Electives The Science Department offers one-semester elective courses beyond the biology, chemistry, and physics sequence. Some electives are available to students who have completed a biology course, with others open to students who have completed biology and chemistry courses. Advanced Biology: Genetics One Semester (Offered First Semester) Prerequisites: Biology and Chemistry (or equivalents) AND Science Department recommendation The key ideas and modern applications of genetics will be addressed in this advanced elective class. Lab investigations and active reading of journal articles provide students with the scientific basis for understanding issues relating to genetic engineering - including gene manipulation, gene cloning, recombinant DNA technology, gene therapy, and genetic modification. Students will obtain an in-depth knowledge of mitosis, the cell cycle, DNA replication, meiosis, and protein synthesis in order to build a strong foundation in genetics. Through collaborative and individual in-depth research projects, students may explore and apply their understanding to topics such as cloning, stem cell research, DNA fingerprinting, genetic basis of disease, and the conservation of genetic diversity in nature. Advanced Biology: Anatomy and Physiology One Semester (Offered Second Semester) Prerequisites: Biology and Chemistry (or equivalents) AND Science Department recommendation This advanced elective course in anatomy and physiology examines the structure and function of the human body and the complex mechanisms for maintaining homeostasis within it. Students will explore a variety of body systems, such as the cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous, digestive, muscular, and skeletal. Collaborative and individual in-depth research projects emphasize the integration of systems as they relate to health issues. Extensive laboratory exercises provide firsthand experience with organs, structures and processes. Advanced Biology: Immunology One Semester (Offered First and Second Semesters) Prerequisites: Biology and Chemistry (or equivalents) AND Science Department recommendation Immunology is the study of the immune system: a combination of biological structures and processes that protect our bodies from disease. This lab-based elective course examines the molecular and cellular interactions and principles of the immune system. Topics include innate immunity, adaptive immunity, antibody structure,
viruses, vaccinations, allergic reactions, autoimmune diseases, and cancer immunology. Advanced Chemistry: Solutions and Equilibrium One Semester (Offered First Semester)
Prerequisites: Chemistry Honors or equivalent AND Science Department recommendation
Students will begin with an investigation of solution chemistry including dissolved gasses, supersaturated solutions, colligative properties, boiling point elevation, and freezing point depression. Students will then calculate rate constants and rate laws, look at how the rate constant can be changed through different methods, and how elementary steps of a reaction lead to an overall rate law. The semester will end with a study of equilibrium constants, Le Chatelier’s principle, and the factors that influence the equilibrium point of a reaction. Text: Chemistry: A Molecular Approach 4th Edition, Nivaldo Tro (ISBN: 0134112830; ISBN-13: 9780134112831) Advanced Chemistry: Energy and Oxidation Reduction Reactions One Semester (Offered Second Semester) Prerequisites: Advanced Chemistry: Solutions and Equilibrium AND Science Department recommendation In this course, students will continue to investigate equilibria, including percent ionization, buffer solutions and titrations. They will study how equilibrium affects the behavior of acids and bases in solution, as well as focus on molar solubility of compounds and how that can be affected by either pH or the formation of complex ions. Students will then discuss the three Laws of Thermodynamics, as well as how Gibbs Energy relates to the formation of different compounds. They will construct calorimeters and begin to understand how energy is transferred between objects as well as how energy is transferred between a reaction and objects surrounding the reaction; finally looking at how Gibbs Energy affects the equilibrium of a reaction. Students will look at how reduction/oxidation reactions can be harnessed as electrical power, and will investigate concentration cells as well as different types of batteries, including dry cell, lead storage, and fuel cells. The semester will conclude with an introduction to organic chemistry. Text: Chemistry: A Molecular Approach 4th Edition, Nivaldo Tro (ISBN: 0134112830; ISBN-13: 9780134112831)
89 Upper School
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