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Albertville High School Science Course Descriptions
SCIENCE
Biology
NOTE: FULFILLS THE GRADUATION REQUIREMENT FOR BIOLOGY. Inquiry-based course with engineering design integration; focused on patterns, processes, and interactions among living organisms including structures and processes, ecosystems, heredity, and unity and diversity.
Advanced Biology
NOTE: FULFILLS THE GRADUATION REQUIREMENT FOR BIOLOGY. Advanced inquiry-based course with engineering design integration; focused on patterns, processes, and interactions among living organisms including structures and processes, ecosystems, heredity, and unity and diversity. **Open to students who are entering the 9th grade or transfer students who require a Biology course.** Must meet one of the requirements:
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Must have an “A” average in 7th grade Advanced science without benchmark
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Must have a “B” average or higher in any 7th grade science and benchmark on Standardized Assessment
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PLUS ACCESS score above 4, if applicable
Physical Science
NOTE: FULFILLS THE “PHYSICAL SCIENCE” GRADUATION REQUIREMENT. Conceptual inquiry-based course with engineering design integration providing investigation of the basic concepts of chemistry and physics including matter and its interactions, motion and stability, energy, and waves and information technologies.
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Students entering the 9th grade who choose to start with the “physical science” requirement or students entering the 10th grade who do not meet the criteria for Advanced Chemistry
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Transfer students who do not have a physical science/chemistry course and do not meet the criteria for Advanced Chemistry
Chemistry:
NOTE: FULFILLS THE “PHYSICAL SCIENCE” GRADUATION REQUIREMENT.
Investigations on the properties and interactions of matter including matter and its interactions, concentration of forces and motion, types of interactions, stability and instability in chemical systems, conservation of energy, energy transformations, and applications of energy to everyday life
Advanced Chemistry
NOTE: FULFILLS THE “PHYSICAL SCIENCE” GRADUATION REQUIREMENT. Advanced investigation of empirical concepts central to biology, earth science, environmental science, and physiology; in-depth investigations on the properties and interactions of matter including matter and its interactions, concentration of forces and motion, types of interactions, stability and instability in chemical systems, conservation of energy, energy transformations, and applications of energy to everyday life. (Must meet math requirements & one of the other requirements)
*Open to Sophomores.
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Must have a B average In Alg. I AND
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Must have an “A” average in 8th Grade Science.
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Must benchmark on Standardized Test
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PLUS ACCESS score above 4, if applicable
Forensic and Criminal Investigation:
NOTE: DOES NOT FULFILL THE GRADUATION REQUIREMENT FOR BIOLOGY OR "A PHYSICAL SCIENCE." A one-credit course that focuses on the history of forensic science, criminal investigation, forensic serology and DNA, forensic studies in anthropology, toxicology, fingerprinting, firearms, physics, and document examination. **Open to students entering 11th and 12th grade.**
Must meet 1 of the following criteria:
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B in Standard Biology or Physical Science OR
C in Pre-AP/AP Biology or Chemistry
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Benchmark on Standardized Assessment
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PLUS ACCESS score above 3, if applicable
Anatomy & Physiology
NOTE: DOES NOT FULFILL THE GRADUATION REQUIREMENT FOR BIOLOGY OR "A PHYSICAL SCIENCE." Study of structure and function of human body systems from the cellular level to the organism level; interactions within and between systems that maintain homeostasis in organisms; how personal choices, environmental factors, and genetic factors affect the human body. **Open to 11th and 12th Graders.**
Must meet one of the following:
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B in Standard Biology or Physical Science OR
C in Advanced/AP Biology or Chemistry
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Benchmark on Standardized Assessment
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Enrolled in Health Science Internship
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PLUS ACCESS score above 3, if applicable
Earth and Space Science
NOTE: DOES NOT FULFILL THE GRADUATION REQUIREMENT FOR BIOLOGY OR "A PHYSICAL SCIENCE”. Earth & Space Science explores the processes that occur on our planet that provide conditions for life to survive and thrive. Specifically, focus is placed on the release of nutrients into the environment; the production, deformation, and cycle of rocks; and the changes and patterns of our weather system. Finally, we discuss our planet's location in space along with the solar system, and other celestial bodies that light up the night sky. **Open to students entering the 12th grade.**
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Must have passed a Biology
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Must have passed a Physical Science
Environmental Science
NOTE: DOES NOT FULFILL THE GRADUATION REQUIREMENT FOR BIOLOGY OR "A PHYSICAL SCIENCE.” Environmental Science is a study of how humans interact with the living and nonliving parts of the environment. It integrates ideas of science from Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Geography, Economics, and Political Science. **Open to students entering the 11th or 12th grade.**
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Must have passed a Biology
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Must have passed a Physical Science
AP Biology
PREREQUISITE: IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE AP BIOLOGY COURSE BE TAKEN AFTER THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF A FIRST COURSE IN HIGH SCHOOL BIOLOGY AND ONE IN HIGH SCHOOL CHEMISTRY AS WELL.*Open to Juniors & Seniors as science credit. Open to Sophomores as an elective if a student qualifies for Pre-AP Chem.
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Must have a “B” average in all regular science classes or C average in PreAP or AP classes and have completed or be enrolled in Algebra II.
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Must have taken a previous high school biology class and must benchmark on Standardized Assessment.
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PLUS ACCESS score above 4, if applicable
AP Chemistry
PREREQUISITE: THE COLLEGE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT THE AP CHEMISTRY COURSE BE TAKEN AFTER THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF A FIRST COURSE IN HIGH SCHOOL CHEMISTRY AND A SECOND-YEAR ALGEBRA COURSE.
College-level advanced course following the curriculum established by the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Program for chemistry; atomic theory and structure; chemical bonding; nuclear chemistry; gasses; liquids and solids; solutions; reaction types; stoichiometry; equilibrium; kinetics; thermodynamics.
(Must meet math requirements & one of the other requirements)
*Open to Juniors & Seniors.
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Must have passed or be taking Alg. II
AND
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B Average in Advanced Chem or AP Physics I or II or an A in Chemistry.
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Benchmark on Standardized Assessment.
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PLUS ACCESS score above 4, if applicable
Physics
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Juniors or Seniors with C or above in Chemistry or Advanced Chemistry or A in Physical Science
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C or above in Alg II or taking currently
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PLUS ACCESS score above 3, if applicable
AP Physics I
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Science Department Faculty
Morgan Brooks-Forensics, Earth and Space Science
Taylor Chastain- Biology, Physical Science, ACT Prep
Tyler Cooper- Physical Science, Chemistry
Jeremy Cunningham- Biology
Glen Fox- AP Biology, Forensics, Dual Enrollment Biology
Matthew Jackson- Earth and Space Science, Physical Science
Paul Lackey- Anatomy and Physiology, Dual Enrollment Biology
Jeri Anne Martin- Environmental Science
Janie Minor- Biology, Advanced Biology
Steve Owens-Advanced Chemistry, AP Chemistry, AP Physics
James Nelson- Physical Science and Biology