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<p class="fontlook">BIOLOGY<BR>
Full Year: One Credit<BR>
Grade Level: 9th<BR>
Graduation Requirement: Natural Science<BR>
Prerequisite: n/a<BR>

<p class="fontlook">The primary focus of this course is to enhance a student’s understanding of biological organisms and systems. The course will begin with an in depth look at evolution, and it will be discussed throughout the year. It will continue at the cellular stage with great emphasis on the study of genetics. Scientific discoveries and their influence on modern biology will be integrated regularly through various methods. Periodic laboratories will give the students an opportunity to apply the concepts learned in class. The course will entail the application of the concepts and ideas learned in lecture/ laboratories, which will allow the student to master the material. 
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<p class="fontlook">HONORS BIOLOGY<BR>
Full Year: One Credit<BR>
Grade Level: 9th<BR>
Graduation Requirement: Natural Science<BR>
Prerequisite: n/a<BR>

<p class="fontlook">The primary focus of this course is to enhance a student’s understanding of biological organisms and systems. The course will begin with an in depth look at evolution. It will continue at the cellular stage with an understanding of life at its most basic level. The course advances from cells to the study of more complex organisms. The mechanisms of how biological organisms have evolved over the years in order to adapt to surrounding conditions are also discussed. Scientific discoveries and their influence on modern biology will be integrated regularly. This course is taught at a rigorous pace. Periodic lab activities will give the students an opportunity to apply what they have learned in class. By applying the concepts and ideas learned in lecture, the student can achieve a thorough understanding of the material. 
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<p class="fontlook">CHEMISTRY<BR>
Full Year: One Credit<BR>
Grade Level: 10th<BR>
Graduation Requirement: Natural Science<BR>
Prerequisite: Biology<BR>

<p class="fontlook">The primary focus of this course is to examine the relationship between the structure of matter and its properties. The course begins with the presentation of basic chemical terminology followed by a review of basic problem-solving techniques and the International System of measurement. Following this, topics to be covered include atomic structure, chemical names and formulas, chemical reactions, stoichiometry, types of matter, chemical periodicity, bonding, reaction rates and chemical equilibrium, thermodynamics, solutions, acids and bases as well as oxidation-reduction reactions. Periodically we will investigate consumer chemistry, environmental topics and the relationship between science and technology. Current events in science will be discussed as they arise. 
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<p class="fontlook">HONORS CHEMISTRY<BR>
Full Year: One Credit<BR>
Grade Level: 10th<BR>
Graduation Requirement: Natural Science<BR>
Prerequisite: Biology<BR>

<p class="fontlook">The primary focus of this course is to examine the relationship between the structure of matter and its properties. The course begins with the presentation of basic chemical terminology followed by a review of basic problem-solving techniques and the International System of measurement. Following this, topics to be covered include atomic structure, chemical names and formulas, chemical reactions, stoichiometry, types of matter, chemical periodicity, bonding, reaction rates and chemical equilibrium, thermodynamics, solutions, acids and bases as well as oxidation-reduction reactions. Periodically we will investigate consumer chemistry, environmental topics and the relationship between science and technology. Current events in science will be discussed as they arise. 
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<p class="fontlook">PHYSICS<BR>
Full Year: One Credit<BR>
Grade Level: 11th<BR>
Graduation Requirement: Natural Science<BR>
Prerequisite: Chemistry<BR>

<p class="fontlook">This course is designed to help students with a wide range of backgrounds and abilities to learn the most fundamental science; Physics. Students will have hands-on experience in the laboratory. They will learn to verify theoretical laws using experiments. Concepts are introduced in the contexts of every day applications. Mechanics is the first concept presented; it provides the bases for studying motion in one and two dimensions. Heat and the four states of matter: Solid – Liquid – Gas – Plasma are also studied. Secondly, students will study the wave phenomena: sound, water, and electromagnetic waves. Students will learn the laws that govern the electrostatic and magnetic world. 
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<p class="fontlook">HONORS PHYSICS<BR>
Full Year: One Credit<BR>
Grade Level: 11th<BR>
Graduation Requirement: Natural Science<BR>
Prerequisite: Chemistry<BR>

<p class="fontlook">In this course, physics is presented as a human activity in which new ideas are constantly being tried and in which scientific truth is never absolute. New topics describing the efforts of scientists who made breakthrough discoveries and advances will be introduced. This discovery approach not only brings the material to life, but also illustrates the importance of scientific progress. The coverage of topics is comprehensive from classical physics to quantum and nuclear physics. Applications of physical laws are taught using examples ranging from automobile tires to light dispersion from a prism. There is a strong emphasis on developing the notion that physics is not just a collection of independent ideas, but an interconnected whole.
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<p class="fontlook">ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY<BR>
Full Year: One Credit<BR>
Grade Level: 12th<BR>
Graduation Requirement: Natural Science Elective<BR>
Prerequisite: Physics<BR>

<p class="fontlook">This course is designed to understand and relate the structure of the body to its functions. Bones, cells, cell tissues, organs, and organ systems will be covered. Hands-on and virtual laboratory sessions will support the material covered in class.
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<p class="fontlook">TOPICS IN SCIENCE<BR>
One Semester: Half Credit<BR>
Grade Level: 10th -12th<BR>
Graduation Requirement: Natural Science Elective<BR>
Prerequisite: Biology<BR>

<p class="fontlook">This year long course is a survey course that is based on current topics in Science as published in Scientific American Magazine.  Other Journals such as Science and American Scientist will be used. Reading and interpretation of scientific literature will be the primary goal. The interplay of various diverse fields of Science will be stressed in greater detail than conventional courses
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<p class="fontlook">AP BIOLOGY<BR>
Full Year: One Credit<BR>
Grade Level: 11th – 12th <BR>
Graduation Requirement: Natural Science <BR>
Prerequisite: minimum of B in Honors Biology and Honors Chemistry and departmental recommendation<BR>

<p class="fontlook">The AP Biology course is designed to be the equivalent of a college introductory biology course usually taken by biology majors during their first year. AP Biology includes those topics regularly covered in a college biology course for majors. The college equivalent course in biology differs significantly from the high school level course in biology with respect to the kind of textbook used, the range and depth of topics covered, the types of laboratory work done by students, and the time and effort required of students. The textbook used for AP Biology is typically used by college biology majors. The labs done by AP students must be the equivalent to those done by college students.  The AP Biology course is designed to be taken once the prerequisites are completed; those are one year of high school biology and one year of high school chemistry. It aims to provide students with the conceptual framework, factual knowledge, and analytical skills necessary to deal critically with the rapidly changing science of biology. It concentrates on three general areas: Molecules and Cells (25%), Heredity and Evolution (25%), and Organisms and Populations (50%). 
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<p class="fontlook">AP PHYSICS<BR>
Full Year: One Credit<BR>
Grade Level: 12th<BR>
Graduation Requirement: Natural Science Elective<BR>
Prerequisite: minimum of B in Honors Physics and departmental recommendation<BR>

<p class="fontlook">This is a non-calculus based physics course that covers a wide range of topics, including mechanics, thermodynamics, waves and optics, electromagnetism, atomic and nuclear physics, and fluids. The course seeks to impart a basic knowledge of the discipline of physics, including phenomenology, theories and techniques, and generalizing principles with an aim toward developing in the students an ability to ask physical questions and to obtain solutions by use of qualitative and quantitative reasoning, and by experimental investigation. One of the principal goals of the course is to foster in the students an appreciation of the physical world and the discipline of physics, curiosity, creativity, and reasoned skepticism in the hope that they will understand the connection of physics to other disciplines and to societal issues.
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<p class="fontlook">IB BIOLOGY - HIGHER LEVEL<BR>
Two Years: One Credit per year<BR>
Grade Level: 11th & 12th<BR>
Graduation Requirement: IB Diploma – Experimental Science<BR>
Prerequisite: Chemistry and departmental recommendation<BR>

<p class="fontlook">The IB Biology HL course is designed to follow the objectives of the International Baccalaureate program for the Group 4 Experimental Sciences and is designed to be taken by students after the successful completion of a first course in high school biology and chemistry. In this two-year IB Biology course, students will acquire a limited body of facts and at the same time will develop a broad, general understanding of the principles of the subject. There are four basic biological concepts that run throughout the course: structure and function, universality versus diversity, equilibrium within systems and evolution.  The IB Biology course is fast paced with considerable independent work. Students will be expected to perform several laboratory investigations, assessed externally by the IB organization, as well as a team-based Group 4 Project performed in conjunction with students from IB Physics and IB Environmental Systems. Preparation for and the option of taking the AP Biology exam through the College Board Program will also be given to the students so that early college credit might be obtained. 
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<p class="fontlook">IB PHYSICS - STANDARD LEVEL<BR>
Two Years: One Credit per year<BR>
Grade Level: 11th & 12th<BR>
Graduation Requirement: IB Diploma – Experimental Science<BR>
Prerequisite: Chemistry<BR>

<p class="fontlook">The IB Physics SL course is designed to follow the objectives of the International Baccalaureate Program for the Group 4 Experimental Sciences. The course is a rigorous pre-university course aimed at allowing students to grow in their understanding of the natural world. In addition to understanding the natural world around them, students will also be exposed to a body of knowledge that will allow them to analyze, evaluate and synthesize scientific information.  The IB Physics SL course covers six basic concept areas in the field of physics: physical measurements, mechanics, thermal physics, waves, electricity, magnetism, and nuclear physics. Students will be expected to perform several laboratory investigations, assessed externally by the IB organization, as well as a team-based Group 4 Project performed in conjunction with students from IB Biology. At the end of the two year program, students have acquired a solid foundation for future university studies in addition to a strong understanding of the world around them.
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