Science

What is it:

●  Earth and Environmental Science covers the Earth and the space around it. We study all non-living materials like water, soils, and atmosphere.

Course Goal:

●  To provide students with basic knowledge of the Earth, to make them more well-rounded and global. The students will learn about the troubles in the world and how future generations need help now to fix the problems.

Units of Focus (per the NCDPI Standards):

●  Geosphere (rocks, soils, volcanoes, earthquakes, plate tectonics

●  Astronomy (space motions, planets, tides, eccentricities of ellipses)

●  Hydrosphere/Atmosphere (water, ocean currents, toxic gasses in the air, groundwater and river systems)

●  Biosphere/Ecology (How the nonliving environment affects the living parts of an environment)

How to Support Us!

• Check Infinite Campus regularly to stay informed on your child’s grades.

• Stay connected through Parent Square.

• Donations of school supplies, tissues, paper towels, hand sanitizer, and wipes are not required, but are always appreciated.

What is Biology?

   Biology is the study of life and living things. The course is broken down into 4 units, through which we will explore cells, genetics, the change of species over time, relationships between organisms, and much more. We are utilizing the new district curriculum, which is modeled after the NGSS standards.

Course Goal:

   To provide students with the knowledge to be scientifically literate and excel in their practical knowledge of science to increase their college and career readiness. We will prepare students for the state End of Course exam, which will be their final assessment.

There are 2 versions of the Biology course at Hopewell:

·       Regular

·       IGCSE – This is a Cambridge course, which is similar to honors level. It includes a science fair project and other more rigorous activities. IGCSE Biology students will also take the EOC exam at the close of the semester.

How to Support Us!

·       Check Infinite Campus regularly to stay informed on your child’s grades.

·       Stay connected through Parent Square.

·       Donations of school supplies, tissues, paper towels, hand sanitizer, and wipes are not required, but are always appreciated.

What is it:

• Chemistry is a branch of natural science that deals principally with the properties of substances, the changes they undergo, and the natural laws that describe these changes.

Course Goal:

• To provide students with the knowledge to be scientifically literate and excel in their practical knowledge of science to increase their college and career readiness.

Units of Focus (per the NCDPI Standards)

• Matter and Interactions

  • • Atomic Structure

    • Physical and Chemical Properties

    • Bonding

    • Chemical Reactions

    • Solutions

• Energy

  • • Relationships between: Pressure, Temperature, Volume, and Phase

Important Event:

• IGSE Science Fair!

How to Support Us!

• Check Infinite Campus regularly to stay informed on your child’s grades.

• Stay connected through Parent Square.

• Donations of school supplies, tissues, paper towels, hand sanitizer, and wipes are not required, but are always appreciated.

What is it:

• Physical Science is the study of matter and energy and the changes they undergo. It can also be described as a hybrid of chemistry and physics classes.

Course Goal:

• To provide students with the knowledge to be scientifically literate and excel in their practical knowledge of science to increase their college and career readiness.

Units of Focus (per the NCDPI Standards)

• Matter and Interactions

• Motion and Stability – Forces and Interactions

• Energy

• Waves and their Applications

How to Support Us!

• Check Infinite Campus regularly to stay informed on your child’s grades.

• Stay connected through Parent Square.

• Donations of school supplies, tissues, paper towels, hand sanitizer, and wipes are not required, but are always appreciated.

What is it:

• Anatomy & Physiology is the study of the human body’s structures and functions, and how they interact. Anatomy refers to the internal and external structures of the body and their physical relationships, whereas physiology refers to the study of the functions of those structures.

Course Goal:

• To provide students with the knowledge to be scientifically literate and excel in their practical knowledge of the human body to increase their college and career readiness.

Units of Focus (per the NCDPI Standards

•  Introduction to Honors Anatomy & Physiology

• Structure and Function of the Human Body

• Tissues and the Integumentary System

• The Skeletal System

• The Muscular System

• The Nervous System and Special Senses

• The Endocrine System

• Blood and The Cardiovascular System

• The Lymphatic System and Immunity

• The Respiratory System

• The Digestive System

• The Urinary System

• The Reproductive System

How to Support Us!

• Check Infinite Campus regularly to stay informed on your child’s grades.

• Stay connected through Parent Square.

• Donations of school supplies, tissues, paper towels, hand sanitizer, and wipes are not required, but are always appreciated.

What is it?

Cambridge International AS Marine Science provides a coherent and stimulating introduction to the science of the marine environment. This is a college level course akin to AP, so we recommend that learners starting this course should have successfully completed Cambridge IGCSE in Biology or the equivalent. Students take a Cambridge exam at the end of the year.

In AS Marine, we will explore 5 different units: 

1. Water, Earth Processes, 

2. Interactions in Marine Ecosystems, 

3. Classification and Biodiversity, and 

4. Examples of Marine Organisms. 

Required Prerequisites:

• Biology

• English 2

• Math 2

• Chemistry (recommended, but not required)

Course Goals:

• To gain knowledge of natural systems which make life possible on Earth and to gain an understanding that humans are part of these systems and depend on them. It aims to foster a sense of responsibility and concern for the welfare of the environment and all organisms and an appreciation of the diverse influences of human activity on natural systems and why we need to manage these systems.

• To gain an understanding of sustainable development to meet the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

• To gain an awareness of:

  • • Their own values concerning environmental issues, the values of others, and the need to manage natural systems. In addition to instill a willingness to review their own attitudes in the light of new knowledge and experiences to help students form a sound basis for further study, personal development and participation in local and global environmental concerns.

Units of Study:

1. Introduction to environmental management 

2. Environmental research and data collection 

3. Managing human population 

4. Managing ecosystems and biodiversity 

5. Managing resources 

6. Managing water supplies 

7. Managing the atmosphere 

8. Managing climate change 

Hopewell IGSE Science Fair will take place on: December 2nd, 2025

The IGSE Science Fair exciting student led activity for groups of aspiring scientists. Students will work together on a scientific investigation into topic of practical relevance to their school or community and are asked to consider sustainability throughout – helping students connect science to solving real-world problems.

The goal of the science fair it to help to promote critical thinking, problem solving, and research. Not only that, but it is also interdisciplinary. This means that you do a little bit of every core subject when you complete a science fair project. 

For example: 

• Students will have written portions that consist of ELA concepts

• Students will have charts and graphs that consist of mathematical concepts

• Students will do research of the scientists who may have worked on something similar to your project consist of social studies/history concepts

Hopewell IGSE Science Fair will take place on: December 2nd, 2025