College Prep Physical Science
Grade 9, #SCI012, 1 credit, 5 periods (FY), NCAA
Prerequisite: Enrollment in Algebra 1, Algebra 1A, Algebra 2, or Geometry and 70-89% in middle school Science.

This college-preparatory course is designed to introduce the concepts and processes necessary for courses students will elect in the high school science program, especially chemistry and physics. Topics of study include the nature of science, forces and motion, matter and its interactions, and energy. Students will use mathematical models, simple algebraic procedures and graphical representations in the study of these physical and chemical concepts and they will learn procedures for collecting, analyzing and reporting data.

College Prep Life Science
Grades 9/10, #SCI014, 1 credit, 5 periods (FY)
Registration Restriction: Enrollment in the class is based upon a student’s score on the 8th grade Science and/or Mathematics PSSA exam(s), 7th and 8th grade Math and Science course grades, and 8th grade Math and Science teacher’s recommendation. Literacy and mathematic skills will be supported throughout the course.

This course is a college preparatory course in which students will investigate the composition of living organisms on a micro and macroscopic scale, the chemistry of life, and how living and non-living factors come together to form the complex and diverse ecosystems of the world. Areas of concentration will also include the nature of scientific research and data collection, measurement skills, matter and its interactions in and outside of biological systems. The course is designed to help students use the process of scientific inquiry to collect, analyze and report data in order to provide a greater understanding of the living world around them. Students will experience real-world applications of many biological fields, such as: ecology, molecular biology, cellular biology, microbiology, anatomy, and genetics. Throughout their studies, students will apply mathematics and graphing skills to analyze data and make conclusions about the natural world.

College Prep Biology
Grades 10/11, #SCI022KS, 1 credit, 5 periods (FY), NCAA
Prerequisite: successful completion of Physical Science or Life Science.

Biology is a college-preparatory course that deals with the basic principles governing all living things, the nature of science, and the methods by which scientists and students gain knowledge. The cell is treated as the structural and functional basis of all organisms. Areas of concentration will be molecular and cellular biology, genetics, evolution, the diversity and unity of life, and ecology. Students enrolled in this course will be required to take the Biology Keystone Exam at the completion of the course.

College Prep Physical Science 2
Grades 11/12, #SCI031, 1 credit, 5 periods (FY), NCAA
Prerequisite: successful completion of Life Science, Biology and Algebra 1.
Registration Restriction: Enrollment in this class is restricted to students who have successfully completed Life Science (SCI014) and Biology (SCI021).

This course is the study of the fundamentals of chemistry and physics. It is a laboratory-centered course and stresses measurement of matter, techniques used in the modern approach to the study of the physical sciences, and an orderly and scientific method of evaluation of problems and experiences. One semester of the course is devoted to chemistry concepts and one semester is devoted to physics. Topics include: nature of science, linear and projectile motion, Newton’s Laws, work/power/energy, properties of matter, atomic structure, molecular bonding, mixtures/solutions, and interactions of matter (acid-base, oxidation-reduction). This course is not available to students who have taken Physical Science 1, Chemistry or Physics due to significant course overlap.

Honors Chemistry
Grades 10/11/12, #SCI033, 1 credit, weight 1.05, 5 periods (FY), NCAA
Prerequisite: successful completion of College Prep or Honors Physical Science and Algebra 2. Students who select this course after College Prep Physical Science or College Prep Algebra 2 are recommended to have had a minimum grade of 85% in those courses.

This rigorous college-preparatory course is designed to challenge exceptional students and is well suited for students who are interested in pursuing a college degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) field. Topics include: atomic and molecular structure, chemical bonding, kinetic and molecular theory, thermochemistry, electrochemistry, acid base theory, reaction kinetics, nuclear chemistry, equilibrium, and oxidation-reduction reactions. The content and skills learned through this course will serve as a solid background for those students who wish to take AP Chemistry in their junior or senior year.

Advanced Placement Physics 1
Grades 10/11/12, #SCI043, 1 credit, weight 1.10, 5 periods + 1 Lab Period (FY), NCAA
Prerequisite: successful completion of College Prep or Honors Physical Science, Algebra 2, Geometry and enrollment in or successful completion of Trigonometry. Students who select this course after College Prep Physical Science or College Prep Algebra 2 are recommended to have had a minimum grade of 85% in those courses. All students will have summer course work to complete in order to prepare for the course.

This rigorous AP course is designed to challenge exceptional students and is well suited for those who are interested in pursuing a college degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) field. AP Physics concentrates heavily on conceptual understanding, problem solving and laboratory experiences. The pace and depth of the class will prepare students for AP Physics 2 and AP Physics C, or college courses. Topics include: mechanics, conservation laws, gravitation, and light. Additionally, students will apply and expand what they learned in previous courses to write formal lab reports throughout the year as part of the course requirements. The content and skills learned through this course will serve as a solid background for those students who wish to take the second-year AP Physics 2 course or AP Physics 2 and AP Physics C courses together. Level changes between AP Physics 1 and CP Physics will require additional work as the two courses follow different curriculum.

Advanced Placement Biology
Grades 11/12, #SCI024, 1 credit, weight 1.10, 5 periods + 1 lab period (FY), NCAA
Prerequisite: successful completion of Honors Biology and Honors Chemistry with a recommended minimum grade of 85% in both courses or successful completion of College Prep Biology and College Prep Chemistry with a recommended minimum grade of 90% in both courses.

The AP Biology course is a second-year biology course that is designed to be the equivalent of a college introductory biology course usually taken by first year college students. The course covers the following four big ideas: (1) evolution drives the diversity and unity of life; (2) biological systems use energy and molecules to grow, reproduce and maintain homeostasis; (3) living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information; and (4) biological systems interact, and their interactions are complex. The goals of AP Biology are to help students develop a conceptual framework for modern biology, to help students gain an appreciation of science as a process, and to provide a more extensive inquiry based laboratory experience. Please note this course requires an extra lab period 1 day a week.

NOTE: Students selecting AP Science courses can only select 7 total credits if they have two semester course selections that meet 4 days a week or less.

Advanced Placement Physics 2
Grades 11/12, #SCI044, 1 credit, weight 1.10, 5 periods + 1 lab period (FY), NCAA
Prerequisite: successful completion of AP Physics 1 with a recommended minimum grade of 85%. All students will have summer course work to prepare for the course.

AP Physics 2 is a second-year physics course that is not calculus-based, and relies heavily upon the student’s conceptual understanding from AP Physics 1. In addition to a review and extension of the topics covered in the first year course, AP Physics 2 will cover the following: new topics in waves and light, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, and certain aspects of modern physics (the Bohr model, nuclear reactions, quantum mechanics, and relativity). The course emphasizes laboratory experiences along with problem solving at the AP level. After completing the course, students may take the AP Physics 2 level exam. Please note this course requires an extra lab period 1 day a week.

NOTE: Students selecting AP Science courses can only select 7 total credits if they have two semester course selections that meet 4 days a week or less.

IB Chemistry SL
Grade 11*/12, #IBO411, NCAA

IB Physics SL
Grade 11/12*, #IBO421, NCAA

IB Biology SL
Grade 11/12, #IBO431, NCAA

IB Physics HL
Grade 12, #IBO422, NCAA

IB Biology HL/Advanced Anatomy and Physiology
Grade 11/12, #IBO432, NCAA

Students participating in the International Baccalaureate Program during their junior and senior year will satisfy their science graduation requirements through the completion of some of these courses. Most IB diploma candidates fulfill their science requirements by taking IB Chemistry junior year and IB Physics senior year. Any student who has successfully completed Honors Physical Science and Honors Biology with a minimum grade of 85% may enroll in these courses. Students wishing to take IB Biology must meet the same requirements established for AP Biology and/or Advanced Anatomy and Physiology. The course descriptions can be found in the International Baccalaureate section of the planning guide.

Advanced Anatomy and Physiology
Grades 11/12, #SCI060, 1 credit, weight 1.10, 5 periods per week (FY), NCAA
Prerequisite: Minimum grade of 85% in Biology and a recommended grade of at least 85% in Chemistry.

This course will provide students with an understanding of the form and function of the human body through detailed discussion of anatomy and the chemical physiology which allows the body to function. Students will use dissection and laboratory activities to analyze data and determine structure and function relationships through comparative anatomy. This course also includes neurobiology and animal behavior. Students in this course should be interested in moving into fields of scientific study and should have successfully completed (recommended 85% or higher) in Biology and should be concurrently enrolled in, or have successfully completed Chemistry. This course, in combination with AP/IB Biology, satisfies IB Biology HL credit. Students who have taken the Anatomy and Physiology semester course (0.5 credits) are ineligible to take Advanced Anatomy and Physiology.

Astronomy: The Solar System and the Universe
Grades 10/11/12, #SCI055, ½ credit, 5 periods (S), NCAA
Prerequisite: successful completion of Physical Science or Physical Science 2 and Algebra 1.

This one-semester elective takes students on a journey of exploration to understand our solar system, our Milky Way Galaxy, and the Universe with the use of the Manheim Township Planetarium. Students will have hands-on experience using the computer program Starry Night, a desktop version of planetarium software, to explore such topics as life on other worlds, airless worlds, Mars, Jupiter, Pluto (the "dwarf planet"), Super- massive Black Holes, and the Big Bang. This course will run based upon student demand.

Geology “The Dynamic Earth”
Grades 10/11/12, #SCI056, ½ credit, 5 periods (S), NCAA
Prerequisite: successful completion of Physical Science or Life Science.

This one-semester science elective combines hands-on lab and field investigations into the formation, composition, history, and processes which shape our dynamic Earth. Students will also use virtual experiences through the use of Google Earth and other mapping software to study large-scale geologic features throughout the world. Topics include the study of rocks, minerals, earthquakes, caves, mountain building, glaciers, weathering/erosion, fossils, and Earth’s history. This course will run based upon student demand.

Environment and Ecology
Grades 11/12, #SCI058, ½ credit, 5 periods (S), NCAA
Prerequisite: successful completion of Physical Science or Life Science and Biology.

This one-semester elective combines lab experiences and field investigations in the study of watershed and wetland ecology, local environmental issues, land, air, and water pollution, conservation, human impact on the environment, and environmental laws. Students will apply studies of physical, chemical and biological concepts from previous courses to real-life situations in the natural world. A class project will be selected during the first marking period and completed during the second, so that students have a firsthand opportunity to experience the positive impact that they can have on the environment through making informed decisions and taking action. This course will run based upon student demand.