Science

For a full list of science classes available to LHS students, please click here.

Course Name: Advanced Placement Environmental Science 

Teacher: Mr. Grant

What is biodiversity and does it matter? How does the Earth change over hundreds of millions of years?  How has evolution played a role in shaping today’s biosphere? Are humans changing the global climate on Earth? How have humans affected the Earth? The goal of the AP Environmental Science course is to provide students with the knowledge to answer these questions and many more.

During the course scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world are investigated.  Students will be able 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; it embraces a wide variety of topics from different areas of study. The AP Environmental Science course is designed to be the equivalent of a one-semester, introductory college course in environmental science. This course has been developed to enable students to undertake, as first-year college students, a more advanced study of topics in environmental science or, alternatively, to fulfill a basic requirement for a laboratory science and thus free time for taking other courses.

Students take several trips throughout the year including visits to the New England Aquarium and a field-study of Mt. Kearsarge.

Course Name: Advanced Placement Biology

Teacher: Ms. Borroto

Full Year for grades 11 – 12

Course Description: This science course will be inquiry-based, as designed by the College Board, and will be centered around four big ideas: evolution, energetics, information storage and transmission, and systems interactions. Students will gain the ability to design their own investigations by engaging in twelve inquiry labs which supplement the content covered. The course will help students develop fundamental lab skills to prepare them for lab courses, including using various tools, keeping a lab notebook, and using statistical analysis to interpret data.

Prerequisites: Honors Biology or CP Biology A required. Honors or CP Chemistry A recommended, but not required (can be taken concurrently with AP Biology)

Course Name: Advanced Placement Physics

Teacher: Mr. Cariello

Full Year for grades 10 – 12

Prerequisites: CP Algebra 2 (grade of B or better) or higher

Course Description: This science course is an algebra-based, introductory college-level physics course. Students cultivate their understanding of physics through inquiry-based investigations as they explore these topics: kinematics, dynamics, circular motion and gravitation, energy, momentum, simple harmonic motion, torque and rotational motion, electric charge and electric force, DC circuits, and mechanical waves and sound.

Course Name: Advanced Placement Physics II

Teacher: Mr. Cariello

Course Description: This course is a continuation of the study of elementary physics that began in Advanced Placement Physics I. Topics to be investigated include Fluid Dynamics, Heat Energy and Thermodynamics, Electrical Charges, Electric Circuits,  Magnetic Fields, Magnetic Flux, Geometric Optics, and an Introduction to Quantum Mechanics.

Prerequisites

CP Physics A or AP Physics I

Notes: This class is a College Board AP Class as well as a Project Running Start Class

Project Running Start classes are offered concurrently for high school credit and college credit through Manchester Community College.

Course Name: Microbiology/Biomedical Science and Technology

NAME CHANGE ALERT: Previously named Biotechnology (Honors or CP A option available)

Grade 11-12

A note about Biomedical Science and Technology :

Students definitely entering human or animal medically related fields, several engineering fields, computer programming, etc. should consider taking these courses.  They are both college option courses and the 2 period class provides college credits for a college sophomore level microbiology course which is definitely a requirement in any medical field including bioengineering.

Course Description: The biotechnology industry has exploded on both the local and national scale creating an expanding need for a trained workforce. Biotechnology is applied biology; it allows us to use organisms to make useful products. Traditional biotechnology products include foods such as cheese and bread. Some examples of modern biotechnology products include medicines produced in microbes, gene therapies to treat illnesses, crops that are modified to be more productive or nutritious, and organisms that can degrade environmental contaminants. Hands-on exposure to tools and protocols used in the field of biotechnology (including medical microbiology) will occur throughout the year. Therapeutic pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical diagnostic testing, forensics, agriculture, good manufacturing procedures, bioinformatics, and bioethics are just a few of the topics that will be investigated through the use of microorganisms and plants.

Students will have the option of taking this course for honors or college preparatory level A credit.

NCAA Approved.

Prerequisites:

CP Biology A or B, Honors Biology, or CP Biology A with Biomedical Science and Technology (formerly known as Biology Through Biotechnology)

Course Notes:

**Note: Double period.

Because 4 credits for a sophomore college level microbiology course are available, this course is recommended for students interested in pursuing a career in the medical or bioengineering/biomedical field.

Students have the opportunity to agree to an Honors Biotechnology contract.

Course Name: Anatomy and Physiology

Course Description: The Anatomy & Physiology class at LHS has become a very good class at preparing students for College Level Anatomy & Physiology. It is an excellent class for students interested in pursuing a career in the Medical field. Students who are interested in nursing, or becoming a doctor, surgeon, Physician’s Assistant, Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Psychologist or Psychiatrist, or a Veterinarian or similar careers typically take Anatomy & Physiology in college and beyond.

Since this class has a lot of memorization to it, taking the class for a second time in college usually results in a higher grade. Many of our past students have found Anatomy much easier in college than here at LHS. Even some students who weren’t very successful here have earned A’s in college.

We cover Human Anatomy and Physiology and cover the entire college text book in the Honors and A level and Most of the book in the B level. The class covers the topics at a College pace for the Honors and A level. The students are required to complete dissections. There has been a lot of research recently on the benefit of actual dissections for learning anatomy over other ways of learning anatomy. The students will dissect a cat and various organs.

Levels Offered
There are currently 3 levels of Anatomy & Physiology offered at LHS: Honors, A and B.

The Honors and A level can be taken as a Project Running Start class and earn College credit. However, the student will usually have to take Anatomy & Physiology in college but often can receive credit for an elective or introductory Biology class.

The Anatomy & Physiology Honors and A classes at LHS go over the same topics as Anatomy I and Anatomy II in college and this year it has been upgraded to two Running Start classes, one for each semester. So you can earn 2 college course credits through Project Running Start.

Honors: This level is for students who have done very well in Biology or Honors Biology and Chemistry. Test questions are harder, more thinking type and open-ended questions, and there is more work expected for labs and other work. It requires a lot of time for proper learning of the material for the assessments.

A Level: This level is for students who have been successful in Biology, Honors Biology and Chemistry. It is a good fit for students who have a lot of time commitments in other Honors or AP classes, work and athletics and other hobbies. It still requires a lot of time for proper preparation for assessments.

B level: This level is for students who have been successful at the B level of Biology and Chemistry. It covers most of the same topics as the A level but at a slower pace and easier testing. It still requires a lot of time for proper preparation for tests.

Course Name: CP Biology A with Biomedical Science and Technology

NAME CHANGE ALERT: Previously named Biology through Biotechnology

Teacher: Mrs. Girvin

Grade 10

Course Description: Biology A with Biomedical Science and Technology is a tenth grade laboratory course designed to provide students with an intensive investigative approach to biological concepts. Through various hands-on activities (including extensive laboratory experiments) students will study a multitude of topics including, but not limited to, molecular biology, cellular biology, microbiology, genetics, immunology, evolution and ethical issues. These topics will be explored within the context of biotechnology, communicable disease and ecology. Through the use of research investigations, students will begin to develop laboratory skills and techniques that are valued in modern scientific communities. NCAA approved. ***College Preparatory A level course*** 

Prerequisite: CP Freshman Science

Course Notes:
*Fulfills state requirements for biology

Course Name: Advanced Topics in Chemistry

Teacher: Mrs. Fraser

Course Description: Thinking of becoming a Doctor?  Dentist?  Physician’s Assistant?  Biochemist?  Engineer?  Pharmacist?  Dietitian?

Advanced Topics will give you that extra advantage that no one would have:  Exposure to Organic Chemistry.

It is known that Organic Chemistry is the number ONE most often flunked course in college.  It is also THE course that Medical Schools, Dental Schools and Pharmaceutical Schools look at to determine if you have what it takes to continue on in these fields.  Research the colleges you are interested in and find out what courses you would have to take if you go there.

If Organic Chemistry is one of the required courses, then you really should sign up for Advanced Topics.  It will help you achieve your goals and it will make a huge difference in how well you perform taking College Chemistry and Organic Chemistry.

Advanced Topics in Chemistry is an Honors Class.

Course Requirements:

*Honor Chemistry (SPAM) Grade no lower than a C

*CP Chemistry-A Grade no lower than a B

Course Name: CP Forensic Science

Teacher: Mrs. Whitehead

This is a one semester elective offered to sophomores, juniors and seniors.  This is a lab centered class that covers many topics in forensic science. Topics include evidence and crime scenes,  fingerprints, bite-marks, time of death, forensic entomology, blood spatter analysis, and forensic anthropology to name a few.

It’s fun, fast-paced and hands-on.