Department Head: Mike Cronmiller

Anatomy and Physiology

Grades: 11 & 12

This is an introductory course into the human body and its structures and functions. The class briefly reviews basic chemistry and cell biology, and studies tissue types and organization as they apply to the human body. Human anatomy and physiology are the main focus of the class with major emphasis on the respiratory, muscular, skeletal, digestive, excretory, circulatory, nervous, and integument systems. A cat dissection is done to help investigate and relate the structure to its function as it correlates to the human body. Field trips to a hospital and health care professions are taken to expose the student to the career opportunities and working environments. Students may earn 3 hours of GCC credit for this course. (.5 credit)

Astronomy

Pre-requisite: Physical Setting: Life Science and Living Environment

This 20-week course will take up where Regents Earth Science left off. The first 10 weeks of the course will be a study of stellar astronomy. Topics covered will include stellar evolution, cosmology, telescopic observation/photography, and constellation identification. Evening observing sessions will be a part of this course. Extensive use/research of the Internet will be stressed. The second 10 weeks will focus on planetary astronomy. Topics to be covered include Kepler's Laws, the Earth/moon system, tides and eclipses, as well as planetary space probes. Again, extensive use will be made of Internet resources to stay abreast of current discoveries. (.5 credit)

Biotechnical Engineering

Grades: 11 & 12

Pre-requisite: Secondary level knowledge and skills in biology, technology and mathematics

The major focus of the Biotechnical Engineering (BIO) course is to expose students to the diverse fields of biotechnology including biomedical engineering, biomolecular genetics, bioprocess engineering, agricultural and environmental engineering. Lessons engage students in engineering design problems that can be accomplished in a high school setting related to biomechanics, cardiovascular engineering, genetic engineering, agricultural biotechnology, tissue engineering, biomedical devices, human interface, bioprocesses, forensics and bioethics. This course may be taken as part of the PLTW sequence of courses or as an elective.

(1 credit/full year or .5 credit/half year)

Cell Biology/AP Biology

Offered every other year

Pre-requisite: Living Environment and teacher recommendation

AP Exam Required

This Advanced Biology course is designed to be the equivalent of a college introductory biology course, usually taken by biology majors during their first year. Advanced Biology covers the topic areas of:

1.Molecules and Cells
   a.Chemistry of Life
   b.Cells
   c.Cellular Energetics

2.Heredity and Evolution
   a.Heredity
   b.Molecular Biology
   c.Evolutionary Biology

3.Organisms and Populations
   a.Diversity of Organisms
   b.Structure and Function of Plants and Animals

Field trips for ecology, biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology and laboratory research are taken throughout the year. Students may earn 3 hours of GCC credit for this course. (1 credit)

Chemistry

Pre-requisite: Successful completion

of Math A exam

Chemistry is the central science concerned with the properties and changes that materials undergo. Topics of study include matter and energy, atomic structure, periodicity, chemical bonding, organic and nuclear chemistry, kinetics and thermodynamics, chemical equilibrium,

acid-base chemistry, reduction-oxidation chemistry. This course follows the NYS Regents syllabus, which prepares students to take the NYS Regents exam upon successful completion of this course. Four blocks a week are devoted to chemistry: one of these is for laboratory work. (1 credit)

NYS Mandatory Laboratory Requirement: Pre-requisites for admission to the Regent's Chemistry exam is successfully completing a minimum of 1,200 minutes of hands-on laboratory experiment with satisfactory written reports for each lab investigation.

Chemistry - Advanced

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Algebra and teacher recommendation

This course is designed to be the equivalent of the general chemistry course usually taken during the first college year. For some college students, this course enables them to undertake, as freshmen, second-year work in the chemistry sequence at their institution or to register for courses in other fields where general chemistry is a pre-requisite. For other students, Advanced Chemistry fulfills the laboratory science requirement and frees time for other courses. Students will attain an in-depth understanding of the fundamentals of and a reasonable competence in dealing with chemical problems. The course will contribute to the development of the students' abilities to think clearly and to express their ideas, orally and in writing, with clarity and logic. The college course in chemistry differs qualitatively from Regents Chemistry with respect to the kind of textbook used, the topics covered, the emphasis on chemical calculations, the mathematical formulation of principles, and the kind of laboratory work done by students. Quantitative differences appear in the number of topics treated, the time spent on the course by students, and the nature and the variety of experiments done in the laboratory. Students may choose to earn 4 college credits per semester through GCC.

(1 credit)

Environmental Science- AP

Offered every other year –(2009-10) & (20011-12)
Pre-requisite: Living Environment,

Physical Setting/Earth Science and Chemistry as well as teacher recommendation and instructor approval.
AP Exam Required

This course is designed to be the equivalent of a one-semester introductory college course in environmental science. All students taking the course are required to take the AP exam in May. The goal of this course is to provide students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world, to identify and analyze environmental problems, to evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems, and to examine alternative solutions for resolving or preventing them. This course is interdisciplinary in nature but oriented to the science of the environment. Several unifying themes cut across the many topics in the course to provide a solid foundation for the structure of studying environmental science. (1 credit)

Environmental Science

Pre-requisite: Living Environment and Physical Setting/ Earth Science

Environmental Science is taught as a

non-traditional course, with student projects being the main focus. This is an interdisciplinary course that will draw on all the major sciences as well as politics, economics, history, psychology and math. This course covers the basics of ecology, soil science, water quality monitoring, population, energy, natural resource management, wildlife management, land-use planning, and pollution. The emphasis is on building a foundation from which a student will be able to analyze environmental challenges and decide on a course of action to meet that problem. The course involves a number of field trips during the year as well as an extended trip to the Adirondack Forest Preserve of New York State in the spring.

(1 credit)

Physical Setting/Earth Science - Honors

Pre-requisite: Teacher recommendation

This course is a comprehensive examination of the physical world in which we live. Topics covered include geology, astronomy, meteorology, earth history, oceanography, glaciology, and landscape development. Throughout this course, the interrelationships between the various earth and bio-systems will be stressed. Laboratory investigations are an integral part of this science course. Although honors students will be taking the Regents Earth Science exam, the scope and sequence of Honors Earth Science will be much broader and more in-depth than what is required for that Regents exam. Selection for Honors Earth Science will be based on past performance in science courses and teacher recommendation. (1 credit)

Physical Setting/Earth Science- Regents

This course investigates the interactions of the various environments of the earth and space. The lithosphere (rock part of Earth), hydrosphere (water part of Earth) and the atmosphere (air surrounding the Earth) will be explored, as well as topics in astronomy. Lab work is an integral and required part of this course, and will be completed during class. Regents credit in Earth Science will be awarded to students who complete the lab requirement and successfully pass the regents exam.

(1 credit)

NYS Mandatory Laboratory Requirement: Pre-requisites for admission to the Regent's Earth Science exam is successfully completing a minimum of 1,200 minutes of hands-on laboratory experiment with satisfactory written reports for each lab investigation.

Physics - Applied

An exploration of some fundamental laws that govern our universe. We will study motion, energy, electronics, magnetism, light and waves. We do many labs and hand-on projects in our study of these concepts. It is recommended that the students have some knowledge of algebra and trigonometry.

(1 credit)

Physics – AP

Pre-requisite: Current enrollment in Pre-Calculus or Calculus

AP Exam Required

This course is designed to prepare students for the College Board AP Physics B exam. This is a rigorous first-year physics course for college bound students who plan to major in a science or engineering field. Significant algebra and trigonometry is required: calculus will be helpful. Topics of study include kinematics, mechanics, rotational motion, energy, electricity and magnetism, waves, optics, and nuclear physics. The laboratory setting is extensive and will reinforce many of the concepts discussed in class. Students will also be required to take the state Regent's exam. (1 credit)

Physics - Regents

Pre-requisite: Successful completion

of Math A exam

Physics is a physical science concerned with the relationship between matter and energy. The emphasis in this course is on the basic concepts of conservation of energy, conservation of momentum, and the conservation of charge in related areas, rather than in isolation. Students will be required to take the state Regent's exam.

(1 credit)

NYS Mandatory Laboratory Requirement: Pre-requisites for admission to the Regent's Physics exam is successfully completing a minimum of 1,200 minutes of hands-on laboratory experiment with satisfactory written reports for each lab investigation.

The Science of Natural Disasters

Pre-requisite: Earth Science

This is an elective course designed to explore the science behind natural disasters. Students will evaluate the processes that cause them, methods of prediction, means of prevention and preparedness, and emergency response plans to earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, landslides, and flooding. Historical disasters will be studied to examine how human response has changed through time. Ultimately, students will gain knowledge that will be useful for

making future life decisions, from purchasing a home to understanding the natural hazards inherent to the region in which they live. This course is well suited for students interested in pursuing environmental careers. The Science of Natural Disasters is a

non-traditional course with emphasis being placed on student projects. The culminating project will require students to design a township complete with emergency response plans to deal with a probable natural disaster within their town. (.5 credit)

Principals of Engineering (POE)

•Grades: 10, 11 & 12

•Pre-requisite: DDP.

•May be taken for college credit

•This course may be taken as a Science credit or Applied Engineering credit.

This is a course designed to help students understand the field of engineering/

engineering technology and the education requirements needed in the pursuit of career in the field. Exploring various technology systems like Mechanics, Fluid systems, Electrical systems and Thermodynamics, along with manufacturing processes helps students learn how engineers and technicians use, math, science, and technology in a problem-solving process to benefit people. Other units include Kinematics (the building and testing of a Ballistic Devices), Statics (the building and testing of towers), Material Testing, Engineering Ethics, and Engineering reliability (the building and testing of a computer controlled Marble Sorter). These concepts are learned through several computer programs, Fishertechniks (adult Lego mindstorms) and multiple building activities.(1 credit/full year)