Science

ScienceThe aim of the science program is to help the student prepare to question, understand and participate in a technologically advancing world. Science enables a student to develop a sense of personal responsibility toward the environment and the community around them. It allows them to appreciate their worth and potential contribution to our scientific world. Thinking independently, rewarding critical analysis, writing clearly and speaking intelligently are all skills cultivated in the science program.

Course Descriptions

Integrated Science
This course focuses on the development of critical thinking and study skills for freshmen. The goal of this course is to impart the necessary skills for students to compete and excel in high school and college. This course begins with how to be a good listener and take efficient class notes; then it emphasizes skills which will help students develop a more comprehensive and useful understanding of essential concepts in science: Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science and Physics. It will integrate logic, qualitative and quantitative analysis into the study of each area.

Biology
This course is designed to provide students an holistic understanding of how living things function in the natural world. Study units include: Scientific Methodology and Analysis, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, The Chemistry of Life, Genetics, Botany, Zoology, Structure of the Human Body, and Ecology. Integrated into each study area are related laboratory exercises and current topics.

Anatomy and Physiology
Anatomy and Physiology is a course designed for students seeking to pursue careers in health and medicine. The topics covered in the course include the following: integumentary, skeletal, muscular, nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive. Students have the opportunity to integrate that knowledge through inquiry-based activities and laboratory investigations.


Chemistry
This course will provide an introduction to the principles that govern chemical changes. Included will be an examination of matter, energy, atomic structure, chemical periodicity, bonding, molecular structure, chemical reactions, stoichiometry, solutions, equilibrium, thermochemistry, electrochemistry, nuclear reactions and organic chemistry. The lab component will provide hands-on experience with the concepts and principles studied.

Physics
This course describes the natural world using concepts and equations derived from laws of energy, motion, momentum, force, thermodynamics, and optics. Students are expected to develop their own approach to problem solving while testing the physical laws and theories studied in the classroom and the laboratory. Laboratory work will further emphasize technique and accuracy in the acquisition and analysis of data.

AP Biology
The Advanced Placement course in Biology is equivalent to a full-year Freshman Biology course taught at any major University. Students will be reading the same text that is used at many major colleges and universities, and will be working at a rigorous pace to cover the material and in preparation for the Advanced Placement Examination in May.Upon successful completion of the exam, students may receive college credit and will certainly be well-prepared for any Biology course in the future. This class will build upon prior knowledge of Biology (Biology and Chemistry are prerequisites). The course will discuss topics such as molecular genetics,biochemistry, human anatomy and physiology, cell biology, plant biology and ecology. Using a text, the Internet, class discussions, and projects, students will cover a tremendous amount of material in order to give a complete understanding of the study of biology. Biweekly examinations will test knowledge of the material as well as prepare students for the AP examination. Due to the volume and level of the material, this course is designed to challenge extremely motivated students who have a strong interest in the Biological Sciences. All students taking this course are required to take the AP exam in May. This is a full year, on-line course.

The Human Body
Did you ever wonder how your body works? Take a journey through the major systems of the human body with us! This class provides a comprehensive overview of the workings of the human body. The course uses many online readings and animations, as well as field trips to selected web sites. Students will join fellow classmates as they investigate how the human body functions. Critical reading and organizational skills, the ability to communicate, and most of all, curiosity will help students succeed in this course. You will never watch CSI with the same eyes again! The Human Body is a course designed to familiarize you with the key systems of the human body and how they function. The course studies the structures and basic functions of organs involved in the body systems. This is a half year, on-line course.

Forensic Science
Forensic Science will introduce the student to the scientific application of physical evidence collected at a crime scene. The course integrates biology, chemistry, physical science and physics into crime scene investigations. Students develop skills in fingerprinting, toxicology, serology, digital photography, plaster casting and microscopy. Labs will include the collection, documentation and analysis of evidence along with crime-scene reconstruction.

AP Environmental Science
This advanced placement course is designed to provide students with the scientific principles, methodologies, and concepts necessary to understand the processes and interrelationships of Earth’s natural systems.  Environmental Science, an interdisciplinary course, will draw on and expand understanding of concepts studied in Biology and Chemistry.  Topics of study include; the process of science, energy flow through natural systems, Earth as an interconnected system, changes over time caused by natural and man-made events, and human impact related to population and technological advancements. Students will investigate the role of social, economic, and cultural factors in developing solutions and practices necessary for solving/preventing environmental problems and creating sustainability.  In addition, students will participate in laboratory and field investigations. 

Animal Behavior/Zoology
Have you always been interested in animals and their behavior? Do you love to spend time at zoos and aquariums, and find animals (and their interactions) fascinating? This course explores the tremendous diversity of animal life and the interconnectedness of different animal species with each other and with humans. The first part of the course explores the classification and characteristics of all the animal phyla, with an emphasis on the evolution of animals and the adaptations that have allowed such diversity to flourish. The second part of the course focuses on many different animal behaviors (including human behavior). We will learn about different types of behaviors – from innate (genetic) behaviors to learned behaviors. The social interactions between animals will be covered in depth as we study courtship, aggression, altruism, and parental behaviors in animals. We will also discuss different careers in the animal sciences as a culminating activity, which should be of great interest to students who wish to pursue their love of animals as their professions. The course will utilize a number of interesting articles, discussions, virtual field trips, activities, videos, and projects to give a wider perspective of the animal kingdom and animal behavior. This is a half year, on-line course.

Meteorology
Earth’s weather and climates have influenced and continues to influence daily human events as well as human history. We are inundated daily with accounts of weather, both good and bad. Our daily activities depend, a great deal, on the weather. Weather phenomenon, such as hurricanes, floods and tornadoes have caused loss of life and damage of property. Loss of food crops has resulted from drought or extremes of temperature.

We cannot fly a plane, have soldiers jump out of planes, or, for that matter, fight a war without consulting meteorologists to see what the weather is supposed to be on any given day. The Persian Gulf War and the Iraqi Freedom War were all planned according to the weather. The weather helped bring Allied victory on the Russian front during World War II. This class is designed to introduce you to the basic factors of weather/meteorology and to engage your natural curiosity in it. I hope you will find this course interesting as well as challenging. This class was 
designed around the Internet like our daily activities are designed around the weather. Simple meteorological observations are interwoven with online based assignments, mapping activities, data gathering and graphing activities, and writing assignments to introduce students to the many facets of weather. This is a half year, on-line course.

Psychology of Crime

Students will learn how psychology applies to questions and issues relating to law and the legal system. The course will include all aspects of the legal system including police, the trial and corrections. Topics will include: recovered memories, children as victims and offenders, violence and murder, strategies for interviewing witnesses, expert testimony, and factors influencing the credibility of witnesses, victims and offenders and insanity. Students will also examine the relationship of psychology and law in the educational and work settings. This is a half year, on-line course.