4310 PHYSICS (9, 10)
4210 CHEMISTRY (10, 11, 12)
YEARLONG COURSE
YEARLONG COURSE
This course uses an inquiry-based approach to introduce students to the fundamental principles of the natural world: motion, forces, and energy. Much of the material will rely on hands-on projects and experiments. Students will work collaboratively to discover both qualitative and quantitative scientific relationships, develop observational and critical thinking skills, and work to communicate effectively in a scientific forum. Topics in the course are designed to engage the students’ scientific curiosity in the world around them.
• Prerequisites: Completion of 4310 or 4315. Concurrent enrollment with Algebra 2 or higher is recommended. Designed to give a basic understanding of the nature of matter and of its relation to energy, the aim of this course is to explain the primary laws, hypotheses, and theories of chemistry.
4315 HONORS PHYSICS (9, 10) YEARLONG COURSE
• Prerequisites: Concurrent enrollment in Honors Geometry or a more advanced math course, and departmental approval This course covers the same topics as 4310 (motion, forces and energy) but will provide a deeper understanding of the topics. Students will use right angle trigonometry problem solving.
4200 ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY (10, 11, 12) YEARLONG COURSE
• Prerequisite: Placement by the department This course approaches the study of chemistry by focusing on the effects of chemistry on our daily lives with less emphasis on mathematical analysis. Mining and refining metals, air pollutants and the greenhouse effect, the environmental impact on water supplies, and the chemistry of energy sources are a few of the recurring environmental connections covered in this course. Students read and report on current event science articles and will complete a summative project each trimester. This course uses very little math in its investigation, and will prepare students for Biology.
4215 HONORS CHEMISTRY (10, 11, 12) YEARLONG COURSE • Prerequisites: Concurrent enrollment in Honors Algebra II or a more advanced math course, and departmental approval. This course covers the same topics as 4210 but will provide a deeper understanding of the topics at a faster pace and with more rigorous problem solving. Students will be prepared to take the SAT subject test in Chemistry.
4100 BIOLOGY (11, 12) YEARLONG COURSE
• Prerequisites: Physics required and Chemistry strongly suggested This course is an introduction to the basic biological principles and methods used in science. Homework and lab work are designed to encourage students to interact with the material and to understand how experiments explain the interrelationships between organisms and their environment. Following an opening section on the scientific method and chemistry of life, we focus on the cell and its parts and functions. The rest of the year is spent looking at DNA structure and function, genetics, reproduction, and a closer examination and comparative study of body systems.
2021-22 COURSE OF STUDIES 19
