Mount Si High School Science Program

Overview Staffing/classroom technology Curriculum adoption process Course offerings –Required courses –Elective courses Course sequence and prerequisites WASL preparation College preparation Present/future challenges

Science Department Staff Gene Clegg – Chemistry/Physics/Humanities Physics Ryan Hill – Biology/Environmental Science/Earth Science Andrew Rapin – AP Biology/Biology Jana Mabry – Biology/Honors Earth Science Ken Hagler – Chemistry/Earth Science Kevin Knowles – Astronomy/Meteorology/Earth Science David – Earth Science

Science Curriculum Adoption In the 2005/2006 academic year (with the support of Snoqualmie Valley School District) we were able to expand our course offerings, update our existing course curricula and purchase much needed materials and equipment to support our lab-based courses.

Required Science Courses Two science credits are required for high school graduation including: Earth Science (1 year) –Freshman year Life Science (Biology or Environmental Science) (1 year) –Sophomore year

Honors Earth Science Placement based on middle school WASL scores and first and second trimester grade in science.

Elective Science Courses

Science Elective Course Offerings* Advanced Placement Biology Advanced Placement Chemistry Astronomy Chemistry Geology Humanities (conceptual) Physics Meteorology Physics * a description of these courses is provided in the course catalog (hard copy or PDF form on the MSHS website)MSHS website

Course sequence and prerequisites Lower-level achieving student Earth Science  Environmental Science Elective options most likely taken: Environmental Horticulture I and II Landscape/Turf Management I and II Emergency Preparedness Typical achieving student Earth Science  Biology  Chemistry or Earth Science  Environmental Science  Biology  Chemistry Elective options most likely taken: Anatomy and Physiology – Astronomy Environmental Horticulture Geology Humanities Physics Meteorology Higher-level student Honors Earth Science  Biology  Chemistry  Elective options most likely taken: AP Biology AP Chemistry Physics

Required Science Core Courses Science Core Lab-based? Algebra-based? Pre requisites ? Earth Science (2 semesters) No Honors- placement based on WASL and 8 th grade science grade Biology (2 semesters) (or) YesNo >70% average in Earth Science. Environmental Science (2 semesters) YesNo >60% average in Earth Science

Science ElectivesLab- based? Algebra- based? Pre requisites? AP Biology (2 semesters) Yes Completed Biology with an 80% average or instructors permission. AP Chemistry (2 semesters) Yes Completed Chemistry with an 80% average or instructors permission or teachers permission Astronomy (1 semester) Yes Algebra/Integrated I and passing Earth Science or teachers permission Chemistry (2 semesters) Yes Algebra credit and concurrently taking or having taken another higher math class / 70% or better in Biology or teachers permission Geology (2 semesters) Yes 70% or better in Earth Science and Biology, Algebra or permission of instructor or teachers permission Humanities Physics (2 semesters) Yes B or better in humanities courses or teachers permission Meteorology (1 semester) Yes Algebra/Integrated I and passing Earth Science or teachers permission Physics (2 semesters) yesYes 1 credit of Advanced Algebra, concurrently taking/having taken Math Analysis and 1 credit of Chemistry or 1 credit of Earth Science or teacher permission.

WASL preparation As of now, students graduating in 2013 will be required to demonstrate competency in science as measured by the WASL (The Washington Assessment of Student Learning). Since 2004 the state has been piloting the science WASL section. In preparation for this endeavor freshmen (assessed in the spring) and sophomores (assessed in the fall) will be administered a WASL related assessment. The emphasis of this assessment will be on three main areas 1.Experimental design 2.Energy transfer and transformation, and 3.Writing a conclusion based on the results of a scientific experiment. We continue to aligned our earth and life science courses to Washington State’s Grade Level Expectations (GLE’s). These GLE’s articulate the state’s expectations and learning standards for science.Grade Level Expectations

Current minimum admission requirements for freshmen at Washington public four-year colleges and universities: two credits of science, including one year of laboratory science. * As set by The Higher Education Coordinating Board ( Higher Education Coordinating Board College prerequisite for high school science*

Proposed minimum admission requirements for freshmen at Washington public four-year colleges and universities (starting in the summer of 2008) Two credits of laboratory science, of which one year would require the student to understand and use algebra. * As set by The Higher Education Coordinating Board ( Higher Education Coordinating Board College prerequisite for high school science*