Curriculum

Advanced Placement Computer Science A

This intensive, yearlong course focuses on advanced programming concepts and techniques. Students will develop imagination, abstract thinking, and logic in addition to learning about object-oriented program design, program implementation, program analysis, standard data structures and algorithms. The course is designed for students who have significant interest in computer programming; the most successful students will be those who have completed Introduction to Programming. Students begin the course writing small programs using primitive data types, the String class and the array data structure. The purpose of these programs is to teach students how to use conditional statements, iteration, relational and logical operators. By means of numerous programming exercises, labs, and projects, students further learn about abstract data types, interfaces, polymorphism, inheritance, searching, sorting and recursion. The course culminates with a detailed review of a large-scale program. (Open to juniors and seniors; prerequisite: Introduction to Programming or departmental approval) Credit: 1

Advanced Placement Physics

This course is geared towards students with a strong interest in pursuing physics at the college level. Students taking this course will experience the academic discipline that is required to succeed in science and engineering fields. The following topics will be covered: kinematics, Newton’s Laws, work, energy and power, linear momentum and collisions, circular motion and rotation, oscillations, gravitation, and electricity and magnetism. Taking the AP Physics B or C exam is required for juniors. (Prerequisite: concurrent enrollment in Calculus or higher, and departmental approval. Credit: 1

Advanced Placement United States History

“The Advanced Placement United States History course is designed to provide eleventh graders with the analytic skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in United States history. The program prepares students for intermediate and advanced college courses by making demands upon them equivalent to those made by full-year introductory college courses.” (The College Board, Advanced Placement Program, United States History, www.collegeboard.com, 2010). This course of study is intended to combine a grounding in the chronology of American history with a closer examination of selected periods of that history. Students will be expected to approach history from the perspectives of the social sciences as the course of study will stress political, economic, cultural, social and diplomatic history. It is required that all students sit for the AP examination in the spring. (Juniors only) Credit: 1

Advanced Placement World History

The AP World History course requires seniors to engage with the dynamic, change and continuity across the historical periods that are included in the course. Students focus on six overarching themes: interactions between humans and the environment; development and interaction of cultures; state-building, expansion and conflict; creation, expansion and interaction of economic systems; and development and transformation of social structures. The course emphasizes relevant factual knowledge deployed in conjunction with leading interpretive issues and types of historical evidence throughout the past ten thousand years of the global experience. For each time period, knowledge of major developments that illustrate or link the six thematic areas with major civilizations in Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe, is expected. (Seniors only) Credit: 1

Advanced Placement Biology

This course is equivalent to a 2-semester, 8-credit college level course. The concepts covered include: evolution, energy transfer, information transfer, and the interactions of biological systems. The new College Board AP Biology curriculum emphasizes scientific practices via inquiry labs. Taking the AP Chemistry Exam is required for juniors. (Prerequisite: completion of Honors Biology and departmental approval) Credit: 1

Advanced Placement Psychology

The Advanced Placement program in psychology is an intensive yearlong program designed to prepare students for the CEEB Advanced Placement examination. The systematic and scientific examination of the behavioral and mental processes of human beings and other animals allows students to explore the theories, principles and focus of each of the major sub-fields of psychology. During their course of study, students identify, investigate and apply the methods psychologists use to explore the processes involved in normal and abnormal thinking and behavior. A Consortium section is also available, which is taught at Bullis in a blended format. (Open to juniors and seniors) Credit: 1

Advanced Placement Spanish

The Advanced Placement course is designed to prepare students for the College Entrance Examination Board’s Advanced Placement Language examination. The course stresses mastery of complex grammatical structures via a coordinated curriculum, which integrates listening, speaking, reading and writing. Authentic materials are used to examine register and dialect. Listening comprehension and oral expression are emphasized through discussions, public speaking and presentations in the target language. All students are strongly encouraged to take the AP examination. (Prerequisite: minimum grade of 88% in Honors Level IV, and departmental approval) Credit: 1

Advanced Placement Chemistry

This course is geared toward students with a strong interest in pursuing chemistry at the college level. The focus of this course is on chemical principles and relationships. Topics include the properties of matter, bonding, states of matter, physical chemistry, chemical reactions, chemical equilbrium, kinetics, and acids and bases. Students will be required to keep a comprehensive lab notebook. Taking the AP Chemistry Exam is required for juniors. (Prerequisite: completion of Honors Chemistry and departmental approval). Credit: 1

Advanced Placement Comparative Government and Politics

This course introduces students to fundamental concepts used by political scientists to study the processes and outcomes of politics in six countries: Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, China, Russia, and Great Britain. Students compare the history, sources of power, political institutions, citizen participation, economic and political changes and problems within each country and the global community. Students will also partake in an in-depth study of supranational organizations such as the United Nations, the IMF and the World Bank. This course is open to juniors and seniors. Students will be prepared to take the AP Comparative Government exam. (Open to juniors and seniors. Offered fall and winter.) Credit: 2/3

Advanced Placement Calculus (AB)

This rigorous course is presented at the college level and is designed to successfully prepare the student to take the Advanced Placement examination. Knowledge of calculus studied during the third trimester of Honors Pre-Calculus class is presumed. The study of calculus continues with the derivative applied to velocity and acceleration problems and to related rates problems, anti-derivative procedures, basic differential equations, the definite integral, the integral applied to area and volume problems, the calculus of the trigonometric, logarithmic and exponential functions, integration by parts, by trigonometric substitution and by partial fractions. (Prerequisite: Honors Precalculus with Data Analysis and departmental approval) Credit: 1

Advanced Placement Calculus (BC)

This fast-paced and rigorous course is presented at the college level and is designed to successfully prepare the student to take the Advanced Placement examination. Knowledge of calculus studied during the third trimester of the Honors Precalculus class is presumed. In addition to covering all of the material seen in Advanced Placement Calculus (AB), this course covers derivatives and integrals with parametric equations, derivatives and integrals in polar coordinates and the Taylor Polynomials as well as some smaller topics. Approximately 30% more material is covered in the BC course than as compared to the AB course in the same time span. Students are expected to independently learn topics, work collaboratively with peers, understand new ideas quickly, and connect new ideas to previous learning on a daily basis. (Prerequisite: Honors Precalculus with Data Analysis and departmental approval) Credit: 1

Advanced Placement Art History

AP Art History is designed to provide an understanding and enjoyment of architecture, sculpture, painting and other art forms within historical and cultural contexts. Students examine major forms of artistic expression from the past and present and from a variety of cultures. They learn to look at works of art critically, with intelligence and sensitivity, and to articulate what they see or experience. The course includes visits to various local museums and galleries. No prior exposure to art history is required. This course prepares successful students to take the College Board Advanced Placement exam in art history. A Consortium section is also available, which is taught at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School. (Open to juniors and seniors) Credit: 1; Level III

Advanced Placement Studio Art

In this studio course, advanced students develop technical proficiency, awareness of artistic sensitivity and sensibility and an understanding of the process of making art. Based on the interaction of the elements and principles of design, students will create a range of artworks. Through various studio projects, students develop their own voices, utilizing skills attained in earlier art courses. Drawing from observation will be practiced on a regular basis. Emphasis will be on the creation of a body of work that conveys the student’s investigation, growth and discovery. Projects will utilize a variety of techniques and materials in the areas of drawing, painting, collage, digital imaging and mixed media. Students will work to develop and submit a portfolio based on the requirements of the College Board. (Prerequisite: Advanced Studio Art or departmental approval) Credit: 1; Level III

Advanced Placement Statistics

The purpose of the Advanced Placement course in statistics is to introduce students to the major concepts and tools for collecting, analyzing and drawing conclusions from data. Students will be exposed to four broad conceptual themes—exploring data: observing patterns and departures from patterns; planning a study: deciding what and how to measure; anticipating patterns in advance: producing models using probability and simulation; and statistical inference: confirming models. Important components of the course include the use of technology, such as the TI-83/84 and Excel, projects and simulations, cooperative group problem solving and writing as part of a concept-oriented instruction and assessment. Ultimately, students will be able to build interdisciplinary connections with other subjects and with their world outside school. (Prerequisite: concurrently enrolled in (or completed) Pre-Calculus with Data Analysis or Honors Precalculus with Data Analysis and departmental approval) Credit: 1

Advanced Placement Economics (Consortium Course)

This course is a study of microeconomic and macroeconomic theory that prepares students to take the Advance Placement examinations in both subject areas. Topics for microeconomics include market analysis, consumer choice, individual market demand and supply, cost of production, competition and monopoly and equilibrium analysis. Topics for macroeconomics include measuring GDP, inflation and economic growth, aggregate demand and supply, employment, investment and capital, economic growth, money and monetary policy, fiscal policy, the business cycle, trading with the world and the dollar. (Taught at Holton-Arms) Credit: 1

Advanced Placement French

The Advanced Placement course is designed to prepare students for the College Entrance Examination Board’s Advanced Placement Language examination. The course stresses mastery of complex grammatical structures via a coordinated curriculum, which integrates listening, speaking, reading and writing. Authentic materials are used to examine register and dialect. Listening comprehension and oral expression are emphasized through discussions, public speaking and presentations in the target language. All students are strongly encouraged to take the AP examination. (Prerequisite: minimum grade of 88% in Honors Level IV, and departmental approval) Credit: 1

Advanced Placement Latin

The Advanced Placement course prepares students for the College Entrance Examination Board’s Advanced Placement Latin Examination. Students will read selections from Caesar’s De Bello Gallico and Vergil’s Aeneid in Latin and other selections in translation. They will master dactylic hexameter and the use of tropes in golden-age literature. By the end of the course, they will be able to analyze passages of Latin in terms of the major themes and symbols, historical considerations, and rhetorical effect. All students are strongly encouraged to take the AP Vergil Examination. (Prerequisite: minimum grade of 88% in Honors Latin III or IV/V and departmental approval) Credit: 1