SCIENCE DEPARTMENT FACULTY

MS. CAROLINE BOTTEGA

LAFAYETTE COLLEGE – B.S.

DR. ALEXANDER LLOYD

DICKINSON COLLEGE – B.S.

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY – M.S., PH.D.

MR. BRIAN MCGINLY

UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON – B.S.

DREXEL UNIVERSITY – M.S.

MR. RICHARD MORRIS III

RUTGERS UNIVERSITY – B.A., B.A.

INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA – P.S.M.

MS. RONALEE NEWMAN

STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO – B.S.

DEPAUL UNIVERSITY – M.B.A.

RUTGERS UNIVERSITY – ED.M.

MS. JACQUELINE O’GORMAN

CHAIR

UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON – B.S.

RIDER UNIVERSITY – GRADUATE TEACHER CERTIFICATION

MRS. CARLA PATTERSON

MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY – B.S.

MS. LAWREN PELLING

MAZATLAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY – B.S.

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTONOMA

DE MEXICO – M.S.

MS. BRITTANY SHEENAN

BOSTON COLLEGE – B.S.

MS. SHANNON SKINNER

MERCYHURST UNIVERSITY – B.S.

MR. SHAUN WORKENAOUR

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN EAU CLAIRE – B.S. , GRADUATE TEACHER CERTIFICATION fashion. Additionally, it is central to the physical sciences as a powerful extension of physics and a fundamental basis of all biological understanding. In this course, students will explore characteristics and functions of matter through hands-on activities and laboratory experiments. Most importantly, students will grapple with and ultimately formulate their own answers to the questions of “what is chemistry?” and “how is a basic knowledge of chemistry crucial to a comprehensive understanding of life?”

RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE – M.S.

Chemistry Honors

▸ 3 CREDITS; PREREQUISITES: BIOLOGY AND GRADE OF 93 IN GEOMETRY OR 85 IN GEOMETRY HONORS; FULFILLS CHEMISTRY REQUIREMENT

Why is chemistry the “central science”?

Chemistry is our attempt to explain the world around us in terms of atoms and their fundamental particles. In this course, students will be introduced on the macroscopic level to the quantitative relationships involved in chemical reactions and physical processes, as well as the energy changes that accompany them. On the microscopic scale, students will be introduced to the electronic structure of atoms and how this influences bonding and molecular geometry. Extensive laboratory work is required. Material learned in this class is essential to further studies in any field of science. Students enrolling in this course should enjoy solving problems and feel comfortable with mathematical reasoning.

Advanced Placement Chemistry

▸ 3 CREDITS; PREREQUISITES: BIOLOGY AND GRADE OF 93 IN CHEMISTRY OR 85 IN CHEMISTRY HONORS AND RECOMMENDATION OF CURRENT INSTRUCTOR

Why is chemistry considered to be the “central science”?

Scientific discoveries and research continuously expand scientific knowledge. In this advanced class, students will be able to develop a better understanding on how various disciplines work together in studying matter through a different scope and approach. AP Chemistry covers all the subject matter typically included in a general chemistry course in the first year of college with an emphasis on understanding the basic practices of science and applying them in both class work and laboratory. This course is centered on a model of instruction that promotes enduring and conceptual understanding in which students will acquire and apply their essential knowledge through inquiry-based activities. During the year, students will explore content such as atomic structure, intermolecular forces and bonding, chemical reactions, kinetics, thermodynamics, and equilibrium. All students are required to take the AP exam at the end of the year.

Physics

▸ 3 CREDITS; PREREQUISITES: BIOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY, AND COMPLETION OF ALGEBRA II

How do the principles of physics and mathematics drive problem-noticing and problem-solving in the natural world?

Students will develop skills in problem-noticing and problem-solving, practicing inquiry in science while studying 1 and 2D kinematics, Newton’s laws, circular motion, conservation of energy, and impulse and momentum.

Emphasis will be placed on hands-on laboratory activities, class discussions, and collaborative work.

Advanced Placement Physics 1

▸ 3 CREDITS; PREREQUISITES: COMPLETION OF BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, AND GEOMETRY; AND ALGEBRA II OR AN EQUIVALENT COURSE; A GRADE OF 93 IN ALGEBRA II OR 85 IN ALGEBRA II HONORS

How can the big ideas of change, interactions, systems, and conservation be used to explain mechanics?

AP Physics 1 is an algebra-based, introductory college-level physics course. Students cultivate their understanding of physics through inquiry-based investigations as they explore these topics: kinematics, dynamics, circular motion and gravitation, energy, momentum, simple harmonic motion, torque, and rotational motion. All students are required to take the AP exam at the end of the year.

Advanced Placement Physics 2

▸ 3 CREDITS; PREREQUISITES: PHYSICS, AP PHYSICS 1, AP PHYSICS C, OR EQUIVALENT COURSE; CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT IN PRE-CALCULUS OR AN EQUIVALENT COURSE

How can the big ideas of change, interactions, systems, and conservation describe natural phenomena?

AP Physics 2 is an algebra-based, introductory college-level physics course. Students cultivate their understanding of physics through inquiry-based investigations as they explore these topics: fluids; thermodynamics; electrical force, field, and potential; electric circuits; magnetism and electromagnetic induction; geometric and physical optics; and quantum, atomic, and nuclear physics. All students are required to take the AP exam at the end of the year.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT PHYSICS C: MECHANICS

▸ 3 CREDITS; PREREQUISITES: BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, AND CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT IN AP CALCULUS OR COMPLETION OF ANY CALCULUS COURSE; COMPLETION OF ANY PRIOR PHYSICS COURSE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED

How can we apply rigorous mathematical techniques to understand and explain naturally occurring phenomena?

AP Physics C: Mechanics is a calculus-based, college-level physics course. Students will apply their knowledge and skills in calculus and advanced mathematics to understand the physical world around them. Emphasis will be placed on mechanics, as specified by the AP curriculum. This course covers the same general content as AP Physics 1, but is much more mathematically intensive. All students are required to take the AP exam at the end of the year.

Human Anatomy And Physiology

▸ 3 CREDITS; GRADES 11, 12, PG ONLY;

PREREQUISITES: BIOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY

How does the anatomy and physiology of various organs and organ systems control the health and balance of the human body?

Students will investigate the structure and function of human organ systems. Anatomical terminology, basic biochemistry, cells, tissues, and body systems will be the focus of study and exploration for this course. Students will expand their knowledge of natural science as they participate in class discussions and labs, design inquiry-based projects that explore the implications of pathologies, and present current medical research findings they have studied with specific relevance to their daily lives. Comparative anatomy and physiology will also be emphasized and examined through dissection of various organs and preserved specimens. A clinical application of knowledge will continuously be stressed throughout the course, as students learn more about the health and well-being of the human body and what causes illness, disease, injury, and impairment.

Advanced Placement Environmental Science

▸ 3 CREDITS; GRADES 11, 12, PG ONLY; PREREQUISITES: BIOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY AND GRADE OF 93 IN PRIOR SCIENCE CLASS AND RECOMMENDATION OF CURRENT INSTRUCTOR

Why should we study the state of the Earth?

The focus of AP Environmental Science is the observed science underlying environmental problems and issues. Students will explore and investigate the interrelationships of the natural world and analyze environmental problems, both natural and human-made. Students will conduct laboratory investigations and fieldwork, designed to increase the student's ability to explain environmental concepts and processes. By analyzing data, visual representations, and writings, students will learn how to propose solutions for environmental problems and support their ideas with evidence. All students are required to take the AP exam at the end of the year.

Oceanography

▸ 1 CREDIT; GRADES 11, 12, PG ONLY; PREREQUISITES: BIOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY

What lies beneath and within Earth’s oceans, how have humans explored the deep ocean, and what properties control the movement of our global seas?

Students will investigate the broad-scale features and dynamics of Earth’s oceans. How do tides form? Why is the ocean salty, and how does salinity control the movement of heat and water on our planet? How can life exist miles below the surface and in complete darkness? What would Europe be like without the Gulf Stream? Topics will include the history and scope of oceanography, global tectonics, tsunamis, ocean-atmosphere dynamics, coastal processes, waves, tides, and marine ecosystems, as well as the significance of the oceans to the climate and humanity.