Advanced Placement (AP) Program

Course Availability

Advanced Placement English Language & Composition   111009 1.0 Cr. 11

This course is designed for students who have demonstrated the ability to pursue their study of English at the college level. Through the examination of nonfiction literary models, students will deepen their understanding of the English language and the principles of composition. Readings are taken from a variety of disciplines (including the pure and applied sciences, the social sciences, and the arts) and include all of the modes of discourse. A major component of the course is a series of independent projects based on a specific curricular area selected by the student. This course includes frequent reading and writing assignments, independent projects, grammar study, vocabulary development, SAT preparation, and mandatory summer reading and writing. Students are encouraged to take the AP Language and Composition test. Interested students should have mastered the basic concepts of English grammar and usage. Prior training in the research paper is required.

Prerequisite: Honors American Literature and Composition. Successful completion of a research paper is required. There is a summer reading requirement.

Advanced Placement Literature & Composition 112009 1.0 Cr. 12

AP Literature and Composition is an intensive and demanding study of literature and composition. Frequent written assignments, both formal and informal, are required each marking period. In-class writing is assigned. Students are expected to read and write on several books over the summer, with completed writing assignments delivered to the teacher at spaced intervals over the summer. A research paper is required – on a literary topic and adhering to the guidelines of the English Department. Students enrolling in this course should possess a superior command of vocabulary and the mechanics of writing, and be able to pay particular attention to literary detail. This course prepares students for the Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition examination. Subsequently, in the spring prior to their senior year, students will be required to sit for practice exams both multiple-choice and short essays. There is also a summer reading requirement.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of AP Language and Composition or Honors British Literature and Composition and the successful completion of their 11th grade English research paper.

Advanced Placement Precalculus 400115 1.0 Cr. 10, 11, 12

This course will follow the course framework set forth by College Board. The four units of study that the course would focus on are polynomial and rational functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, trigonometric and polar functions, and functions involving parameters, vectors, and matrices. The mathematical practices that students would work to develop and apply would be procedural and symbolic fluency, multiple representations, and communication and reasoning.

Prerequisite: Honors Algebra 2.

Advanced Placement Statistics 413010 1.0 Cr. 11,12

This course is designed to engage students in the analysis of data using graphical and numerical techniques. This course will cover topics including describing and displaying data, the normal curve, exploring relationships between variables, gathering data, probability, and inferences from means, proportions, and linear regressions.  This class includes projects, practice AP tests, and open-ended questions.  A graphing calculator is used in this course.  A TI-84+ is required for this class.  Prerequisite: Honors Precalculus

Advanced Placement Calculus AB 412010 (Lab) 1.5 Cr. 11,12

This course is a college Calculus I class. It covers limits, derivatives, applications of the derivative, and area and volume with basic integration techniques. A graphing calculator is required.

Prerequisite: Honors Precalculus and teacher recommendation. 

Advanced Placement Calculus BC 412011 1.0 Cr. 11,12

412012 (w/Lab) 1.5 Cr. 11,12

This course covers college Calculus I and II. It covers limits, derivatives, applications of the derivative, and area and volume, parametric and polar coordinates, sequences, series, differential equations, and slope fields.

Prerequisite: Honors Precalculus and teacher recommendation. 

Advanced Placement Biology 313009/313009S (Lab) 1.5 Cr. 11,12 

Advanced Placement Biology is designed as a second biology course. It is intended to prepare students to take the AP biology exam in the spring and to give the students an understanding and appreciation of the vast diversity of living organisms, their special adaptations to their environment, and their evolutionary and ecological relationships. The course will be covered in eleven major content groupings. These will include the chemistry, cytology, metabolism, cellular respiration, photosynthesis, cell division, heredity, molecular genetics, evolutionary biology, and diversity of organisms, plants, animals, humans, and ecology. Scientific writing will be emphasized and opportunities to share newly acquired knowledge made available through free response essays. Laboratory work will include microscope study and the incorporation of the recommended AP Biology labs, which are a basis for the AP Biology exam topics.

Prerequisite: Honors Physical Science, CP Biology, or Honors Biology.

Advanced Placement Chemistry 313019/313019S (lab) 1.5 Cr. 11,12 

This course is intended for juniors or seniors to prepare them for the Advanced Placement Chemistry Examination in May. Emphasis is placed on topics such as the structure of matter, kinetic theory, thermodynamics, chemical equilibria, chemical kinetics, electrochemistry and quantum mechanics. Extensive emphasis is placed on problem solving, lab work, and scientific inquiry activities. Summer packet is required.

Prerequisites: Honors Physical Science or Honors Chemistry, Honors Biology, Honors Precalculus (or taking concurrently)

AP Environmental Science 313029/313029S (lab) 1.0 Cr. 11,12

The AP Environmental Science course is designed to be the equivalent of a one semester introductory college course in environmental science. AP Environmental Science is a two-semester course for students who have completed the core curriculum of Physical Science and Biology. The course is open to any student interested in learning about the environment and sustainability. With respect to mathematics, students should have completed or can be enrolled in Algebra 2.  Throughout the year there will be a focus on preparing students for the AP exam, which consists of concept explanation, text analysis, mathematical routine, data analysis, scientific experiments, and environmental solutions.  The class meets for five 78-minute blocks per week in the fall and every other day in the spring. 

Prerequisites: CP/Honors Biology, CP/Honors Physical Science, Algebra 2, or permission from the instructor.

AP Physics  312009/312009S (lab) 1.5 Cr. 11,12

This course provides a curriculum designed to prepare juniors or seniors for the College Board AP Physics 1 test offered in May. This algebra-based course is designed for students to improve their problem-solving capability and give them higher level thinking skills. The subjects studied are vectors, force, velocity, acceleration, circular motion, gravity, momentum, work, power, potential and kinetic energy, wave motion, sound, and electric circuits. Emphasis in this course will be placed on concepts and problem-solving skills. The topics are similar to Honors Physics, but the class is college paced. Students will be expected to work at the collegiate level. The depth of coverage is greater with greater emphasis on mathematical analysis. Lab work and homework will be collected and graded.

Prerequisite: Geometry and Algebra 2, or approval of the Physics Department.

AP Physics 2 312012/312012S (lab) 1.5 Cr. 11,12

This course provides a curriculum designed to prepare juniors or seniors for the College Board AP Physics 2 test offered in May. This algebra-based course is designed for students to improve their problem-solving capability and give them higher level thinking skills. This class is an algebra-based, introductory college-level physics course that will explore topics such as fluid statics and dynamics; thermodynamics with kinetic theory; PV diagrams and probability; electrostatics; dc electrical circuits, dc electrical circuits with capacitors; magnetism, magnetic fields; electromagnetism; physical and geometric optics, the nature of light, and quantum, atomic, and nuclear physics. Through inquiry-based learning, students will develop scientific critical thinking and reasoning skills. The class will be college paced and students will be expected to work at a collegiate level. Lab work and homework will be collected and graded.

Prerequisites: AP Physics 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2.

AP Physics C: Mechanics 312014/312014S (lab) 1.0 Cr. 11,12

This class is a calculus-based college-level physics course that will explore topics of instruction in each of the following six content areas: kinematics, Newton’s laws of motion, work, energy and power; systems of particles and linear momentum, circular motion and rotation, and oscillations and gravitation. The class will be college paced and students will be expected to work at a collegiate level.  Lab work and homework will be collected and graded.

Prerequisite: completion of a Calculus course

AP Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism 312015 1.0 Cr.       12

The AP Physics C Electricity & Magnetism course is a calculus-based college course

using inquiry-based techniques to help guide high school students in building an

understanding of the basic laws of nature. The class is scheduled for two semesters and

meets for 78 minutes every other day. The outline of the course is as dictated by the

College Board, following as closely as practical the guidelines set forth on their website.

Topics covered include electrostatics, potential, electric fields and fluxes, capacitors,

current, resistance, voltage, inductance, circuits including RC, LR, and LRC, magnetism,

and the interaction of electricity and magnetism. By the nature of the course an

understanding of calculus is required, and the prerequisites are a prior physics and

calculus courses

Advanced Placement U.S. History 210009 1.0 Cr. 10

The Advanced Placement Program in United States History is designed to provide students with the analytic skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in United States history. The program prepares students for intermediate and advanced college courses by making demands upon them equivalent to those made by full year introductory college courses. Students will learn to assess historical materials – their relevance to a given interpretive problem, their reliability and their importance – and to weigh the evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship. An Advanced Placement United States History course should thus develop the skills necessary to arrive at conclusions on the basis of an informed judgment and to present reasons and evidence clearly and persuasively in essay format. Selecting an Advanced Placement course should depend upon a student’s commitment and is designed to be the equivalent of a freshmen college course in a high school setting. It is recommended that a student have a very strong background in both Honors History and English. This year-long challenge requires solid reading and writing skills and a willingness to spend considerable time outside the classroom, and requires frequent evaluations as well as extensive reading and essay writing. Students will also complete a summer assignment that will be due on the first day of class. 

Advanced Placement World History 211010 1.0 Cr. 11

This course is designed to be the equivalent of a two-semester introductory college or university world history course. In AP World History students investigate significant events, individuals, developments, and processes in six historical periods from approximately 8000 B.C.E. to the present. Students develop and use the same skills, practices, and methods employed by historians: analyzing primary and secondary sources, making historical comparisons, utilizing reasoning about contextualization, causation, and continuity and change over time, and developing historical arguments. The course provides five themes that students explore throughout the course in order to make connections among historical developments in different times and places: interaction between humans and the environment, development and interaction of cultures, state building, expansion, and conflict, creation, expansion, and interaction of economic systems, and development and transformation of social structures. 

Advanced Placement U.S. Government & Politics 212009 1.0 Cr. 12

This course will give students an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States. Students will become acquainted with various institutions, groups, beliefs and ideas that constitute U.S. politics. Some areas of focus will include Constitutional underpinnings of the United States Government, political beliefs and behaviors, political parties, interest groups and mass media, institutions of national government, public policy, as well as civil rights and liberties. There will be heavy emphasis placed on following and understanding current political events. In addition, students are required to complete two five-page research papers. The first is a biographical sketch of a current member of the House of Representatives and the second involves the observation of local government in action. Students who maintain at least a 75% average are exempt from a final exam. 

Advanced Placement Psychology 213009 1.0 Cr. 11,12 

The Advanced Placement Psychology curriculum is a yearlong course designed to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior of human beings and other animals. The curriculum will cover the following topics: research, biology, sensation and perception, consciousness, learning, memory, cognition, motivation and emotion, human development, personality, intelligence, abnormal psychology and treatment, and social psychology. The course will be a rewarding experience for students with high interest in psychology and the willingness to accept the challenge of an Advanced Placement course; AP Psychology is designed to be the equivalent of a freshmen college course in a high school setting. It is recommended that a student have a very strong background in English, Science, and Social Studies. A research paper and portfolio are required. 

Advanced Placement African American Studies 213036 1.0 Cr. 11,12

AP African American Studies is an interdisciplinary course that examines the diversity of African American experiences through direct encounters with varied sources. Students explore key topics that extend from early African kingdoms to the ongoing challenges and achievements of the contemporary moment. Given the interdisciplinary character of African American Studies, students in the course will develop skills across multiple fields, with an emphasis on developing historical, literary, visual, and data analysis skills. This course foregrounds a study of the diversity of Black communities in the United States within the broader context of Africa and the African diaspora. 

AP Computer Science Principles 460082 1.0 Cr. 9,10,11,12

Computing has changed the world. What is computer science? Engage your creativity, demonstrate and build your problem solving ability all while connecting the relevance of computer science to society! Using block-based languages, which are graphical programming languages, students create interactive stories, animations, games, and more, while learning about mathematical and computational ideas. Block languages target both novice and more advanced students and are widely used at the college level in introductory computer science classes for students with no programming experience. Communication skills, ethical and legal issues, big data and effective presentation skills are enriched allowing students to be creative with solutions to real-life computing problems and prepare them for college level computer science courses. It is recommended you take CS Discoveries.

AP Computer Science 460068 1.0 Cr. 10,11,12

Traditionally, students with an interest in careers related to: business, engineering, computer science, information technology, bioinformatics, genetics, physics, chemistry, or math should take AP Computer Science. However, in today’s world, almost every occupation or endeavor uses some form of computer software including the fine arts. Some knowledge about how software is designed, created, and maintained will provide useful background. For many college majors, AP Computer Science will be the only college course on the subject a student will take. The curriculum of AP Computer Science in Java is based on the syllabus developed by the College Board. Topics include program design and implementation, algorithm analysis, standard data structures, and object-oriented programming design. It is recommended you take AP Computer Science Principles prior to taking this course.

AP Music Theory 560209 1.0 Cr. 11,12

AP Music Theory is an advanced placement college level course dealing with the further study of musical composition techniques. Students will have gained refined part writing skills from Music Theory 2. They will now transfer those skills to larger choral compositions with text, a Woodwind Quintet, and/or a Brass Quintet. The students will also have the opportunity to experiment with the twentieth century compositional technique of twelve tone writing and an introductory unit on counterpoint. An emphasis of the course, in addition to composition, is the continual improvement of student’s musical literacy. This is accomplished by more rigorous sight singing exercises on solfeggio syllables and through the means of dictation.  Prerequisite: Music Theory 2. 

Advanced Placement German  580359 1.0 Cr. 11,12

This course is designed to prepare students for the advanced placement exam in the spring. Several examples of each portion of the exam will be extensively reviewed and practiced. Major focuses are reading, writing, speaking, and listening in the German language through conversations, current readings, grammatical exercises, directed response question and answer, and essay writing. Students are not required to take the exam in order to be in this course, but are highly encouraged, as it is equivalent to a third year college language course.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of German 4 and approval of the German teacher.

AP Italian Language and Culture 580450 1.0 Cr. 11,12

AP Italian language and culture is designed for students with four years of Italian and/or students who do exceptionally well in Italian 3 and want to advance to AP Italian by taking the Italian 4 final exam. AP Italian concentrates on reviewing all verb conjugations and a few other critical grammar points in order to proceed to writing, reading, listening and discussing original passages, articles and materials from Internet sites to master Italian everyday life, history, geography, art, and Opera.

Prerequisite: Italian 4 

AP Latin: Vergil and Caesar 580669 1.0 Cr. 11,12

AP Latin is an intensive study of the Roman national epic, the Aeneid, by the poet Virgil. Students will learn to read, translate, analyze, and discuss the Latin poetry of Vergil and selections from Caesar’s Gallic Wars. All selections required by the College Board AP exam syllabus will be read and discussed, and for context, students will also read the entire Aeneid in English. Figures of speech, ancient meters, and other issues necessary for a proper appreciation of these works will be reviewed. Students will also study various historical and cultural issues relevant to understanding context.

Prerequisite: Latin 4, or permission from the instructor. 

Advanced Placement Spanish Language & Culture 580759 1.0 Cr. 11,12

This course emphasizes the use of language for active communication and has the following objectives: the ability to understand spoken Spanish in both formal and conversational situations; the development of vocabulary applicable for reading newspaper and magazine articles, contemporary literature and other non-technical writings; and the ability to express ideas accurately and resourcefully both orally and in writing. The Advanced Placement exam, which tests all of the above skills, will be a focal point. Course content includes the arts, current events, sports, the environment and literary works. Materials may include recordings, videos, newspapers and magazines.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Honors Spanish 4 and instructor approval. 

Advanced Placement Spanish Literature & Culture 580769 1.0 Cr. 11,12

This is a two-semester course intended to be the equivalent of a third-year college level “Introduction to Spanish Literature” course. The objective of the Advanced Placement course is to prepare students for taking the Advanced Placement Test in Spanish Literature. Students will learn to develop a high degree of competence in language skills and in the interpretation of literature. Students are required to read, analyze, and discuss in writing a wide variety of representative works from three major genres: narrative, poetry, and theater, using the appropriate terminology and applying the different tools of literary criticism. In this context, students will do a close reading of all the required readings from the AP Spanish Literature Exam issued by the College Board. The readings include authors from the Middle Ages to the Golden Age and nineteenth century to more contemporary writers such as García Márquez and Isabel Allende.

Prerequisites: Honors Spanish or teacher recommendation is needed. Summer reading and writing assignments are required for all students registering for this course.