Riverside Science We want students to be successful! We want to develop strong foundations in Science. Successful science is about making connections between different disciplines of science.

Freshman Science What Science Course should students take as a freshman? Academic Earth Science OR Research Earth Science

Why Research Earth Science? Research Earth Science establishes baseline science research skills that will be necessary for all research science courses.  Bio Research and Chemistry Research students will be expected to start the year with foundations in following skills: Ability to effectively use scientific databases to source credible scientific information. Strong technical writing. Use spreadsheets to: Calculate data Perform statistical analysis Generate graphs

Does skipping Earth Science give more opportunities? Unfortunately, no. It actually removes opportunities. Students have the ability to take between 4 and 6 science classes throughout their high school experience.  Students will still have the opportunities to reach the AP/DE courses they desire with stronger foundational skills, leading to greater performance in those AP/DE courses.

What happens after freshman year? Chemistry can be difficult for sophomores WHY? Mathematical proficiency and application skills Suggested prerequisite of Alg 2 w/ Trig Difficulty of content Volume of new concepts Pacing is rigorous to adequately learn required content Abstract concepts

Long Term Planning What do I take all four years? How do those classes fit in to my overall plan for my future? Do the courses I take provide flexibility over the course of my high school career?

Advanced Courses Students who skip Earth Science Research will not be able to take AP Environmental Science, closing the door on opportunities for a class (with a 1.0 GPA bump) before they even begin their high school experience. They will also miss important skill sets necessary for Geospatial Information Systems (a 6 credit dual enrollment college credit class and 1.0 GPA bump). At Riverside, we would like students to keep their options open.