Science Course Offerings
The mission of the science department is to develop critical thinkers who have the scientific content knowledge and skills necessary to be active citizens and life-long learners. Through a comprehensive sequence of rigorous and relevant science classes, we prepare students for their academic and professional careers by fostering their abilities to interpret data, analyze scientific investigations, evaluate models, process academic text, and articulate their comprehension of scientific processes and concepts. Students develop these skills through laboratory and hands-on activity experiences which allow students to form text-based and data-based conclusions and connect these conclusions to real world examples.
Honors Biology
9th
Biology teaches students to think scientifically and emphasizes key biological concepts, scientific thinking skills, and scientific literacy that can help students in their everyday lives and prepare them for college. Examples of topics explored include: the scientific inquiry, ecology, evolution, diversity of organisms, cells, protein synthesis, and genetics. Students will also gain an overview of contemporary science technology, learn how to use the tools of biologists, and will acquire a wide variety of laboratory skills.
Honors Chemistry
10th
Chemistry is an inquiry-based course that examines matter and the changes it undergoes. Experiments and activities are used to introduce concepts including the structure of atoms and chemical compounds, the relationships among the elements on the periodic table, chemical and physical transformations, and the measurement and calculations of chemical quantities. Students who complete this course will develop an understanding of interconnections among the sciences, technology, society, and the environment.
Honors Physics
11th
Physics is the study of energy and how it affects matter in the universe. Students will begin the year with an exploration of energy and will apply this knowledge to the study of work, gravity, linear and rotational motion, torque, waves, sound, light, electricity, and magnetism. This course has a yearlong focus that involves a great deal of lab work and data interpretation to find different ways to understand how energy affects us all the time. Students of introductory physics will learn about the relationships between motion and forces through Newton’s laws of motion, the difference between vector and scalar quantities, and learn how to solve basic problems involving these quantities.
Honors Anatomy & Physiology
12th & CTE Medical 10th graders
Anatomy & Physiology will explore the various human body systems such as the circulatory, respiratory, muscular, skeletal, integumentary, endocrine, and reproductive systems. An emphasis will be placed on scientific research, the impact of structure on function, and the physiological processes at the cellular through organ level that allow each system to serve a particular function.
Honors Introduction to Engineering Design
10th - 12th
In this course, students learn about the various disciplines of engineering and apply math and science skills to create solutions to problems. Students develop problem-solving and teamwork skills that are invaluable for any major in college and future careers. Through several projects, students will practice using the engineering design process from brainstorming to testing out prototypes, to revising and rebuilding solutions, using math, science and innovation as real engineers do. We learn to use Autodesk Inventor 3D modeling software (also known as computer-aided drafting, or CAD) to develop and document our designs.
Honors Principles of Engineering
11th - 12th
Through problems that engage and challenge, students explore a broad range of engineering topics, sampling from mechanical engineering (simple machines and drive trains, and robotics), chemical engineering (alternative energy sources), and electrical engineering (energy, electrical circuits, robotics automation). Students develop skills in problem solving, research, design, and basic programming, while learning strategies for design process documentation, collaboration, and presentation.
Honors Astronomy
12th
Astronomy is the study of the universe, essentially everything outside of our own small planet. This course will cover a wide variety of topics from ancient astronomy to the newest discoveries and theories. Assessments will primarily be project based. Topics may include: familiarity with the night sky; cosmology; stars and galaxies; past and future explorations; our Solar System and planets; exoplanets and the use of technological tools. Emphasis will be placed on modeling, inquiry learning, and technology.
Prerequisites: Physics, Chemistry, Algebra Trig
Advanced Placement Biology
11th - 12th
AP Biology is the equivalent to an introductory college level course that would be taken by a freshman Biology major. The course will be focused around evolution as a process that drives biological diversity, the utilization of free energy and molecular building blocks in biological systems, the retrieval, transmission, and response to information that is essential to life's processes, and the interactions within and among living things. Students will utilize science practices and mathematical models to develop an understanding of these concepts and will connect them to social and ethical concerns of today's world.
Advanced Placement Chemistry
11th - 12th
In AP Chemistry, students will learn about the fundamental concepts of chemistry such as structure and states of matter, intermolecular forces, reactions, and how to use chemical calculations to solve problems. Students will engage in hands-on laboratory investigations to learn chemical concepts through direct experience and observations. The course is designed to be the equivalent to a general chemistry course taken by a freshman science major.
Advanced Placement Physics C: Mechanics
12th
AP Physics C is a calculus based mechanics course that will focus on such topics as equilibrium, kinematics, dynamics, energy and work, momentum, and rotation. This course approximates a first-semester university-level college physics course for science and engineering majors. Students will use science practices while completing 14 major labs and smaller weekly activities and will use calculus and advanced algebra to define and explain principles of mechanics. This course is designed to help prepare students for the AP exam in May and university physics courses.
Advanced Placement Environmental Science
10th - 12th
The goal of this course is to provide students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies to understand the interrelationships of the natural world, to identify and analyze environmental problems both natural and human-made, and to evaluate the risks associated with these problems and examine alternative solutions for resolving and/or preventing them. Environmental science is interdisciplinary; it embraces a wide variety of topics from different areas of study. Yet, there are several major unifying constructs or themes that cut across the many topics included in the study of environmental science. This course is designed to help prepare students for the AP exam in May and for a university Environmental Science course.
