Science

Acquaints students with the complexities of the universe. The theoretical portion of the course is divided into four topics: the history of astronomy and telescopes; the planets and moons of our solar system; the birth, life, and death of stars; and galaxies and the large-scale structure of the universe. The lab portion of the course consists of in-class activities, outdoor observations during class, and independent labs in which the student makes observations of objects in the night sky.

Introduces the fundamentals of weather and climate. Topics include observing weather, physical properties and processes of the atmosphere, weather systems, hazardous weather (thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes), basics of forecasting, clouds, air pollution, and climate change. The lab component consists of group exercises, hands-on experiments, and use of the internet to explore the topics of weather. This course requires regular student access to the internet.