High School Curriculum: Science
Biology
Teacher: Jay Huston
Core textbook:
Biology – The Dynamics of Life (Glencoe/McGraw-Hill 2002)
Supplemental text and resources:
Biology – Second Edition (Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Co, Inc. 1990)
Body Atlas DVD Series (The Learning Channel & Ambrose Video Publishing 1994)
Course Overview:
For students to study all living things, they will move from the macro (Ecology and Biodiversity) through Ecosystems and Resource Cycling to the micro (Cells and Genetics). The coursework continues with the study of the systems of the body, which are further investigated through the dissection of worms and frogs. Because Biology is a vocabulary-based course, note taking and study strategies are emphasized.
Course Goals:
Teacher: Jay Huston
Core textbook:
Biology – The Dynamics of Life (Glencoe/McGraw-Hill 2002)
Supplemental text and resources:
Biology – Second Edition (Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Co, Inc. 1990)
Body Atlas DVD Series (The Learning Channel & Ambrose Video Publishing 1994)
Course Overview:
For students to study all living things, they will move from the macro (Ecology and Biodiversity) through Ecosystems and Resource Cycling to the micro (Cells and Genetics). The coursework continues with the study of the systems of the body, which are further investigated through the dissection of worms and frogs. Because Biology is a vocabulary-based course, note taking and study strategies are emphasized.
Course Goals:
- Demonstrate knowledge of how biodiversity, resources, equilibriums, and humans can affect the stability of an ecosystem.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the cells different purposes, structures and parts.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the interactions between DNA and RNA in terms of protein synthesis.
- Demonstrate knowledge of how asexual and sexual reproduction works and how Mendel’s Law helps explain the probability of gene expression in sexually produced offspring can be calculated.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the many systems of the body, how they function, and how they interact to keep us alive.
Chemistry
Teacher: Jay Huston
Core textbook: Chemistry – Concepts and Applications (Glencoe/McGraw-Hill 2005)
Supplemental text: Chemistry – Matter and Change (Glencoe/McGraw 2005)
Course Overview:
For students to learn about the Elements and their properties, the class focuses on the atomic model, bonding, the Periodic Table and the relationship between energy and structure. The class also emphasizes how to write a clear, concise lab write up that describes the experiments run in class, the data gathered, and the conclusions drawn from them.
Course Goals:
Teacher: Jay Huston
Core textbook: Chemistry – Concepts and Applications (Glencoe/McGraw-Hill 2005)
Supplemental text: Chemistry – Matter and Change (Glencoe/McGraw 2005)
Course Overview:
For students to learn about the Elements and their properties, the class focuses on the atomic model, bonding, the Periodic Table and the relationship between energy and structure. The class also emphasizes how to write a clear, concise lab write up that describes the experiments run in class, the data gathered, and the conclusions drawn from them.
Course Goals:
- Demonstrate knowledge of how the Periodic Table is arranged and how to use it to predict how elements will bond to make compounds.
- Demonstrate knowledge of how acids and bases interact and how to calculate pH.
- Demonstrate knowledge of how the particles of gases move and are affected by changes in volume, temperature and/or pressure.
- Demonstrate knowledge of how particles of solutions interact and how temperature, pressure and surface area affect dissolving.
- Demonstrate knowledge of how chemical reactions and heat are related.
Computer Science
Teacher: Jay Huston
Core textbook: Introduction to Programming and Computer Science
Supplemental texts:
Objects First with Java: A Practical Introduction Using Blue J (Prentice Hall/Pearson 2009)
Introduction to Programming with Greenfoot (Prentice Hall/Pearson 2010)
Course Overview:
After a brief introduction to hardware, students will learn the basics of data types, referencing and functions using Microsoft Excel. From there, using Blue Jay & Greenfoot, they will learn about Objects, Classes, Exceptions in full Java environments. The goal of the class is to sharpen problem solving skills and acquire enough computer science knowledge to prepare students for introductory computer science classes in college.
Course Goals:
Teacher: Jay Huston
Core textbook: Introduction to Programming and Computer Science
Supplemental texts:
Objects First with Java: A Practical Introduction Using Blue J (Prentice Hall/Pearson 2009)
Introduction to Programming with Greenfoot (Prentice Hall/Pearson 2010)
Course Overview:
After a brief introduction to hardware, students will learn the basics of data types, referencing and functions using Microsoft Excel. From there, using Blue Jay & Greenfoot, they will learn about Objects, Classes, Exceptions in full Java environments. The goal of the class is to sharpen problem solving skills and acquire enough computer science knowledge to prepare students for introductory computer science classes in college.
Course Goals:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the basics parts of a computer, what they do, what they look like and how to install/remove them from a PC tower.
- Demonstrate knowledge of different data types and how to initiate, access, and change their values.
- Demonstrate knowledge of how to create functions, pass values to them and handle values returned from them.
- Demonstrate knowledge of how to define and reference objects of different types of classes in Java.
- Demonstrate knowledge of how to define different types of classes in Java.
Physics
Teacher: Jay Huston
Core textbook: Physics – Principles and Problems (Glencoe/McGraw-Hill – 2009)
Supplemental text: Conceptual Physics Laboratory Manual (Prentice Hall-2009)
Course Overview:
For students to learn the many forms of energy, starting with the more tangible and moving to the more abstract, the class starts with Newton’s Laws and then moves on to Momentum, Energy Conservation, Heat, and Waves and ends with Electricity and a circuitry final project. The class emphasizes personalizing the scientific method by designing the experiments to test the hypotheses.
Course Goals:
Note: This course alternates with Computer Science on a yearly basis. CompSci is being taught for the 2011-2012 school year; Physics will be offered in 2012-2013.
Teacher: Jay Huston
Core textbook: Physics – Principles and Problems (Glencoe/McGraw-Hill – 2009)
Supplemental text: Conceptual Physics Laboratory Manual (Prentice Hall-2009)
Course Overview:
For students to learn the many forms of energy, starting with the more tangible and moving to the more abstract, the class starts with Newton’s Laws and then moves on to Momentum, Energy Conservation, Heat, and Waves and ends with Electricity and a circuitry final project. The class emphasizes personalizing the scientific method by designing the experiments to test the hypotheses.
Course Goals:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the relationships between Newton’s Laws of Motion, changes in direction and circular motion.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the laws of conservation of energy, laws of momentum, and how to use them to predict the movement of an object.
- Demonstrate knowledge of how waves have characteristic properties that do not depend on the type of waves.
- Demonstrate knowledge of Ohm’s Law and how to use electricity for practical purposes.
Note: This course alternates with Computer Science on a yearly basis. CompSci is being taught for the 2011-2012 school year; Physics will be offered in 2012-2013.
