To graduate from Altamont Community High School a student must obtain twenty-eight total credits. Three of those credits are required to come from the Science department. Most colleges require somewhere between three and four years of science for incoming freshmen.
Biology:
There are three different levels of Biology offered here at Altamont Community High School: Conceptual biology, Biology and AP Biology. Conceptual Biology is an introductory course for the freshmen grade level that studies life as used in everyday experiences. Introductory biology class focuses on the science of biology, including the tools and procedures of biology. Emphasis is placed on cell biology including the structure and function of the cell, photosynthesis and cell respiration, and cell growth and division. AP Biology is designed to deepen the student’s understanding of the “4 Big Ideas” in Biology. The course will follow a College Board approved syllabus that according to the College Board Curriculum Framework shifts the course “from a traditional “content coverage” model of instruction to one that focuses on enduring, conceptual understandings and the content that supports them.
Chemistry:
We offer two different types of Chemistry here at Altamont Community High School. The first one is a standard chemistry class which involves an in depth discussion and investigation of matter and its properties. Students are introduced to the concepts of the mole, stoichiometry, and chemical reactions. Additional content includes laboratory safety, naming compounds and writing chemical formulas, extracting elemental information from the periodic table, nuclear reactions, ionic and covalent compounds, molecular shapes, polarity and the interactions between atoms and molecules. To follow up on the introductory chemistry course we offer an advanced studies chemistry class. In Chemistry - Advanced Studies, students discuss in more detail and depth topics introduced in Chemistry I, as well as new topics not discussed in Chemistry I. These new topics include: Thermochemistry, Condensed States of Matter, Gas Laws, Solution Preparation, Reaction Equilibrium, Acids-Base Reactions and Buffers, Redox Chemistry, and, if time allows, an introduction to Organic Chemistry.
Anatomy & Physics:
Anatomy and Physiology is a course designed for upper level students who want to do additional work in biology. Topics covered include: the organization of the human body, the supporting framework and movement, coordination and control of the body, the digestive system, the respiratory system, the transport systems, blood and the genetics of blood type, the regulatory systems and metabolism, the endocrine systems, reproduction, heredity, cell physiology. Strong focus on comparative anatomy during the cat dissection.
Physics is the study of the interactions between forces, energy, and matter. Students will study the relationships between motion, force, work, energy, gravity, speed, acceleration, and friction. Rotational and circular motion as well as projectile motion will also be discussed. Waves, sound, and light will be studied as well as electricity and magnetism. Students will compete in several design competitions throughout the year including a toothpick bridge, a mousetrap catapult, and a mousetrap car.