Science
Click on a course name below to view more information.
REQUIRED: Three year-long courses (3 credits), including Biology and Chemistry.
Level: 9th grade
Length: Year
Description: This course is a study of central biological concepts presented in an interconnected and evolutionary framework. Concepts studied include evolution, ecology, biochemical processes, organic compounds, cellular biology and reproduction, Mendelian and applied genetics. Students participate in activities which offer an opportunity to view the concepts studied and to demonstrate analytical and critical-thinking skills. Field-biology activities, inquiry labs, and the Freshmen Orientation Adventure provide students opportunities to explore environmental topics in the biology curriculum.
Level: 9th grade
Length: Year
Prerequisite: Qualifying exam and departmental approval.
Description: Honors Biology is an enriched level of biology which emphasizes the nature of scientific discovery and process using a modeling-based curriculum. The course follows a historical perspective, replicating the work and experiments of early biologists as students collaborate to come to the conclusions that shape the way we study living organisms. The modeling curriculum utilizes a claim, evidence, reasoning framework that challenges students to not only master concepts but also understand the logic and connections that support them. This course is a deep study of the interconnectedness of living things and the critical thinking that scientific discovery inspires. Honors Biology provides a learner-centered experience and relies on collaboration in small groups to problem solve and develop models of understanding.
Level: 11th and 12th grades
Length: Year
Prerequisite: Biology and Chemistry.
Description: The AP Biology course is a rigorous and fast-paced course designed to be the equivalent of a college course taken by biology majors during the first year of college. AP Biology is an advanced course involving detailed investigations of all major areas of modern biology, with a special focus on the molecular and chemical basis of life, including biochemistry, cellular biology, enzymes, energy transformation, genetics and molecular biology, adaptation, and ecology. Laboratory investigations are an important component of the course.
Level: 10th grade
Length: YearÂ
Prerequisite: Biology and departmental approval.
Description: Environmental Science is a course dedicated to understanding the interactions between Earth’s natural systems and the demands placed on them by the human population. Students will investigate how we use Earth's systems and will explore potential solutions for the resulting consequences of resource mismanagement and exploitation. Students will collect and analyze data that will help them describe the world and develop conclusions that shape the way they see the Earth. This course is designed to strengthen student understanding of concepts in mathematics, the life sciences, physical sciences, and social sciences. Environmental Science provides a learner-centered experience that relies on collaboration and builds mathematical prowess to problem-solve and develop models of understanding.
Level: 10th grade
Length: YearÂ
Prerequisite: Biology.
Description: This course is designed to provide a foundation of chemical principles in preparation for future science courses. Atomic structure, bonding theories, periodic properties, solution calculations, gas laws, the properties of solids and liquids, chemical nomenclature and stoichiometry are among the topics discussed. Through demonstrations and discussions, concepts are related to real-world applications. In the laboratory the students explore the nature and properties of matter and the interactions between matter and energy through chemical reactions.
Level: 10th grade
Length: Year
Prerequisite: Biology, qualifying exam and departmental approval; concurrent enrollment in Algebra 2.
Description: Honors Chemistry is designed to enable students to see how chemical principles and concepts are developed through experimental observations and data. Topics include atomic structure and periodicity, stoichiometry, gas laws, acids and bases, kinetics and equilibrium. Chemistry becomes relevant and interesting through consideration of problems faced in today’s increasingly technological world. Frequent experimentation provides opportunities for students to develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. Students design and conduct lab procedures for their own testable questions, and formal lab reports are required. This course is highly recommended for students who wish to enroll in AP Science classes in the future.
Level: 11th and 12th grades
Length: Year
Prerequisite: Algebra 2.
Description: The AP Chemistry course is designed to be the equivalent of a college course taken by chemistry majors during the first year of college. The AP course differs from usual high school chemistry courses in the level of the textbook used, the range and depth of topics addressed, the type of laboratory work, and the time and effort required of students. AP Chemistry is an advanced course involving detailed investigations of all major areas of chemistry, with special focus on stoichiometry, chemical bonding, thermodynamics, kinetics, chemical equilibrium, and electrochemistry. The laboratory investigations are an important component of the course.
Level: 11th and 12th grades
Length: YearÂ
Prerequisite: Algebra 2.
Description: Physics is the study of nature in its simplest form. Topics include the study of motion, energy, forces, torque, heat, electricity, magnetism, light, sound, and modern physics. Laboratory instruction provides “hands-on” learning opportunities for students to learn and apply important physics concepts. In the course, students develop their ability to express conceptual principles through mathematical representations.
Level: 11th and 12th grades
Length: Year
Prerequisite: Algebra 2.
Description: AP Physics 1 is the equivalent of a first- semester college course in algebra-based physics, but it is designed to be taught over a full academic year to enable AP students to develop a deep understanding of the content and to focus on applying their knowledge through inquiry labs. Topics include Newtonian mechanics (including rotational dynamics and angular momentum); work, energy, and power; mechanical waves and sound. It also introduces electric circuits.
Level: 12th grade
Length: Year
Prerequisite: AP Physics 1 or Physics, departmental approval.
Description: AP Physics 2 is the equivalent of a second-semester college course in algebra-based physics, but it is designed to be taught over a full academic year to enable AP students to develop a deep understanding of the content and to focus on applying their knowledge through inquiry labs. Topics include fluid mechanics; thermodynamics; electricity and magnetism; optics; atomic and nuclear physics.
Level: 11th and 12th grades
Length: Year
Description: Honors Marine Biology is a project-based and hands-on course that begins with microscopic plankton and ends with the study of the blue whale. It emphasizes marine flora and fauna and how the two relate to one another. The curriculum is designed to broaden students’ knowledge of the marine world, to develop their respect and appreciation for the world’s oceans, and to increase their awareness of the fragility of the marine environment. Students perform numerous lab activities, including the observation of live and preserved specimens. As they become more confident in their dissection and lab skills, students are challenged to plan and lead dissections for their peers. Dissection, collaboration, and inquiry are integral parts of the class experience. This rigorous course requires students to participate in several long-term projects.The year culminates with an authentic field experience where students work at a field site collecting and analyzing data and determining the various species that inhabit the site.
Level: 11th and 12th grades
Length: Year
Prerequisites: Algebra 2.
Description: This course provides students with the knowledge necessary for understanding complex environmental issues. Topics include the physical environment of the earth, energy flow, trophic levels, chemical cycling, interactions and interdependence, homeostasis, and succession. Environmental concerns such as population growth, pollution, energy resources, and biological diversity are also discussed. Students participate in field trips.
Level: 11th and 12th grades
Length: Year
Description: This course is an elective for juniors and seniors interested in learning more about the human body. Through lectures, guest speakers, hands-on interactive experiences, lab activities, and organ dissections, students explore the relationship between structure and function of the human body. The fourth quarter culminates in a cat dissection where students apply what they have learned over the course of the year. Topics include several human body systems and the physiological disorders that occur when normal body functions are no longer in balance.
Level: 9th through 12th grades
Length: Year / Course can be taken more than once.
Prerequisite: Departmental approval and qualifying exam (for 9th and 10th grades).
Description: In this course, students undertake original scientific research under the guidance of Episcopal science teachers and qualified scientists. Students collaborate with the teacher and mentor to design a controlled experiment that is conducted in a school laboratory or in a research institution. All projects must adhere to the rules of the International Science and Engineering Fair, and a log notebook must be maintained as a legal document of the investigation. An analysis of the results and a discussion of possible applications and future studies are presented to the class at the end of the first semester and at the Regional Science Fair in February. Seniors previously enrolled in this course submit their work to the Regeneron Science Talent Search. Students take field trips to research facilities. Students who are interested in extending their scientific research may repeat this course as many times as necessary.