energy taken in as bonds are formed.

Life on earth depends on the nature of the carbon atom and the nature of water. Water is fundamental to life and understanding the properties of water helps to make sense of many other changes that happen in everyday life. Also, if you look around at the different substances you see, when you analyze these deeply, it is only about 20 basic things that make up everything we see around us. During this academic year we will be exploring the composition of the structures that surround us and support our history - structures and monuments. We will be working very closely with the other subjects to make connections to your other areas of learning and possible future careers that you may become interested in as we meet people in the field.