SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
Anatomy & Physiology
Prerequisite: passing grade in biology
Elective Course: Full Year
Recommended Grade Level: 11
Students will be challenged to learn and interact with both the structure of the human body as well as the function of the human body and its various systems. Covered topics will include the following: anatomical position, body landmarks, basic chemistry, cells and tissues, and various body systems. Course work will involve students completing reading from the text and independent note taking. Class time will be utilized for group work, review, labs, and dissections.
Possible dissections each year could include cats, fetal pigs, kidneys, brains, eyeballs, and hearts. This course will require students to learn and retain large amounts of information, and they will be instructed in various learning methods in order to achieve this goal. This course provides a basic foundation for students interested in the fields of science, medicine, and healthcare.
Biology
Prerequisite: none
Elective Course: Full Year
Recommended Grade Level: 9
Students will explore deeper answers to scientific information they have been learning in their previous academic years. Topics covered will include basic chemistry, ecology, cell structure and function, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, genetics, populations, protists, fungi, and plants. Students will be expected to complete notes from the reading independently, and they will be trained to keep an organized notebook throughout the year. Experiments, lab activities, group work, presentations, and review will take place during the class period. In addition, students will be taught to make and record observations and to apply the topics discussed to real-world applications through regular lab reports.
Chemistry
Prerequisite: Biology
Required Course: Full Year
Recommended Grade Level: 10
Students will acquire a working knowledge of matter and its reactions through this introductory chemistry course. Topics will include matter and change, scientific measurement, atomic structure, the periodic table, ionic and covalent bonding, the mole, types of chemical reactions, and stoichiometry. Students will be expected to take notes from their textbook through independent reading. Discussion, collaboration, experiments, and review will reinforce those concepts during class. Students will complete lab reports relating what they have observed to why it happened. In addition, students will recognize the interconnected nature of science and math. This course is foundational in exploring the chemical explanations behind life as we know it.
Dual Credit Chemistry
Prerequisite: One year of HS Chemistry
Elective Course: Full Year
Recommended Grade Level: 11/12
General Chemistry is an introduction to the foundational concepts and calculations that are common to all areas of chemistry. This course will focus on the structure of the atom and how chemical properties flow from it on both the level of the individual molecule as well as for collections of molecules. Students will also be introduced to concepts such as energy, properties of solids, liquids, and gasses, as well as the importance of the mathematical relationship of compounds in a chemical reaction. The course will focus on problem solving as well as terminology important to classifying different aspects of elements and their behavior. This course may count toward physical science credits.
Course Goals:
- Develop problem solving skills
- Become familiar with terminology pertaining the field of chemistry
- Learn to communicate ideas and concepts pertaining to scientific inquiry
- Become proficient in the mathematical calculations required for solving of chemistry problems
- Acquire basic laboratory skills needed to carry out chemical experiments.
Integrated Chemistry and Physics (ICP)
Prerequisite: Biology
Elective Course: Full Year
Recommended Grade Level: 10
Integrated Chemistry and Physics could be titled Introduction to Chemistry and Physics. This course includes introductory topics for both physics and chemistry taught in two different semesters. The school year begins with physics where students learn about the basics of force and motion including Newton’s Laws, gravity (free-fall), energy, and the transfer of energy. Second semester begins the study of matter. Students cover atomic theory, periodic table, bonding, and chemical reactions. This course may count toward physical science credits.
Physics
Prerequisite:
Elective Course: Full Year
Recommended Grade Level: 11
Physics class covers mechanics including Newton’s Laws, Momentum, Circular and Rotational Motion, Energy, and Gravity (Universal and free fall), mechanical and circular equilibrium, and satellite motion. We discuss particle properties of solids, liquids, and gasses when we study specific gravity, Hooke’s Law, scaling, Archimedes’ principle, Pascal’s principle, and Bernoulli’s principle. Students display their learning through summative assessments and rotated projects such as Rube Goldberg machines, kites, launchers, video production, and more. Paul Hewitt’s Conceptual Physics textbook is used, but applied mathematics is added to the course. This course may count toward physical science credits.
Physics Lab
Prerequisite: Physics/ICP
Elective Course
Recommended Grade Level: 12
This course is designed for students with a strong foundation in mathematics and the physical sciences. The information is presented in lectures and discussion, but mostly in laboratory work utilizing the student’s knowledge of physics and problem solving skills. General areas of study will include, but are definitely not limited to, force, momentum, rotational motion, gravity and circular motion, and density and buoyancy. This course may count toward general science credits.
Zoology
Prerequisite: Biology
Elective: Semester 1
Recommended Grade Level: 11/12
In the first 4 weeks of zoology students will study the major divisions of the animal kingdom, classification, anatomical terminology, and body systems. The remaining weeks will be spent on a survey of invertebrates and vertebrates. Students will dissect an earthworm, clam, starfish, grasshopper, and crayfish. Provided that time allows, students will also dissect a frog, perch, and rat. A variety of learning opportunities will be utilized, including lectures and discussion, reading, written assignments, video presentation, and lab exercises. Dissections are required. There is an additional lab fee for this class. This course may count toward general science credits.