(HS500002, SCED 03051) 1 credit

Full Year

Biology addresses the structures that all organisms require for survival. Students will investigate structures necessary for life functions in unicellular and multi-cellular organisms. The presentation of cellular biology gives a background for the structure and function of nucleic acids and protein synthesis as well as genetics. Evidence that organisms change over time will be discussed and related to their survival. Also included are concepts dealing with ecosystems and energy cycling, and their relationship to global climate change as well as human biology and human impact on the environment. Students will be involved in a great deal of laboratory work designed to investigate the topics presented as well as increase the skills of data interpretation, observation and predicting. Laboratory work is a required part of the course.

(HS500001, SCED 03101) 1 credit

Full Year

Chemical concepts and scientific habits of thinking are learned through inquiry in real-world scenarios. Basic concepts of chemistry are developed through a combination of lab work, individual guided reading and home study, and class discussion. Emphasis is on critical thinking, problem solving, and chemical concepts, rather than memorization. Successful completion of this course will benefit students wishing to continue studying the sciences. It is recommended that all students complete this course successfully before signing up for advanced science classes at MHS.

(HS500000, SCED 03202) 1 credit

Full Year

This course is designed to explore many Physical Science, Earth Science and Space Science concepts. The Physical Science concepts include forces, motion, gravity, weight, mass, free fall, Newton’s laws, an introduction to the atom, wave phenomena, electromagnetic and mechanical waves, electric charges and forces. These concepts will be investigated using a laboratory/hands– on approach. The Earth Science concepts will include plate tectonics, changes in technology used to study crustal movement, heat and the rock cycle, and conservation of matter. Space Science topics will include the Big Bang Theory and how technological advances have changed astronomical theories

(HS500004, SCED 03056) 📚1 credit

Full Year

Note: Satisfactory completion (B or better) of Biology and Chemistry is pre-requisite for those electing this course. This challenging course is designed primarily as a “college level experience.”

The lab experience for this course requires meeting during advisory. Advanced Placement Biology is an intense study of the entire biological world including botany, zoology, microbiology, and physiology, this course presupposes certain biological knowledge on the part of the student. The focus is on a laboratory approach designed for the student to gain new insights concerning biology and the work of biologists. The course depends on mastering the unifying principles and concepts applicable to all living forms. This second year course emphasizes content pertaining to the four Big Ideas as well as seven Science Practices described in the College Board’s AP Biology Course description. This class utilizes texts, documents and a rigorous pace that correlate to the standards and expectations established by the College Board for Advanced Placement study in this discipline. A direct goal of this course is to help ensure success on the Advanced Placement Exam given in May. Students are strongly encouraged to take this exam as it may lead to college credit.

Note: The AP exam is given in May. A fee is required to take the AP exam.

(HS500003, SCED 03106) 📚1 credit

Full Year

Note: It is required that students complete first year chemistry with a "B" or better. The lab experience for this course requires meeting during Advisory. Advanced Placement Chemistry is a second-year course designed to meet the needs of the advanced science-oriented student. This course is equivalent to college freshman general chemistry courses. Texts, documents and a rigorous pace will be utilized correlating to the standards and expectations established by the College Board for Advanced Placement study in this discipline. A direct goal of this course is success on the Advanced Placement Exam given in May. Students are strongly encouraged to take this exam as it may lead to college credit. It is expected that students will spend about six hours per week on home preparation. A minimum of sixteen lab activities will be performed to apply and underscore chemical knowledge and to illustrate good lab practices. Content emphasis is on the six Big Ideas and seven Science Practices as described in the AP Chemistry Course Description. Further information can be found at www.collegeboard.com.

Note: The AP exam is given in May. A fee is required to take the AP exam.

(HS500008, SCED 03207) 📚1 credit

Full Year

Note: Successful completion of Algebra 1 with a minimum grade of “C” is an essential foundation for those electing this course. The goal of the AP Environmental Science course is to provide 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 or preventing them. Environmental science is interdisciplinary; it embraces a wide variety of topics from different areas of study. Yet there are several major unifying constructs, or themes, that cut across the many topics included in the study of environmental science.

The following themes provide a foundation for the structure of the AP Environmental Science course. (1) Science is a process. (2)Energy conversions underlie all ecological processes. (3)The Earth itself is one interconnected system. (4) Humans alter natural systems. (5) Environmental problems have a cultural and social context. (6) Human survival depends on developing practices that will achieve sustainable systems.

The AP Environmental Science Exam has been prepared by environmental scientists and educators who serve as members of the AP Environmental Science Development Committee. In both breadth and level of detail, the content of the course reflects what is found in many introductory college courses in environmental science. The exam is representative of such a course and therefore is considered appropriate for the measurement of skills and knowledge in the field of environmental science. Prerequisites The AP Environmental Science course is an excellent option for any interested student who has completed two years of high school laboratory science – one year of life science and one year of physical science (for example, a year of biology and a year of chemistry). Due to the quantitative analysis that is required in the course, students should also have taken at least one year of algebra. Also desirable (but not necessary) is a course in earth science. Because of the prerequisites, AP Environmental Science will usually be taken in either the junior or senior year.

Note: The AP exam is given in May. A fee is required to take the AP exam.

(HS500005, SCED 03165) 📚1 credit

Full Year

Advanced Placement Physics 1 is designed to be equivalent to a first semester introductory college physics course for life science or non-science majors. It is a demanding and challenging algebra-based course for capable students eager to pursue an intensive science education. Topics include: Linear and two dimensional motion, Newton’s Laws; momentum; energy; rotational motion; oscillations and waves; sound; electric circuits. AP Physics 1 students may elect to take the AP Physics 1 exam in May to receive college credit. Note: Students must successfully complete Algebra 2 and Geometry to have the background knowledge for success solving the rigorous physics problems in this course.

Note: The AP exam is given in May. A fee is required to take the AP exam.

(HS500006, SCED 03166) 📚1 credit

Full Year

Advanced Placement Physics 2 is designed to be equivalent to a second semester introductory college physics course for life science or non-science majors. It is a demanding and challenging algebra-based course for capable students eager to pursue an intensive science education. Topics include: fluid statics and dynamics; thermodynamics; electrostatics; electric circuits; electromagnetism; optics and topics in modern physics. AP Physics 2 students may elect to take the AP Physics 2 exam in May to receive college credit. Note: Students must successfully complete AP Physics 1, Algebra 2 and Geometry to have the background knowledge for success solving the rigorous physics problems in this course.

Note: The AP exam is given in May. A fee is required to take the AP exam.

(HS500007, SCED 03156) 📚1 credit

Full Year

Note: Students currently enrolled in Calculus or AP Calculus to have the mathematical background to be successful in this class

This calculus-based laboratory physics course is designed to instruct highly motivated students in the laws and relationships of physics on the college level. Students are assumed to have a basic physics background equivalent to a one-year algebra based introductory physics course. Topics from the first year course will be developed more rigorously while also incorporating calculus-based physics concepts. Students taking this course will be prepared for the Advanced Placement Exam.

Note: The AP exam is given in May. A fee is required to take the AP exam.

(TBD, SCED 03008) 0.5 credit

Semester

This semester course focuses on geology and astronomy. Topics include: Earth, sun, and moon relationships, star types and their life cycle; the solar system, and space flight and simulations. Geology topics will include rock and mineral identification, landforms, glaciers, rock cycle and mineral formation, plate tectonics, earthquakes, and volcanoes.

(HS500013, SCED 03003) 1 credit

Full Year

Environmental science is an interdisciplinary study that embraces a wide variety of topics from different subjects. Major themes and topics include:

• Science as a method of learning more about and understanding our world

• Energy sources, their impact, and developing technologies

• Earth as a dynamic system

• Humanity’s impact on the environment: sustainable development, natural resource management, and land use planning

• Biodiversity and Ecosystem analysis

• Relevant careers

(HS500014, SCED 03006) 0.5 credit

Semester

This semester course of study covers topics in weather, climate, forecasting, global circulation of air and water, tides, marine organisms, extreme weather events and climate change, and restoration. The course will be a combination of academic and applied science.

(HS500015, SCED 03212) 0.5 credit

Semester

Description Coming Soon...

(HS500010, SCED 03066) 💻 1 credit

Full Year

Principles of Biomedical Science (PBS) provides an introduction to biomedical science through exciting hands-on projects and problems. Students investigate concepts of biology and medicine as they explore health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, sickle-cell disease, hypercholesterolemia, and infectious diseases. Students determine the factors that led to the death of a fictional woman as they sequentially piece together evidence found in her medical history and her autopsy report. Students investigate lifestyle choices and medical treatments that might have prolonged the woman’s life and demonstrate how the development of disease is related to changes in human body systems.

Note: This course may be taken as a stand-alone or as the start of the Biomedical Pathway.

(HS500011, SCED 03067) 💻 1 credit

Full Year

This course allows students to examine the interactions of body systems as they explore identity, communication, power, movement, protection, and homeostasis. Students design experiments, investigate the structures and functions of the human body, and use data acquisition software to monitor body functions such as muscle movement, reflex and voluntary action, and respiration. Exploring science in action, students build organs and tissues on a skeletal mannequin, work through interesting real world cases and often play the role of biomedical professionals to solve medical mysteries.

Note: This course may be taken as a stand-alone or as the the second course in the Biomedical Pathway.

(TBD, SCED 03068) 💻 1 credit

Full Year

Following Project Lead the Way’s suggested curriculum, PLTW Medical Interventions courses focus on the health of a fictitious family that students must support by providing disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatments. In these courses, students study infections, human DNA code, cancer treatment, and organ failure. Course topics may also include immunology, surgery, genetics, pharmacology, medical devices, and diagnostics.

Note: This is the third course in the Biomedical Pathway.