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Course Descriptions
BIOLOGY
This course is an overview of the biological sciences. Topics include: biochemistry, cells, genetics, evolution, biotechnology, plants, animals, body systems, and ecology. Biology is a lab course where students will explore and design labs for the above topics.In AP Biology, students will develop a more robust understanding of the concepts to which they were introduced in Freshman Biology. Over the course of the year, students utilize many laboratory activities to gain a better understanding of the science of life.
HONORS BIOLOGY
Honors Biology is a freshman level course. It is a class that covers the major topics in the biological sciences. These topics include biochemistry, cells, photosynthesis and respiration, genetics, viruses and bacteria, taxonomy, evolution, plants and animals. Students will use laboratory experiments to reinforce concepts and integrate the use of technology into the learning process. Students will use kinesthetic learning and incorporate real world situations as well as the integration of the role of science in the arts.
AP BIOLOGY
In AP Biology, students will develop a more robust understanding of the concepts to which they were introduced in Freshman Biology. Over the course of the year, students utilize many laboratory activities to gain a better understanding of the science of life.
HONORS PHYSICS
Honors Physics is the study of the nature of matter and energy and how they interrelate. It will provide the student with a foundation for understanding the concepts and laws of physics, as well as providing a good foundation for the AP Physics course curriculum. Physics education is essential for those preparing for a career in science and those that will be touched by aspects of it through technology, medicine, engineering, architecture, biomechanics, and many other related fields. Pre-AP Physics will give the student hands-on lab experience and will reinforce crucial math & critical thinking skills.
CHEMISTRY/HONORS CHEMISTRY
In first year chemistry students focus on matter and it's properties and behavior. This course focuses on the following: properties of matter, naming and balancing equations used to represent the behavior of matter, theories regarding the structure of matter, various methods for measuring matter and types of reactions matter undergoes. A considerable amount of math is involved, obviously. The goal is for students to better understand what surrounds them and how things behave chemically and how one communicates those behaviors.
AP CHEMISTRY
In this course we follow a College Board approved syllabus with the ultimate goal of readying our students for the eventual AP exam. Along the way, students have the opportunity to learn in much more detail chemical behavior and ways that behavior is communicated. The main concepts of the course include: stoichiometry, atomic structure, electrochemistry, reaction types, thermochemistry/thermodynamics, kinetics and equilibrium.
HONORS PHYSICS
Honors Physics is the study of the nature of matter and energy and how they interrelate. It will provide the student with a foundation for understanding the concepts and laws of physics, as well as providing a good foundation for the AP Physics course curriculum. Physics education is essential for those preparing for a career in science and those that will be touched by aspects of it through technology, medicine, engineering, architecture, biomechanics, and many other related fields. Pre-AP Physics will give the student hands-on lab experience and will reinforce crucial math & critical thinking skills.
AP PHYSICS
This is purely a course in mechanics with calculus. Students will study Newton's Laws, kinematics (basics of motion), energy conservation, and momentum conservation. All areas will include rotational considerations and there will be special treatments of orbital motion (Kepler's Laws), simple harmonic motion, and motion with a velocity dependent force (drag).
AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
The AP Environmental Science course will cover major environmental topics such as biodiversity, global warming, energy, the atmosphere, water, soil, human populations, and waste. This course is Environmental Science and not Environmental Studies, it will fulfill the 40% College Board and Texas requirements by providing a large laboratory and field investigation component. This allows students to learn about the environment through first hand observation.
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
Anatomy and Physiology deals with the structure and function of the human body and mechanisms for maintaining homeostasis within it. It includes the study of cells, tissues and the integumentary, skeletal, muscular, nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, lymphatic, respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems. The course also covers the concepts of development, metabolism, fluid and electrolyte balance, as well as acid-base balance.