Science

This is the core course in the Upper School science program. The premise of this course is that the big ideas serving as the foundation of science are elegant in their simplicity but intricate in their many diverse applications. The course begins by examining how we distinguish between truth and beliefs. Following this, students explore central concepts in Physics: measurement, Newtonian motion, work/ energy, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, electromagnetic radiation, sound waves, atomic and molecular architecture, and the interconvertibility of matter and energy. These concepts serve as a core background to much of science theory and practice. Considerable class time is devoted to the use of problem-solving skills to explore the quantitative applications of these ideas. Given this groundwork, the final weeks of the course consider these ideas as they apply more specifically to atomic structure, molecular bonding, and selected topics in life science, particularly nucleic acid and protein chemistry in living organisms. Experiments are conducted during regular lab meetings and are chosen to illustrate important ideas and observations in the discovery of first principles of scientific understanding. Finally, there is a project at the end of this course that asks students to reflect and show how many of the concepts are interconnected. This course is standard and required for all grade 9 students. 

A major goal of the Biology course is to introduce students to basic biological processes, such as cell division and respiration, and to relate them to structural properties of cells and organisms. Another goal is to familiarize students with the concepts of modern biology, including patterns of inheritance and the molecular basis of heredity and its applications to the fields of medicine, environmental science, and biotechnology. Experiments in cellular respiration, enzyme function, and microbiology present opportunities to refine students’ understanding of the scientific method as they collect and analyze data. Students study units in evolution cellular biology, human physiology, genetics, and ecology. This course is open to students in grades 11 and 12.

The Biology I Advanced course draws strongly on students’ chemistry and physics training to gain a foundation in biochemistry, cell biology, molecular genetics, evolutionary biology, and ecology. Students use this foundation to read scientific papers, interpret primary literature data and think about how complex systems function at a variety of scales, gaining valuable health and scientific literacy along the way. Through laboratory investigations, simulations, and research, students learn how to organize and distill large amounts of detailed information to develop original conclusions supported by solid evidence and reasoning. Through labs in cellular metabolism, enzyme reaction rate, artificial selection, and more, students explore a variety of scientific techniques and gain experience  analyzing their own original data. Prerequisite: Chemistry I Advanced

This course uses a combination of research literature analysis, laboratory investigations, and discussions to explore topics in microbiology. Students will use their foundations from Biology I Advanced to develop a deeper understanding of the structure, physiology, and function of microorganisms, focusing on bacteria and fungi. Highlighting the microbiology themes of ubiquity and diversity, implications for disease and health, symbiosis, and role in shaping ecosystems, students continue to build their critical thinking and analytical skills to develop the scholarly skepticism required for scientific learning. Laboratory investigations emphasize the design and analysis components to further understand the application and complexities of scientific processes. Preparation for and attendance at the annual Annenberg High School Symposium, where students present on recent developments in a topic of their choice, will also be a part of this course. Prerequisite: Biology I Advanced and departmental permission required.

The Biodiversity Studies course will focus on the role of ecological studies, evolutionary biology and molecular phylogenetics to understand the diversity of life on Earth. Central questions addressed in the course will include definitions of biodiversity and ways to measure it, how scientists estimate species richness in different habitats, interrelationships among species including parasitism and mutualisms and current threats to biodiversity. The course will make use of frequent readings from the scientific literature as well as selected recorded interviews with scientists. The class includes a significant lab component that will develop molecular techniques in gene sequencing that are used to study relationships among species or look for unrecognized cryptic species, building on a ten-year research program in our lab. Large datasets from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility will offer opportunities to apply quantitative analyses of diversity indices. Students will have the opportunity to make field observations and collections in the final spring weeks of the class to deepen our understanding of biodiversity on our own campus. Prerequisite: Biology I Advanced. Departmental permission required.

This course is an introduction to chemistry. Students build an understanding of fundamental concepts of chemistry and examine the nature of matter and of the physical world. The course emphasizes problem-solving strategies, methods of interpreting data, and the ability to explain scientific concepts. Lab sessions reinforce course topics and introduce students to fundamental laboratory practices. Beginning with atomic structure and the nature of the atom and extending through molecular structures and chemical reactions. Other topics covered include nuclear chemistry, bond ing, stoichiometry, thermodynamics, intermolecular forces, and gas laws. Open to students in grades 10, 11, and 12. 

Chemistry I Advanced, an introduction to chemistry for students who want to examine its fundamental concepts in more depth, explores the details of atomic structure, chemical reactions, molecular structure theory, and bonding mechanisms, gas laws, and electrochemistry. Advanced analytical problem-solving techniques are developed as students are introduced to abstract concepts in chemistry. Laboratory experiments offer opportunities to correlate experimental data collection and analysis with classroom content and to gain experience in laboratory-report writing and graphical representation of data. The course emphasizes quantitative reasoning and analytical thinking in both classroom and lab; strong quantitative skills are essential. Open to grades 10, 11, and 12. Departmental permission required. 

The reversibility of many chemical reactions that occur in nature, and others used in industrial processes, offer students the opportunity to explore the ideas of chemical equilibrium, where concentrations of reactants and products co-exist. Mathematical calculations determining the relative concentrations of the chemical species within reaction types are central to this course. Exploring changes in concentrations as equilibrium systems are disturbed is also considered. Examples of chemical systems discussed include acid/base reactions and buffer systems. In addition applications in real world contexts will be examined including ocean carbonate equilibria as it relates to climate change, acid/base/buffer reactions in biological systems, hemoglobin-oxygen complex formation, and the Haber process in the production of ammonia. Prerequisite: Chemistry I Advanced .Departmental permission required.

Chemical kinetics is studied using a combination of provided experimental data and data gathered by  students. Students examine chemical reaction Rate Laws and apply those equations to experimental data. These explorations give each student the opportunity to apply, and refine, their fluency with graphical techniques and constructing laboratory reports. Chemical reaction thermodynamic favorability is defined, and connections between it and equilibrium, entropy, enthalpy, and Gibbs Free energy are explored. Electrochemistry is also studied, including an examination of batteries, solar energy, and the industrial electroplating process. The course will conclude with a unit on common spectroscopic techniques including NMR, IR, Mass spectrometry and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Prerequisite: Chemistry I Advanced. Departmental permission required.

Students will build on previous chemistry knowledge as well as develop an understanding of the topics generally covered in a first-semester organic chemistry college course. Such a course is a required course for many science majors as well as pre-med programs. These topics include an exploration of the characteristics of basic hydrocarbons (alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes) as well as the reactions of these compounds and the mechanisms of these processes.  Particular emphasis will be on how the relationship between shape and reaction pathway influences reaction products. Prerequisite: Chemistry I Advanced. Departmental permission required.

This semester course focuses on the major themes of physics, emphasizing the exploration and development of key concepts before taking up mathematics and applications in problem solving. Conceptual understanding is a fundamental goal of the course and it is supported by many hands-on projects. The big ideas of the physical universe are actually few in number and widely interrelated. This course will emphasize the concepts of physics in a manner that will make these interrelationships easier to recognize. Our study of physics will include careful observations of nature and thoughtful interpretation of why things happen the way they do. In the process, we will also consider applications of these ideas in the everyday world such as why massive boats can float and how thin bridges support heavy loads. Open to grades 11 and 12 only. Prerequisite: one year of Upper School science.

This course provides a survey of the most important topics in mechanics, with attention to analysis of one- and two dimensional kinematics and dynamics, as well as rotational kinematics and dynamics. The class also includes some introduction to higher level topics, such as pulsar astrophysics, relativity and thermodynamics, with a focus on the role played by energy in physical problems. Our goal is to present physics in a logical and coherent way while exposing students to problem-solving skills and some contemporary applications of physics in everyday life. Students enrolled in physics must have an adequate background in mathematics. This course is open to grades 10, 11, and 12 but students must be fluent in trigonometric functions. Prerequisite: Chemistry I Advanced, Biology I Advanced, or permission of the instructor.

In this course, students will build on the problem-solving and analytical skills developed in Physics I Advanced to study the classical laws governing electric charges. Through lecture, laboratory experimentation, and problem sets, the topics studied will include electric fields, electrical potential, current, circuit components, and AC and DC circuits. Group work is encouraged, exposing students to the collaborative nature at the heart of scientific inquiry. Both trigonometry and calculus will be used to examine the theory behind physical phenomena (although previous study of calculus is not required). Prerequisite: Physics II Advanced and Precalculus Advanced. Departmental permission required if a student has not previously taken previously taking Physics II Advanced. 

Grounded in their knowledge of electric forces and circuits, students will study magnetism, and the electromagnetic theory of Maxwell’s equations. Areas of study include magnetic fields and forces, induction, AC circuits, and electromagnetic waves. After completing these classical topics and time permitting, modern physics topics will be explored, such as optics, relativity, quantum mechanics, particle physics, material science, and fluid dynamics. This course will challenge students to apply rigorous mathematical analyses to physical problems and to question their intuition about the physical world. Prerequisites: Precalculus Advanced and Physics III Advanced: Electricity and Circuits.

This course is open to all students but is specifically designed for those who entered Friends’ Central after Grade 9 and who did not take our Physics I course. Students will be asked to investigate the classical mechanics of physics as it relates to motion. Concepts studied will include but are not limited to motion (kinematics, velocity, and acceleration), forces (Newton's laws), and energy (mechanical). Motion and forces will be primarily examined in one dimension but will also include some 2D reasoning and problem-solving as well. There will be building activities, application, and exploration of the concepts studied in this course.

This course is offered as a fall semester class for seniors who have an interest in the biology and ecology of plants and fungi, particularly those of economic importance to humans. The course will begin with a study of systematic biology and nomenclature, introducing students to the system of naming and classifying plants across diverse families. Additional topics will develop an understanding of the anatomy and life history of flowering plants, with special attention to the structures of the flower, seed dispersal strategies, plant-pollinator relationships, and the cellular makeup of leaf and stem tissues. Extensive outdoor field work and active participation in regular discussions are important components of the course. Detailed investigations will be made in the areas of food plants, issues in modern food production systems and agriculture, and the chemistry of medicinal and drug plants. Open to grade 12 students. Prerequisite: Biology, Biology I Advanced, or permission of the instructor 

This course will guide students through a tour of the universe in four units. It starts with basic celestial orientation, where students learn how to find and then map significant markers in the sky over time. Students will study the changes in the sky over time, such as the seasonal movement of the Sun along the horizon and the phases of the Moon. We will also look at how astronomers analyze light from distant objects to probe their inner nature and the kinds of telescope specifications necessary for exploring different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Our second unit, a study of stars, will start with our Sun. We will look at how and why stars change over the course of their lifetimes, and how astronomers are able to understand these changes. Next, we will move beyond our own neighborhood to study the collections of stars we call galaxies, considering even the exotic types like QSOs and other active galaxies, and how all these play a role in understanding the origin and potential fate of the universe. Lastly, we will turn back to much more familiar territory, looking deeply at what has been learned about the worlds in our very own Solar System, and how understanding the geology near to us may help us in our search for other habitable worlds around other stars. This course will involve a laboratory component that will require occasional evening observing sessions on campus and at least one field trip to a local planetarium and/or observatory. 

This course is for seniors who have taken Biology I or Biology I Advanced and delves into the anatomy, physiology, and pathology of vertebrate animals, focusing on humans. The goal of this course is to provide a rigorous scientific understanding of the range of complex yet elegant processes we experience every day that keep us alive. Topics will vary with student interest and will range from reviews of specific organ systems to developmental biology to the biological basis for diagnosis, therapies, and advances in the health and medical sciences. Anatomical dissection of biological material may be included in the course laboratory experience. Prerequisite: Biology, Biology I Advanced, or permission of the instructor

This course is designed to consider the sources of the individual atmospheric chemical constituents that are known to be the greenhouse gases, or gases that trap earth-borne radiation from escaping thus causing the rise in average global temperatures, how the constituents differ in their Greenhouse Warming Potential, and subsequent climate change impact that the constituents will likely impose on the global communities. Although global climate change is often discussed by considering average rise in global temperatures, there are select global regions that are being impacted to a greater extent by climate change than others. Students will consider these regions, specifically the Arctic region, explore the impact the melting ice sheet, the thawing permafrost, and the deterioration of Greenland’s ice mass will have on the state of the global climate, and evaluate the human toll in the regions by the rapidly changing conditions. A consideration of the scientific predictions for the future climate change impact on weather, ocean temperatures, and sea level rise will be made. We will also discuss climate policy and solutions, looking at how nations plan to both lessen the effects of climate change and adapt to our changing world.