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SCIENCE

In science classes students will develop the ability to use the scientific method to answer their questions about the universe. They will form questions and hypotheses, design experiments to test these hypotheses, and analyze the results to draw conclusions that can be applied to further study. Our goal is that our students will be curious, think scientifically, have a deep understanding of the knowledge passed down from scientists before them, and see God in the order and beauty of the creation they are studying. We hope they will leave RCS with a very firm foundation in content and skills that will serve them well in their future studies.

Graduation Requirements Statement

To graduate, students need to take Science 10 and a Science course at the Grade 11 or 12 level. 

GENERAL SCIENCE
Science 9

Prerequisite: Science 8

Description: This course focuses on four major areas of science: chemistry, electricity, reproductive biology, and environmental science. In addition to this content students will learn basic lab skills and how to acquire meaningful data in order to answer their questions. They will also learn to communicate their findings through properly formatted lab reports. 

Science 10

Prerequisite: Science 9

Graduation Requirement: Science 10

Description: This course focuses on four major areas of science: genetics, chemistry, astronomy, and energy. In addition to this content, students will continue building their lab skills and producing lab reports that are increasingly detailed. 

BIOLOGY
Life Science 11

(Offered on a two-year rotation, alternating with Environmental Science 11)

Prerequisite: Science 10 and Grade 11 Standing

Graduation Requirement: Science 11 or 12

Description: Life Science 11 concentrates on ecology, cellular biology, evolution, and taxonomy, exploring innumerable interesting and exciting facts and theories about prokaryotic cells, plants, and animals, focusing on the importance of biological diversity. The lab skills will involve the use of microscopes and dissection tools; lab reports will focus on specific topics that appear in the curriculum.

Anatomy and Physiology 12

Prerequisite: Science 10 and Grade 11 standing

Graduation Requirement: Science 11 or 12

Description: This course encompasses two major topics of study: biochemistry and human body systems. Areas of concentration in biochemistry will focus on cell structure, cell compounds, macromolecules, DNA, protein synthesis, and cancer. The human body systems unit will emphasize the six major body systems: circulatory, digestive, respiratory, nervous, urinary, and reproductive. The lab skills will involve the use of microscopes and dissection tools; detailed lab reports will focus on specific topics that appear in the curriculum.

Recommendations: It is recommended that students take Chemistry 11 prior to or concurrently with Anatomy and Physiology 12.

PHYSICS
Physics 11

Prerequisite: Science 10, Foundations of Math and Pre-Calculus 10, and Grade 11 Standing

Graduation Requirement: Science 11 or 12

Description: In this course, students develop and use mathematics tools and experimentation to study the nature of motion and the forces affecting motion. These are extended to the study of gravity, inertia, the conservation of energy and electric circuits. The course also gives an overview of the nature of light and waves. The lab skills will focus on measurement and construction; lab reports will focus on specific topics that appear in the curriculum.

Recommendations: Students should be highly proficient in algebra and trigonometry.

Physics 12

Prerequisite: Physics 11 and Grade 12 standing

Recommendation for Success: Minimum 70% in Physics 11

Graduation Requirement: Science 11 or 12

Description: This course is designed to provide students with grounding in the discipline of physics. There is a greater emphasis on the use of logical, analytical inquiry than in Physics 11. The range of topics includes equilibrium and circular motion, fields (gravitational, electric, and magnetic), momentum, and special relativity. The lab skills will focus on measurement and construction; lab reports will focus on specific topics that appear in the curriculum.

Recommendations:  

  • Students should be highly proficient in drawing free-body diagrams, problem solving, algebra, vector addition, and trigonometry.
  • Students are recommended to have taken Pre-Calculus 11.
CHEMISTRY
Chemistry 11

Prerequisite: Science 10 and Grade 11 standing

Graduation Requirement: Science 11 or 12

Description: This course provides a comprehensive overview of all aspects of chemistry and challenges the student to explore and appreciate the intricacies of the world that God created with love and care at the atomic level. The major areas of study include atomic theory, classification of matter, the mole concept, chemical reactions, stoichiometry, solution chemistry and organic chemistry. The lab skills will focus on using Bunsen burners, field-specific glassware, and selecting appropriate tools to take precise measurements. Lab reports will be connected to chemistry concepts being studied and continue to build students’ abilities to collect and analyze data. 

Recommendations: Students should be highly proficient in naming compounds, writing and balancing chemical reactions, problem solving, algebra, ratios, and percentages.

Chemistry 12

Prerequisite: Chemistry 11 and Grade 12 standing

Recommendation for Success: minimum 70% in Chemistry 11

Graduation Requirement: Science 11 or 12

Description: The purpose of this course is to provide the student with an opportunity to discover more sophisticated theories and concepts as they explore how chemistry relates to daily life, industry and the environment. The major areas of study include reaction kinetics, dynamic equilibrium, solubility equilibrium, acids and bases, and oxidation-reduction chemistry. There is an emphasis on mathematical calculations and problem solving. The lab skills will focus on using Bunsen burners, field-specific glassware, and selecting appropriate tools to take precise measurements. Lab reports will be connected to chemistry concepts being studied and continue to build students’ abilities to collect and analyze data.

Recommendations:  

  • Students should be highly proficient in unit conversions, stoichiometry, solution chemistry, and the nature of chemical reactions.
  • Students are recommended to have taken Pre-Calculus 11, as well as take Pre-Calculus 12 prior to or concurrently with Chemistry 12.