This course will help students build critical thinking, analytical skills and strengthens mathematical thought/computation skills. Topics discussed in this course include forces and motion (mechanics) in straight, two-dimensional and circular directions, energy, electricity and optics. Students will learn by action: thinking of strategies to approach new situations, planning/executing semi-complex calculations, discussing/experiencing practical applications, and analyzing videos of laboratory experiments and simulations.
study: Science
Department Requirement: Students must complete a core Science course each year. Students are placed in appropriate courses by their guidance counselor.
Physical Science
This class will introduce students to fundamental principles of the Physical Sciences of Chemistry and Physics. Students will learn about the structure and chemical properties of matter and the changes it undergoes including atomic theory, the periodic table, chemical reactions, and other Chemistry concepts. Students will also learn fundamental properties of matter and forces between matter including measurement, motion, forces, energy, and other Physics concepts.
Life Science
This course will introduce students to fundamental biological principles. Students will learn about the chemistry of life, the basics of cells and cell processes, genetics, and ecology. Students will also learn how other scientific fields, such as chemistry, play an important role in the functions of life.
Environmental Science – Every Day is Earth Day
This course explores the complex interactions between living organisms and their non-living environments as well as current environmental concerns and strategies for conservation and preservation. It examines the vital role that humans play in the global ecosystem. All topics focus on the scientific principles that govern ecological processes that can be observed in the natural world.
Chemistry
In this course, students will learn about chemical structure and properties of matter, and the changes that matter experiences. Topics include atomic structure, stoichiometry, solutions, gas laws, periodic law, bonding, molecular orbital theory, equilibrium, acids, bases, life chemistry, thermochemistry, reduction-oxidation reactions and electrochemistry. No apparatus is required at home. The emphasis is on opportunities to develop and strengthen skills in rigorous deductive and inductive thinking, calculation process skills, and chemical safety decisions.
Biology
This Pennsylvania Keystone aligned course examines the concepts and processes of life science. Topics include cell chemistry and function, heredity, evolutionary theory and ecology. All topics will focus on the principles that govern biological processes observed in the natural world. Students enrolled in this course are required to take the physically proctored Pennsylvania Biology Keystone exam at the conclusion of the course.
