Course Descriptions & Schedules
| Course # | Course Name | Days | Time | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2971.1 | Environmental Science (AM) | M | Th | 8:30 - 12:00 | |||
| 2971.2 | Environmental Science (PM) | M | Th | 1:00 - 4:30 | |||
| 2973 | Marine Biology for Grades 8 & 9 | Tu | F | 8:30 - 12:00 | |||
| 2975.1 | Introduction to Chemistry (AM) | M | Th | 8:30 - 12:00 | |||
| 2975.2 | Introduction to Chemistry (PM) | M | Th | 1:00 - 4:30 | |||
| 2977 | Advanced Chemistry | Tu | F | 8:30 - 12:00 | |||
| 2978 | Marine Biology for Grades 10 & 11 | Tu | F | 1:00 - 4:30 | |||
| 2979 | AP Biology | M | W | F | 8:30 - 4:30 | ||
| 2981 | Cognitive Neuroscience | Tu | F | 8:30 - 12:00 | |||
Environmental Science
| 2971.1 | C. Bing & A. Bliss | 5 units | $620 | M | Th | 8:30 - 12:00 | |||
| 2971.2 | C. Bing & A. Bliss | 5 units | $620 | M | Th | 1:00 - 4:30 |
For students who have completed grade 7 or 8.
In this course, we will look at the impact of human actions on the environment and then develop strategies for restoring ecosystems. We will use chemistry, biology, and geology in our studies. We will also examine related economics and social policies. Through lab experiments and discussions, students will analyze local environmental issues while keeping an eye on the bigger global picture. A recurring theme of this course is the importance of sustainable development, whether in an ecosystem or human community. Other topics include conservation, use of natural resources, groundwater contamination, and waste management. This course aims to promote awareness, curiosity, objectivity, and critical thinking, as well as fostering a sense of environmental ethics.
Homework per class meeting: 4-6 hours.
Marine Biology for Grades 8 & 9
| 2973 | Nathan Kirk | 5 units | $630 | Tu | F | 8:30 - 12:00 |
For students who have completed grade 8 or 9.
This course is an introduction to the major marine ecosystems. We will concentrate on laboratory investigations into the iden-tification, behavior, and ecology of marine organisms, and we will use live local specimens when possible. The laboratory work will also consist of intensive individual and small-group activities to fully understand the complex anatomy and physiology of a variety of marine species. We will go on a field trip to Moss Beach tide pools near Pacifica, in the San Francisco peninsula, to study tide pool and intertidal ecology.
Homework per class meeting: 4-6 hours.
Introduction to Chemistry
| 2975.1 | Paul Daubenmire | 5 units | $620 | M | Th | 8:30 - 12:00 | |||
| 2975.2 | Paul Daubenmire | 5 units | $620 | M | Th | 1:00 - 4:30 |
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Algebra I.
Throughout this course the laboratory activities and discussions will focus on how chemists describe matter and its changes within the context of alchemy and early chemists. Understanding the periodic table, the particulate nature of matter, ionic compounds, and solution chemistry will provide the basis for students to think about the world in terms of particles and their interactions. This course provides a grounding in scientific principles which will prepare students to continue on to a high school chemistry class.
Homework per class meeting: 4-6 hours.
Advanced Chemistry
| 2977 | Sandhya Rao | 5 units | $620 | Tu | F | 8:30 - 12:00 |
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Algebra I and high school Chemistry.
This course provides an opportunity for students who have already taken high school chemistry to deepen their knowledge. Laboratory activities and discussions focus on how chemists can control the types of reactions that occurÑeverything from color changes to explosions. Topics include bonding, chemical reactions, moles, elementary thermodynamics, and quantum chemistry. This class is ideal for students who want either to review their knowledge or to learn more chemistry in preparation for an AP Chemistry course.
Homework per class meeting: 4-6 hours.
Marine Biology for Grades 10 & 11
| 2978 | Nathan Kirk | 5 units | $630 | Tu | F | 1:00 - 4:30 |
For students who have completed grade 10 or 11.
This comprehensive course in Marine Biology offers a rigorous examination of the major marine animal phyla—their behavior, physiology, reproductive strategies, and ecology. There will be extensive laboratory examinations of the external and internal anatomy and physiology of marine organisms, and we will use live local specimens when possible. We will go on a field trip to Moss beach near Pacifica, in the San Francisco peninsula, to study tide pool and intertidal ecology. Students will do a required research project in addition to labs and other written work. This course is recommended for students with a strong biology background, and the course textbook is at the college level.
Homework per class meeting: 4-6 hours.
Advanced Placement Biology
| 2979 | Greg Martinez & Eric Thiel | 10 units | $1205 | M | W | F | 8:30 - 4:30 |
Prerequisites: Completion of Algebra I, high-school Biology, and a background in Chemistry. Priority is given to returning students. New students will be considered on a space-available basis. Completion of at least freshman year of high school or permission of the Director is required. Completion of at least sophomore year is recommended.
This course provides an opportunity for students to accelerate their study of biology with an introductory college level biology course, and to prepare for the May 2010 AP examination in Biology. The course uses a college level textbook and follows the College Board course outline. Laboratory work is extensive and will be included in each class session. Topics include: Molecular and Cellular Biology (biochemistry, cells, energy transformations), Genetics and Evolution (genetics, molecular genetics, evolution), Population Biology (plant biology and animal biology, including that of humans), and Ecology. ATDP students will be invited to attend additional review sessions in the spring of 2010 in preparation for the May 2010 examination.
Homework per class meeting: 8-10 hours.
Cognitive Neuroscience
| 2981 | Paul Bulakowski | 5 units | $620 | Tu | F | 8:30 - 12:00 |
Prerequisites: Completion of at least one of the following courses: A high school or ATDP Psychology class, an AP or honors Biology class, or AP or honors Chemistry class.
This course provides the aspiring student a chance to jump-start future college studies in Neuroscience, Psychology, or Cognitive Science. Cognitive Neuroscience is a rapidly growing field, as it integrates knowledge gained from physiology, psychology, chemistry, physics, and biology. Cognitive neuroscientists aim to answer one of the last remaining fundamental questions of science: How does a three-pound lump of organic material--the brain--support such a wide array of functions, such as thinking and reasoning, emotion, perception, movement, and consciousness? We will explore modern theories of adult and developmental neuroscience, as well as experimental methods (i.e., fMRI, ERP, psychophysics).
We will use a reader that presents an introduction to several key topics of Cognitive Neuroscience as well an opportunity to learn how to read and evaluate primary research articles directly from the scientists in the field. This course will culminate in an opportunity for students to research and present on a brain topic of special interest.
Homework per class meeting: 6-7 hours.