Science

BIOLOGY - COLLEGE PREP (510S)                                                                      6 Credits – Grade 9
Course Overview: Biology, a student’s introduction to science courses at CBA, gives students an overview of life science from the ecological level to the molecular. This course covers the nature of life, cell structure and function, classification, genetics, evolution, plants, animals, ecology, and the unity and diversity of living things. At the same time, students are introduced to study skills, lab skills, and other necessary tools that will aid them in their science studies for the next four years. Ultimately, the goal of the course is to get students to understand that science is not just a list of facts but a way of looking at the world, and we hope to introduce this mindset through the framework of biology.

BIOLOGY - HONORS (510H)                                                                                   6 Credits – Grade 9
Course Overview: The mission of the Honors Biology Course is to establish a high-quality traditional biological science education for all of our students. The department is committed to excellence in our teaching so that our students acquire a fundamental knowledge of basic facts and theories in biology in order to pursue more advanced studies in science. Class content will include a survey of Biology, including laboratory, with instruction and investigation designed to explore more intensively the unity of life, microbiology, multicellular, molecular, and cellular aspects of living things, structure and function in plants and animals, genetics, evolution, human biology, ecology, plant and animal diversity, and principles of classification. Laboratory experience is focused on inquiry and observation through hands-on activities and modeling. This course carries a 5% weight.

AP BIOLOGY (540A)                                                                                           7 Credits – Grades 9, 12
Course Overview: This course has been designed to first and foremost meet the directed standards set out by the College Board. Advanced Placement Biology is designed to be the equivalent of the general biology course usually taken during the first year of college. For most students, the course enables them to undertake, as a freshman, second-year work in the biology sequence at their institution or to register for courses with general biology as a prerequisite. This course is structured around the four big ideas articulated in the AP Biology curriculum framework provided by the College Board - molecules and cells, genetics and evolution, organisms and populations, and ecological principles. A special emphasis will be placed on the seven science practices, which capture important aspects of the work in which scientists engage, as well as strengthening inquiry and reasoning skills.

Through required labs, the student will become more aware of the process of biological investigation. There are two double-lab periods in an eight-day cycle. Each student is required to take the AP Exam to satisfy the course requirements. This course carries a 10% weight.

NOTE: Select freshmen who meet the prerequisites of this course MUST take the summer enrichment biology course.

CHEMISTRY - COLLEGE PREP (520S)                                                             6 Credits – Grade 10
Course Overview: This course is designed to offer classroom and laboratory experiences that will provide an opportunity for students to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to advance an understanding of chemistry. Course content will include the fundamentals of matter and its changes, atomic theory including elements of quantum theory, periodicity, chemical bonding, and stoichiometry. Students will be encouraged to become active learners through individual, collaborative, and hands-on learning experiences that foster critical thinking skills and challenge students to appreciate the impact of chemistry on the world in which they live. Laboratory experience is focused on inquiry and observation. 

CHEMISTRY - HONORS (520H)                                                                           6 Credits – Grade 10
Course Overview: This course is designed to provide a comprehensive study of the concepts of chemistry by empowering students through a rigorous curriculum. Students will be challenged to become creative problem solvers by developing critical thinking skills through work in both the classroom and laboratory settings not only in order to attain a high standard of achievement but also to encourage an appreciation of the impact of chemistry on the individual, society, and the planet. Course content will include how scientific information is obtained and how scientific models and theories are developed. The topics include periodicity, atomic structure, stoichiometry, acid-base theory, carbon, and radioactive compounds.. Experimentation and problem-solving are stressed. This course carries a 5% weight.

AP CHEMISTRY (541A)                                                                                  6 Credits – Grades 10, 12
Course Overview: With the ever-increasing need for innovators, problem finders, and designers of materials, pharmaceuticals, and even new fuels comes the need for individuals skilled in the science practices and knowledgeable about chemistry. The AP Chemistry course provides students with training for such knowledge and skills through guided inquiry labs, a focused curriculum on content relevant to today's problems, and an exam that assesses students' mental models of the particulate nature of matter instead of memorization of rules to understand chemistry.  The AP Chemistry course is designed to be the equivalent of the general chemistry course usually taken during the first college year. This college-level course covers the Big Ideas of Chemistry, including concepts of atoms as the building blocks of matter, the structure of atoms, ions, and molecules, and the forces between them, chemical reactions, rate laws, and the collision theory, thermodynamics, and intermolecular interactions. An emphasis is on Inquiry Learning, both in the classroom and in the laboratory. The goal is that students will take the AP Exam to receive college credit or placement at the student’s college of choice. Students may be able to undertake second-year work in the chemistry sequence at their institution or take courses for which general chemistry is a prerequisite. For other students, this course fulfills the laboratory science requirement and frees time for other courses. For all students, it challenges them to the point that their problem-solving skills will increase, and they will be more prepared for a college-level course after participating in one.

Each student is required to take the AP Exam to satisfy the course requirements. This course carries a 10% weight.

NOTE: Select sophomores who meet the prerequisites of this course MUST take the summer enrichment chemistry course.

PHYSICS - COLLEGE PREP (530S)                                                                     6 Credits – Grade 11
Course Overview: College Prep Physics is a core requirement. The main objectives of this course are to develop effective problem-solving skills and hopefully gain both an appreciation and interest in science. The student should also gain a good sense of how physics principles work and how they are used in their daily lives. Topics covered include mechanics, the nature of fluids, waves, sound, optics, and electromagnetism.

PHYSICS - HONORS (530H)                                                                                   6 Credits – Grade 11
Course Overview: Physics Honors seeks to engage students in the exploration of the physical world around them while enhancing their critical thinking skills. This advanced laboratory-based course offers an exploration of Newtonian mechanics, focusing on how and why objects move. Topics include kinematics, forces, energy, momentum, circular motion, and fluids. Emphasis is placed on hands-on experimentation, conceptual understanding, and mathematical problem-solving. Students develop their skills through lab investigations, collaborative activities, and real-world applications of physical principles. This course carries a 5% weight.

AP PHYSICS 1 (532A)                                                                                       6 Credits – Grades 11, 12
Course Overview: AP Physics 1 is an algebra-based, introductory college-level physics course. Students cultivate their understanding of physics through classroom study. In-class activity, and hands-on, inquiry-based laboratory work as they explore concepts like systems, fields, force interactions, change, and conservation. The general purpose of AP Physics is to further develop students’ problem-solving and critical thinking skills through in-depth investigation of physics. This course emphasizes problem-solving, working collaboratively, and communicating scientifically, in both written and oral form. The laboratory component of this course focuses on the design of experiments, with students developing skills in measuring, organizing, and analyzing data. 

Each student is required to take the AP Exam to satisfy the course requirements. This course carries a 10% weight.

AP PHYSICS C - MECHANICS                                                                       6 Credits – Grades 11, 12
Course Overview:  AP Physics C: Mechanics is a calculus-based, college-level physics course, especially appropriate for students planning to specialize or major in one of the physical sciences or engineering. Students cultivate their understanding of physics through classroom study, in-class activity, and hands-on, inquiry-based laboratory work as they explore concepts like change, force interactions, fields, and conservation. The general purpose of AP Physics is to further develop students’ problem-solving and critical thinking skills through in-depth investigation of physics. This course emphasizes problem-solving, working collaboratively, and communicating scientifically, in both written and oral form. The laboratory component of this course focuses on the design of experiments, with students developing skill in measuring, organizing, and analyzing data. 

Each student is required to take the AP Exam to satisfy the course requirements. This course carries a 10% weight.

AP PHYSICS C – ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISTM                                    6 Credits – Grade 12
Course Overview: AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism is a calculus-based, college-level physics course, especially appropriate for students planning to specialize or major in one of the physical sciences or engineering. Students cultivate their understanding of physics through classroom study, in-class activity, and hands-on, inquiry-based laboratory work as they explore concepts like change, force interactions, fields, and conservation. The general purpose of AP Physics is to further develop students’ problem-solving and critical thinking skills through in-depth investigation of physics. This course emphasizes problem-solving, working collaboratively, and communicating scientifically, in both written and oral form. The laboratory component of this course focuses on the design of experiments, with students developing skills in measuring, organizing, and analyzing data.

Each student is required to take the AP Exam to satisfy the course requirements. This course carries a 10% weight.

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY (542A)                                                              6 Credits – Grade 12
Course Overview: Anatomy and Physiology is an accelerated level senior elective that covers all the systems of the human body at a college-level pace and in an in-depth manner suitable for those interested in any medical field. While maintaining a high level of study, the course also seeks to engage those students who have an interest in learning more about how their body works. The course is filled with activities, labs, dissections, and even an optional trip to work with human cadavers. This course carries a 10% weight.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE COLLEGE PREP                                          6 Credits - Grade 12

Course Overview: A full-year course with a laboratory component introducing the basic interactions of man and his environment, the world we live in, how it influences our daily lives and future, as well as how our activities influence the earth. Topics covered include ecology, the study of air and water resources, pollution, and energy — its risks, production, and alternatives.

AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE (544A)                                                            6 Credits – Grade 12
Course Overview: Environmental science is a course designed to teach the basic principles of how the world works by applying the sciences of biology, chemistry, and physics. The importance of how these principles are positively and/or negatively affected by politics, economics, and ethical considerations is also covered. The goal of this course is to instill a sense of responsibility for the environment they live in through knowledge, as well as to develop habits that have a positive impact on the earth. 

This course, with a laboratory component, will prepare the student for the AP Environmental Science exam. Studies include topics in environmental law and ethics, ecology, population biology, soils and agriculture, energy (conventional and unconventional), air and water pollution, water and water resources, as well as human impact on the environment. These topics are studied through a combination of lectures, critical thinking exercises, laboratory, and field activities.

Each student is required to take the AP exam to satisfy course requirements. This course carries a 10% weight.

EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY - COLLEGE PREP (546S)                                       5 Credits – Grade 12
Course Overview: The purpose of Exercise Physiology is to provide a student-friendly, technologically enriched, and practical learning environment that fosters the intellectual development of all students with interests in health, fitness, and athletic development. This course aims to provide a challenging environment to stimulate the students to consider all aspects of allied health fields for their future studies.  Focusing on the study of exercise and nutrition this class will also provide students with a background in basic anatomy and physiology systems. Emphasis on cardiovascular, respiratory, and musculoskeletal responses to exercise movements. Students will discover trends in exercise and relate nutrition’s role in performance and work toward designing and implementing personal nutrition and fitness plans.

MARINE BIOLOGY - COLLEGE PREP (545S)                                                  6 Credits – Grade 12
Course Overview: Marine Biology, an elective lab class, seeks to foster understanding of and appreciation for the diversity, conservation, and global importance of marine ecosystems. The curriculum spans from basic oceanography to the interconnected ecology of the global oceans. A comprehensive study of physical oceanography, seawater chemistry, and animal life in the oceans. Study the complex biology of the ocean from simple sponges all the way to the Blue Whale, with topics to include waves and tides, ocean chemistry, marine invertebrates, sharks, bony fish, marine mammals, and marine birds.

The course serves as both a foundation for students who wish to pursue higher education in the subject area and as a general interest course for students who are simply curious about the discipline. Labs, field experiences, and guest speakers will make the ocean sciences both accessible and interesting to students with a variety of future educational plans.  Enjoy whale watching boat rides, aquarium trips, and excursions into nature.

PRINCIPLES OF ENGINEERING – HONORS                                             5 Credits – Grades 11, 12
Course Overview: Principles of Engineering is a science elective exposing students to some of the major concepts they will encounter in a college engineering course of study. This course will be a mix of hands-on academic activities and an exploration of the ways in which engineers use math, science, and technology to benefit people as well as careers in the STEM field. Activities include computer-aided design projects, research activities, case studies, team product development, and discussion on the social benefits and consequences of technological change. This course carries a 5% weight

ENGINEERING CAPSTONE                                                                       5 Credits - Grade 12

Course Overview: In this advanced, project-based course, students apply their engineering knowledge to solve real-world problems through independent or team-driven capstone projects. Students design, build, and iterate prototypes using a variety of materials, documenting their process from concept to completion. The course emphasizes innovation, ethical decision-making, and intellectual property. Final designs are presented to a panel of engineering professionals, and top projects may receive support for provisional patent filing. This course offers a college-level experience in engineering design and prepares students for further study and careers in the field. This course carries a 5% weight.

ROBOTICS                                                                          2.5 Credits - Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12

Course Overview: The course includes hands-on experience building the VEX EDR Clawbot and utilizing its variety of sensors as well as prototyping in a computer-based virtual world. By the end of the course, the student’s robot will be able to operate both autonomously and under remote control. Throughout the year, students will strengthen valuable team-building skills as they collaborate with their peers to direct their robot to overcome a variety of challenges. They will learn key STEM principles through a process that captures the excitement and engagement of robotics.

SCIENCE TEAM                                                                                  2.5 Credits - Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12

Course Overview: The Science Team is a yearlong elective designed for students who enjoy problem-solving, hands-on challenges, and expanding their scientific knowledge beyond the classroom. Meeting four times per cycle, this graded course prepares students to participate in a variety of regional, state, and national STEM competitions. Events can include the Science Olympiad, TSA event, NJ Science Bowl, Team America Rocketry Challenge, NASA TechRise, and individual projects. Students work individually or in teams, receiving support and instruction in engineering design, scientific inquiry, and technical skills. (2.5 credits)