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Science

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  • Science

Recommendation:  Completion of Biology with a grade of C or higher, completion of Chemistry or Honors Chemistry is strongly recommended and may be taken concurrently with prior approval of instructor.

There will be a meeting at the end of May and/or near class selection time for students to observe dissections and to ask questions about the class.

(UC approved “d”)    

The objective of the course is to provide a firm background in the fundamentals of the anatomy and physiology of the human body. Emphasis is placed on the major systems of the human body. Hands-on labs provide the main thrust of the class consisting of at least 55% of the time devoted to gross (large) dissection of the cat and other large animals’ organs. The biochemistry and histology of each body system is incorporated into lectures and labs focusing on homeostasis. This course is recommended for students planning on pursuing a college program in nursing, health, therapy, veterinary, pharmacology and other related medical fields. A donation towards laboratory fees is requested during online registration and can be made in Infinite Campus in the Fees section.

  • Elective
  • Year-long
  • Science

Prerequisite: Completion of Honors Chemistry with a grade of B or higher. Strong math background and abstract thinking skills are essential for success in this course. 

(UC approved “d”)    

This rigorous course for second year Biology students follows the College Board requirements for AP Biology and is designed to be the equivalent to an introductory college course. Students will engage in laboratory work, group activities, and class discussions that are designed to give students a deep understanding of the concepts and the ability to apply them. The course focuses on the core biological themes of evolution, energy, information and interactions. Students will be prepared to take the AP Biology exam in the Spring. A donation towards laboratory fees is requested during online registration and can be made in Infinite Campus in the Fees section.

  • AP
  • Elective
  • Year-long
  • Science

Prerequisite:  Completion of Chemistry or Honors Chemistry and IM2 with a B or higher.

(UC approved "d")

The AP Chemistry course provides students with a college-level foundation to support future advanced coursework in chemistry.  Students cultivate their understanding of chemistry through inquiry-based investigations and explore the following topics: atomic structure, intermolecular forces and bonding, chemical reactions, kinetics, thermodynamics, and equilibrium.  This course requires that students engage in lab investigations during 25 percent of their instructional time. This includes a minimum of 16 hands-on labs (at least six of which are inquiry-based).  It is also strongly recommended that students keep a lab notebook throughout the course.

  • AP
  • Elective
  • Year-long
  • Science

Recommendation:  Completion of Biology and Chemistry courses with an average grade of B- or higher. 

(UC approved “d”)

This rigorous, interdisciplinary, full-year course is designed to be the equivalent of an introductory college course in environmental science. Lectures, text, supplemental reading, investigations, and laboratory materials are at the introductory college level. The course focuses on the interdependence of the Earth’s systems, including natural resources, environmental quality, global changes, and the ways that humans interact with these systems. Special emphasis is placed on utilizing a variety of activities to connect real world issues to the content, including laboratories and longer-term projects, case studies, field research on beach and intertidal rocky habitats, cost-benefit analyses, and current event presentations. Students will be prepared to take the AP Environmental Science exam in Spring. A donation towards laboratory fees is requested during online registration and can be made in Infinite Campus in the Fees section.

  • AP
  • Elective
  • Year-long
  • Science

Prerequisite:  Completion of Honors Physics and IM3 with a B or higher OR a B or higher in IM3 and an A in Physics of the Universe.

(UC approved "d")

AP Physics 2 is an algebra-based, introductory college-level physics course. Students cultivate their understanding of physics through classroom study, in-class activity, and hands-on inquiry-based laboratory work.  Students will explore concepts like systems, fields, force interactions, change, conservation, waves, and probability.  This course requires that students spend 25% of instructional time in hands-on laboratory work. An emphasis will be placed on inquiry-based investigations that provide students with opportunities to demonstrate the foundational physics principles and apply the science practices. Colleges may require students to present their laboratory materials from AP science courses before granting college credit for laboratory work, so students are encouraged to retain their notebooks and other materials.

  • AP
  • Elective
  • Year-long
  • Science

Prerequisite: Completion of the middle school science pathway.

Prerequisite: Completion of the middle school science pathway.

(UC approved “d”)

This required course will explore major biological concepts from a phenomenon-based approach. Biology is the first course in a three course NGSS sequence. Students will gain an appreciation of the natural world as they study phenomena such as superbugs, identical and fraternal twins, oceanic dead zones, cancer clusters and the search for extraterrestrial life.  Earth and space science concepts are integrated into the curriculum to enhance student understanding of the interconnectedness  between organisms and their environment. 

Students will engage in hands-on activities, experimentation, data analysis and apply engineering principles. Upon successful completion of this course, students will have a strong foundation for taking upper level science courses. A donation towards laboratory fees is requested during online registration and can be made in Infinite Campus in the Fees section.

  • Open to 9th Graders
  • Year-long
  • Science

Prerequisite: Completion of Biology

(UC approved “d”)    

This course is specifically directed towards college-bound students who will be non-science majors. This is the second course in a three-course sequence. It is unique in its strong emphasis on learning chemical principles as they apply to real life, as it is centered on chemistry-related technological issues now confronting our society and the world. It is intended to help students realize the important role that chemistry plays in their personal and professional lives, to use principles of chemistry to think more intelligently about current issues they will encounter involving science and technology, and to develop a lifelong awareness of the potential and limitations of science of technology. The course incorporates various phenomena that occur on Earth and throughout the solar system to help explain, understand and apply the chemistry curriculum. A donation towards laboratory fees is requested during online registration and can be made in Infinite Campus in the Fees section.
 

  • Year-long
  • Science

Offered Fall 2024-2025 School Year
Prerequisite: Biology or concurrent enrollment in Biology

(UC approval pending)

Entomology is the study of insects. Insects and their relatives are found in every habitat on the planet, and are critical members of every biome. Some can have harmful effects on humans, but most are beneficial to us and some are required for our way of life or even survival.  This course emphasizes insect identification and taxonomy (how they are related) and presents topics such as insect evolution, physiology, economic and ecological importance, conservation and control and effects of climate change. We will do collections and observations in the field, and study collected insects for identification. Field trips will be local and will vary with the season and weather. Pending approval, optional weekend day trips will occur to coastal and central valley locations.

The Field Science Electives consist of four semester-long courses; they are entirely independent of one another, so students may take any or all of them.  The sequence of four courses will be repeated every two years; please note that only FSE Entomology and FSE Marine Science will be offered in 2024-2025  Each course involves field work roughly once every three weeks, which will sometimes extend beyond normal school hours, depending on destinations and schedules. Students are expected to attend every field trip; instructor pre-approval for absences is required.

  • Elective
  • Semester
  • Science

Not Offered 2024-2025 School Year 
Prerequisites: Biology and Chemistry

(UC approved “d”)    

This course expands on the study of geology found in the other core science courses. We begin with Earth’s structure and plate tectonics, then an overview of mineral formation and composition; igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks follow, then geologic time and Earth history, with connections to the evolution of life. Throughout the course there is a particular emphasis on California landforming processes, such as glaciation and volcanism, so that students will gain a deeper understanding of the geology underlying their local and state communities. Field trips will include Piedmont Park, Sibley Volcanic Regional Park and Leona Canyon. Pending approval, there may be optional weekend overnight field trips, such as Yosemite NP, Mammoth Mountain, or Lassen NP.

The Field Science Electives consist of four semester-long courses; they are entirely independent of one another, so students may take any or all of them.  The sequence of four courses will be repeated every two years; please note that only FSE Entomology and FSE Marine Science will be offered in 2024-2025  Each course involves field work roughly once every three weeks, which will sometimes extend beyond normal school hours, depending on destinations and schedules. Students are expected to attend every field trip; instructor pre-approval for absences is required.

  • Elective
  • Semester
  • Science

Offered Spring 20424-2025 School Year
Prerequisites: Biology and Chemistry

(UC approval pending)

In California we are ideally situated to explore the marine environment which covers ¾ of the Earth’s surface. Marine ecosystems range from tidepools and estuaries to open oceans; surface waters full of familiar fish, birds, and mammals, to the deep seafloor, which is the least explored area on Earth. We will study the variety of these marine ecosystems and how the myriad of physical and chemical factors contribute to their complexity. We will also focus on the complicated interrelationship between the oceans and climate change. Field trips in this course will be longer than in the other electives, since our destinations will be more remote. We will spend time in tidepools, marshes, and on the bay itself, and (pending approval) optional field trips may include Monterey Bay and offshore locations.

The Field Science Electives consist of four semester-long courses; they are entirely independent of one another, so students may take any or all of them.  The sequence of four courses will be repeated every two years; please note that only FSE Entomology and FSE Marine Science will be offered in 2024-2025  Each course involves field work roughly once every three weeks, which will sometimes extend beyond normal school hours, depending on destinations and schedules. Students are expected to attend every field trip; instructor pre-approval for absences is required.

  • Elective
  • Semester
  • Science

Not Offered 2024-2025 School Year
Prerequisite: Biology or concurrent enrollment in Biology

(UC approved “d”)    

Ornithology is the study of birds. Birds are the only descendents of dinosaurs and they are some of Earth's most beautiful and interesting species; familiarity with them will enhance your experience in the outdoors. This course emphasizes bird identification, with regular in-class walks in Piedmont Park, as well as field trips to San Francisco Bay marsh areas and local parks. We also will delve into topics such as avian evolution, physiology (adaptations to flight), relationship to biomes, conservation, and the effects of climate change on populations. Pending approval, optional weekend day trips will occur to coastal, central valley locations.

The Field Science Electives consist of four semester-long courses; they are entirely independent of one another, so students may take any or all of them.  The sequence of four courses will be repeated every two years; please note that only FSE Entomology and FSE Marine Science will be offered in 2024-2025  Each course involves field work roughly once every three weeks, which will sometimes extend beyond normal school hours, depending on destinations and schedules. Students are expected to attend every field trip; instructor pre-approval for absences is required.

  • Elective
  • Semester
  • Science

Prerequisite: Completion of Biology with a grade of B or higher. Strong mathematics background and ability are essential to success in this course

(UC approved “d”)    

This is a rigorous college preparatory course intended for students who will take chemistry in college and/or who plan to enter science-related fields; a college level text is used. This is the second course in a three-course sequence. Students must be self-directed and have strong study skills. They need to spend at least 5 hours per week preparing for class. Students develop the basic chemical foundation required for the AP Biology course. Lab experiments are a focus and will emphasize the problem-solving approach to the basic ideas of atomic theory, chemical change, energy effects and descriptive chemistry. Students design and carry out several of their own experiments. The course incorporates phenomena that occur on Earth and throughout the solar system to help explain, understand and elucidate the chemistry curriculum. A donation towards laboratory fees is requested during online registration and can be made in Infinite Campus in the Fees section.

  • Honors
  • Year-long
  • Science

Prerequisite:  Students must have completed IM2 (or the equivalent) with a B or better and have received a grade of B or higher in Chemistry or Honors Chemistry.

(UC approved “d”)  

Throughout this course, students will engage with phenomena and design challenges to make sense of abstract physical principles, such as wave/particle duality and electromagnetic fields, and complex earth and space science phenomena, such as stellar evolution and Earth’s internal structure. The rigor of this course will prepare students for collegiate studies in physics and for engaging in civic discourse around socio-scientific issues, such as human impacts on the environment. Students will demonstrate their ability to use this knowledge in a wide range of formative and summative assessment tasks. This honors course includes the foundational phenomena and themes of the standard Physics of the Universe course but increases the conceptual demand on students. A donation towards laboratory fees is requested during online registration and can be made in Infinite Campus in the Fees section.

  • Honors
  • Year-long
  • Science

Prerequisite:  Completion of Biology and Chemistry or Honors Chemistry

(UC approved “d”)    

Throughout this course, students will engage with phenomena and design challenges to make sense of abstract physical principles, such as wave/particle duality and electromagnetic fields, and complex earth and space science phenomena, such as stellar evolution and Earth’s internal structure. The rigor of this course will prepare students for collegiate studies in physics and for engaging in civic discourse around socio-scientific issues, such as human impacts on the environment. Students will demonstrate their ability to use this knowledge in a wide range of formative and summative assessment tasks. A donation towards laboratory fees is requested during online registration and can be made in Infinite Campus in the Fees section.

  • Year-long

Faculty

Marna Chamberlain
Teacher - website
Kylie Hilton
Teacher
Duncan Kight
Teacher
John Savage
Teacher
Shelley Seto-Rosen
Teacher
Andy WIllats
Teacher, Department Chair