Welcome to the Science Department.

Science is the way of the future, more and more careers require some type of background in science. And these courses listed below will help kick start your career in the science field.

Courses & Course Information:

SCIENCE 9
This course has three major units: Life Science – Reproduction; Physical Science with Chemistry – Atoms, elements, and compounds and Physics – Characteristics of Electricity; and Earth and Space Science – Space Exploration. The course will utilize a variety of learning strategies such as laboratory work, projects, and small group work.

SCIENCE 10
The course has three major units: LIFE SCIENCE – (Sustainability of Ecosystems); PHYSICAL SCIENCE with Chemistry – (Chemical Reactions and Radiation) and Physics – (Motion); and EARTH SCIENCE – (Energy Transfer in Natural Systems & Plate Tectonics). The course will utilize a variety of learning strategies to achieve the prescribed learning outcomes of the course. This course has a mandatory graduation program exam.

SCIENCE 9 HONOURS
The Sc 9H course is designed to challenge highly motivated and high achieving students in the core curricular topics for science 9 in B.C. Students will be involved in challenging activities and topics at a higher and more rigorous level than regular classes. The topics will include reproductive biology, chemistry –atoms, molecules and compounds, physics – characteristics of electricity and space exploration.

SCIENCE 10 HONOURS
The course will cover the Grade 10 Science core curriculum at a higher level of involvement in both laboratory work and theory. Enrichment in topic areas will be provided to challenge students further. The Honours course will emphasize independent study for students who are inquisitive and have an interest in science.

BIOLOGY 11
This course is designed to introduce students to the diverse adaptations and ecological relationships in a variety of living organisms. The course will cover the following topics: microbiology, mycology, plant biology, animal biology and ecology with themes of evolutionary change throughout the course. Laboratory work is emphasized in this course.

BIOLOGY 12
This course encompasses two major topics of study: cellular biology and human physiology. Areas of concentration in cellular biology will focus on cell structure, cell compounds, biological molecules, DNA, protein synthesis, and cancer. The human physiology unit will emphasize the seven major body systems: circulatory, digestive, respiratory, nervous, urinary, and reproductive. This course has an optional graduation program exam.

BIOLOGY 11 HONOURS
Biology 11 (Honours) is the first part of the Advanced Placement Biology Course. It covers the same topics as regular Biology 11 (Evolution, Diversity of Life, and Ecology) but at an AP level. Additional topics include: Population Genetics, Plant Anatomy and Physiology, and Animal Behaviour. This is a lab-oriented course where students learn much of the course material "hands on" in the lab. There is also an emphasis on critical and creative thinking skills as well as lab based research skills.

BIOLOGY 12 HONOURS & ADVANCED PLACEMENT
The content includes: Biochemistry, Cell anatomy and physiology, Bioenergetics, Molecular Genetics, and all organ systems of the human body. The course includes a large and important lab component. This course is for students who enjoy Biology and wish to challenge themselves to a higher level than Biology 12 offers as well as for those who wish to get a head start on their university education. After the AP exam in May, this class will prepare for the Provincial Biology 12 Exam.

CHEMISTRY 11
Chemistry 11 is a lab-oriented course that will introduce students to scientific methods of experimentation. The topics include: study of atoms, molecules, matter, chemical reactions, solution chemistry and organic chemistry. A strong background in Mathematics would be beneficial in this course.

CHEMISTRY 11 HONOURS
Chemistry 11 (Honours) is the first part of the Advanced Placement Chemistry course. It covers the same topics as regular Chemistry 11 but at an AP level. Additional topics include: Nuclear Chemistry, Phase Diagrams, Raoult’s Law, Percent Composition, Purity and Yield Problems, Quantum Mechanics, and Nuclear Geometry. Students move through the standard curriculum more quickly than in the regular course allowing more time for greater depth and also for additional topics. In this course, the nature of matter will be investigated from a theoretical and an experimental approach.

CHEMISTRY 12
Chemistry 12 builds on concepts covered in Chemistry 11 and emphasizes the interaction of atoms, molecules, and ions. The course covers the study of Reaction Kinetics, Chemical Equilibrium, and Oxidation-Reduction. The concepts are reinforced through laboratory work. Through this investigation, students will gain an increased understanding of the importance of chemistry in the modern world. This course has an optional graduation program exam.

CHEMISTRY 12 HONOURS & ADVANCED PLACEMENT
This course is prepared and examined by the College Board for Advanced Placement Program. The curriculum is the equivalent of a first year university chemistry course. Students who pass the AP Chemistry examination may apply for credit, placement or both at most major colleges and universities in Canada and the US. The topics covered and learned in Chemistry 11 and Chemistry 12 are explored in greater depth. This provides students the opportunity to develop new levels of understanding in areas such as thermodynamics, kinetics, atomic structure, acids/bases and equilibrium. . The course includes a large and important lab component. After the AP exam in May, this class will prepare for the Provincial Chemistry 12 Exam.

PHYSICS 11
In Physics 11 students develop and use mathematics tools and experimentation to study the nature of motion and the forces affecting motion. These are extended to the study of gravity, inertia, momentum and conservation of energy. The course also gives an overview of the nature of light, waves, relativity, time and nuclear physics.

PHYSICS 11 HONOURS
Physics 11 (Honours) is the first part of the Advance Placement Physics course. It covers the same topics as regular Physics 11 but an AP level. Additional tops include: Advance Waves and Optics, Atomic Physics and Nuclear Physics. Students move through the standard curriculum more quickly than in the regular course allowing more time for greater depth and the study of additional topics, with an emphasis on lab work and critical thinking.

PHYSICS 12
Physics 12 is designed to provide students with grounding in the discipline of physics. The treatment of the core topics is more rigorous mathematically than in Physics 11. As well, there is a greater emphasis on the use of logical, analytical inquiry when dealing with the subject matter. Because of this detailed treatment, the range of topics is limited to two general areas – mechanics and electromagnetism, as follows: vector math, motion in two dimensions, universal gravitation, charges and currents, electro-magnetism, and atomic physics. This course has an optional graduation program exam.

PHYSICS 12 HONOURS & ADVANCED PLACEMENT
If you have an interest in physics, engineering, computing or medical careers, you should consider AP Physics. This course is for students who wish to explore additional topics such as Thermal Physics, Fluid Dynamics, which are studied in first year physics courses. Also, topics covered in the regular Physics 12 course, Newtonian Mechanics, Electricity and Magnetism, are taken to greater depth here.

INDEPENDENT DIRECT STUDIES: SCIENCE
This course is designed for students who have taken a senior AP science 12 class (Biology, Chemistry or Physics) or will be taking one of the AP science 12 courses concurrently. A variety of topics will be investigated both experimentally and theoretically (depending upon student background and interest), which will expand on ideas introduced in their senior science classes. The extent of the investigation will be at the discretion of the student. In addition, students will also gain valuable experience working with a department member as a teaching assistant in the science department.

EARTH SCIENCE 11
This is a survey course designed to introduce students to the diverse aspects of earth and space science. The main organizing units are Earth and its Environment, Geologic Science, Oceanographic Science, Astronomical Science, Atmospheric Science, and Earth History. The course has a significant hands-on component aimed at developing both knowledge and the various skills of science.

GEOLOGY 12
This course is organized through the following units – Earth Materials, Surficial Processes, Time and the Fossil Record, Internal Processes and Structures, Resources and Comparative Planetology. It is a systematic and integrated study of the dynamic Earth through both theory and practice with both a local B.C. and extended world perspective. The course has a significant hands-on component aimed at developing both the knowledge and the various skills of science pertaining to the Earth. This course has an optional graduation program exam.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 11
This course allows students to explore science and its application through technology. Students will study two topics from each Science Module and Technology Module.

Science Modules topics are: Agriculture, Applied Chemistry, Forensics, Health, Natural Resources an Environment.

Technology Module topics are: Computers and Communication, Home and Technology, Personal Technologies, Space Exploration, Transportation.

Students will discover that technology opens up debates about our moral and ethical responsibilities, and students will pursue these issues and use the knowledge gained to consider decisions for future. Lastly, students will be presented with challenges, and use their own problem-solving skills to meet the challenges.