Freshman Biology (515)
Prerequisite: None
Open to all freshman, biology is a course required of all ninth or tenth graders. As a laboratory science, this course meets 55 min/day. The course objectives include:
To learn and to be able to discuss the major facts of modern biology as seen through seven major unifying themes;To gain an appreciation of the variety of life forms on the earth and of our responsibilities toward them;To become aware of the biological problems facing the world such as AIDS, global warming, and the loss of the ozone layer, and discuss their solutions;To use laboratory experiences and computers to enrich textbook readings and classroom discussions, and to demonstrate basic biological laboratory techniques.
Freshman Honors Biology (519)
Prerequisite: None
This course is offered to a limited number of freshmen based by recommendation of the department on the following criteria: high scores in math and science on the admissions test, grade of B or higher in seventh and eighth grade math and science. As a laboratory science, this course meets 55 min/day. The course objectives are:
To learn and to be able to discuss the major facts of modern biology as seen through seven major unifying themes;To gain an appreciation of the variety of life forms on the earth and of our responsibilities toward them;To become aware of the biological problems facing the world such as AIDS, global warming, and the loss of the ozone layer, and discuss their solutions;To use laboratory experiences and computers to enrich textbook readings and classroom discussions, and to demonstrate basic biological laboratory techniques.
Sophomore Biology (525)
Prerequisite: None
Biology is a course required of all tenth graders unless they have taken the course in ninth grade. As a laboratory science, this course meets 55 min/day. The course objectives include:
To learn and to be able to discuss the major facts of modern biology as seen through seven major unifying themes;To gain an appreciation of the variety of life forms on the earth and of our responsibilities toward them;To become aware of the biological problems facing the world such as AIDS, global warming, and the loss of the ozone layer, and discuss their solutions;To use laboratory experiences and computers to enrich textbook readings and classroom discussions, and to demonstrate basic biological laboratory techniques.
Advanced Placement Biology (530)
Prerequisite: Biology (515, 519 or 525) and Chemistry (535 or 539)
Qualification: Grade of “B” or higher in Chemistry (535 or 539), teacher recommendation, and a 3.3 cumulative average. Pre-registration is a requirement for this course.
AP Biology is a course for the junior or senior who wishes to take a second course in biology, especially with the goal of receiving college credit. This course will cover the topics most often found in a college general biology course under the main headings of molecular and cellular biology, genetics and evolution, and organisms and populations. Through lectures, readings, and laboratory experiments these topics will be explored with the following goals in mind:
To know the basic facts, principles, and processes of biology.To understand the means by which biological information is collected and interpreted, and how hypotheses are formulated.To understand the social consequences of advancements in biological science.
The advanced placement exam is required.
Standard Chemistry (535)
Prerequisite: Biology (515, 519 or 525)
Chemistry is the study of the properties and transformations of matter. A college-preparatory course deals with chemical principles under two unifying themes: (1) atomic and molecular structure, and (2) chemical dynamics and equilibrium. The areas covered are: atomic theory, periodic law, gas laws, chemical bonding, acids and bases, states of matter, kinetics, oxidation-reduction, and equilibrium. Emphasis is placed on the scientific method: of making observations, seeking relationships, and making predictions. Some practical applications of chemistry and environmental problems will be covered.
Honors Chemistry (539)
Prerequisite: (Biology 515, 519 or 525)
Qualification: Grade of B for the entire academic year in Biology (515 or 525) and a grade of B or better in math, overall GPA of 3.0, and a Biology teacher recommendation. Students not recommended may appeal this decision to the Science Department Chair and the Honors Chemistry teachers. If the student is permitted to take Honors Chemistry, performance conditions will be established to ensure proper learning is taking place. These conditions include, but are not limited to, summer work and extra work during the school year to make up for any inadequacies in the student’s background. If these conditions are not met, the student will be rescheduled into Standard Chemistry.
This course is an advanced level of first year high school chemistry; thus, the course is geared toward those students who plan on taking chemistry in college. The lectures, laboratory exercises, and tests will be similar to what a student would see in a first year college chemistry course. There will be an emphasis on problem solving and critical thinking skills, as the student learns the basic concepts of chemistry. The course will move at a faster pace than Standard Chemistry, and will include more in-depth learning of a greater number of concepts. Laboratory exercises will focus on problem solving and will be detail oriented. Also, outside projects and research will be assigned to individuals or to small groups. Topics covered during the course include stoichiometry, thermodynamics, atomic structure, solutions, gases, kinetics, and equilibrium.
AP Chemistry (540)
Prerequisite: Biology (515, 519 or 525) and Honors Chemistry (539)
Qualification: Grade “B” or higher in Honors Chemistry, recommendation from the Chemistry teacher, pre-registration, and a 3.3 cumulative average.
This course is to be taken only after the successful completion of a first year high school honors chemistry course. Students should attain a depth of understanding of fundamental concepts as well as problem solving. This is done through extensive, higher level thinking approaches in classroom discussion and laboratory activities. There is emphasis on development of the students’ ability to think, both clearly and logically, in an oral and written manner.
The advanced placement exam is required.
Physics (555)
Prerequisite: Biology (515, 519 or 525) and Chemistry (535 or 539)
Qualification: Grade “B” or higher in Chemistry and a recommendation from the chemistry teacher. Pre-registration is required.
Physics is the study of those laws that govern certain types of physical phenomena. The areas covered in a college preparatory course are: mechanics (the study of motion and its causes); light, sound and waves; electricity and magnetism; atomic and nuclear phenomena. Emphasis is placed on understanding concepts, derivation of the mathematical expression of the laws, and solution of concrete problems. This is accomplished through classroom and laboratory exercises.
Honors Physics (559)
Prerequisite: Biology (515, 519 or 525) and Chemistry (535 or 539) and Honors Algebra II /with Trig (245)
Corequisite: Honors Pre-Calculus (256)
Qualification: Chemistry students who achieve a grade of B or better in Honors Chemistry or B+ or better in Standard Chemistry, have a GPA of 3.0 or better, and receive a recommendation from their Chemistry teacher will be considered.
This course is designed to take the topics covered in Standard Physics and covers them in greater depth and breadth. The Honors Physics text is a college physics test. Honors students will be more often expected to be able to solve problems that require more synthesis, more difficult mathematics, and more abstract thinking. On a specific level, certain topics in Mechanics will be covered in this course and not in Standard Physics. These topics include Rotational Kinematics; 2-D momentum; elastic collisions in which only initial velocities and masses are given; Kepler’s Laws; torque used with angular acceleration; rotational inertia; rotational kinetic energy; and angular momentum.
AP Physics (560)
Prerequisite: Biology (515, 519 or 525) and Chemistry (535 or 539)
Qualification: Student must be taking Calculus, Grade of B for entire academic year in Chemistry (535 or 539), teacher recommendation, and student must do summer home study of physics concepts prior to taking course. Pre-registration is a requirement for this course.
Advanced placement physics is a first-year course designed to prepare the student to take both parts of the Physics C exam. Half of the year is devoted to mechanics, and half to electricity and magnetism. Calculus is used in the presentation and in the solution of some problems.
The advanced placement exam is required.
Honors Anatomy and Physiology (575)
Prerequisites: Students interested in the class must have successfully completed both biology and chemistry with a minimum of a B+ in the classes.
Qualification: The students should also have at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA in preparation for the class.
The course is an elective laboratory science class in anatomy and physiology offered to juniors and seniors (the course is not actually “new” to the Saint Ignatius curriculum; it represents a return of a class offered by the science department in the past). The student interested in a future health science career (physician, medical research, physical therapy, sports training, nursing) would particularly benefit from the class. The course would allow this student also to complete a pre-medical track along with their biology, chemistry, and physics classes. The coursework also permits the motivated biology student to complete material currently not offered in either standard biology or the proposed honors biology.
The lecture side of course will present the study of human anatomy and physiology using a systemic approach. The coursework will detail the elegant workings of the biomedical machine which is the human body. Particular emphasis will be placed on medical aspects of the diseases/pathologies of the human body. The laboratory side of the class will present dissections using a comparative animal anatomical approach, ranging across the invertebrate and vertebrate fauna from worms through mammals.