Philosophy: Scientific literacy is vital for all students to become informed citizens in order to make responsible and ethical decisions about both personal and global issues. The science content area provides many laboratory-based opportunities to achieve scientific literacy through a diverse offering of core and elective courses.
Some course titles include level designations related to the rigor of the course:
300 level (also referred to as AP, Honors, or Advanced) courses are designed for students who have demonstrated exceptional ability in the subject matter.
200 level courses are designed for students who have demonstrated a high performance record in the subject matter.
100 level courses are designed to help students meet course proficiencies and graduation requirements.
So what courses should students take? Three credits of science are required for graduation at Essex High School. College bound students should take a minimum of four years of science.
9th and 10th Grades
Core course placement in Science in 9th and 10th grade is based on student readiness and interests, but does not limit student access to courses in grades 11 and 12. All courses are designed to generate strong science literacy for all students. Earth and Space Science is a prerequisite for Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Biology is a prerequisite for Life Science Electives.
11th and 12th Grades
Course selection in 11th and 12th grades will depend on the student’s career interest and the competitive nature of their college choices. Students in 11th and 12th grades may choose to enroll in more than one Science course to take advantage of the wide variety of science electives.
EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE COURSES
EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE 100
Course Number Q310 1 Physical Science credit Grade 9
This course will provide students with scientific literacy in the earth and space sciences. Focal points include the study of space: its vastness, its origin, and the phenomena it contains, as well as Earth’s formation, evolution, and interconnected systems. Topics are explored through inquiry, discussion, projects, lab investigations, research, and technology. Earth and Space Science is a prerequisite for Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.
EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE 200
Course Number Q212 1 Physical Science credit Grade 9
This course will provide students with scientific literacy in the earth and space sciences. Focal points include the study of space: its vastness, its origin, and the phenomena it contains, as well as Earth’s formation, evolution, and interconnected systems. Topics are explored through inquiry, discussion, projects, lab investigations, research, technology and mathematical applications. Students are expected to be able to work independently in and outside of the classroom. Earth and Space Science is a prerequisite for Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE COURSES
These courses meet students’ needs in differentiated ways. Each is a college preparatory, lab-based course that includes life science and human body topics as outlined by the Next Generation Science Standards.
BIOLOGY 100
Course Number Q312 1 Natural Science credit Grades 10-12
This course introduces the student to biology theories and concepts with class activities, experimentation and some projects. Topics include scientific method and experimentation, biochemistry, cell structure and function, genetics, ecology, evolution, and human body systems.
Prerequisite: Completion of or concurrent Earth and Space Science
BIOLOGY 200
Course Number Q210 1.5 Natural Science credit Grades 9-12
Students will engage in a comprehensive study of biology theories and concepts with class activities, experimentation and some projects. Topics include scientific method and experimentation, biochemistry, cell structure and function, genetics, ecology, evolution, and human body systems.
Prerequisite: Completion of or concurrent Earth and Space Science
ADVANCED BIOLOGY
Course Number Q107 1.5 Natural Science credit Grades 11-12
This course is intended for the student who is interested in studying in more depth the major areas covered in their first Biology course. This course uses inquiry activities, group and individual projects, and class discussions to investigate ideas in biology. Biochemistry, cell biology, evolution, genetics, ecology, and body systems are studied. The course is mostly aligned with the AP Biology curriculum and some students take the AP exam in May. Due to the long-term nature of several units and laboratory investigations, some material that is required for success on the Advanced Placement exam is not covered during class time. To fully prepare for this rigorous exam, interested students are expected to meet outside of class on several occasions during the second part of this course.
Students can take this course to fulfill a STEM Academy endorsement requirement.
Prerequisites: Biology 200 and Chemistry
CHEMISTRY SCIENCES COURSES
These courses meet students’ needs in differentiated ways. Most students take chemistry as the third of the core sciences after completing biology.
CHEMISTRY 100
Course Number Q320 1 Physical Science credit Grades 10-12
This course introduces students to theories and concepts with experimentation and projects. It has been successfully completed by those students who have an interest in chemistry but are thinking of a career outside of the science field, for example fine arts or business. This course provides an excellent foundation in the basic topics of general chemistry, always placing an emphasis on how chemistry relates to daily life. Lectures, demonstrations, videos, computer simulations and traditional hands-on lab activities are used throughout this course. Topics include acids and bases, atomic and molecular structures, chemical bonds, chemical formulas, chemical reactions, classifying matter, gas laws, mole concept, nuclear chemistry, nomenclature, periodic trends, phases of matter, properties of water, and introduction to energy relationships. Basic algebra skills are very important, though this course requires much less computation than Chemistry 200.
Prerequisites: Earth and Space Science and Biology; completion of or concurrent Algebra I
CHEMISTRY 200
Course Number Q220 1.5 Physical Science credit Grades 10-12
This course introduces students to theories and concepts primarily through experimentation. It has been successfully completed by students who desire to have a mathematical-based study and are possibly thinking of a career that would require this information, for example engineering, health, medical fields, environmental or other science related careers. Lectures, demonstrations, videos, computer simulations and traditional hands-on lab activities are used throughout this course. Topics include acids and bases, atomic and molecular structures, chemical bonds, chemical formulas, chemical reactions, classifying matter, gas laws, mole concept, nuclear chemistry, nomenclature, periodic trends, kinetics and equilibrium, mathematics of chemistry, thermodynamics, and stoichiometry. Strong algebraic math skills are required because many concepts involve processing relevant computations and analyzing lab data.
Prerequisites: Earth and Space Science ; completion of or concurrent Biology and Algebra II
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
Course Number Q223 .5 Physical Science credit Grades 11-12
This course offers an introduction to the basic principles of organic chemistry. Topics covered will include bonding in molecules, the structure and naming of organic molecules, the study of functional groups and how they affect physical and chemical properties of molecules, and an introduction to spectroscopic methods used to identify and study organic molecules. This course will have a laboratory component.
Prerequisite: Chemistry
AP CHEMISTRY
Course Number Q122 1 Physical Science credit Grades 11-12
This course is designed to be the equivalent of the general chemistry course usually taken during the first college year. For some students, this course enables them to undertake second-year work in the chemistry sequence in their first year at college or to register in college courses in other fields where general chemistry is a prerequisite. For other students, the AP Chemistry course fulfills the college laboratory science requirement and frees time for other courses. AP Chemistry is a rigorous curriculum that includes the following topics: atomic theory and atomic structure, chemical bonding, nuclear chemistry, gases, liquids and solids, solutions, reaction types, stoichiometry, equilibrium, kinetics, thermochemistry, and descriptive chemistry. Students are expected to spend a considerable amount of time outside of class to complete assignments.
Students are expected to spend a considerable amount of time outside of class to complete assignments.
Students can take this course to fulfill a STEM Academy endorsement requirement.
Prerequisite: Chemistry 200
PHYSICS COURSES
These courses meet students’ needs in differentiated ways. Most students take physics as the fourth of the core sciences after completing chemistry.
PHYSICS 100
Course Number Q306 1 Physical Science credit Grades 11-12
This course stimulates higher level cognitive skills by emphasizing the laws of physics as they relate to the everyday world. This course provides opportunities for multiple learning styles via projects and laboratory investigations. Topics in the first part of the course include motion, Newton’s Laws, and energy conservation. Topics in the second part of the course include waves, sound, optics, and electricity. Algebra skills are necessary for success here, but this course demands much less computation than Physics 200. Physics 100 includes traditional hands-on laboratory work and also computer-interfaced laboratories.
Preerquisites: Earth and Space Science and Algebra I
PHYSICS 200
Course Number Q211 1.5 Physical Science credit Grades 11-12
This course covers topics of classical physics. Newtonian mechanics (vector-based), gravitation, conservation of energy, and momentum are covered in the first part of the course. The second part of the course covers electrostatics, DC circuits, waves, sound, light, and optics. Demonstrations and videos are used to supplement the lectures and to provide historical background for the laws of physics. Computer simulations, computerized data collection and analysis, and traditional hands-on lab activities are used throughout the course.
Prerequisites: Earth and Space Science and Algebra II
AP PHYSICS
Course Number Q123 1 Physical Science credit Grades 11-12
Scientists and engineers are changing the world all of the time. They dream up creative, practical solutions and work with other smart, inspiring people to invent, design, create and discover things that matter. AP Physics is a great foundation course if this sounds interesting to you. The topics covered during this course are mechanics and electricity & magnetism. Methods of calculus will be introduced as appropriate with plenty of assistance available as needed.
Prerequisites: Physics 200 and completion of or concurrent Calculus
SCIENCE ELECTIVE COURSES
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
Course Number Q322 1 Natural Science Credit Grades 11-12
This course will cover the basic principles of human anatomy and physiology. Topics will include the structure and function of cells, tissues and organ systems of the body, homeostasis and growth and development. Lab work will be an integral part of this course.
Students can take this course to fulfill a STEM Academy endorsement requirement.
Prerequisite: Biology
BOTANY
The course begins and ends outside. In the fall, we will study forest ecology and identify trees; in the spring, our attention turns to the school landscape where we get our hands dirty designing and planting container gardens. The remainder of the course is split between the greenhouse and the classroom. This course covers dendrochronology (the study of tree rings), plant physiology, photosynthesis, plant hormones, transpiration, ethnobotany (society’s uses of plants), plant reproduction, and landscape design. This hands-on, interactive course relies heavily on in-class projects and labs.
Prerequisite: Biology
DESIGNING SOLUTIONS TO GLOBAL CHALLENGES
Course Number Q230 1 Physical Science Credit Grades 11-12
Engineering is the application of science to problem solving. Design is the creative expression of knowledge. Engineering Design is an open-discovery art form where the principles of iterative exploration enable us to find solutions to global challenges. Join other Vermont students in this collaboration between the University of Vermont and area high schools. This course is an invitation to all students who believe we can find ways to improve the quality of life for people around the world. It culminates with an engineering showcase to celebrate the power of young minds to affect improvement in our world.
Students who choose to use a dual enrollment voucher or pay 50% tuition for college credit could earn 3 UVM credits through the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences in addition to 1 EHS credit.
Students can take this course to fulfill GLP and STEM Academy endorsement requirements.
Prerequisites: Algebra II
AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Course Number Q124 1 Natural Science OR Physical Science credit Grades 11-12
This course will provide 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 or preventing them. Environmental Science is interdisciplinary and will include topics in Earth Science and Biology. Specifically, content and labs will address: earth systems and resources, the living world, population, land use and water use, energy resources and consumption, pollution, and global change. A variety of teaching techniques will be employed, including lab, projects, lecture, discussion, movies, and field trips.
Students can take this course to fulfill a STEM Academy endorsement requirement.
Prerequisites: Earth and Space Science and Biology
FORENSICS
Course Number Q008 .5 Natural Science OR Physical Science credit Grades 10-12
In this hands-on, investigative science course students will learn how to observe, collect, analyze and evaluate evidence found at a crime scene. Some of the many topics covered will include the analysis of fingerprints, DNA, hair, skulls, blood and tracks. Emphasis is placed on the development of scientific inquiry.
Prerequisites: Earth and Space Science and completion of or concurrent Biology
MARINE BIOLOGY
Course Number Q324 .5 Natural Science credit Grades 10-12
Marine biology is the scientific study of the organization and dynamics of plants and animals of the sea. This course will include an introduction to oceanography as well as a study of marine plants and animals and the factors affecting their environments. Among the environments to be studied are coral reefs, salt marshes, tide pools, beaches and rocky shores.
Prerequisite: Biology
NEUROSCIENCE
Course Number Q020 .5 Natural Science credit Grades 10-12
This course will provide an overview of the nervous system from a biological perspective, including the structure and function of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves from the cellular level to the organismal level. The emphasis will be on how these systems interact to produce complex behavior in humans, and how we can use this knowledge to inform our own decisions in life. Content covered will include the biology of CTE and other brain injury, learning & memory, neurodevelopment, the biology of addiction, sense perception, and the future of neuroethics in fields such as criminology and education as brain technologies continue to improve. Topics are subject to change year-to-year based on the interests of the students enrolled. This class will be taught in a lab- and project-based manner, although notes and homework are also to be expected. This course is ideal for any student interested in studying neurobiology, neuroscience, psychiatry, neuroeconomics, sports medicine, law, or education.
Prerequisites: Earth and Space Science and Biology
PLANETARY ASTRONOMY
Course Number Q321 .5 Physical Science credit Grades 10-12
This course explores the amazing and revolutionary discoveries made by astronomers about the cosmos. From our earliest ancestors to the present day, smart and creative people have made observations and built innovative instruments to better understand the universe we live in. This course will cover naked-eye astronomy, the constellations, the formation of the solar system, gravity and its effects on the planets, the nature of light and how telescopes work, the planets and other bodies in our solar system, and the newly-discovered solar systems beyond our own. This course is independent of Stellar Astronomy & Beyond and can be taken either before or after.
Students can take this course to fulfill a STEM Academy endorsement requirement.
Prerequisite: Earth and Space Science
STELLAR ASTRONOMY & BEYOND
Course Number Q323 .5 Physical Science credit Grades 10-12
This course explores the amazing and revolutionary discoveries made by astronomers about the cosmos. From our earliest ancestors to the present day, smart and creative people have made observations and have built innovative instruments to better understand the universe we live in. This course will cover the life cycle of our Sun and how it produces its energy, the evolutionary path of other stars, the strange properties of red giants, white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes, our Milky Way galaxy, dark matter and dark energy, and the history and fate of our universe as we understand it today. This course is independent of Planetary Astronomy and can be taken either before or after.
Students can take this course to fulfill a STEM Academy endorsement requirement.
Prerequisite: Earth and Space Science
ROBOTICS
Course Number Q226 .5 Physical Science credit Grades 9-12
Robotics is one of the fastest growing fields of science. It combines engineering and science in a playfully interactive way. Students will design interactive systems that sense the world around them, make decisions, and then perform actions in the world around them. This course is designed for all ability levels, with students having input on the focus and scope of their learning. Student experiences will include laboratory-based project planning, experimentation, design, fabrication, programming, problem solving, teamwork, testing, evaluation, documentation, and presentation.
Students can take this course to fulfill a STEM Academy endorsement requirement.