Faculty

Joseph Cathy
Jarra Dennis
Steven Frymoyer
Megan Grandinetti
Emily Grube
Gary Pumphrey
Audrey Smeltzer-Schwab
Robert Wolfe

Courses

The science program is designed to provide each student with the opportunity to take the fundamental courses in each area of science. In addition, the science program provides electives in the biological, chemical and physical sciences for those students who are interested in a scientific career. The science program is mostly lab-oriented with emphasis on discovery as a means of learning.

ADVANCED BIOLOGY

The course content includes subject matter beyond the scope of general biology. This course includes an in-depth look at comparative vertebrate anatomy and physiology, indicating evidence of possible pathways of evolution. Accompanying dissections may include the frog or mudpuppy salamander, fetal pig, shark, turtle, and snake. Other general areas studied include, but are not limited to, a taxonomic overview of the five and six kingdom systems, the biochemistry of cells, genetics and botany. Throughout the course, various current environmental issues and medical/bioethical issues will be presented. The course meets seven periods in a six-day cycle.

AP CHEMISTRY

Many colleges and universities grant admission with advanced standing in chemistry to students who have passed the Advanced Placement Chemistry test. In addition to covering topics in inorganic chemistry that were not covered in the basic chemistry course, this course prepares students for the Advanced Placement Chemistry Test. Students who are enrolled in AP Chemistry will meet for eight periods in a six-day cycle.

CHEMISTRY -- HONORS & CHEMISTRY - COLLEGE

Chemistry is the first lab-based course available to students and is essential for students who intend to pursue post-secondary education immediately after high school. Units of study describing matter, atomic theory, nomenclature, reactions, stoichiometry, gases, thermochemistry, and kinetics. The topics are based on the Commonwealth's recommended curriculum for the Keystone exams. Honors Chemistry covers these themes in more depth and prepares students to take AP Chemistry if they so desire. This course meets seven periods in a six-day cycle.

ADVANCED CHEMISTRY

Recommended for students who are considering science as a career or for students who would like to continue the study of chemistry. Topics in inorganic chemistry that were not covered in the basic chemistry course are emphasized including atomic theory, kinetics, thermodynamics, equilibrium, and acid/base theory. Lab techniques will be emphasized. The course meets seven periods in a six-day cycle.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Recommended for college bound students with an interest in the environment and problems that face it. Course content includes an in-depth look at topics such as ecosystems, global problems, pollution, human population and current environmental topics and legislation. Other general areas of study include, but are not limited to, alternative energy sources and possible solutions to environmental problems. This course also includes project-oriented studies.

GENERAL PHYSICAL SCIENCE

The emphasis of this course is on the introductory concepts and applications of Chemistry and Physics. The course includes units such as Properties of Matter, Density, Force, Motion, Energy and Work, Machines, Elements and Atoms, Compounds and Mixtures, Chemical Formulas, Chemical Reactions and Metals. Students who have passed chemistry or physics may not schedule this course.

CONCEPTS OF PHYSICS

Concepts in Physics is an integrated approach to providing students with real world applications of math and science in a technological setting. It blends an understanding of basic principles with practice in "hands-on" applications wherever possible. Concepts including Force, Work, Rate, and Resistance will be discussed through mechanical, fluid, electrical, and thermal systems. Students will design, construct, and implement a culminating "project." Students interested in trade or technology should enroll in this course.

PHYSICS

Physics is a course offering concerned with the principles and laws governing the behavior of the inanimate world around us. As a science, it is a process where one learns more and more of the seemingly endless detail of natural phenomena through experimentation, reasoning, mathematical analysis, and hard academic effort. Recommended for all students anticipating a career in science, mathematics, engineering, or science related areas. The course meets seven periods in a six-day cycle.

ADVANCED PHYSICS

Recommended for students who intend a science or mathematics career. Emphasis is on extending physical concepts introduced in the basic physics course, a more rigorous mathematical treatment of the development of these concepts, experimenting using more sophisticated equipment which will yield more precise results than that available to basic physics students, and communicating and developing ideas through lab reports. The course meets seven periods in a six-day cycle.

HUMAN ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY

This class includes the subject area of biology, mathematics, physics and health. The course explores the components of physiology, anatomy and kinesiology -- areas that comprise the human body as a whole. This course looks at the complex components of the body and shows how they work together to provide functioning and a total well-being. The student will be challenged to understand how bodily systems work together to maintain homestasis, know gross and surface anatomy of the skeletal and muscular systems and, with this knowledge, analyze movement. This course is designed for those students who wish to pursue a profession in the medical field.

AP BIOLOGY

The AP Biology course is designed to be the equivalent of a two-semester college introductory biology course usually taken by biology majors during their first year. The topics include molecules and cells (25% of the course), heredity and evolution (25% of the course), and organisms and populations (50% of the course). The two main goals of AP Biology are to help students develop a conceptual framework for modern biology and an appreciation of science as a process. The laboratory component of this course will be centered around the 12 lab experiences that the College Board recommends. The course meets for eight periods in a six-day cycle. Students may choose to take the AP exam at the student's expense. Students who have scheduled Advanced Biology may not schedule this course.

ADVANCED PHYSICS

AP Physics B is a rigorous second year course that covers the topics of Newtonian mechanics, fluid mechanics, thermal physics, electricity and magnetism, waves and optics, and atomic and nuclear physics. This course is the equivalent of a first year trigonometry-based college course with the laboratory component. The course meets for eight periods in a six-day cycle. Students may choose to take the AP exam at the student's expense.