HIGH SCHOOL 2011 – 2012

Advanced Chemistry
This course presents the theoretical foundations of physical chemistry.  Material will include atomic structure, stochiometry, calculations involving energy and heat transfer, and a detailed study of basic chemical reactions. This course will cover the syllabus mandated by the Advanced Placement examination.  Laboratory work will be an extensive and detailed complement to the theoretical material. Text (2011 – 2012):  Brown et. al., Chemistry:  The Central Science

Advanced Biology
This detailed study of molecular and cellular biology will focus on the basic processes and structures of living organisms as well as the consequences these structures have for macroscopic phenomena.  This course will cover the syllabus attached to the Advanced Placement examination.  Intensive laboratory work will complement the theoretical material. Text (2011 – 2012):  Campbell and Reece, Biology (AP edition)

Enviornmental Science
A study of biogeochemical cycles, energy flow through ecosystems, biological diversity, and efforts to restore damaged and/or polluted ecosystems, focusing in particular on agriculture, fisheries, and natural preserves. Text (2011 – 2012): Botkin and Keller, Environmental Science.

Computer Science I
This course introduces the fundamental concepts of computer programming using Racket, a well-equipped dialect of the Lisp programming language. After covering basic expressions and control structures, we move on to a thorough study of recursion, then to principles of data abstraction and the notion of encapsulation. The students are exposed briefly to the imperative style and to its disadvantages. Projects are assigned that address topics like sorting and benchmarking, and role-playing games will be implemented if enough proficiency is gained.

Computer Science II
The second year of computer science continues where the first left off. More advanced concepts are introduced and the role-playing game is grown to larger sizes and capabilities. Key concepts include pattern matching, exceptions, continuations, events and concurrent programming, and simple networking. Time permitting, we may tackle web programming and prolog-style logic-programming.

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Science Survey (2010 – 2011)
This is a broad introduction to biology, chemistry, and physics.  Topics may include ecosystems, plants, cells, evolution, atoms, one-dimensional motion, and astronomy.  The scientific method will be a major theme throughout the year, and students will be expected to design, carry out, and analyze their own experiments.

Chemistry II (2010 – 2011)
This second-year course focuses on the historical development of chemistry.  Readings will be drawn from a variety of primary and secondary sources that shed light on how chemical ideas have been developed, explained, and received.

Advanced Physics (2010 – 2011)
This is an intensive, calculus-based course in classical physics.  The course syllabus includes all topics in the Advanced Placement Physics C curriculum: forces, energy, momentum, rotational motion, electrostatics, and induction. If time permits, we will also discuss special relativity, wave behavior, and quantum mechanics.