Niskayuna Central School District > Academics > Niskayuna High School Program of Studies 2024-25 > NHS Program of Studies: Science

NHS Program of Studies: Science

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Science is concerned with the facts, concepts and processes at work in the physical and biological worlds. Instruction provides for the historical perspective of science and its relation to problems in society and technology. Emphasis is placed on the development of problem-solving skills and, informed scientific attitudes. The aim is to provide a broad, relevant and meaningful science program to educate all students in 21st century skills necessary to prepare them for success in today’s competitive global economy.

In the laboratory students reinforce theory, develop skills, analyze, present and interpret data. Students, individually and in groups, are encouraged to explore their own science interests. Resources are available to them in the laboratory, the library, the school and community.

General Information and Graduation Requirements

All science courses that end in a Regents Examination are scheduled for 78-minute blocks every other day, and 39 minutes on the remaining days, this includes Science Topics. These are full-year courses and one credit is earned. Science elective courses are scheduled for 78-minute blocks every other day and do not end in a Regents Examination. There are many possible course sequences. Students may move from one science course to another as their interests and abilities develop in accordance with NYS graduation requirements. All students are required to earn a minimum of three credits in science as follows:

  • One course in a Living Environment Core (Biology)
  • One course in a Physical Setting Core (Earth Science, Chemistry, Physics)
  • Students must pass one Regents Examination for a Regents Diploma or two Regents exams (one from the Living Environment and one from the Physical Setting) for an Advanced Regents Diploma.
  • To sit for a Regents Examination in Science, students must have completed a minimum of 1,200 minutes of hands-on laboratory ­experience, with documentation of satisfactorily completed write ups.
  • The third year of science must be based on the NYS Math/Scienc/Technology Standards

Students must be enrolled in a science course from grades 9-11. No student may drop a science course altogether (without enrolling in another) unless they have successfully completed the minimum graduation requirement of 3 years/3 credits.

Preparation

Prerequisites as listed for science courses are to be interpreted as the minimum background required for success in a given course. Science electives may be taken only if the student has completed the coursework listed to ensure that the student is meeting graduation requirements. Problem-solving skills are essential to scientific study, and draw heavily from mathematics. It is strongly recommended that specific mathematics courses be taken before or concurrently with science courses.

Science Courses

30100 SCIENCE TOPICS

1 year, 1 credit, Grade 9

This full-year structured course is designed for students who need a science credit (not a Regents science credit) for their science sequence. The course introduces the student to a variety of science topics taught at the high school, and is designed for ninth graders because it introduces them to a wide range of fundamental principles, ideas and investigations involving both the biological and physical world. It prepares them for the more sophisticated approaches to scientific inquiry and problem-solving in earth science, biology, chemistry and physics courses, as well as real-world interests and applications of science. Students will take a final examination in June.

31200 EARTH SCIENCE R: ASTRONOMY, METEOROLOGY, GEOLOGY

1 year, 1 credit, Grades 9-12

Students will explore the sciences of geology, astronomy and meteorology. Earth Science is highly recommended for freshmen because it introduces them to a wide range of fundamental principles, ideas and investigations involving the world and it will prepare them for the more sophisticated approaches to scientific inquiry in biology, chemistry and physics courses. Students will take the Earth Science Regents Examination in June.

31300 EARTH SCIENCE H: ASTRONOMY, METEOROLOGY, GEOLOGY

1 year, 1 credit, Grades 9-12

Note: This Honors course provides for minimal direct instruction of Regents level concepts. Instruction centers on deeper, more rigorous science principles with demand and intensity at the college level. Students are expected to be independent readers and learners of the basic concepts related to this course.

This course takes a more in-depth approach to the topics covered in Earth Science R. Students are expected to readily apply learned principles to novel situations encountered through lab activities and tests. They should show a high degree of interest and motivation as well as intellectual curiosity. Students enrolling for this course should work well independently and have experienced high achievement in past science courses without depending on rote learning or tutoring. Students will take the Earth Science Regents Examination in June.

Recommended Preparation: Completion of Algebra 1 or concurrent enrollment in Geometry

32250 BIOLOGY R: LIVING ENVIRONMENT

1 year, 1 credit, Grades 10-12

This course focuses on understanding important relationships, processes, mechanisms, and applications of biological concepts. It is designed to prepare students to explain, both accurately and with appropriate depth, the most important ideas about our living environment. The topics of ecology, genetics, evolution, and human systems will be explored in a manner consistent with the core concepts contained in the New York State Living Environment Curriculum Guide, preparing students for the Regents Exam. This course has a mandatory lab requirement. Students will take the Living Environment Regents Examination in June.

32300 BIOLOGY H

1 year, 1 credit, Grades 9-12

Note: This Honors course provides for minimal direct instruction of Regents level concepts. Instruction centers on deeper, more rigorous science principles with demand and intensity at the college level. Students are expected to be independent readers and learners of the basic concepts related to this course. This course takes a more in-depth approach to the topics covered in Biology R. Students are expected to readily apply learned principles to novel situations encountered through lab activities and tests. They should show a high degree of interest and motivation as well as intellectual curiosity. Students enrolling for this course should work well independently and have experienced high achievement in past science courses without depending on rote learning or tutoring. Students will take the Living Environment Regents Examination in June.

Recommended Preparation: Completion of Algebra 1 or concurrent enrollment in Geometry

33121 CHEMISTRY

1 year, 1 credit, Grades 11-12

Designed for students who need a college preparatory physical science credit, but not necessarily a Regents exam credit for their science sequence. This survey course in Chemistry is designed to explore, develop and apply the basic fundamental concepts of chemistry as it relates to everyday life. Students will take a locally developed final exam in June, and have the option of taking the Chemistry Regents so long as they have met the mandatory lab requirement. The course does not cover as much breadth and depth as the Regents Chemistry course.

Prerequisite: Completion of Algebra 1 or Integrated Algebra A and Integrated Algebra B/Geometry A, and two science courses, one must be Biology/Living Environment. Students must have passed at least one science Regents examination.

33200 CHEMISTRY R

1 year, 1 credit, Grades 11-12

In this course students will explore major topics in chemistry as described in the New York State Physical Setting/Chemistry Core Curriculum. A significant part of this course is hands-on laboratory work, which is a requirement for Regents credit. Students will take the Chemistry Regents Examination in June.

Prerequisites: Completion of Biology/Living Environment and Algebra 1 or Integrated Algebra A and Integrated Algebra B/Geometry A.

Recommended Preparation: Completion of Algebra 2 or concurrent enrollment.

33300 CHEMISTRY H

1 year, 1 credit, Grades 10-12

Note: This Honors course provides for minimal direct instruction of Regents level concepts. Instruction centers on deeper, more rigorous science principles with demand and intensity at the college level. Students are expected to be independent readers and learners of the basic concepts related to this course.

The same content as Chemistry R is more richly developed, adding a more quantitative exploration of the chemical laws. Students should work well independently and respond well to challenging subject matter. They should show a high degree of interest and motivation as well as intellectual curiosity. Students will take the Chemistry Regents Examination in June.

Prerequisite: Completion of Biology/Living Environment and Algebra 1; concurrent enrollment in Geometry or Algebra 2.

Recommended Preparation: Completion of Biology/Living Environment H and Algebra 2 Accelerated or concurrent enrollment. A strong background in math is critical to this course.

34121 PHYSICS

1 year, 1 credit, Grades 11-12

Designed for students who need a college preparatory physical science credit, but not necessarily a Regents exam credit for their science sequence. This survey course in Physics is designed to explore, develop and apply the basic fundamental concepts of Physics as it relates to everyday life. Students will take a locally developed final exam in June, and have the option of taking the Physics Regents so long as they have met the mandatory lab requirement. The course does not cover as much breadth and depth as the Regents Physics course.

Prerequisites: Completion of Algebra 1 or Integrated Algebra A and Integrated Algebra B/Geometry A, and two science courses, one must be Biology/Living Environment. Students must have passed at least one Science Regents examination.

34200 PHYSICS R

1 year, 1 credit, Grades 11-12

This course is an algebra, trigonometry and geometry based study of the physical world from the subatomic to the cosmic level. Students will study the nature of matter and energy and how they are related. Topics include mechanics, waves and light, electricity and magnetism, and modern physics. The course ends in the Physics Regents exam in June.

Prerequisite: Minimum completion of two science courses: Biology/Living Environment R or H and Chemistry R or H. Completion of Algebra 2 or concurrent enrollment. A strong background in math is critical to this course.

34300 PHYSICS H

1 year, 1 credit, Grades 11-12

Note: This Honors course provides for minimal direct instruction of Regents level concepts. Instruction centers on deeper, more rigorous science principles with demand and intensity at the college level. Students are expected to be independent readers and learners of the basic concepts related to this course. Topics in this course are similar to Physics R, with topics explored in more depth and with greater emphasis placed on derivation of equations and problem-solving. Students will take the Physics Regents examination in June.

Prerequisite: Minimum completion of Biology/Living Environment R or H and Chemistry R or H; Completion of Algebra 2.

Recommended Preparation: Chemistry H and Algebra 2 Accelerated or concurrent enrollment in Pre-Calculus. A strong background in math is critical to this course.

35200 AP BIOLOGY

1 year, 1 credit, Grades 11-12

AP Biology is an introductory college-level biology course. Students cultivate their understanding of biology through inquiry-based investigations as they explore the following topics: evolution, cellular processes — energy and communication, genetics, information transfer, ecology, and interactions. The course has a required locally developed final exam as well as the Advanced Placement Biology Examination offered at the end of the course.

Prerequisites: Completion of Biology/Living Environment R or H and Chemistry R or H.

35300 AP CHEMISTRY

1 year, 1 credit, Grades 11-12

This course prepares students for the CEEB AP Chemistry examination. Topics include atomic structure, bonding, stoichiometry, chemical equations, gases and phase changes, thermodynamics, solutions, equilibrium, acids and bases, kinetics, oxidation-reduction reactions, electrochemistry, nuclear decay, organic chemistry, descriptive chemistry, laboratory safety and procedures. The Advanced Placement Chemistry Examination is given at the end of the course. Students finishing AP Chemistry will have completed two semester college general chemistry courses. This course is designed to have ample hands on laboratory experience with formal written reports due for each. Students will practice solving problems and expressing ideas with clarity and logic. Students are expected to read and outline text chapters prior to in-class instruction to ensure participation in daily lessons. Readings and related questions are assigned at the beginning of the year for students to work through independently in preparation for multi-topic examinations. At the conclusion of this course students should be prepared for second-year work in the chemistry sequence at their college/university institution, or for courses in other fields where general chemistry is a prerequisite.

Prerequisites: Completion of Chemistry R or H and Algebra 2.

Recommended Preparation: Physics R or H, Algebra 2 Accelerated. A strong background in math is critical to this course.

35400 AP PHYSICS

1 year, 1 credit, Grade 12

This course prepares students for both C-level Advanced Placement examinations designed for physics and engineering majors. About 50% of the course is a study of mechanics and the remaining 50% is a study of electricity and magnetism. Several sophisticated independent-study laboratory experiments are included, as well as individual projects. The Advanced Placement Physics Examination is given at the end of the course.

Prerequisites: Completion of Chemistry R or H and Physics R or H; completion of AP Calculus AB or BC or concurrent enrollment. A strong background in math is critical to this course.

37100 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE (University in the High School Program)

1 year, 1 credit, Grades 11-12

This course is a study of local and global issues related to the environment, and the methodologies used to study, identify, and make informed decisions to address these problems. Students draw from their knowledge of geology, biology, chemistry, and physics to explore the vast environmental issues that our world is currently facing. An analysis of the scientific and societal implications of such environmental issues as fresh water quality, invasive species, global climate change, and alternative energy sources will be correlated in the context of current events. This course has a mandatory lab component. Students have the option of cross-registration with the SUNY Albany and receiving three college credits for a fee.

Prerequisite: Students must have completed the Living Environment and Physical Setting graduation requirements. Students must have passed at least one Science Regents examination.

37210 INTRODUCTION TO MEDICAL SCIENCE

One semester, 1/2 credit, Grades 11-12

This is an advanced course of study that will help prepare students interested in entering a two or four year college program in a health or medical related profession. Whether interested in being a pharmacist, nurse, doctor, or technician, etc. this course will expose students to the many branches of medicine. Students will be instructed in standard diagnostic techniques, treatment procedures, medical terminology, medical reporting, biomedical ethics, and an introduction to legal/insurance aspects of the health professions. Topics include, but are not limited to: Pharmacology, Cytology/Histology, Microbiology, Dermatology, Orthopedics, Hematology, Cardiology, Respiratory Therapy, Radiology, Gastroenterology, Urology, Neurology, Endocrinology, and Reproduction. In addition, students will explore the role of Nanoscience/Nanotechnology in medicine. Students should have a strong background in algebra, biology, and chemistry. A cumulative final is given at the end of each semester based on topics covered during that timeframe. This course can be used to meet the third year science course requirement or as an elective for a Regents/Advanced Regents Diploma.

Prerequisite: Students must have completed the Living Environment and Physical Setting graduation requirements. Students must have passed at least one Science Regents examination. Students are strongly encouraged to take Chemistry prior to this course, but may take it concurrently.