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ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP)
The College Board Advanced Placement (AP) courses listed below will be offered if sufficient enrollment exists. Students enrolled in AP classes are expected to remain in the course for a minimum of one semester. Most courses have required summer reading and/or summer assignments. Summer reading/assignments will be posted at www.ahsraiders.com prior to the last week of school.
Course Name: AP Language and Composition
Course Number: 23.0530010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 11
Prerequisites: 85 or higher (without honors points) in Honors 10th grade Lit/Comp and a minimum score of 55 in the reading comprehension section of the PSAT to be successful in this class or 95 or higher in on-level 10th grade Lit/Comp and a minimum score of 55 in the reading comprehension section of the PSAT; AP Commitment Contract
Description: Students interested in taking AP Language and Composition with American Literature focus should be prepared for college level work; therefore, they should be strong readers and writers and should have taken and done well in 10th Grade Language Arts. Please note that there is required summer reading for this course. The purpose of this class is two-fold.
The first purpose is to complete a survey of American literature in order to prepare for the End-of-Course Test administered in May. The focus will be on the history and development of American Literature, including:
· the influence of mythic, traditional, and classical literature on American literature;
· elements of nonfiction with an emphasis on letters, journals, diaries, speeches, and essays;
· historical development of poetic styles and forms in American literature; types of drama with focus on political drama, theatre of the absurd, and modern drama;
· and the analysis of primary source documents in relation to the literary period or historical setting.
The second purpose is to become familiar with a variety of composition methods and writing styles and techniques and to improve reading comprehension of difficult texts in order to prepare for the AP exam (also administered in May). The AP exam includes three timed free response essays (persuasive, synthesis, and rhetorical analysis) to be completed in two hours and a passage-based multiple-choice section to be completed in 55 minutes. To help students become comfortable with the format of the exam, they will complete at least three full practice exams (nine in class essays and three full multiple choice exams) in addition to many out-of-class, full process compositions. Based on the guidelines set forth by the College Board®, the AP English Language students will:
· analyze and interpret samples of good writing, identifying and explaining author’s use of rhetorical strategies and techniques;
· apply effective strategies and techniques in their own writing;
· create and sustain arguments based on reading, research, and/or personal experience;
· demonstrate understanding and mastery of standard written English as well as stylistic maturity in their own writing;
· write in a variety of genres and contexts, both formal and informal, employing appropriate conventions;
· produce expository and argumentative compositions that introduce a complex central idea and develop it with appropriate, specific evidence, cogent explanations, and clear transitions; and move effectively through the stages of the writing process, with careful attention to inquiry and research, drafting, revising, editing, and review.
Student Comments: “AP Lang was definitely more challenging than previous language arts classes. We wrote many timed writings, engaged in many literary debates, and created distinctive essays. Most importantly, AP Lang was rewarding because it allowed us to formulate and express our own opinions.” - Krisha
Course Name: AP English Literature and Composition
Course Number: 23.0650010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 12
Prerequisites: 85 or higher without honors points in 11th Grade Honors Language Arts or AP Language or 95 or higher in an on-level 11th Grade Language Arts and a recommendation from an 11th Grade Language Arts teacher; PSAT Critical Reading score of 60 or above; AP Commitment Contract
Description: AP Literature is a college level literature course that focuses on an intense study of literature from the 16th century to present day, academic writing, literary criticism, literary terminology, and preparation for the AP exam in the spring. Expectations: The course, designed by the College Board, requires a student read multiple long and short works, some simultaneously and often averaging 50 pages per night. Students must also meet routine writing deadlines for out-of-class research projects, literary analysis essays, and shorter response papers. Students are expected to be able to write fluently and with sophistication and to discuss literature with considerable knowledge, insight, and a refined vocabulary. During the year, students should plan to read at least 8 major works outside of class in addition to class assignments. This course requires summer reading and is available to students in grade 12 who meet the requirements.
Student Comments:
“Although heavy in reading and analysis, the class discussions and enjoyable texts make AP Lit a mature, yet challenging, class.” - Kelly
“Personally, I enjoy AP Lit. It is a challenging course that will give you a preview of college literature. Because this is a class that involves a lot of time, effort, and the ability to closely read and analyze various novels, poems, and plays, I would only recommend it to a student with a strong work ethic. AP Literature is not an easy class to take, but the amount of effort that a student puts into it will distinguish its difficulty.”- Brieana
Course Name: AP French Language
Course Number: 60.0170010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 12
Prerequisites: 90 or higher in French 4 or 80 in French 4 Honors; Teacher Recommendation; AP Commitment Contract
Description: Students will speak formal and informal French, various forms of printed texts, written communication, audio response, cultural and current themes.
Course Name: AP Latin Vergil
Course Number: 61.0470010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 12
Prerequisites: 80 or higher in Survey of Latin Literature Honors; AP Commitment Contract
Description: The AP Latin: Vergil course requires the student to master the literary techniques, cultural and historical background, and over 1,800 lines of the Latin text of the Aeneid. All students will complete the Advanced Placement Latin: Vergil examination in the spring, upon completion of the courses.
Course Name: AP Spanish Language
Course Number: 60.0770010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 11 – 12
Prerequisites: 80 or higher in Spanish 4 Honors or 90 or higher in Spanish 4; Teacher Recommendation; AP Commitment Contract
Description: Students will speak formal and informal Spanish, various forms of printed texts, written communication, audio response, cultural and current themes.
Course Name: AP Spanish Literature
Course Number: 60.0780010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 12
Prerequisites: 80 or higher in Spanish 4 Honors or 90 or higher in Spanish 4; Teacher Recommendation; AP Commitment Contract
Description: Students will speak formal and informal Spanish, learn various forms of printed texts, written communication, audio response, cultural and current themes.
Course Name: AP Calculus AB
Course Number: 27.0720010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 10 - 12
Prerequisites: QCC-- 80 in Precalculus Honors or 90 in Advanced Algebra/Trig; GPS -- Integrated Geometry Honors or Accelerated Integrated Precalculus Honors; AP Commitment Contract
Description: This course consists of a review of real numbers and the Cartesian plane; review of functions; limits and their properties; derivatives and differentiation applications; anti-derivatives and indefinite integration; area and definite integrals; integration by substitution; the trapezoidal rule; logarithmic, exponential and other transcendental functions; applications and methods of integration; miscellaneous topics in Calculus BC. All students enrolled in AP Calculus AB are required to take the AP Examination in May if they are passing this course prior to the AP Examinations.
Course Name: AP Calculus BC
Course Number: 27.0730010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 10 – 12
Prerequisites: QCC-- 90 or higher in Precalculus Honors; GPS -- Integrated Geometry Honors or Accelerated Integrated Precalculus Honors; AP Commitment Contract
Description: This is an advanced placement course. Self-motivated students are best suited for the rigor of this class. Most of the course builds on itself so students who are willing to seek out additional practice or help on difficult topics will be better able to stay abreast of the material and not fall behind. Students need to have a good work ethic and the motivation to seek help when they do not understand a topic. Topics include applications of integration involving work and arc length; parametric equations; analysis of acceleration and velocity vectors; applications of slope fields to differential equations; analysis of geometric, harmonic, p-series and alternating series; and approximations of polynomials with Taylor and Maclaurin series.
Student Comment: “You have to enjoy math, be organized, and diligent so you will be willing to put forth the effort.”
Course Name: AP Statistics
Course Number: 27.0740010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 12
Prerequisites: QCC-- Algebra II; GPS -- Integrated Geometry Honors or Accelerated Integrated Precalculus Honors; AP Commitment Contract.
Description: Students are required to do a fair amount of reading and are expected to use the text book as a primary source of information. Prerequisites: students must have completed Algebra II or higher (QCC) OR Math 3 or higher (GPS). This is an advanced placement course. Self-motivated students are best suited for the rigor of this class. Most of the course builds on itself so students who are willing to seek out additional practice or help on difficult topics will be better able to stay abreast of the material and not fall behind. There is a major emphasis on writing, so students do not have to be extremely strong math students. However, they do need to have a good work ethic and the motivation to seek help when they do not understand a topic. Students should expect to do homework daily, have good work/study habits, and must attend class daily. This course is fairly rigorous and should be taken by students who desire to learn about other branches of mathematics. Topics include introduction to statistics; descriptive statistics; probability; probability distributions; normal probability distributions; estimates and sample size; hypotheses testing; inferences from two samples; correlation and regression; multinomial experiments; analysis of variance; statistical process control; nonparametric statistics; design and sampling.
Course Name: AP Computer Science
Course Number: 11.0160010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 11 – 12
Prerequisites: Juniors and Seniors only; 90+ in Accelerated Integrated Geometry Honors, 95+ in Integrated Geometry; AP Commitment Contract; Math Teacher recommendation; Beg. Programming preferred but not required for course
Description: AP® Computer Science A is both a college-prep course for potential computer science majors and a foundation course for students planning to study in other technical fields such as engineering, physics, chemistry, and geology. The course emphasizes programming methodology, procedural abstraction, and in-depth study of algorithms, data structures, and data abstractions, as well as a detailed examination of a large case study program. Java is the exclusive programming language used in this course.
Course Name; AP Biology
Course Number: 26.0140010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 11, 12
Prerequisite: 85 or higher in Biology H and Chemistry H or 95 or higher Biology and Chemistry; AP Commitment Contract
Description: Will satisfy Level 4 science graduation credit if passed both semesters. Topics: Biochemistry, cells, energy transformations, molecular genetics, heredity and evolution, principles of taxonomy and systematics, survey or archaeo, eubacteria, protista, fungi, plants and animals, ecology
Teacher Expectations:
· AP Biology is a second year biology course designed to be equivalent to a collegiate biology course for biology majors. Students could earn up to 8 semester credits for the course based on the AP exam score.
· The course includes a list of specific collegiate labs which are covered on the AP exam. Due to the length and depth of these laboratory activities, several labs are conducted after school. All students are expected to participate in all the labs and keep a handwritten lab journal for all of the labs conducted in the class.
· Sine the course is designed to cover two semester credits at the college level, there is an enormous amount of material to cover. Students are expected to read the book and keep up with the material. Students are expected to be prepared for class daily and participate in class discussions.
· There is a summer reading assignment.
Other: Students are required to take the AP Exam given in May.
Course Name: AP Chemistry
Course Number: 40.0530010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 11, 12
Prerequisite: 85 or higher in Chemistry Honors or 95 or higher in Chemistry; Integrated Geometry; AP Commitment Form
Description: Graduation credit: Will satisfy Level 4 science graduation credit if pass both semesters. Topics: Atomic theory and structure of matter, chemical bonding, gases and stoichiometry, liquids and solids, solutions and equilibrium, kinetics and thermodynamics, reaction types, nuclear and organic chemistry, qualitative analysis
Teacher Expectations:
· Students will have a summer reading assignment.
· Students demonstrate extraordinary work ethic, class preparation, and organization.
· Students in AP Chemistry should spend at least five hours a week in individual study outside of the classroom.
· AP Chemistry demands high level math, reading, and writing skills.
Other: Upon completion of the AP Chemistry course, students are expected to take the AP Chemistry Exam for possible college credit or course exemption.
Course Name: AP Environmental Science
Course number: 26.0620010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 12
Prerequisite: 85 plus in Biology and Chemistry; Completed Physical Science or enrolled in/completed Physics; AP Commitment Contract
Description: Graduation Credit: Will satisfy the Level 4 science graduation credit if pass both semesters.
Topics: ecosystems and how they work, the human population, major global problems, energy resources, resources and pollution, sustaining biodiversity and ecological integrity, the environment and society
Teacher Expectations:
· The student will have required summer assignments and successful APES students will be independently motivated to complete tasks without prompting by a teacher.
· Students should spend 3-5 hours per week outside of class time preparing/ studying for the class.
· Students should have a solid background in chemistry and biology, a score of A or a high B is highly recommended.
· A successful APES student will also be very well prepared, complete all work on time, be able to analyze situations to completely understand activities and labs, applying this knowledge to concepts studied in the classroom setting, and is a very strong writer, given the free-response question requirement on the advanced placement test at the end of the course.
Other: Students are required to take the AP exam in May.
Course Name: AP Physics B
Course Number: 40.0830010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 11/12
Prerequisite: 85 or higher in Chemistry Honors or 95 or higher in Chemistry; 85 or higher in Physics; Completion of Integrated Algebra II or higher math; AP Commitment Contract
Description: Graduation credit: Will satisfy the Level 2 science graduation credit if pass both semesters or it can be used as Level 4 science graduation credit when physics was used to satisfy the level 2 science graduation credit. Topics: Kinematics and geometric optics, Newton’s Laws of motion, work, energy, and power, linear momentum and impulse, torque and rotational motion, oscillation and gravitation, temperature and heat, kinetic theory and thermodynamics, static electricity and direct current circuits, magnetostatics and electromagnetism, atomic physics and quantum effects, nuclear physics and special relativity
Teacher Expectations:
· There is a summer reading assignment.
· Due to the scope and depth of the material required for AP Physics B, students should expect to study each night.
· Homework is assigned regularly, at least once a week.
· Labs are conducted approximately once a week and two formal lab reports are required each semester.
· Attending class is crucial, as many topics are only afforded one class session discussion.
· Successful students have excellent attention during class, take notes, participate in class discussions, begin homework before it is due, ask questions (both in class and via the electronic helpdesk) and practice a little each night.
· The most successful students are ones that have completed previous Honors level classes with an A.
· There is also a strong correlation between PSAT scores and student success, for example a combined PSAT score of 150 (math and verbal) is a good indicator of success in AP Physics B.
Other: Students are required to take the AP Physics B exam in May.
Course Name: AP Physics C- Mechanics and Electricity & Magnetism
Course number: 40.0840010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 12
Prerequisite: 85 or higher in AP Physics B or 95 or higher in Physics; Completion or concurrent enrollment in AP Calculus AB or higher math; AP Commitment Contract
Description: Graduation credits: Will satisfy the Level 4 science graduation credit. Topics: Kinematics, Newton’s laws of motion, work, energy, and power, systems of particles, statics, rotational motion, electromagnetism, oscillations, gravitation, electrostatics and magnetostatics, electric current and circuits, capacitance and capacitors, sound. Light and modern physics
Teacher Expectations:
· Due to the depth of the material required for AP Physics C, students should expect to study each night.
· Homework is assigned regularly, at least once a week.
· Labs are conducted approximately once a week and two formal lab reports are required each semester.
· Attending class is crucial, as many topics are only afforded one class session discussion.
· Successful students have excellent attention during class, take notes, participate in class discussions, begin homework before it is due, ask questions (both in class and via the electronic helpdesk) and practice a little each night.
· The most successful students are ones that have completed previous Honors level classes with an A.
· There is also a strong correlation between PSAT scores and student success, for example a combined PSAT score of 200 (math and verbal) is a good indicator of success in AP Physics C.
Other: At minimum, student should be con-currently enrolled in Calculus. Methods of calculus are used wherever appropriate in formulating physical principles and in applying them to physical problems. Strong emphasis is placed on solving a variety of challenging problems; some requiring calculus. Students are required to take the AP exam in May.
Course Name: AP Government/Politics: United States (for Freshmen)
Course Number: 45.0860001 Fall Semester
45.2520011 Spring Semester
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 9
Prerequisites: Freshman; 85 or higher in advanced or 95 or higher in on-level 8th Grade Language Arts; Enrollment in TAG Program and selection as content area for gifted participation or 85 or higher in advanced or 95 or higher in on-level 8th Grade Language Arts and 90 or higher in 8th Grade Social Studies; ITBS reading score above the 85th percentile; Teacher Recommendation; AP Commitment Contract
Description: The AP course in United States Government and Politics will give students an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States. This course includes both the study of general concepts used to interpret U.S. government and politics and the analysis of specific examples. It also requires familiarity with the various institutions, groups, beliefs, and ideas that constitute U.S. government and
politics. While there is no single approach that an AP United States Government and Politics course must follow, students should become acquainted with the variety of theoretical perspectives and explanations for various behaviors and outcomes. Certain topics are usually covered in all college courses:
I. Constitutional Underpinnings of United States Government
II. Political Beliefs and Behaviors
III. Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media
IV. Institutions of National Government
V. Public Policy
VI. Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Students will prepare for the College Board AP United States Government and Politics exam given in May and consisting of multiple-choice and free-response essays. This course may be substituted for American Government/Civics credit. Since reading at a high level is such a significant feature of the course, ideally students would come in with an ITBS reading score above the 85th percentile.
Course Name: AP World History
Course Number: 45.0811010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 10
Prerequisites: 85 or higher in Honors or 95 or higher in on-level Language Arts and 90 or higher in American Government/Civics; American Government/Civics Teacher recommendation; AP Commitment Contract
Description: The purpose of the AP World History course is to develop greater understanding of the evolution of global processes and contacts in different types of human societies. This understanding is advanced through a combination of selective factual knowledge and appropriate analytical skills. The course highlights the nature of changes in global frameworks and their causes and consequences, as well as comparisons among major societies. It emphasizes relevant factual knowledge, leading interpretive issues, and skills in analyzing types of historical evidence. Periodization, explicitly discussed, forms an organizing principle to address change and continuity throughout the course. Specific themes provide further organization to the course, along with consistent attention to contacts among societies that form the core of world history as a field of study. College world history courses vary considerably in the approach used, the chronological framework chosen, the content covered, the themes selected, and the analytical skills emphasized. The material in this Course Description presents the choices that the AP World History Development Committee has made to create the course and exam. These choices themselves are compatible with a variety of college level curricular approaches.
Course Name: AP U.S. History
Course Number: 45.0820010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 11
Prerequisites: 85 or higher in Honors or 95 or higher in on-level Language Arts and 85 or higher in AP World History or 95 or higher in World History; Teacher Recommendation; AP Commitment Contract
Description: The AP U.S. History course is designed to provide students with the analytic skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in U.S. history. The program prepares students for intermediate and advanced college courses by making demands upon them equivalent to those made by full-year introductory college courses. Students should learn to assess historical materials—their relevance to a given interpretive problem, reliability, and importance—and to weigh the evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship. An AP U.S. History course should thus develop the skills necessary to arrive at conclusions on the basis of an informed judgment and to present reasons and evidence clearly and persuasively in essay format.
Course Name: AP Macroeconomics
Course Number: 45.0620011
Term: Semester
Grade: 12
Prerequisites: 85 or higher in Honors or 95 or higher in on-level Language Arts and 85 or higher in AP US History or 95 or higher in US History; Teacher Recommendation; AP Commitment Contract
Description: The purpose of an AP course in macroeconomics is to give students a thorough understanding of the principles of economics that apply to an economic system as a whole. Such a course places particular emphasis on the study of national income and price-level determination and also develops students’ familiarity with economic performance measures, the financial sector, stabilization policies, economic growth and international economics. There is no single approach that an AP Macroeconomics course is expected to follow. Whatever the approach, however, AP teachers are advised to take into account certain topics generally covered in college courses. The following is a brief list of these topics
I. Basic Economic Concepts
II. Measurement of Economic Performance
III. National Income and Price Determination
IV. Financial Sector
V. Inflation, Unemployment, and Stabilization Policies
VI. Economic Growth and Productivity
VII. Open Economy: International Trade and Finance.
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Course Name: AP Microeconomics
Course Number: 45.0630011
Term: Semester
Grade: 12
Prerequisites: 85 or higher in Honors or 95 or higher in on-level Language Arts and 85 or higher in AP US History or 95 or higher in US History; Teacher Recommendation; AP Commitment Contract
Description: The purpose of an AP course in microeconomics is to give students a thorough understanding of the principles of economics that apply to the functions of individual decision makers, both consumers and producers, within the economic system. It places primary emphasis on the nature and functions of product markets and includes the study of factor markets and of the role of government in promoting greater efficiency and equity in the economy. The following is a brief list of these topics:
I. Basic Economic Concepts
II. The Nature and Functions of Product Markets
III. Factor Markets
IV. Market Failure and the Role of Government
Course Name: AP Government/Politics: United States
Course Number: 45.0520011
Term: Semester
Grade: 11 – 12
Prerequisites: Junior or Senior; 80 in previous AP Social Studies Course or 90 in previous On-level course; Teacher Recommendation; AP Commitment Contract required
Description: The AP course in United States Government and Politics will give students an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States. This course includes both the study of general concepts used to interpret U.S. government and politics and the analysis of specific examples. It also requires familiarity with the various institutions, groups, beliefs, and ideas that constitute U.S. government and
politics. While there is no single approach that an AP United States Government and Politics course must follow, students should become acquainted with the variety of theoretical perspectives and explanations for various behaviors and outcomes. Certain topics are usually covered in all college courses:
VII. Constitutional Underpinnings of United States Government
VIII. Political Beliefs and Behaviors
IX. Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media
X. Institutions of National Government
XI. Public Policy
XII. Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Students will prepare for the College Board AP United States Government and Politics exam given in May and consisting of multiple-choice and free-response essays. This course may be substituted for American Government/Civics credit.
Course Name: AP Government/Politics: Comparative
Course Number: 45.0530011
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 11 – 12
Prerequisites: Junior or Senior; AP Government/Politics U.S; AP Commitment Contract
Description: The AP course in Comparative Government and Politics introduces students to fundamental concepts used by political scientists to study the processes and outcomes of politics in a variety of country settings. The course aims to illustrate the rich diversity of political life, to show available institutional alternatives, to explain differences in processes and policy outcomes, and to communicate to students the importance of global political and economic changes. Comparison assists both in identifying problems and in analyzing policymaking. For example, we only know that a country has a high population growth rate or serious corruption when we compare it to other countries. Careful comparison of political systems produces useful knowledge about the institutions and policies countries have employed to address problems, or, indeed, what they have done to make things worse. We can compare the effectiveness of policy approaches to poverty or overpopulation by examining how different countries solve similar problems. Furthermore, by comparing the political institutions and practices of wealthy and poor countries, we can begin to understand the political consequences of economic well-being. Finally, comparison assists explanation. Why are some countries stable democracies and not others? Why do many democracies have prime ministers instead of presidents? In addition to covering the major concepts that are used to organize and interpret what we know about political phenomena and relationships, the course should cover specific countries and their governments. Six countries form the core of the AP Comparative Government and Politics course: China, Great Britain, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, and Russia. By using these six countries, the course can move the discussion of concepts from abstract definition to concrete example, noting that not all concepts will be equally useful in all country settings.
Course Name: AP Human Geography
Course Number: 45.0770010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 11 – 12
Prerequisites: Junior or Senior; 80 in previous AP Social Studies course or 90 in previous on-level Social Studies course; Teacher Recommendation; AP Commitment Contract
Description: The purpose of the AP Human Geography course is to introduce students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of Earth’s surface. Students employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to examine human social organization and its environmental consequences. They also learn about the methods and tools geographers use in their science and practice.
Course Name: AP Psychology
Course Number: 45.0160010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 12
Prerequisites: Senior; 80 in previous AP Social Studies course or 90 in previous on-level Social Studies course; Teacher Recommendation; AP Commitment Contract required
Description: The AP Psychology course is designed to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other
animals. Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena
associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. They also learn about
the ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice.
Course Name: AP European History
Course Number: 45.0840010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 12
Prerequisites: Senior; 80 in previous AP Social Studies course or 90 in previous on-level Social Studies course; Teacher Recommendation; AP Commitment Contract
Description: The study of European history since 1450 introduces students to cultural, economic, political, and social developments that played a fundamental role in shaping the world in which they live. Without this knowledge, we would lack the context for understanding the development of contemporary institutions, the role of continuity and change in present-day society and politics, and the evolution of current forms of artistic expression and intellectual discourse. In addition to providing a basic narrative of events and movements, the goals of AP European History are to develop (a) an understanding of some of the principal themes in modern European history, (b) an ability to analyze historical evidence and historical interpretation, and (c) an ability to express historical understanding in writing. Content is organized around three broad themes:
1. Intellectual and Cultural History
2. Political and Diplomatic History
3. Social and Economic History
Course Name: AP Art History
Course Number: 50.4921010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 10 – 12
Prerequisites: None; AP Commitment Contract
Description: Students will study the history of art and its relationship with society from prehistoric to ancient worlds, ending with contemporary art. The course is organized by chronological art movements and creates a frame for meaningful understanding that relates how and why works of art communicate visual meaning. The class is purely academic and prepares the student for the AP Art History exam in the spring. There is no art production in this class.
Teacher Comments: This course pairs well with AP World History and also counts as an art credit at many public universities.
Student Comments: “AP Art History is such an interesting class. Although just like any other AP class it could be challenging, what I love most about it is that we get to go in-depth with so many different artworks. You learn something new and fascinating about a culture or region everyday just through examining their art and that's what makes this an awesome class. The workload is manage-able if you keep up with your homework and notes, but overall every student who is interested in learning the history behind the arts should take this class.”
“APAH is sooo interesting it takes looking at everyday stuff to a whole new perspective and it shows you the world piece by piece. It's a really fun class unlike the other AP classes but like other AP Classes it does require work.”
Course Name: AP Drawing Portfolio
Course Number: 50.4811010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 11 – 12
Prerequisites: Introduction to Art or Art History 1 or Art History 2 and Drawing and Painting 1 and Drawing and Painting 2; AP Commitment Contract
Description: Students earn AP college credit awarded by The College Board, based on evaluation of the portfolio, assembled over a two-semester sequence.
Student Comments: “AP Drawing Portfolio was a major turning point in my art career. I had taken many art classes before this class hoping I would have the credits to take it. I even put off a sophomore level class to take my senior year so I would have room in my schedule to take it. It was a fantastic learning experience. It helped me manage my time well and it also gave me a credit for college! The outcome was incredible. My best pieces were produced in that class.” Art Student
Course Name: AP 2D Design Portfolio
Course Number: 50.4813010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 11 – 12
Prerequisites: Introduction to Art or Art History 1 or Art History 2 and Drawing and Painting 1 and Drawing and Painting 2 or Photographic Design 1 and Photographic Design 2 or Computer Art 1 and Computer Art 2; AP Commitment Contract
Description: AP college credit is awarded by The College Board, based on evaluation of the portfolio, assembled over two-semester sequence.
Course Name: AP 3D Design Portfolio
Course Number: 50.4814010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 11 – 12
Prerequisites: Introduction to Art or Art History 1 or Art History 2 and Jewelry Design 1 or Ceramics 1 or Sculpture 1; AP Commitment Contract
Description: AP college credit awarded by The College Board, based on evaluation of the portfolio, assembled over a two-semester sequence.
Course Name: AP Music Theory
Course Number: 53.0230010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 10 – 12
Prerequisites: High School Music Coursework and Teacher Recommendation; AP Commitment Contract
Description: This yearlong course is an advanced study of music. Students learn to notate what they hear, write music in four parts, harmonize melodies, and improve sight reading skills.
Teacher Expectations: Highly recommended for students studying music beyond high school.
Student Comments: AP Music Theory gave me a better insight into the music I play. I enjoyed learning how to recognize harmonic progressions when I hear them. It is fun to write melodies and compose harmonies that work. This class made me a much stronger musician.
Course Name: AP Chinese
Course Number: 60.0196010
Term: Yearlong
Grade: 11 – 12
Prerequisites: Placement Test; Teacher Recommendation; AP Commitment Contract
Description:
Teacher Expectations: Highly recommended for students studying chinese beyond high school.
Student Comments: The class will prepare students for the College Board examination in the Chinese Language. It is based on Mandarin Chinese. Major Topics include: awareness & appreciation of the elements of the Chinese culture; various aspects of contemporary Chinese society, including geography & population, ethnic & regional diversity, travel & transportation, climate & weather, holidays & food, sports & games, and current affairs. Major Materials: Integrated Chinese Level 2.
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