High School Science Courses

During this lab course, students investigate patterns, processes, and relationships among organisms. Topics covered include cell biology, genetics, evolution, and ecology.  In addition, students are guided to better understand the relationships between themselves and their environment.

This lab course provides students with a comprehensive background in the basic biological principles of all branches of biology needed to evaluate the impact of biotechnology on their lives and to understand the interrelationships between themselves and the living and non-living environment. Students are expected to apply biological principles to assist them in solving higher-level problems.

Prerequisite: Students must have teacher recommendation from middle school & demonstrate aptitude in Math & Science.

Co-requisite: Geometry

This lab course helps students describe and explain their world through the study of matter and its properties as well as how and why substances separate or combine to form other substances. Basic algebra skills are required for this real-world, hands-on, problem-based course.

Prerequisite: Biology

Co-Requisite: Algebra I or higher

This accelerated college preparatory lab course emphasizes applied mathematical integration throughout. Critical thinking skills are used to navigate through investigations and to prepare students for AP Chemistry or a college-level chemistry course.  Proficiency in mathematics is required.

Prerequisite:  Recommendation from Biology Teacher

Co-Requisite: Algebra I Honors or higher

This lab course is designed to study how humans interface with their natural environment.  It provides students with a balanced approach to the diverse study of the environment, its problems, and their impact on the world’s future.  Students apply their knowledge of a variety of earth and physical sciences to enhance their understanding of the forces that shape the world's environment.  Additionally, the course explores the various problems associated with use of energy in our modern society. The use of alternative energy sources is explored as well as the impact of each form of energy use. Students become “educated energy consumers,” learning ways to save energy and money in their future.

Pre-requisite: Algebra I or Geometry

This lab course focuses on four core concepts relating to matter and its interactions: forces and interactions, energy, electricity, and wave applications.  Students enhance their ability to develop and use models, conduct investigations, use mathematical thinking, and demonstrate understanding of core ideas. The class and laboratory work require proficiency in algebra, geometry, and trigonometry.

Prerequisite: Chemistry Teacher recommendation

Co-requisite: Algebra II or Pre-Calculus

This lab course is an algebra-based, introductory college-level physics course that explores topics such as Newtonian mechanics (including rotational motion); work, energy and power; mechanical waves and sound; and introductory, simple circuits. Through inquiry-based learning, students develop scientific critical thinking and reasoning skills.

Prerequisite: Chemistry Teacher recommendation

Co-requisites: Pre-Calculus Honors or Algebra II/Pre-Calculus(H)

Summer packets are provided to students by the teacher and will be available on the school website so that students may prepare for the course The intent is for all students to take the Advanced Placement exam.

This course is the equivalent of a two-semester introductory college lab course. The goals are to help students develop a conceptual framework for understanding modern biology and to gain an appreciation of science as a process. Primary  emphasis is on developing an understanding of concepts, recognition of unifying themes, and an application of biological knowledge and critical thinking toward environmental and societal concerns.  The course focuses on the following ideas:

• The process of evolution drives the diversity and unit of life

• Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce, and to maintain dynamic homeostasis

• Living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information essential to life processes, and 

• Biological systems interact and  both the systems and their interactions possess complex properties. 

College Credit may be earned from Seton Hall University. 

Prerequisite:  Biology or Biology Honors and Chemistry or Chemistry Honors and Teacher recommendation

Summer packets are provided to students by the teacher and will be available on the school website so that students may prepare for the course The intent is for all students to take the Advanced Placement exam. 

This course is the equivalent of a first year college chemistry lab course and is  designed  to  be  taken  after  the successful completion of Chemistry. Students in this course develop an in-depth understanding of fundamentals and become competent solving problems requiring chemical knowledge. Content introduced in the previous Chemistry course is expanded upon. Topics studied in depth include the structure of matter, kinetic molecular theory, chemical equilibrium, chemical kinetics, the basic concepts of thermodynamics, and inorganic vs. organic chemistry.

Prerequisite: Chemistry or Chemistry Honors

Chemistry Teacher recommendation

Summer packets are provided to students by the teacher and will be available on the school website so that students may prepare for the course. The intent is for all students to take the Advanced Placement exam.

This lab course is an interdisciplinary course that provides students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world, to identify and analyze environmental problems both natural and human-made, to evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems, and to examine alternative solutions for resolving and/or preventing them.

Prerequisites: Biology and Chemistry

Summer packets are provided to students by the teacher and will be available on the school website so that students may prepare for the course. The intent is for all students to take the Advanced Placement exam. 

The instructional goals of this AP Physics C lab course are four-fold: gain a basic knowledge of the discipline of physics, (including   phenomenology, theories  and  techniques, and generalizing  principles);  ask  physical  questions  and  obtain solutions to physical questions by use of physical intuition, experimental investigations, and formal logic; foster an appreciation  of  the  physical  world  and  the  discipline  of physics, creativity, and reasoned skepticism; and understand connections of physics to other disciplines and societal issues. 

Prerequisite: Physics Teacher recommendation

Co-requisite: Calculus

Summer packets are provided to students by the teacher and will be available on the school website so that students may prepare for the course. The intent is for all students to take the Advanced Placement exam.

Recent investigation has increased the interest in forensic science, making it an ideal mechanism to study science.  This course is designed to introduce some specialized fields of forensic science, the fundamental principles of science and technology upon which they are based, and their application to criminal cases.  Aspects of forensic science involving the examination of physical, chemical, and biological evidence are explored. The forensic analysis of evidence is developed through the application of chemistry, biology, and physics. Legal issues relating to forensic science are also discussed.

While not required, it is recommended that students have successfully completed Biology prior to taking this course.

This course  focuses on organ system structures and how they function. Diagnostic tools and strategies to determine health and disease are also studied as well as careers in the health profession.  

Pre-requisite: Biology or Biology (H). Chemistry recommended.

College credit may be earned from Seton Hall University.

In this course, students will be engaged in researching the following areas:  genetic engineering, agricultural biotechnology, biomedical techniques, bioprocess engineering, bioinformatics, forensics, and protein structure and function. Students apply biological and engineering concepts to explore how materials and processes are designed that directly measure, repair, improve, and extend living systems.  Biotechnology is a broad field of study with such diverse sub-fields as Bioengineering,  Biomedical engineering, and Bio-molecular engineering.

While not required, it is recommended that students have successfully completed Biology prior to taking this course.

The primary tasks performed by medical laboratory technicians are to perform precise tests designed to examine and analyze body fluids,  tissues,  and  cells  in  search  of  clues  regarding  the absence or presence, extent, and cause of various diseases, and to accurately evaluate and document the results of their investigations.   This class is designed to instruct students in the use of tools and methods to gather, analyze, process, and report medical information.  It also introduces students to the healthcare system, health science, and careers in medicine.

While not required, it is recommended that students have successfully completed Biology prior to taking this course. 

This lab course explores the physical, chemical, and biological interrelationships existing in the coastal marine environment. An ecosystem approach is used as the course investigates the character of the northwest Atlantic Ocean, its estuaries, and adjacent coastal features. Areas of study include waves, tides, currents, chemical composition of seawater, energy flow, and land use planning. Topics of study include the physiology, anatomy, and behavior of marine organisms.  Marine hobbies, occupations, and careers are also explored.

Prerequisite: Biology 

Science of Nutrition Part I - In a society where sixty percent of premature deaths are caused by chronic illnesses linked directly to one’s diet and in which there is a myriad of food choices, food analysis has become a critical skill. Science of Nutrition Part I introduces students to the science behind nutrition and the process of digestion. Students then explore the impact of their diet on overall health and learn how to interpret food labels and become educated consumers, while also exploring diets from different cultures and backgrounds.

While not required, it is recommended that students have successfully completed Biology prior to taking this course. 

Science of Nutrition Part 2 covers topics related to the food industry and how food affects the health of the consumer. These topics include assessing nutritional status, eating disorders, sustainable agriculture and the food industry as a whole.