Science

• Credits: 10

• College Prep Course

Living Earth is a laboratory science class that is centered around biology, meets all the NGSS science topics, yet it incorporates other science disciplines when appropriate.  Living Earth will develop critical thinking skills necessary for science, essential science laboratory skills, an understanding of how models are used in science and scientific knowledge guided by the California High School NGSS Framework.  Students will build upon previous experiences and use new experiences to explain phenomena of living organisms and relevant interactions with Earth.  Living Earth is arranged around four areas:  Structure and Function of living things, Genetics, Evolution, and Ecology.  Additionally, students will create laboratory reports, build models, and/or create projects integrating technology to form content skills.

• Credits: 10

• College Prep Course

Chemistry of the Earth is a laboratory science course, which allows students to explore and experience how chemistry is relevant to their everyday life.  The course will be guided by the California High School NGSS Framework and will center around five areas: heat flow, patterns within the periodic table, chemical reactions, stoichiometry, and equilibrium systems. As students explore these areas, they will have the opportunity to collaborate with their peers through hands-on inquiry based laboratory work.

• Credits: 10

• College Prep Course

In this course, students will study major topics in physics outlined by the California Science Framework/ NGSS which includes: motion, forces, conservation of energy, conservation of momentum, electromagnetism, waves, and astronomy. This course has a strong emphasis on having students demonstrate mathematical and conceptual understanding through problem solving, laboratory investigations and projects.

• Credits: 10

• College Prep Course

Honors Living Earth is an advanced version of the Living Earth course designed to challenge learners who have demonstrated aptitude in science, and are also genuinely interested in understanding the inner workings of the natural world. Honors level students have demonstrated strong reading, writing, and speaking. This course delves deeper into the scientific concepts than the college prep version, the content will be taught at a more accelerated rate, and labs and tests will include more in-depth questions and require comprehensive responses.

• Credits: 10

• College Prep Course

Honors Chemistry of the Earth is an advanced level of the Chemistry of the Earth course designed to challenge students who have demonstrated interest in science.  This course will help students develop a deeper understanding of the content and gain critical thinking skills that they will continue to use in high school and college. The content will be taught at an accelerated rate, and the laboratory experiments and tests will be designed to elicit in-depth and comprehensive responses from students.

• Recommended Placement: IEP Team Recommendation 

• Credits: 10

Directed Living Earth is a special education class, consisting of specialized academic instruction, focused on the essential standards of Living Earth.  This class is centered around biology, meets all the NGSS science topics, yet it incorporates other science disciplines when appropriate.  Living Earth will develop critical thinking skills necessary for science, an understanding of how models are used in science and scientific knowledge guided by the California High School NGSS Framework.  Students will build upon previous experiences and use new experiences to explain phenomena of living organisms and relevant interactions with Earth.  Living Earth is arranged around four areas:  Structure and Function of living things, Genetics, Evolution, and Ecology.  

Enrollment in this class is based on an IEP team recommendation, and the curricular focus is based on the student’s individual needs (accommodations, modifications, and identified goals) agreed to by the IEP team.

• Recommended Placement: IEP Team Recommendation 

• Credits: 10

Directed Chemistry of the Earth is a special education class, consisting of specialized academic instruction, focused on the essential standards of Chemistry.  This course allows students to explore and experience how chemistry is relevant to their everyday life.  The course will be guided by the California High School NGSS Framework and will center around five areas: heat flow, patterns within the periodic table, chemical reactions, stoichiometry, and equilibrium systems.

Enrollment in this class is based on an IEP team recommendation, and the curricular focus is based on the student’s individual needs (accommodations, modifications, and identified goals) agreed to by the IEP team.

• Recommended Placement: IEP Team Recommendation 

• Credits: 10

Directed Physics in the Universe is a special education class, consisting of specialized academic instruction, focused on the essential standards in physics outlined by the California Science Framework/ NGSS which includes: motion, forces, conservation of energy, conservation of momentum, electromagnetism, waves, and astronomy. This course has a strong emphasis on having students demonstrate mathematical and conceptual understanding through problem solving, laboratory investigations and projects.

Enrollment in this class is based on an IEP team recommendation, and the curricular focus is based on the student’s individual needs (accommodations, modifications, and identified goals) agreed to by the IEP team.

• Advanced Placement

• Must have completed or be concurrently enrolled in Physics in the Universe or AP Physics

• Credits: 10 (Weighted Grade)

• College Prep Course

AP Biology is a second year Biology course, equivalent to the first semester of college biology. The course prepares students to take the Advanced Placement Biology Exam, through which college credits may be earned. The major content areas of the course are molecular and cellular biology, genetics, evolution, organism biology and population biology.

• Advanced Placement

• Must have completed or be concurrently enrolled in Physics in the Universe or AP Physics

• Credits: 10 (Weighted Grade)

• College Prep Course

AP Chemistry is a second year Chemistry course, equivalent to the first semester of College Chemistry. The course prepares students to take the Advanced Placement Chemistry Exam, through which college credits may be earned. Concepts introduced in Chemistry will be developed in greater detail in AP Chemistry. These include gas laws, stoichiometry, equilibrium, acids and bases, quantum theory, bonding, oxidation-reduction, thermodynamics, kinetics, and electrochemistry, organic chemistry and nuclear chemistry will also be explored.

• Advanced Placement

• Must have completed or be concurrently enrolled in Physics in the Universe or AP Physics

• Credits: 10 (Weighted Grade)

• College Prep Course

AP Environmental Science is an advanced placement science course equivalent to the first semester of college environmental science/studies. The course prepares students to take the Advanced Placement Environmental Sciences Exam, through which college credits may be earned. The major content areas of the course are Earth’s systems and resources, global change, energy resources and consumption, land and water use, and pollution. Upon completion of this course, students will better comprehend the intricacies of Earth’s living and nonliving dynamic processes and human impact upon them, as well as environmental legislation.

• Advanced Placement

• Credits: 10 (Weighted Grade)

• College Prep Course

In this college-level algebra-based physics course, students will study major topics in physics outlined by College Board AP Physics 1 including: motion, forces, simple harmonic motion, conservation of energy, conservation of momentum, rotational motion, electrostatics, circuits, electromagnetism and waves. After completing this course, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate science processing skills through making observations, taking measurements, analyzing data and drawing conclusions based on data.

2. Communicate mathematical and conceptual understanding of physics through solving physics problems in written form and through the use of diagrams, models, tables, graphs and symbols.

3. Use appropriate technology to collect, interpret, organize, and present information.

4. Demonstrate problem solving, critical thinking and engineering skills through open-ended laboratory experiments and projects.

• Advanced Placement

• Credits: 10 (Weighted Grade)

• College Prep Course

In this college-level algebra-based physics course, students will study major topics in physics outlined by College Board AP Physics 2 including: fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, waves, optics, circuits, and electricity and magnetism. After completing this course, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate science processing skills through making observations, taking measurements, analyzing data and drawing conclusions based on data.

2. Communicate mathematical and conceptual understanding of physics through solving physics problems in written form and through the use of diagrams, models, tables, graphs and symbols.

3. Use appropriate technology to collect, interpret, organize, and present information.

4. Demonstrate problem solving, critical thinking and engineering skills through open-ended laboratory experiments and projects.

• Must have completed or be concurrently enrolled in Physics in the Universe or AP Physics

• Credits: 10

• College Prep Course

The course is designed to give students an understanding of the structure and function of the systems of the human body and their interrelationships. Human physiology systems will provide the basic framework from which students will learn about vital human life processes such as respiration, digestion, circulation, immune responses, and reproduction. The course has been structured to be lab based with many of the laboratory exercises simulating the work of various categories of health professionals. Laboratory activities include dissection of both comparative animal organs as well as the cat anatomy in its entirety. This course is specifically designed for students who have interests in the medical field, including veterinary medicine, as well as those students who desire a more advanced science course in preparation for college work. The course meets the University of California requirements for laboratory science. Students must pass the first semester to enroll in the second semester.

• Must have completed, attempted, or be concurrently enrolled in Physics in the Universe or AP Physics

• Credits: 5 per semester 

• College Prep Course

Marine Science is a laboratory science course designed to be an in-depth study of physical and biological properties of the world’s oceans. The first semester focuses on physical oceanography and topics include plate tectonics, seawater chemistry, currents, tides, beach processes, waves, sediments, and marine pollution. The second semester focuses on marine biology, and includes a study of marine habitats, classification of life, marine ecology, human impact and conservation and includes animal dissections.

Marine Science consists of two semester classes.  Students do not need to be enrolled in the first semester to take the second semester.