Course Guide: Science

Graduation Requirements:
3.0 credits (6 semesters) of Science

Laboratory Science classes are hands-on and are designed to offer a challenging curriculum that provides students with the skills necessary for success in college science courses and in life. Various pathways or course sequences may be followed, depending on a student’s desire to meet graduation requirements, prepare for a four-year university, or follow a rigorous IB science curriculum.

Physics A/Chemistry A
Credits: 0.5 credit / semester
Grade(s): 9
Length of Course: Two Semesters
Prerequisite: None
Graduation Requirement Satisfied: Science

This course covers foundation content in Physics I and Chemistry I. It is aligned to district, state, and national science standards and prepares students for success on state science assessments in their junior years.

Chemistry B/Physics B
Credits: 0.5 credit / semester
Grade(s): 10, 11 (Usually 11)
Length of Course: Two Semesters
Prerequisite: Physics A/Chemistry A
Graduation Requirement Satisfied: Science

This course covers content in Physics II and Chemistry II. It is aligned to district, state, and national science standards and prepares students for success on state science assessments in their junior years. Only those students planning for IB Biology in their junior (11th grade) or senior (12th grade) year need to consider taking this course as a 10th grader.

Biology A, B
Credits: 0.5 credit / semester
Grade(s): 10, 11, 12 (Usually 10th)
Length of Course: Two Semesters
Prerequisite Physics A/Chemistry A
Graduation Requirement Satisfied: Science

This course covers fundamentals of biology and life science including: basic biochemistry, cellular biology, genetics, evolution, and ecology.

IB Higher Lever (HL) Biology I, II, III, AND IV – International Baccalaureate
Credits: 0.5 credit / semester
Grade(s): 11, 12
Length of Course: Two Years
Prerequisite: Physics A/Chemistry A and Chemistry B/Physics B, or teacher permission
Graduation Requirement Satisfied: Science
Other Requirements: Must pass each semester to continue with the sequence.

This two-year IB Higher Level course in laboratory biology covers basic chemistry and biochemistry, cellular biology, genetics, evolution, microbiology, botany, zoology, human systems and ecology. This course is the equivalent of college biology; topics are considered in great depth. It requires a cooperative research project. An exam is taken at the conclusion of the course to determine potential college credit. Note: A student may elect to take the IB Standard Level exam after the first year of this course sequence.

IB Standard Level (SL) Chemistry I, II, III, IV- International Baccalaureate
Credits: 0.5 credit/ semester
Grade(s): 11, 12
Length of course: Two years (12th graders may take the first year but will not be prepared for an IB exam).
Prerequisite: Physics A/Chemistry A and a second year of high school science, a strong background in algebra is helpful.
Graduation Requirement Satisfied: Science Other Requirements: Must pass each semester to continue with the sequence.

This two-year IB standard level course in laboratory chemistry covers stoichiometric relationships, atomic structure, periodicity, chemical bonding, thermochemistry, chemical kinetics (year one), equilibrium, acids and bases, redox processes, organic chemistry, and measurement and data processing and analysis. This course is the equivalent of college chemistry; topics are considered in great depth. It requires a cooperative research project. An exam is taken at the conclusion of the course to determine potential college credit.

NW Geology
Credits: 0.5 credit / semester
Grade(s): 12
Length of Course: One Semester
Prerequisite: None
Graduation Requirement Satisfied: Science

This course covers geologic hazards, ice ages, rock types and rock cycles, and overall how matter and energy are transformed on and inside Earth, with a special emphasis on how that has impacted the Pacific Northwest (what it looks like, how it was shaped, and what geologic hazards our local area experiences). Students will engage in labs and use simulations to explore the concepts.

NW Ecology
Credits: 0.5 credit / semester
Grade(s): 12
Length of Course: One Semester
Prerequisite: None
Graduation Requirement Satisfied: Science

This course covers different ecosystems and what they are, how different organisms interact and impact each other, how energy moves through ecosystems, and how humans impact ecosystems, with a special emphasis on how that has impacted the Northwest (what is our local ecosystem, how do organisms interact, and how do we impact it). Students will engage in labs and use simulations to explore the concepts.