Science Department

 

BIOLOGY
This life science course emphasizes a greater awareness of the living world through lecture and laboratory investigations in the studies of cell, evolution, ecology diversity in plants and animals, heredity, and human anatomy and physiology.

BIOLOGY HONORS
This accelerated course is designed to be the equivalent of a college introductory biology course. Students are provided with the conceptual framework, factual knowledge, and analytical skills necessary to deal critically with the rapidly changing science of biology.

FORENSIC BIOLOGY
This life science course introduces general concepts of forensic science and presents the recovery as evidence in criminal cases. This course describes methods to determine the source of questioned physiological material by identification of its biological nature.

PHYSIOLOGY/ANATOMY
This biology-based life science course focuses on the importance of understanding the structure and function of the human body. Students will explore disease while learning to use medical terminology to identify and describe parts of the body.

SPORTS MEDICINE
This advanced life science course introduces students to the study of human kinesiology. Emphasis is placed on the study of the musculoskeletal system and the action of the joints and muscles involved in human movement. There is an articulation agreement with Mt. SAC in which students can receive college credit via an examination.

BOTANY
This life science course deals with the study of plants, including their structure, properties, and biochemical processes. It is designed to introduce the student to the basic concepts and skills utilized in horticulture. Students will receive an introduction to basic botanical concepts such as morphology, anatomy, taxonomy, physiology, genetics, and propagation as they apply to horticulture.

CHEMISTRY
This physical science course is focused on increasing the student’s awareness of chemistry and how it influences the structure of matter. The class is taught through a combination of lecture, laboratory experiments and activities. This includes properties of solids, liquids, and gases, trends of periodic table, bonding, and the nature of atomic structures.

CHEMISTRY HONORS
This accelerated course is designed to be the equivalent of a college introductory chemistry course. This course is focused on increasing students’ awareness of chemistry and how it influences the structure of matter.

AP CHEMISTRY
The purpose of the class is to prepare students who are planning to take college level work in the sciences. This course reinforces and extends the study of chemistry and develops problem solving skills in preparation for college chemistry and the Advanced Placement Chemistry Exam. Some colleges accept a score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP exam as college credit in this subject area. All students are expected to take the AP exam at the end of the course.

PHYSICS
This is a course in basic physics. The topics covered are mechanics, waves and optics, electricity and magnetism, and atomic and modern physics. Labs and projects are used to deepen the student’s understanding of the concepts.

CONCEPTUAL PHYSICS
It introduces the central concepts of physics by providing the conceptual framework to understand everyday phenomena. Students learn essential concepts of physics through demonstration, laboratory work, and discussion.

AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
This is an intensive college-level interdisciplinary science course that explores and investigates the interrelationships of the natural world. It focuses on ecological processes, human impacts on the earth, and how to resolve or prevent natural and human-made environmental problems.