Advanced Placement
See below for class offerings, sample projects, videos of the class, and more!
What is Advanced Placement?
The AP Program offers college-level courses and exams that you can take in high school. Depending on the score on the AP Exam, you can earn college credit, thus saving you time and money. AHS offers many AP classes, including English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Art, Computer Science, and many more!
AP Biology
AP Biology (Prerequisite is Biology) is a college-level course for potential science majors but also for anyone who loves science.
The curriculum has changed recently and there is less emphasis on memorization and more on critical thinking and analysis.
If you are considering any sort of medical or science profession, this is a great way to prep you for it and to prep you for any science courses you will have to take in college. This course is also a great way to see if you are interested in science or to learn about the different branches of biology to see what might interest you.

AP Calculus AB
To take AP Calculus AB, you must have passed Pre-Calculus.
Take AP Calculus AB if...
You are interested in a degree and career in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) field and want to get a head start on understanding topics that might be required in your future studies.
You are interested in a degree and career in a non-STEM field, but you want to extend and strengthen your problem-solving ability since that has applications in every field.
You are interested in possibly earning a college math credit before you leave high school (if you score high enough on the exam and your post-secondary institution accepts the AP credit).
You have taken Pre-Calculus and are looking to impress colleges and employers by continuing to advance your mathematical knowledge.
I will never listen to ocean waves or view a beautiful sunset in quite the same way again. That is perhaps the greatest gift one can gain by delving into calculus: It is a whole new way of looking at the world, accessible only through the realm of mathematics.”
Ms. May
AP Chemistry
In order to take AP Chemistry, students must have already taken and passed Chemistry.
Learn about the fundamental concepts of chemistry including structure and states of matter, intermolecular forces, and reactions. You’ll do hands-on lab investigations and use chemical calculations to solve problems.
Note: Save your lab notebooks and reports; colleges may ask to see them before granting you credit.
Skills You'll Learn
Designing experiments and procedures to test a prediction or theory
Creating graphs, diagrams, and models that represent chemical phenomena
Explaining how the microscopic structure of a substance determines its chemical properties
Balancing a chemical equation
Making a scientific claim and supporting it with evidence

Mr. Hardwick
AP Computer Science Principles
AP Computer Science Principles introduces students to the foundational concepts of the field and challenges them to explore how computing and technology can impact the world.
A strong foundation in Algebra 1 is preferred, as well as internet connection and a device at home to complete homework.
Big Ideas of the Course:
Creative Development
Data
Algorithms
computer Systems and Networks
Impact of Computing

AP English Language (11th grade)
Learn about the elements of argument and composition as you develop your critical-reading and writing skills. You’ll read and analyze nonfiction works from various periods and write essays with different aims: for example, to explain an idea, argue a point, or persuade your reader of something.
Skills You'll Learn
Reading closely, analyzing, and interpreting a piece of writing
Evaluating a source of information
Gathering and consolidating information from different sources
Writing an evidence-based argument
Drafting and revising a piece of writing

Ms. Nichols
AP English Literature and Composition (12th grade)
AP English Lit is an alternative to regular "Multicultural Literature" that all seniors take.
The focus in this class is on college-level literary analysis and college-level written expression.
Students will need to be able to read extensive content--independently--as they move from summarizing text to analyzing the text, the audience, the time period, and the author.
The four types of literature examined throughout the course are plays, poetry, short stories, and novels. Students are encouraged to make text-to-text; text-to-self; and text-to-world connections as they examine each work and each author through multiple lenses.

Ms. Fraser
AP Human Geography
Explore how humans have understood, used, and changed the surface of Earth. You’ll use the tools and thinking processes of geographers to examine patterns of human population, migration, and land use.
Skills You'll Learn
Connecting geographic concepts and processes to real-life scenarios
Understanding information shown in maps, tables, charts, graphs, infographics, images, and landscapes
Seeing patterns and trends in data and in visual sources such as maps and drawing conclusions from them
Understanding spatial relationships using geographic scales
Mr. Hughes
AP Macroeconomics
Explore the principles of economics that apply to an economic system as a whole. You’ll use graphs, charts, and data to analyze, describe, and explain economic concepts.
Skills You'll Learn
Define economic principles and models
Explain given economic outcomes
Determine outcomes of specific economic situations
Model economic situations using graphs or visual representations

Mr. Ethington
AP Statistics
Learn about the major concepts and tools used for collecting, analyzing, and drawing conclusions from data. You’ll explore statistics through discussion and activities, and you'll design surveys and experiments.
Skills You'll Learn
Selecting methods for collecting or analyzing data
Describing patterns, trends, associations, and relationships in data
Using probability and simulation to describe probability distributions and define uncertainty in statistical inference
Using statistical reasoning to draw appropriate conclusions and justify claims
Ms. Young
AP US History
Study the cultural, economic, political, and social developments that have shaped the United States from c. 1491 to the present. You’ll analyze texts, visual sources, and other historical evidence and write essays expressing historical arguments.
Skills You'll Learn
Evaluating primary and secondary sources
Analyzing the claims, evidence, and reasoning you find in sources
Putting historical developments in context and making connections between them
Coming up with a claim or thesis and explaining and supporting it in writing
Mr. Stokes
AP World History (Modern)
Study the cultural, economic, political, and social developments that have shaped the world from c. 1200 CE to the present. You’ll analyze texts, visual sources, and other historical evidence and write essays expressing historical arguments.
Skills You'll Learn
Evaluating primary and secondary sources
Analyzing the claims, evidence, and reasoning you find in sources
Putting historical developments in context and making connections between them
Coming up with a claim or thesis and explaining and supporting it in writing
Mr. Hughes
Other AP Classes
Don't forget we offer these AP Courses as well: