Science

This is a non-credit course specifically designed for, and restricted to, those students who have not passed the required state assessment in science. Students will receive intensive, individualized instruction in science skills, and will be required to remain in the course until they pass the state science assessment.

This is typically a ninth grade course that provides students with an awareness of the living environment, and provides an understanding of the biological processes performed by cells, by the individual organisms, and by communities of organisms. A requirement of 1,200 lab minutes is needed to be eligible to take the NYS Regents exam in June.

Earth & Space Sciences is typically a ninth or tenth grade course that includes the processes of change on earth. Students study the earth model, the energy changes within the earth and its atmosphere, the rock cycle, the history of the earth, oceans and freshwater, and astronomy. Lab is required. This one year course ends with the NYS Earth & Space Sciences Regents exam in June.

This course, for sophomores, juniors and seniors is a study of the fundamental principles of chemistry, including atomic structure, properties of matter and energy, kinetic molecular theory, chemical reactions, and nuclear reactions.  There is a 30-hour lab requirement. This course ends with the NYS Chemistry Regents exam in June.

Enrollment in this course is available for sophomores, juniors, and seniors that intend on pursuing a degree in a math or science related field, but everyone who meets the prerequisites is welcome.  Physics is a math heavy, hands-on, inquiry-based course modeled after actual college lectures.  Students are granted various freedoms (collaborative learning, designing their own labs, and self-paced long term assignments) at the cost of greater responsibilities (office hours, frequent presentations, and challenging material).  Our units of study include Kinematics, Forces, Circular Motion, Energy, Momentum, Electrostatics, Electricity and Magnetism, Waves, and Modern Physics. This course ends with the NYS Physics Regents Exam in June.

Environmental science is a full year course that meets NY State requirements for a physical setting science course. This course is designed to introduce students to major ecological concepts and to the environmental problems which affect the world in which they live. Students will learn about developments which have created environmental problems, as well as actions which can help solve the problems.  The curriculum is organized into four units, one each quarter: Introduction to Ecology, The Atmosphere, The Earth, and Water. This course relates environmental issues to students’ lives and teaches them that the choices they make are important to the long-term health of Planet Earth.

Astronomy is a full year science elective that dives into the mysteries of the universe. Students will explore our solar system, galaxies, black holes and other space phenomena. An emphasis will be placed on a historical context to our understanding of space as well as human space exploration.  

Forensic science is the application of scientific methods and techniques to crime solving. Recent advances in scientific methods and principles have had an enormous impact upon law enforcement and the entire criminal justice system. This course is intended to provide an introduction to understanding the science behind crime detection. Scientific methods specifically relevant to crime detection and analysis will be studied. Topics included are crime scene processing,  blood,  hair, fiber, fingerprint, and DNA analysis, drug chemistry and toxicology, as well as arson investigations. This course will also include a detailed investigation of careers available in the area of forensics. Notorious crimes will be studied throughout the year. This course will provide students an excellent opportunity to see how science is applied in their lives, while improving critical thinking and problem solving skills. The curriculum will address several key ideas from New York State Physical Setting Standards and will meet the requirements for a 1 year physical setting course.

This course provides students with the opportunity to pursue an in-depth study of general biology through a laboratory- oriented approach. A great deal of emphasis will be placed on laboratory activities, study of text, reference books, and selected articles from a variety of journals. Students should expect to devote a moderate amount of time beyond scheduled class time in completing laboratory activities and independent projects. Areas of study will include: chemical basis of biology, cells, enzymes, energy transformations, cell reproduction, heredity and genetics, cell specialization, origin of life, structure and function in plants, plant development, animal development with emphasis on vertebrates, structure and function in animals, ecological geology, evolutionary biology, and ethological biology.  The Advanced Placement exam is required of all students.

This course includes fundamental laws and theories of chemistry and their descriptive applications to the world. Major topics include; atomic and molecular structure, chemical bonding, stoichiometry, kinetics, equilibrium, solutions, organic chemistry and nuclear chemistry. There is a strong emphasis on mathematical relationships and physics concepts. It is STRONGLY recommended that students complete Regents Physics prior to enrolling in this course. This course is designed to be equivalent to General Chemistry, a two-semester course taken in college. The College Board description of the Advanced Placement Chemistry course specifies twenty-two labs that must accompany this course. The AP exam includes questions based on experiences and skills students acquire in the laboratory.  The Advanced Placement exam is required of all students.

This year-long course is equivalent to a first- semester college course in algebra-based physics. Although this course includes basic use of trigonometric functions, this understanding can be gained either in the concurrent math course or in the AP Physics 1 course itself. The course covers Newtonian mechanics (including rotational dynamics and angular momentum); work, energy, and power; and mechanical waves and sound. It will also introduce electric circuits. As AP Physics 1 is taught over a full school year, there is time for thorough, in-depth, student centered inquiry. Accordingly, the course has been designed with the intention that students will spend more than 25 percent of instructional time completing these laboratory activities.  The majority of lab activities will begin with open-ended questions that guide students to develop their own approach to addressing the problem at hand. In some cases, students may have the opportunity to investigate their own questions for the lab, as long as the students’ questions address the specified learning objectives. AP Physics 1 does not cover the content necessary to be eligible to take the Physics Regents Exam.  The Advanced Placement exam is required of all students.