Minimum Age: 11-years-old at beginning of school year

Minimum Grade Level: 6th grade

Prerequisite: typical 6th/7th grade math skills

Recommended for: middle school students who will be ready to take a high school science course the following year

Course description: Science Sleuths is a middle school preparatory course designed to equip students with the skills needed to be successful in high school honors science courses. The first semester will be devoted to basic science skills and lab techniques, such as scientific inquiry, scientific measurement, math and graphing skills used in science, and data collection and analysis. With a solid background in the art of scientific inquiry, students will then use those skills to solve mysteries throughout the rest of the year. Although many of these mysteries will cover forensics topics, the subject matter will be appropriate for middle school students. Team-based “escape game” inspired activities will also take place throughout the year, which are used to develop cooperation, logic, and critical thinking.

Supplies needed: The supply/registration fee covers the cost of a lab kit that will be used to complete the hands-on activities covered during the course. These lab kits will be mailed over the summer. A few additional household supplies will be needed, as well as a scientific calculator. All written materials will be provided online and will need to be printed, but no additional textbook will be needed.

Minimum Age: 12-years-old at beginning of school year

Minimum Grade Level: 7th grade

Prerequisite: successful completion or concurrently taking Prealgebra level course work

Recommended for: high school students planning a career in Geology, Meteorology, Oceanography, or Environmental Science or for non-science majors seeking to fulfill four years of honors level high school laboratory science without taking AP science courses.

Course description: Honors Earth Science is an honors high school laboratory science course that provides an overview of the main fields of geology, plus an introduction to astronomy. Topics covered include: rocks and minerals, weathering, erosion, and soil, plate tectonics, volcanoes and earthquakes, Earth’s history, ground and surface water, weather, oceans, and a look at how Earth fits into the universe. An environmental theme is woven throughout the course.

Supplies needed: The supply/registration fee covers the cost of a lab kit that will be used to complete the hands-on labs included in the course. These lab kits will be mailed over the summer. A few additional household supplies will be needed, as well as a scientific calculator. Written materials will be provided online and will need to be printed. A textbook will be needed for the course. A used copy can usually be purchased fairly cheaply online through places like Amazon and Textbooks.com.

Minimum Age: 13-years-old at beginning of school year

Minimum Grade Level: 8th grade

Prerequisite: successful completion of, or concurrently taking a high school level Algebra I course

Recommended for: all college-bound high school students regardless of major

Course description: Honors Biology covers the typical topics of cells, genetics, microbiology, plants, animals, human anatomy and physiology, and the environment. As an Honors level course, the studies will go a little more in-depth into biochemistry, cell processes, microbiology, and genetics to give students a good foundation in Biology and the background needed to be successful in future high school sciences and at the college level. The class is “hands-on” with a strong lab component, including microbiology culturing and an in-depth dissection.

Supplies needed: The supply/registration fee covers the cost of a lab kit that will be used to complete the 28 labs included in the course. These lab kits will be mailed over the summer. A few additional household supplies will be needed, as well as a scientific calculator. Written materials will be provided online and will need to be printed. A textbook will be needed for the course. A used copy can usually be purchased fairly cheaply online through places like Amazon and Textbooks.com.

Minimum Age: 14-years-old at beginning of school year

Minimum Grade Level: 9th grade

Prerequisite: successful completion of high school level Algebra I

Recommended for: all college-bound high school students regardless of major

Course description: Honors Chemistry takes an in-depth look at matter at the molecular level. Students should expect to go well beyond the “physical science” level of Chemistry and a strong Algebra I background is required to be successful in the class. Topics include: atomic structure, chemical bonding, chemical reactions, gas laws, moles and stoichiometry, solutions, and acids and bases. Although safety is always a priority in lab, students will engage in high school level laboratory work. Safety goggles/glasses are required as the hands-on portion of the class will involve more than “kitchen chemistry.”

Supplies needed: The supply/registration fee covers the cost of a lab kit that will be used to complete the 25 labs included in the course. These lab kits will be mailed over the summer. A few additional household supplies will be needed, as well as a scientific calculator and eye protection such as safety glasses or lab goggles. Written materials will be provided online and will need to be printed. A textbook will be needed for the course. A used copy can usually be purchased fairly cheaply online through places like Amazon and Textbooks.com.

Minimum Age: 15-years-old at beginning of school year

Minimum Grade Level: 10th grade

Prerequisites: successful completion of high school level Algebra 1; completion or current enrollment in high school level Geometry is recommended

Recommended for: all college-bound students regardless of major

Course description: Honors Physics looks at the concepts and mathematics used to describe the physical world around us. Topics covered include motion, force, energy, heat, waves, and the electromagnetic spectrum. This course does have a strong math component but is algebra-based, so students do not need a calculus background.

Supplies needed: The supply/registration fee covers the cost of a lab kit that will be used to complete the labs included in the course. These lab kits will be mailed over the summer. A few additional household supplies will be needed, as well as a scientific calculator. Written materials will be provided online and will need to be printed. A textbook will be needed for the course. A used copy can usually be purchased fairly cheaply online through places like Amazon and Textbooks.com.

Minimum Age: 15-years-old at beginning of school year

Minimum Grade Level: 10th grade

Prerequisites: successful completion of high school Biology and Chemistry, preferably at the honors level, and high school Algebra I

Recommended for: science majors who plan to pursue a degree in the life sciences

Course description: AP Biology is equivalent to two full semesters of first year college Biology for science majors. The course goes in-depth into the more complex Biology topics of evolution, cellular processes, energy and communication, genetics, information transfer, ecology, and interactions. The focus is more on the current fields of study related to medicine and biological research than on the traditional overview of life science covered in high school Biology. The curriculum covered in this course is extensive and students should be prepared to devote quite a bit of time each week outside of class in order to master the content tested on the College Board AP Exam. For comparison, the AP Biology course covers twice the college material as either APES or AP Physics 1 and will require twice as much study and prep time between classes. However, with a high score on the College Board Exam, a student can earn two semesters of college Biology credit.

Supplies needed: The supply/registration fee covers the cost of a lab kit that will be used to complete the 14 AP labs included in the course. These lab kits will be mailed over the summer. A few additional household supplies will be needed, as well as a scientific calculator. Written materials, including prep materials for the AP Exam, will be provided online and will need to be printed. A textbook will be needed for the course. A used copy can usually be purchased fairly cheaply online from places like Amazon and Textbooks.com.