Science AP COURSES
AP Biology
AP Biology is an accelerated course designed to integrate and enhance the skills and knowledge acquired in Biology I. Emphasis is placed on evolution, genetics, and the physiological and biochemical interactions of organisms within the environment. Students will develop an understanding of key science practices as well as advanced reasoning and inquiry skills through course work and laboratory investigations. Prerequisite: Biology, Chemistry, Algebra II Grade Level: 11th, 12th Offered: 1B-3C-5D Length: 3 Bins
AP Chemistry
AP Chemistry is designed to be equivalent to a first-year chemistry course at the college level where students build a foundation of chemical knowledge through both traditional and inquiry-based investigations that allow them to collect and analyze data and connect concepts across the Big Ideas. Students will: use models to describe scientific phenomena and solve problems; use appropriate mathematics; engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking and guide chemical investigations; plan and implement data collection strategies based on scientific questions; hone their abilities to create a scientific claim, based on evidence and scientific reasoning; and connect knowledge across the various content areas both within, and outside, the course. In this Algebra-based course, students will use theoretical and physical models, simulations, and mathematical relationships to process information and expand their understanding of chemistry. Prerequisite: Biology, Chemistry, Algebra II, and concurrent enrollment in Advanced Pre-Calculus or higher Grade Level: 11th, 12th Offered: 1A-3B-5C Length: 3 Bins
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AP Physics I
The AP Physics I course is an algebra-based, introductory college-level physics course. Students will cultivate their understanding of physics through classroom study, inclass activity, and hands-on, inquiry-based investigations as they explore concepts of systems, fields, force interactions, change, conservation, and waves. The mathematical basis of this course is Algebra and Trigonometry (functions and equations). Mathematical relationships will be used as guides for thinking and in all aspects of scientific inquiry. Students will use a variety of techniques, including real and virtual laboratory investigations, inquiry, and scientific problem-solving, to make informed decisions and think critically and logically about physics concepts. Emphasis will be on designing and conducting scientific investigations to gather, interpret, and analyze data, and to form relationships between evidence and explanations. Prerequisite: Advanced Chemistry and concurrent enrollment in Advanced Pre-Calculus or higher Grade Level: 11th, 12th Offered: 1C-3D-4A Length: 3 Bins
AP Environmental Science
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 and/ or preventing them. Specific topics include ecosystems, biodiversity, populations, Earth systems and resources, land and water use, energy, air pollution, aquatic and terrestrial pollution, and global change. Prerequisite: Chemistry, Algebra II Grade Level: 11th, 12th Offered: 1C-3D-4A Length: 3 Bins
