SCIENCE

BIOLOGY

Credits: 5.0 (Year)

Biology is a traditional life science course which serves to introduce the student to all aspects of biology without concentrating on a particular organism. Students taking this course will focus on attaining the state standards for biology through a variety of activities, laboratory exercises and explorations. Topics to be covered include basic chemistry, energetics, ecology, cell biology, genetics, and evolution. Assessments will include tests, quizzes, lab reports, projects, and homework. Cooperative learning activities have been designed in order to facilitate greater independent and self-directed learning. The goal of the course is to increase a student’s ability to access and critically analyze scientific data and information. An end-of-course exam will be taken in May as per the NJ Department of Education.

HONORS BIOLOGY

Credits: 5.0 (Year)

Prerequisite: Incoming 9th grade students should read the FRESHMAN HONORS PLACEMENT INFORMATION. Expectations: A student taking this course should expect 4-5 hours of homework per week in addition to a variety of long and short-term assignments.

Course Description: Honors Biology is an activity driven course that covers the same basic topics as Biology, but in greater depth. Out of class preparation is a vital component of this course along with the ability to apply his/her level critical thinking skills. Instruction will include inquiry-based learning along with traditional learning styles. The curriculum emphasizes basic chemistry, energetics, cell biology, genetics, evolution, and ecology. The rigorous nature of the material being taught at this level requires students to be both highly motivated and self-directed. Since this course goes into greater detail than Biology, it will be reflected in the nature of the assessments and will also require students to acquire a greater understanding of the concepts to be successful. Assessments will include tests, quizzes, lab reports, projects, and homework. An end-of-course exam will be taken in May as per the NJ Department of Education.

IB BIOLOGY HL

Credits: 5.0 (Year)

Prerequisites: Biology (Honors recommended) and Chemistry

Expectations: A student taking this course should expect 5-7 hours of homework per week in addition to a variety of long and short-term assignments.

Biology is the study of life. The vast diversity of species makes biology both an endless source of fascination and a considerable challenge. Biologists attempt to understand the living world at all levels from the micro to the macro using many different approaches and techniques. Biology is still a young science and great progress is expected in the 21st century. This progress is important at a time of growing pressure on the human population and the environment. During this two-year IB course, students should become aware of how scientists work and communicate with each other. While the scientific method may take on a wide variety of forms, it is the emphasis on a practical approach through experimental work that characterizes the sciences. Teachers provide students with opportunities to design investigations, collect data, develop manipulative skills, analyze results, collaborate with peers and evaluate and communicate their findings. The course culminates in multiple-choice and data-based assessment questions, plus an individual student investigation (written paper).

EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE

Credits: 5.0 (Year)

This course is a laboratory-based science class emphasizing Earth systems and Earth’s place in the

universe. Emphasis is placed on modeling Earth’s interior and analyzing its role in the formation of continental and ocean floor features, modeling the flow of energy into and out of the Earth system, illustrating the life span of stars and applying scientific reasoning and evidence from ancient Earth materials to construct an account of Earth’s formation.

PREREQUISITE: Biology

CHEMISTRY

Credits: 5.0 (Year)

Chemistry is a laboratory course that focuses on the study of the composition of matter and its changes. The course provides a detailed study of solid, liquid and gaseous states. Chemical bonding, kinetics, equilibrium, oxidation-reductions and qualitative and quantitative analysis are explored. This course stresses chemistry’s relationship to mathematics and physics. This course is important for students who are considering further studies in science or fields related to science.

PREREQUISITE: Biology and completion or concurrent enrollment in Algebra II

CHEMISTRY HONORS

Credits: 5.0 (Year)

Chemistry is a laboratory course that focuses on the study of the composition of matter and its changes. The course provides a detailed study of solid, liquid and gaseous states. Chemical bonding, kinetics, equilibrium, oxidation-reductions and qualitative and quantitative analysis are covered. The course stresses chemistry’s relationship to mathematics and physics and is important for students who are considering further studies in science or fields related to science. In-depth mathematical applications are integrated throughout the course. This course maintains a rigorous pace and students are required to complete several independent research assignments.

PREREQUISITE: Completion of Honors Biology/Biology and completion or concurrent enrollment in Honor Algebra II recommended.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT CHEMISTRY

Credits: 10 (Year)

AP Chemistry is equivalent of the general chemistry course usually taken during the first year of college. This course is structured around the six Big Ideas articulated in the AP Chemistry Framework as provided by the College Board [CR2]. Emphases will be placed on the Seven Science Practices that stress important aspects of the work that scientists engage in, with Learning Objectives that combine content with inquiry and reasoning skills. AP Chemistry will meet every day in the block schedule.

PREREQUISITE: taken Biology and Chemistry either earning a 92 or better in the CP level of both or earning an 84 or better in the honors level of both.

PHYSICS

Credits: 5.0 (Year)

Physics is designed to impart an understanding of physics principles and enable a student to solve a variety of problems in the areas of kinematics and dynamics, conservation of energy, momentum, electricity, wave motion and optics. Emphasis is placed on problem-solving skills and experimentation while realizing the practical applications of concepts covered. The college-preparatory laboratory course is designed for students who do not intend to major in mathematical or science-related fields.

PREREQUISITE: Two years of science and one year each of Algebra II and Geometry Suggested Co requisite: Trig/Pre-Calc

PHYSICS HONORS

Credits: 5.0 (Year)

Expectations: Students should expect to spend 3-5 hours outside of class on homework/review, reading and a variety of short and long term assignments.

Physics Honors is a more comprehensive version of the first year physics course designed for motivated, science- oriented students with a strong math background. Careful laboratory work is followed by detailed mathematical analysis of data. The topics covered include kinematics and dynamics, conservation of energy, momentum, electricity, wave motion and optics.

PREREQUISITE: Two years of science, Algebra II and Geometry (Honors recommended) and having earned a 92 or better in your previous CP level science or an 84 or better in your previous honors level science.

Suggested Corequisite: Honors Math Analysis or Calculus

ADVANCED PLACEMENT PHYSICS

AP Physics 1/AP Physics C Mechanics

Credits: 10 (Year)

Prerequisites: Physics (Honors recommended) and a co-requisite of Calculus (Honors or AP)

Expectations: Students should expect to spend 5-7 hours outside of class on homework/review, reading, watching videos, and a variety of short and long term assignments during the school year. Students are also expected to complete a Summer Institute consisting of several in-person meetings and preparatory assignments throughout the summer.

AP Physics 1 is equivalent to a first semester college course in algebra-based physics. The course covers Newtonian mechanics (including rotational dynamics and angular momentum); work, energy, and power; and mechanical waves and sound, as well as basic electric circuits. AP Physics C Mechanics is a calculus-based course that covers kinematics; Newton’s laws; work, energy, power; linear momentum; circular motion and rotation; oscillations and gravitation; and is equivalent to the first college semester of calculus-based physics required of engineering and physical science majors. Both AP courses work to develop a comprehensive and integrated understanding of classical mechanics concepts through inquiry-based lab experiments and the explanation of phenomena using observations, data, and analysis. This course will be designed to cover the calculus-based topics in the second semester after students have learned the foundational concepts of calculus in their concurrent   math course. Students with strong math and problem solving skills who were successful in their Honors or CP physics courses are encouraged to take this course. Students are expected to take the Advanced Placement Examination for Physics 1 and AP Physics C Mechanics to qualify for college credit. Successful completion of both exams may entitle students to up to eight college credits at some universities.

AP Physics will meet every day in the block schedule.

     ADVANCED PLACEMENT COMPUTER SCIENCE

ADVANCED PLACEMENT COMPUTER SCIENCE PRINCIPLES

Credits: 5(Year)

Prerequisites: Algebra 2

Expectations: Students should expect to spend about five hours outside of class on homework/review, reading, watching tutorial videos, and a variety of short and long-term assignments during the school year. Students will be provided with time in class to complete their AP Performance Task submissions. Students are also expected to complete a Summer Institute consisting of several in-person meetings and preparatory assignments throughout the summer.

AP CSP is an introductory computer science course designed to familiarize students with the ideas of computational thinking and broaden participation in the field of computer science. Students will engage creatively and collaboratively to explore programming applications, uses of abstractions and algorithms, the Internet, large data, cybersecurity, and the impacts of computing. Concepts learned in AP Computer Science Principles will transform students from passive consumers of technology to dynamic producers of creative solutions for real-world problems utilizing technology. No prior programming experience is required, but a motivated student with a strong work ethic, collaborative mindset, and intellectual curiosity will be successful in this course. Students are expected to take the Advanced Placement Examination for Computer Science Principles. The exam is comprised of three parts – two Performance Tasks (40% of overall AP Score) completed in class for submission to the College Board and a multiple choice exam in May (60% of overall AP score).

ASTRONOMY (10, 11, 12)

Credits: 2.5 (Semester)

Students are introduced to basic astronomical concepts and examine in detail the solar system, stars, galaxies, and comets. Twenty hours of night sessions are devoted to celestial observations using the school telescopes.

Equipment in the school’s observatory is supplemented by computer-based modeling using the computer lab adjacent to the observatory.

MARINE SCIENCE (10, 11, 12)

Credits: 2.5 (Year)

This course provides descriptive background in geological, biological, and physical oceanography. Shore area beaches serve as sites for oceanographic experiments. Supporting field trips is the extensive use of the computers to acquire real-time data from various government and research facility WEB sites. Additional computer science software is utilized for oceanographic projections of student area.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Credits: 5.0 (Year)

This course is an interdisciplinary course designed to analyze humanity’s relationship with other organisms and the physical environment. Principles of biology, chemistry, physics, and geology will serve as the foundation as ethics, law, and politics enter the scientific arena. Special emphasis will be placed on environmental chemistry with appropriate field analysis. This is a lab-based, career-focused course.

PREREQUISITE: Two years of Lab Science

IB ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS AND SOCIETIES SL

Credits: 5.0 (Year)

This one-year course is taught to students in their second year of the IB Diploma Programme curriculum. Designed to provide students with a perspective on the interrelationships between the ecosystems and societies, this course will focus on environmental science and its connection to public policies. An integrative theme in this course is sustainability, and through their study of such concepts, students will develop the ability to formulate informed personal responses to both local and global issues. As it is taught at Shore Regional High School, IB Environmental Systems and Societies will fall solely within the purview of the science department and will count as a Group 4 (Experimental Sciences) course. 

ADVANCED PLACEMENT ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Credits: 10 (Year - 12th Grade Students)

The AP Environmental Science course is designed by the College Board to provide students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world, identify and analyze environmental problems (both natural and human made), evaluate the relative risks associated with the problems, and examine alternative solutions for resolving and/or preventing them. Topics covered include science as a process, ecological processes and energy conversions, earth as an interconnected system, the impact of humans on natural systems, cultural and societal context of environmental problems, and the development of practices that will ensure sustainable systems. AP Environmental will meet every day in the block schedule.

PREREQUISITE: Taken Biology and Chemistry either earning a 92 or better in the CP level of both or earning an 84 or better in the honors level of both.

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

Credits: 5.0 (Year)

Anatomy and Physiology is essentially a study in the structure and function of the human body. The class begins with anatomical terminology, biochemistry, cell biology, and histology. After completion of the introductory topics, the following organ systems are investigated: integument, skeletal, muscular, nervous, special senses, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive. Special emphasis will be placed on case studies and related career preparation.

PREREQUISITE: A grade of an 84 or better in Biology