Courses Offered
*BIOLOGY 1
9th, 10th, 11th and 12th Grades Year Course Meets both UC and CSU Entrance Requirements and fulfills Life Science Graduation Requirement
Prerequisite: 9th graders required to have strong recommendation of 8th grade teacher.
Biology is the study of the structure and function of living organisms, their problems, and their ecology. Course content includes microbiology, cell biology, genetics, anatomy, physiology, ecology, and evolution. The course framework has been modified and realigned to fully meet the California State Science Standards to the Next Generation Science Standards and the Common Core. Understanding and application of topics to real world situations are emphasized. The course will continue to be primarily lab oriented, with fifty percent of class time being laboratory based. This course will provide the necessary background for further study and most careers in the physical or biological sciences. Critical Thinking, problem solving, analysis and quality writing are taught and reinforced throughout the year.
*BIOLOGY ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP)
11th and 12th Grades Year Course
Prerequisites: Completion of Biology 1 or Ag Biology and Chemistry with a grade of B or better, or consent of instructor.
Requires signed Advanced Placement Course Enrollment Parent Notification/Agreement
AP Biology is equivalent to university level introductory biology. In this course, students explore important aspects of four interrelated “Big Ideas” pertaining to life on Earth: Evolution (diversity and unity), Energy (growth and maintenance), Information (heredity and gene expression), and Interactions (physiology and ecology). The new curriculum includes inquiry-based laboratory work in which students experience science as a process and not simply as a collection of facts. This course builds a solid framework of biological knowledge and scientific know-how that prepares students for further study in genetics, medicine, ecology, evolution, and more.
* BIOLOGY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH
11th and 12th Grades Year Course
Prerequisites: a. College Preparatory Biology and b. Geology or Chemistry
This is a college preparatory laboratory science course with NGS Standards (Life Science) integrated with Public and Community Health Pathway standards. Students will develop an understanding of the relationships between biological concepts and disease. In the study of public and community health students will engage in experiments, conduct research, complete simulations and apply knowledge of cellular physiology, genetics, ecology and evolution. Emphasis will be on pathogens and communicable diseases, hereditary disorders, changing relationships between humans and pathogens, relationships between humans and the environment, and how public health has impacted the human population over time. The course culminates with students engaging in community health by helping to educate their community about relevant health problems prevalent in that community.
*CHEMISTRY
10th, 11th and 12th Grades Year Course
Fulfills Physical Science Graduation Requirement
Prerequisite: Integrated Math 2 (or concurrent enrollment)
Chemistry is the advanced study of the properties and interactions of matter. Topics include atomic theory, principles of reactions, solutions, kinetic molecular theory, thermodynamics, and equilibrium. This course includes solving problems both in the laboratory and mathematically, and requires a working knowledge of algebra and word problems. This college preparatory course provides the necessary background for future study in chemistry, biology, physics, medicine, and engineering, and meets the graduation requirement for a year of physical science.
*ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP)
10th, 11th, and 12th Grades Year Course
Prerequisites: Biology 1 or Ag Biology and one other college prep science course (may be taken concurrently), with grade of B or better, or consent of instructor.
Requires signed Advanced Placement Course Enrollment Parent Notification/Agreement
AP Environmental Science is an advanced, interdisciplinary course that utilizes information from earth, biological, physical, and social sciences. The goal of this course is to provide students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methods required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world, to identify and analyze environmental problems both natural and human-made, to evaluate their relative risks, and to examine alternative solutions for resolving and/or preventing these problems. Topics of study include local, regional, national, and international environmental issues, including the natural history and ecology of our local ecosystems. Some field work is required.
***GEOLOGY
9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th Grades Year Course
Fulfills Physical Science Graduation Requirement
Geology is the study of the physical processes that shape the earth. The course content covers changes in the earth, the forces that work in and on the earth, and the study of rocks and minerals. This is a laboratory and field class, primarily intended as a college preparatory science class. This course meets the graduation requirement for a year of physical science, and is a UC approved elective.
GLOBAL LIFE SCIENCE
9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th Grades Year Course
Fulfills Life Science Graduation Requirement
This course focuses on the diversity of life on earth and how it has changed over time. The characteristics (anatomy and physiology) used to place organisms in their categories, their habitats, and importance to humans and the ecology of the earth are emphasized. The basics of cellular biology, genetics, ecology and evolution are included. This lab-based course meets the graduation requirement for a year of life science.
GLOBAL PHYSICAL SCIENCE
9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th Grades Year Course
Fulfills Physical Science Graduation Requirement
Global Physical Science is a comprehensive course that utilizes a thematic approach to teach the essentials of the nature of matter. Its primary themes are energy, water, and environmental conditions of earth. This course meets the graduation requirement for a year of physical science.
*HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
11th and 12th Grades (10th Grade with Teacher approval) Year Course
Prerequisite: B or better grade in Biology I or Ag Biology (with Ag Biology Instructor approval, Chemistry required/may be waived with teacher approval
Human Anatomy and Physiology provides continuing study in histology (the study of cells and tissues), anatomy (the parts), and physiology (the function) of the human body. The humans muscular, skeletal, digestive, circulatory, respiratory, nervous, sensory, urogenital, reproductive, endocrine, immune, and integumentary systems will be studied as will system regulation. Learning the names and etymology of names of specific body parts will be emphasized. Related subjects such as nutrition, diseases, immunity and health occupations will be incorporated. The class will be a mixture of lecture/discussions, activities, and laboratories. In addition to exploratory laboratory activities, video footage of the functioning of the various systems will be shown and analyzed. Students will perform one or more required dissections and the class will observe the human cadavers at HSU and/or CR. Most units will include lab practical tests in addition to written and oral tests. This course will prepare students for further study in medical education and occupations.
*MARINE BIOLOGY
10th, 11th, and 12th Grades Year Course Prerequisite: Biology 1 or Ag Biology and Geology/Physical Science/Chemistry and Integrated Math 2 (or concurrent enrollment)
Marine Biology is an interdisciplinary class focusing on the study of ocean life. The course involves student in laboratory work, field trips to local ocean habitats, dissections, making collections, and doing long-term scientific studies. Subjects covered include the organisms and ecology of the different ocean’s realms and the physical, chemical, and geological basis for ocean life. This course meets the graduation requirements for a year of life or physical science.
*PHYSICS
10th, 11th, and 12th Grades Year Course Prerequisite: Integrated Math 2 (or concurrent enrollment)
Fulfills Physical Science Graduation Requirement
Physics is an advanced science class in the fundamental forces that govern the universe. Topics include mechanics, heat, light, electricity, heat, light, electricity, and wave propagation. This course explores solving problems both mathematically and in the laboratory. Knowledge of Integrated 2 is required. The course is a college preparatory class providing the necessary background for further study in nursing, medicine, chemistry, engineering, astronomy, biology, and architecture.
*PHYSICS ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) (C: Mechanics) 11th and 12th Grades Year Course Prerequisite: Completion of Pre-Calculus with a grade of B or better, and AP teacher approval. It is recommended that the student be concurrently enrolled in AP Calculus or have taken Calculus previously. Requires signed Advanced Placement Course Enrollment Parent Notification/AgreementAP Physics is the equivalent to one semester of college level Physics with Calculus. This course concentrates on topics in mechanics such as motion, vectors, Newton's laws, energy, momentum and angular motion. Methods include lectures, and laboratories. This challenging course culminates in May when students take the AP examination.