2013-14 Guide for Academics and Student Life - Tampa Preparatory ...

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS - SCIENCERobotics (6)Sixth graders will gain an understanding of simple machinesincluding the lever, wheel and axle, and pulleys. Students willgain an understanding of the problem-solving process andwill be required to document their findings. A second unitwill focus on robots using the LEGO MINDSTORMS system.Problem-solving skills are applied to robots allowing themto find solutions to specific missions. A systematic approachand quantitative solutions will be utilized for robot missions.Students gain an understanding of the use of light andultrasonic sensors to solve mission problems.Intermediate Robotics (7,8)The Fall semester will concentrate on complex sensors likethe infra-red sensor, the magnetic sensor, the compass sensorand the accelerometer (gyroscopic sensor). More complexmissions for problem solving will be introduced usingflowcharts as a means of planning a complex program.During the Spring semester, students will work on a largeproject called the SeaPerch Underwater robot. Class topicswill include submersibles and how they work, concepts ofbuoyancy, fluids, simple circuits and waterproofing. Studentswill learn the following skills: basic cutting using ratchetand PVC cutters, drilling, filing and soldering. Teams of twostudents will journal the entire process and any problems orimprovements they discover.Biology (9)This survey course investigates life on the cellular,organismic, and community levels. Major topics includecell structure and function, genetics, natural selection andevolution, classification. Students utilize problem solvingskills, research skills, technical and creative writing, andconventional laboratory techniques as they apply learnedprinciples to everyday experience.AP Biology (11,12)This college-level course encompasses the entire range ofthe discipline, from molecular biology through populationdynamics, and requires the assimilation of a large amountof factual material at a rapid pace. Laboratory experiencefocuses on the topics designated by the College Board inorder to prepare the students for the mandatory nationalexamination in May. Successful completion of the courseprovides a thorough preparation for college biologycourses. Prerequisites: Biology, year-long Chemistry course(preferably Chemistry 2) and instructor’s approvalChemistry (10-12)Focusing on environmental issues, this curriculum developedby the American Chemical Society emphasizes how chemistryis related to every-day life. Students develop a chemicalvocabulary and an understanding of chemical conceptswhile participating in laboratory exercises, individual andgroup projects, and decision-making activities. Topicsstudied include water, chemical resources, petroleum, food,nuclear energy, the atmosphere, and the chemical industry.Prerequisite: Algebra 1Chemistry 2 (10-12)This course develops a student’s critical and analyticalthinking by stressing the concepts that explain atomic andmolecular interactions. The course emphasizes understandingchemistry both mathematically and conceptually and featuresextensive qualitative laboratory experiments. Topics studiedinclude elements, compounds, the physical phases, solutions,bonding, thermodynamics, reaction rates and equilibrium,electrochemistry, acids and bases, and organic chemistry.AP Chemistry (11,12)This college-level course emphasizes an extensivemathematical appreciation of chemical phenomena and aquantitative laboratory experience. Following the demandsof the AP curriculum, the course includes rigorous study ofatomic theory, chemical bonding, gases, liquids and solids,thermodynamics, kinetics and equilibrium, electrochemistry,and descriptive chemistry. Each student is expected to takethe AP Chemistry exam in May. Prerequisites: Chemistry 2;Precalculus; instructor’s approvalPhysics (10-12)This course strikes a balance between emphasizing theprinciples and concepts of physics and the solutions ofproblems. The course topics include: mechanics, the studyof motion and the forces that cause it; vectors; UniversalGravitation; energy and work; thermal energy; waves andenergy transfer; sound; light; electricity; and magnetism.The lectures are supplemented with laboratory experiments,demonstrations, “real world” examples, a project completedat Busch Gardens, various presentations, and a rocket lab.Prerequisite: Algebra 1Physics 2 (10-12)This course attempts to make mathematical sense of theuniverse and to pique the student’s curiosity about oursurroundings. The class combines lectures, problem solving,laboratory work, computer simulations, and various projects.One major project is completed at Busch Gardens. Studentsexplore topics of classical mechanics, including vector math,kinematics, Newton’s Laws, momentum, conservation ofenergy, projectile motion, and rotational inertia. Additionaltopics include wave phenomena, oscillatory motion,electricity, light, and magnetism. Prerequisites: Precalculus(concurrently)AP Physics B (11,12)This college-level course is designed for students intendingto pursue a major in the life sciences, premedicine, and someapplied sciences. This course also provides an excellentfoundation for calculus-based college physics courses tobuild on. An understanding of the basic principles of physicsand the ability to apply these principles in mathematicalproblems are the major goals of this course. The course topicsGUIDE FOR ACADEMICS AND STUDENT LIFE | 61