Science

Department Description

Science courses are designed to produce an organized sequence of experiences to help students to develop the ability:

• To distinguish between scientific evidence and personal opinion by inquiry and questioning;
• To recognize the role of observation and experimentation;
• To understand scientific theories;
• To gather information through laboratory, field trips, and library work;
• To understand, in some depth, the unifying themes of life and physical sciences.

Physics is the first course in a coherent order of science courses, taught conceptually and using the math of 8th and 9th grades and at the honors level only; chemistry is the second course, building on the knowledge of atomic structure to study the structures and properties of matter, and chemical reactions. Modern molecular-based biology is the third course in this hierarchy of science courses. In this sequence, physics concepts and topics underlie chemistry, and physics and chemistry support modern biology.

CRLS requires successful completion of three specific science courses for graduation: S102 Honors Physics, S201/S202 Chemistry, and S301/S302 Biology. If a student fails physics, chemistry or biology, he/she/they must repeat the course until successfully completed. A student may enroll in a required science course and an upper level science course at the same time with permission of instructors. S400 level courses are advanced science courses that assume students have solid foundations in physics, chemistry and biology. The course expectations reflect this advanced content.

Beginning with the class of 2010, all Massachusetts students must pass a Science MCAS exam in order to graduate from high school.

Download the Graduation with Distinction Chart

Course #	Designation	Title	Credits
S102		Physics Honors	10.0	Details
S201		Chemistry	10.0	Details
S202		Chemistry Honors	10.0	Details
S301		Biology	10.0	Details
S302		Biology Honors	10.0	Details
S403		Astronomy	10.0	Details
S404		Contemporary Application of Genetics	10.0	Details
S405		Ecology	10.0	Details
S406		Epidemiology	10.0	Details
S407	None	Human Anatomy & Physiology	10.0	Details
S408		Marine Biology	10.0	Details
S409		Forensics	10.0	Details
S410		Marine Science Internship	10.0	Details
S411		Organic Chemistry	10.0	Details
S415		Science and Engineering Research Internship	10.0	Details
S416	None	Exercise Physiology	10.0	Details
S418		Oceanography	10.0	Details
S419		Zoology	10.0	Details
S421		Science and Ethics	10.0	Details
S422		Food Chemistry	10.0	Details
S423		The Integration of Arts and Science	10.0	Details
S425	None	Brain & Behavior	10.0	Details
S435		Food, Farming, & Our Planet	10.0	Details
S501		AP Biology	20.0	Details
S502		AP Chemistry	20.0	Details
S503A		AP Physics C: Mechanics	10.0	Details
S503B		AP Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism	10.0	Details
S504A		AP Physics 1	10.0	Details
S504B		AP Physics 2	10.0	Details
S510		AP Environmental Science	10.0	Details

Alternate Credit Courses for this Department
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