Prerequisites: Successful completion of Physics and Algebra 1, and/or teacher recommendation

AP Physics 1 is designed to provide students with the tools and knowledge to understand the physical and mechanical foundations of the natural world. This course is both conceptually and mathematically rigorous, and will train students to examine physical phenomena in exacting detail without losing sight of the big picture. To this end, a large portion of the course is an inquiry-based laboratory; students will be provided with overarching questions and physical materials, but will have to devise their own procedures and validation techniques. AP Physics 1 is organized around seven underlying principles, or "big ideas":

Objects and systems have properties such as mass and charge. Systems may have internal structure.
Fields existing in space can be used to explain interactions.
The interactions of an object with other objects can be described by forces.
Interactions between systems can result in changes in those systems.
Changes that occur as a result of interactions are constrained by conservation laws.
Waves can transfer energy and momentum from one location to another without the permanent transfer of mass and serve as a mathematical model for the description of other phenomena.
The mathematics of probability can be used to describe the behavior of complex systems and to interpret the behavior of quantum mechanical systems. Upon completion of the course, students will be prepared for the AP Physics 1 exam, and will also be well equipped for future studies in Physics, Engineering, and associated sciences.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of Chemistry, and/or teacher recommendation

AP Chemistry provides students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the structure of matter, and how that structure leads to the chemical and physical behavior of elements, compounds, and mixtures. The following themes provide a foundation for the structure of the AP Chemistry course:

Science is a process.
Energy affects structure, and structure affects chemical and physical behavior.
The periodic table is an indispensable tool for predicting chemical and physical behavior.
Chemistry is an applied science – it is around us every day, essential to our modern way of life, and a tool that can be used to solve important real-world problems.
Because chemistry is an applied science, the course requires a rigorous, inquiry-based laboratory component in which students are asked not only to perform chemistry experiments, but to design them as well. All labs are hands-on and are assessed in the form of a laboratory write-up, which is completed in a separate lab notebook. The lab notebook is evaluated for the following components: theory behind the experiment, procedures, safety precautions, physical observations, data collection and evaluation, analysis, calculations and conclusions. Students absent on lab days are required to complete the lab during their Resource and Enrichment Period or after school, upon return. Unlike your previous laboratory experiences, the students themselves must devise their own laboratory procedures to answer important questions. You will find this to be challenging but very rewarding as well. Students enrolled in AP Chemistry are required to take AP Chemistry Lab during an Elective Block.

Sample Book List:

Chemistry, 12th Edition by Chang and Goldsby

Prerequisites: Successful completion of Biology and Chemistry, and/or teacher recommendation

AP Environmental Science provides students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world; to identify and analyze environmental problems both natural and human-made; to evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems; and to examine alternative solutions for resolving and/or preventing them. This course is interdisciplinary, embracing a wide variety of topics from different areas of study. The following themes provide a foundation for the structure of the AP Environmental Science course:

• Science is a process.
• Energy conversions underlie all ecological processes.
• The Earth itself is one interconnected system.
• Humans alter natural systems.
• Environmental problems have a cultural and social context.
• Human survival depends on developing practices that will achieve sustainable systems.

Sample Book List:

• Living in the Environment by Miller, G.Tyler and Spoolman, Scott E
• Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

Marine Science challenges students to think about our relationship with the world’s oceans. The will come to understand that our oceans are responsible for regulating global temperature, providing food for the world’s population, and habitat for many different species. Students investigate the impact of climate change on coral reefs, bring awareness to the Barrie community about plastic pollution, and investigate fisheries collapse. Students will actively participate in field research on a week long trip to Belize, collect data at local beaches, interview aquarists and marine biologist about current practices, and go whale watching.

As part of the class we will travel to the FBI analysis lab, and The Body Farm.