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Algebra/Biology Block
Grade Level: 9
Meets UC/CSU Requirements
Year Course (5 credits per semester)
Prerequisite: Recommendation of advisor.
The Biology/Algebra Block is a one-year course consisting of a set of 3 consecutive periods designed to provide additional support to those students who have struggled in middle school science and math. Sandwiched between the biology and the algebra periods is a period in which both biology and algebra teachers are present and actively engaged with students. The format of this middle hour is dictated by the instructional needs of the day (for example, on biology lab days the lab experience and debriefing may consume the better part of the middle hour.) Like their non--blocked counterparts, both the biology and algebra components are designed to meet the California State Standards defining each course. Admission to this class is through advisor recommendation.
Biology P
Grade Level: 9-12
Meets UC/CSU Requirements
Year Course (5 credits per semester)
Prerequisite: None This is a laboratory science course. Emphasis is on science as a process and the various themes which unite the vast array of scientific knowledge. Major themes covered are: characterisitcs and limitations of science; chemical basis of life; cellular basis for life; genetics and the continuity of life; adaptation and change; relation of form and funcrtion; homeosatsis, and ecology.
Attention is given to strengthening those skills necessary for success in a collge or university environment.
Biology HP
Grade Level: 9-12
Meets UC/CSU Requirements
Year Course (5 credits per semester)
Prerequisite: None
Honors Biology is intended for high-achieving 9th-graders eager to be pushed beyond the depth and scope of the rigorous state standards. Each unit will include advanced biology topics and applications. Students interested in the course will be given an opportunity to take an entrance exam at the end of 8th grade. This exam will test mastery of the middle school state standards for biology. State test scores in reading will also be factored into the assessment.
Biology SE
Grade Level: 9-12
Meets UC/CSU Requirements
Year Course (5 credits per semester)
Prerequisite: Recommended grade of C in ELD Intermediate
Students will follow the same college-preparatory curriculum as the Biology P class with a sheltered English approach.
Biology AP
Grade Level: 10-12
Meets UC/CSU Requirements
Year Course (5 credits per semester)
Prerequisite: Minimum grade of A in Biology P and B in Chemistry P
Biology AP is designed to be the equivalent of a college introductory biology course usually taken by biology majors during their first year. The two main goals of this course are to help students develop a conceptual framework for modern biology and to help students gain an appreciation of science as a process. The primary emphasis of this course is on developing an understanding of concepts rather than on memorizing terms and technical details. The main topics covered in this course include the chemistry of life; cells; energetics; genetics; ecology, and the evolution, behavior, structure, and physiology of organisms. Students must also complete 12 required AP Biology labs, which are conceptual in nature and quite extensive. This course is demanding in both the time commitment and level of work required of the students. All students are required to take the Advanced Placement Biology exam in May.
Marine Biology HP
Grade Level: 11-12
Meets UC/CSU Requirements
Year Course (5 credits per semester)
Prerequisite: Minimum grade of C in Biology P and Chemistry P (A or B strongly recommended.) Marine biology is the scientific study of plants, animals, and other organisms that live in the ocean. This hands-on laboratory science course focuses on the chemical, physical, and biological properites of the California coastal environments, with special attention given to study of the Santa Monica Bay ecosystem. Santa Monica Pier and beach are used extensively for field obeservations and sampling from the marine environment. The laboratory portion of this course will cover the physical and chemical properties of seawater, plankton collection and analysis, and the taxonomy, structure, and physiology of marine plants and animals. Students are expected to complete at least one research project that is experimental in nature. Field trips include some or all of the following: Cabrillo Marine Museum, tide pools, whale-watching, Malibu Lagoon, and grunion hunting.
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