Science

Featured Courses

AP Physics C: Mechanics

AP Physics C: Mechanics is a calculus-based, conceptually and mathematically rigorous first-year physics course that will cover material found in a typical calculus-based, first-semester college physics course. It is a laboratory- and activity-based class that is designed to enable students to describe the workings of the universe around them both qualitatively and quantitatively. There is a strong emphasis on developing science practices, strong critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Topics covered include kinematics, dynamics, energy, momentum, universal gravitation, rotational motion, and oscillatory motion.

AP Biology

AP Biology is a college level course for students who are passionate about biology. Students will gain an understanding of essential biological concepts through inquiry-based learning and laboratory investigations. The course explores topics such as evolution, genetics, cellular processes, energy flow, and ecological interactions, while emphasizing key science practices including data analysis, statistical testing, scientific modeling, and evidence-based reasoning. Students conduct laboratory investigations throughout the course to build lab skills and foster critical thinking. This course requires a significant commitment to independent study and lab work. Completion of this course prepares students for the required AP Biology exam.

AP Chemistry

This course is designed to continue the student’s education in chemistry at an advanced level leading to the Advanced Placement Examination. The emphasis is on the fundamentals of modern chemistry and the skills of chemical mathematics involved in stoichiometry and chemical equilibrium. The course’s significant laboratory component is designed to enforce lecture topics, stimulate the student to apply the fundamentals of chemistry to new problem situations, and develop the student’s technical writing skills. Topics to be covered include stoichiometry; atomic orbital theory; bonding; thermochemistry and thermodynamics; kinetics; oxidationreduction; gas phase and acid/base equilibrium; states of matter; solubility; electrochemistry; and nuclear as well as organic chemistry. To meet the rigorous curriculum of AP Chemistry created by the College Board, this course will often begin at 7:30 A.M.

Physics and Space Science

Physics and Space Science is a laboratory- and activity-based class that is designed to enable students to describe the workings of the universe around them both qualitatively and quantitatively. Topics covered include the scientific process, units and dimensional analysis, kinematics, dynamics, energy, momentum, rotational kinematics, simple harmonic motion, wave phenomena, universal gravitation, and Kepler’s laws of orbit.

Full Course Catalog

The Science Department offers courses that provide students with a solid foundation in the sciences and with opportunities to acquire knowledge and appreciation of the natural world. Students of science courses also understand how scientific issues relate to their lives and to the well-being of our planet, and they recognize the interdependence between science and other fields of study. Because of the continually evolving nature of science, we aspire to create and refine scientific models for our students, whom we encourage to: make observations; ask and answer questions; maintain independence of thought while engaged in learning; participate in discussions; and develop scientific literacy.