Advanced Placement (AP) Curriculum

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Advanced Placement (AP) Curriculum

Art History

Description

Within AP Art History, students will explore the interconnections between culture, art, and historical context through the critical analysis of art, culture, and purpose. Through the use of a defined art historical skill set and reflective learning, students will analyze relationships across cultures with a global lens. The examination of how people have responded to and communicated their experiences through art will enable students to think conceptually about art ranging from prehistory to contemporary. Students will be active participants, engaging with art and its context as they read, research, and collaborate to learn about art, artists, art making, and responses to and interpretations of art. The AP Art History course is structured around three big ideas, three essential questions, twelve learning objectives, and ten content areas outlined within the College Board Advanced Placement Art History Framework. Each content area is represented by a prescribed image set accompanied by enduring understanding and essential knowledge statements that provide required contextual information to serve as a foundation and catalyst for student learning within the course. The intention is for students to explore art in its historical and cultural contexts.

Pre-Requisites: Due to the mature content, this course is recommended for students in 10th, 11th, and 12th in conjunction with or who have successfully completed World History
Credits: 1.0
Estimated Completion Time: 2 segments / 32-36 weeks

Major Topics and Concepts

Segment One

Gallery One—Introduction to Art History

An overview of art history and the purpose and function of the analysis of art within its cultural context
Global and chronological themes and subthemes in art history
An introduction to the College Board Advanced Placement Art History Framework
Formal analysis of the art process through the principles and elements of design
The College Board AP Art History Exam breakdown—what to expect, type of assessments on the exam, how the exam assesses the students’ application of art historical skills, and how the exam is scored
Understanding how to read and interpret architectural plans
Global Prehistory starting with Asia and Africa
Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic Periods
Human expression of the natural world prior to written record
Ceramics, painting, sculpture, and architecture representative of utilitarian art

Gallery Two—Indigenous Americas

Ancient America and Native North America—Olmec, Maya, Mexica (Aztec), and Central Andes
Art of the Indigenous Americas as a representation of the retention of pre-Hispanic traditions.
Overarching artistic traits of Indigenous Americas—unity with the natural world, cosmic geometry, Shamanism, animal-based media, incorporation of trade materials, and spiritual utilitarianism
Integration of terrestrial and plant imagery within architecture to represent power and hierarchy within the culture and community
Status, power, gifts, visual memory, and revival represented within the art of Ancient America and Native North American cultures
Trade resulting in exotic materials within artistic themes of interdependence and dualism
Exploration of Ancient America and Native North America within the context of colonization, persecution, genocide, and marginalization

Gallery Three—Asia

Secular and non-secular art produced from West Asia’s dominant Islamic culture
Sacred spaces of West and Central Asia as a result of cross-cultural fertilization
Connection of West and Central Asia through Buddhist and Islamic traditions
Architectural innovations and monuments driven by religious function and pilgrimages
Two-dimensional design favored in West Asia, while metalwork thrived in West and Central Asia
Visual traditions of South, East, and Southeast Asia among the oldest, identified by the interconnectedness of humans with the natural and spiritual world
Universal search for spiritual development within Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, resulting in unified visual representations
Buddhist reliquary stupas, ink paintings, pagodas, and rock gardens representing the overlap of secular and non-secular art

Gallery 4—The Pacific

Diversity in the Pacific resulting from ecological situations, social structure, and external influences such as commerce, colonialism, and missionary activity
The Pacific as defined by geographical location and its art as representative of materials carried and exchanged
Three sections of the Pacific—micro, poly, and mela, each defined by individual ecologies and sociological systems
Art of the Pacific as narrative and utilitarian expressing beliefs, social relations, essential truths, and information within the creation, performance, and the destruction of art
Wrappings, ritual dress, and tattoos as symbols for human interaction with deities
Architectural design and shared and rarified spaces reinforcing social order
Sacred spaces announcing and containing legitimacy, power, and life force.

Gallery 5—Ancient Near East and Africa

Sumerian, Akkadian, Neo-Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, and Persian cultures
Religious art and architecture of the Ancient Near East
The emergence of stylistic elements such as hierarchical scale, registers, historical narratives, and formal sculpture of humans interacting with gods
The architecture of the Ancient Near East housed places of worship and protection to represent the power and authority of the rulers
Predynastic Egypt including the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms
Artistic representations of royal figures and divinities serving a funerary function and representing order, stability, and permanence
Figural representation correlated with cultural placement, characterizing separation between the deified and lower classes
Predynastic Egypt driven by an elaborate funerary sect represented by the incorporation of mythological and religious symbolism
The artistic and cultural revolution of the Amarna period
African art resulting from human beliefs and interactions motivated by behavior, containing and expressing belief, and validating social organization
African art expressing the supernatural and used daily and ritually
Art and cultural practices as purposeful, with cultural protocols to ensure the artistic experience (meant to be sung, danced, and presented holistically) and produce expected results
Education, civic responsibility, and adulthood as represented by the creation, manipulation, and interpretation of art
African art misinterpreted as primitive, anonymous, and static
Africa’s global interaction resulting in dynamic intellectual and artistic traditions

Segment Two

Gallery Six—Ancient Mediterranean

Art of the Aegean—Cycladic, Minoan, and Mycenaean cultures as driving influences in Greek, Etruscan, and Roman art and architecture
Greek, Etruscan, and Roman art and architecture identified by stylistic changes categorized according to styles, governments, or dynasties
Ancient Greek art throughout the Geometric, Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods characterized by proportions and spatial relationships, expression of societal values, and harmony and order
Humanism
Roman art, including the Republican, Early Imperial, Late Imperial, and Late Antique Periods
Etruscan and Roman art characterized by iconographical eclecticism and portraiture that represent imperial values and power
Ancient Greek and Roman art as foundational for later Europe artistic and cultural traditions

Gallery Seven—Early Europe and Colonial Americas

Medieval art divided geographically by regions, governing cultures, and identifiable styles
Medieval art, including Late Antique, early Christian, Byzantine, Islamic, Migratory, Carolingian, Romanesque, and Gothic
Medieval art motivated by the requirements of Jewish, Christian, or Islamic worship, elite or court culture, and learning
Icons and reliquaries facilitating a divine connection
Cross-cultural fertilization facilitated through trade and conquest
Religiously functional architecture with ground plans and elevations designed around worship and including symbolic numbers, shapes, and ornament
Theological rejection of figural imagery on and within religious structures or objects as prevalent in Judaism, Islam, and Christianity
Romanesque and Gothic periods marking the initiation of globalization and the emergence of the Atlantic World in conjunction with the development of the Americas
The Atlantic World, comprising Western Europe—Italy, Spain, France, Germany, England, Belgium, and the Netherlands
The Americas, comprising the Caribbean, the Western and Southwestern regions of the U.S., Mexico, Central America, and South America
Pilgrimages driving new patronage and architectural innovations in the Romanesque and Gothic periods

Gallery Eight—Early Modern Atlantic World

A revival of antiquity defining the Renaissance with the incorporation of classical models, enhanced naturalism, Christianity, pageantry, and more formalized artistic training
The rise of the academy
Artistic production determined by corporate and individual patronage
Development of linear and atmospheric perspective, composition, color, figuration, and narrative all increasing the illusion of naturalism
Art as propaganda, commemorative, didactic, devotional, ritual, recreational, and decorative
Baroque art representing the polarization of north and southwestern European due to the Protestant Reformation and the Catholic Counter-Reformation
Art production in the Spanish viceroyalties representing a hybridization of European and indigenous ideas, forms, and materials
Industrialization, urbanization, scientific inquiry, economic upheaval, migrations, and wars concluding the 18th century
The Enlightenment, characterized by belief in progress, the Industrial Revolution, and the emergence of a newly wealthy middle class, and satirical expressions within art
Rococo as evidence of the infiltration of aristocratic art, prompting the call for moral art and Neoclassicism as a reaction and new emphasis on human rights expressed in Romanticism

Gallery Nine—Later Europe and Americas

Artists gravitating to new roles in society, leading artistic movements that shifted quickly as a reaction and rejection to the previous movement
Modernism as an umbrella term enabling new roles and functions and giving audiences opportunities to experience art in new ways
Modernism, including Realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Symbolism Expressionism, Cubism, Constructivism, Suprematism, Abstraction, Dadaism, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Minimalism, Performance Art, and Environmental Art
Photography as art within the context of the Industrial Revolution, with increased popularity within the middle class
Criticism of the new industrial age leading to the rise of Realism and sympathy toward the working class
Evolving perception of women as the “male gaze” is applied to images of women outside of religious contexts
Post-Impressionism, Symbolism, and Expressionism as a rejection of the Modern
Architectural innovations driven by the evolution of needs, materials, and nationalism
Abstraction giving way to Cubism and non-objectivity as shape and color are intended to communicate meaning and represent Sigmund Freud’s philosophical declarations
Expression, Dadaism, and Surrealism as social commentary
Work of individual artists such as Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and Jacob Lawrence as a personal commentary on cultural conventions
Modern visions of architectural space embracing the machine and nature
The depiction of women in a modern world and the evolution of the portrayal of women within Gestural Abstraction, Abstract Expressionism, and Pop Art
Modern and Postmodern architecture as defined through the exploration of the modern skyscraper and simplicity vs. complexity, anonymity vs. individuality, less is more vs. less is a bore
The duality of Modernism opening the art world and simultaneously becoming challenging for audiences and patrons to understand as individualism replaced church and corporate patronage
Public sale of art as non-elitists collect art
America dominated the art market after the devastation of World War II

Gallery Ten—Global Contemporary

Global contemporary art as a combination of tradition, technological advancements, and global awareness
Materials, function, style, and presentation inviting contemplation of how art is defined and valued
1980–present categorized by digital works, video-captured performances, graffiti, online museums and galleries, the decline in natural materials, rise in disposable materials, and the digital divide
Existential investigations, sociopolitical critiques, the natural world, and technical innovations unifying the vast diversity
Appropriation of cultural and/or sacred objects defying traditional classification by region, culture, or time
Architecture representing a city’s trademark to embody aspiration and idealism
Exploration of themes of contemplation, race, identify, stereotypes, appropriation, power, mass production, spiritual journey, migration, and unification

Biology

Description

This challenging course is designed to provide a college-level experience and prepare students for the AP exam in early May. Over two semesters, the students are engaged in a wide variety of activities, with substantial emphasis on interpreting and collecting data in virtual labs, writing analytical essays and mastering Biology concepts and connections. The key themes of the AP Biology course are the scientific processes, the effects of science on technology and society, the chemistry and makeup of living organisms, genetics, diversity, and evolution. Throughout this course you will be expected to answer questions, reflect on issues and complete lab activities. The primary emphasis is to develop an understanding of concepts rather than memorizing terms and technical details. The course will successfully prepare you for the AP Exam in May.

Pre-Requisites: Biology I, Chemistry I, Algebra I
Credits: 1.0
Estimated Completion Time: 2 segments / 32-36 weeks

Major Topics and Concepts

Segment 1

Science as a Process
Relationship of Structure to Function
Energy Transfer
Regulation
Science
Technology & Society
Continuity and Change
Evolution
Interdependence in Nature
Scientific method
Basic chemistry
Organic chemistry
Polymerization
Isomers
Functional groups
Biochemistry
Properties of water
Metabolism
Enzymes
Cell structure and function
Cell processes
Cell division
Cell research including information on cancer cells, and gametogenesis
Inheritance and genetics
Mendel’s work in genetics
Statistical analysis of genetic information
Non-Mendelian patterns of inheritance
Nuclear processes, role of DNA and/or RNA in replication, transcription and translation
Mutations and how these can be seen in populations
DNA technology
Evolution
Genetic drift and gene flow
Mutations in populations
Non-random mating
Natural selection
Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium
Macroevolution

Segment 2

Relationship of Structure to Function
Continuity and Change
Interdependence in Nature
Evolution
Energy Transfer
Regulation
Systematics
Viruses, bacteria, and fungi
Plant evolution and diversity
Alternation of generations/plant life cycles
Plant structure and function
Plant growth and reproduction
Plant nutrients and hormones
Photosynthesis
Phylogeny and animal diversity
Transport in animal systems
Immunology
Osmoregulation
Chemical regulation
Reproduction and development
Nervous system
Muscular and skeletal system
Levels of organization
Biotic and abiotic factors
Ecosystems, populations, and communities
Symbiosis, food webs, and keystone predators
Biogeochemical cycles in the environment

Calculus AB

Description

Students in this course will walk in the footsteps of Newton and Leibnitz. An interactive course framework combines with exciting online course delivery to make calculus an adventure. The course includes a study of limits, continuity, differentiation, and the integration of algebraic, trigonometric, and transcendental functions, as well as the applications of derivatives and integrals.

Pre-Requisites: Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-Calculus or Trigonometry/Analytical Geometry.
Credits: 1.0
Estimated Completion Time: 2 segments/32-36 weeks

Major Topics and Concepts

Segment 1

Module 1

Review of Function Terminology and More
Graphing Calculators
Compositions and Transformations of Functions
Some Common Functions

Module 2

Introduction to Limits
Properties of Limits
Limits Involving Infinity
Continuity
Applications of Limits

Module 3

The Derivative
Rules of Differentiation
Trigonometric Derivatives and the Chain Rule
Inverse Functions
Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
Derivatives of Exponential, Logarithmic, and Inverse Trig Functions
Implicit Differentiation

Module 4

Analyzing Functions Part I: Curve Sketching
Analyzing Functions Part II: Maximums and Minimums
Applied Maximum and Minimum Problems
Distance, Velocity, Acceleration, Rectilinear Motion, and Related Rates
The Mean-Value Theorem and L’Hôpital’s Rule
Linearization

Segment 2

Module 5

Area Approximation and Riemann Sums
Introduction to the Definite Integral
The Fundamental Theorem of Calculus
Integrals and Antiderivatives
Integration by Substitution
The Definite Integral

Module 6

Volume by Discs (Slicing)
Finding the Area Under and Between Curves
Average Value of a Function and Rectilinear Motion Revisited

Module 7

Differential Equations – An Introduction
Initial Value Problems and Slope Fields
Numerical Approximation Methods with Integrals

Module 8

Exploring the Graphs of f, f Prime, and f Double Prime
Using Calculus with Data in a Table
Functions Defined By Integrals

Module 9

Test Format—MC Part
Using a Calculator—MC Part B
The Free Response Section
Common Mistakes. How Is the Exam Scored?

Calculus BC

Pre-Requisites: Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-Calculus or Trigonometry/Analytical Geometry.
Credits: 1.0
Estimated Completion Time: 2 segments/32-36 weeks

Computer Science A

Description

The AP Computer Science A course is an introductory computer science course. A large part of the course involves developing the skills to write programs or parts of programs that correctly solve specific problems. The course also emphasizes the design issues that make programs understandable, adaptable, and when appropriate, reusable. At the same time, the development of useful computer programs and classes is used as a context for introducing other important concepts in computer science, including the development and analysis of algorithms, the development and use of fundamental data structures, and the study of standard algorithms and typical applications. In addition, an understanding of the basic hardware and software components of computer systems and the responsible use of these systems are integral parts of the course.
Pre-Requisites: Algebra I and II recommended.
Credits: 1.0

Major Topics and Concepts

Segment 1:

Variables and Expressions
Strings and User Input
Condition Statements
Loops
Arrays: one and two-dimensional
Methods
Introduction to OOP and Classes
Simple Objects
Computer Systems and History

Segment 2

Technology and Society
Recursion
Inheritance & Polymorphism
Classes Revisited
Abstraction & Interfaces
Standard Algorithms to manipulate Arrays
Sorting Algorithms
Searching Algorithms
Program Analysis & Exceptions

English Language and Composition

Description

An AP course in English Language and Composition engages students in becoming skilled readers of prose written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts and in becoming skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Both their writing and their reading should make students aware of the interactions among a writer’s purposes, audience expectations, and subjects as well as the way generic conventions and the resources of language contribute to effectiveness in writing. The college composition course for which the AP English Language and Composition course substitutes is one of the most varied in the curriculum.

Pre-Requisites: Teacher recommendation, English I, II (honors), with a B+ average
Credits: 1.0
Estimated Completion Time: 2 segments / 32-36 weeks

Major Topics and Concepts

Module 1: Early Edition

AP Exam Overview
Plagiarism
MLA Documentation
Critical Reading
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible
Rhetorical Analysis
The AP Language Rhetorical Essay

Module 2: Revolutionary Edition

Multiple-Choice practice
Nonfiction: Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin
Rhetorical devices: structure, tone, and attitude
Composition: argument writing, logical fallacies, compound, and complex sentence structures

Module 3: Romantic Edition

Multiple-Choice Practice
Nonfiction: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Robert Louis Stevenson
Fiction: Great Expectations, chapter one
Rhetorical devices: diction, syntax, and figurative language
Composition: Argumentation, Rhetorical Analysis, periodic and loose sentence structure

Module 4: Civil War Edition

Multiple-Choice practice
Speech Analysis
Reading and synthesis
Nonfiction: Abraham Lincoln, African-American Spirituals
Major Work: Choice of Ray Bradbury’s Zen in the Art of Writing or William Zinsser’s On Writing Well
Composition: Elements of style, imagery and detail analysis, essay construction, language, periodic and balanced sentences

Semester 1 Exam: Comprehensive exam testing skills in reading, writing, and literary devices presented throughout the four modules in semester one.

Module 5: Realism Edition

Multiple-Choice Practice
Introduction to Satire and Irony
Nonfiction: Jonathan Swift “Modest Proposal”, Mark Twain “Advice to Youth”, William Lloyd Garrison “The Anti-Suffragist”
Political Cartoons
Short Stories: “The Revolt of Mother”
Rhetorical Composition: Style analysis, argumentation, chiasmus and anaphora

Module 6: Modern Edition

Multiple-Choice Practice
Nonfiction: John Steinbeck, President Kennedy “Civil Rights Address”
Poetry: Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Claude McKay
Major Work: excerpt from The Grapes of Wrath
Visual Literacy/Image Analysis
Composition: claim writing, argument, style analysis, commentary, synthesis essay, purposeful structure

Module 7: Contemporary Edition

Multiple-Choice Practice
Visual Literacy
Nonfiction: President John F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Major Work: choice of memoir from this list:

A Work in Progress by Connor Franta
The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave by Frederick Douglass
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism by Naoki Higashida

Composition: Style analysis, synthesis/research essay construction, argumentation, sentence variety

Module 8: Student Edition

In this module students will construct a nonfiction portfolio based on their choice of a book from this list:

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich
Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Eric Larson
Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
Up from Slavery: An Autobiography by Booker T. Washington
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Christina Lamb and Malala Yousafzai

Semester 2 Exam: Comprehensive exam testing skills in reading, writing, and literary devices presented throughout the four modules in semester two.

English Literature and Composition

Description

For a year, participate in an AP upscale dining experience in the AP Literature and Composition course. Students act as food critics of exquisite literary cuisine. Menu items include reading, analyzing, writing, rewriting, and discussing creations by the master chefs, renowned authors. With intensive concentration on composition skills and on authors’ narrative techniques, this dining experience equips students with recipes for success in college, in a career and the AP exam.

Pre-Requisites: Successful completion of English I, II, & III. Student will be exposed to college-level composition and literature.
Credits: 1.0
Estimated Completion Time: 2 segments/32-36 weeks

Major Topics and Concepts

Segment 1

Composition—analysis essay—comparison/ contrast or symbolism
Identification/ explanation of literary terms
Research—mythological and Biblical allusions
Identification of authors
Plagiarism
AP Exam expectations
Identification of poetic terms
Composition—AP® essay (diagnostic)
Heroism
Poetry Analysis—characterization
Comparison/ contrast—poetry and novel—imagery, alliteration
Poetry Analysis—theme, tone, mood, allusion, metaphor, allegory
Short Story Analysis—irony
Epic Poetry
Composition—resumes, analysis, comparison/ contrast, AP® essay, style emulation
Poetry Analysis—imagery, symbolism
Research Process
Short Story Analysis—diction, imagery, tone, mood, suspense
Short Story Analysis—plot, theme, setting, characterization, point of view
Characteristics of Romanticism
Concept of Bibliotherapy
Listening skills
Composition—college essay, analysis, letter to editor, AP® essay
Poetry Analysis—lyric poetry, odes, elegies, sonnets, iambic pentameter
Metaphysical poetry
Poetry Analysis—paradox, repetition, imagery, allusion
Short Story Analysis—comparison/ contrast, characterization, setting, theme, tone, mood, plot, point of view
Characteristics of Romanticism
Composition—AP® essay, literary analysis, creative writing, poetry rebuttal, persuasive letter writing, art connection
Novel analysis—theme, motif, setting, structure, social and psychological issues
Peer Editing

Segment 2

Definition of family, “family values”
Poetry analysis—mood, tone, imagery, repetition, metaphor, simile, allusion, song lyrics
Novel analysis—social issues, theme, point of view
Research Skills
Composition—analysis of tone, definition, comparison/contrast, reader’s journal, personal reflective response, poetic response
Drama—Shakespeare—language, theme, syntax, characterization, soliloquy, tragedy, text and film, quotation analysis
Evaluation of Oral Presentation
Soliloquy recitation
Poetry analysis–odes
Composition—description, literary analysis, creative response, AP® essay
Poetry analysis—irony, imagery, personification, figurative language, rhyme, rhythm, repetition, alliteration, comparison/ contrast
Satire, elements of satire
Drama—comedy and farce, comedic devices
Composition—literary analysis, poetry analysis, AP® essay
Theme
Composition—Poetry Analysis—poetic elements—TOASTTT
Major Work: Students select novel or play for project
Composition—MLA Works Cited Page

Environmental Science

Description

AP Environmental Science provides students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world. Students identify and analyze environmental problems that are natural and human-made. They evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems and examine alternative solutions for resolving or preventing problems. Laboratories support student content mastery in both hands-on and virtual experiences.

Pre-Requisites: Algebra I and two-years of high-school Science, with labs
Credits: 1.0
Estimated Completion Time: 2 Segments/ 32-36 weeks

Major Topics and Concepts

Segment 1:

Strategies for sustainability
Sustainable land and resource use
Agricultural Revolution
Industrial Revolution
Tragedy of the Commons
Public land use
Science as a process
Scientific method
Economic impacts of environmental problems
Cost-benefit analysis
External and marginal costs
Laws, treaties, and organizations relevant to sustainability
Biological populations and communities
Interactions among species
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration
First and second laws of thermodynamics
Food chains and food webs
Trophic levels and ecological pyramids
Natural biogeochemical cycles
Evolution and natural selection
Primary and secondary succession
Ecological niches
Biodiversity and loss of biodiversity
Extinctions
Endangered and threatened species
Weather and climates
Seasons
Solar intensities and latitudes
Major terrestrial and aquatic biomes
Ocean circulation and currents
Earth’s layers
Plate tectonics
Rock cycle
Mineral formation and extraction
Global mining reserves
Forests and forest management
Human population distribution and movement
Historical population sizes
Fertility rates
Demographic transition
Age-structure diagrams
Controlling human population growth: Case studies
Urbanization
Energy resources and consumption
Fossil fuels
Nuclear energy
Hydroelectric energy
Renewable and alternative energy resources
Energy conservation
Sustainable energy policies

Segment 2:

Composition of Earth’s atmosphere
Stratospheric Ozone
Primary and secondary air pollution
Thermal inversions
Indoor air pollution
Acid deposition
Greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect
Climate change
Ozone loss
Clean Air Act
Soil formation and composition
Physical and chemical properties of different soil types
Erosion, deforestation, and desertification
Soil conservation
Types of agriculture
Irrigation
Green Revolution
Sustainable agriculture
Fish farming and ranching
Food production and distribution
Human nutritional requirements
Agricultural subsidies and international food relief
Pesticides and pesticide use
Alternative pest management strategies
Physical properties of water
Water use and resources
Groundwater and watersheds
Water supply and quality problems
Water pollution types and prevention
Water quality indicators
Wastewater treatment and water purification
Water quality legislation
Risk and risk assessment
Risk-benefit analysis
Transmissible and non-transmissible diseases
Smoking
Diet and human health
Medicine and population growth
Toxicology
Dose-response relationships
Solid and hazardous waste
Cleanup of contaminated sites
Waste disposal and reduction
Landfills
Recycling, reusing and composting
Carbon footprints
Global change and sustainability

Human Geography

Description

The AP® Human Geography course is designed to provide college-level instruction on the patterns and processes that impact the way humans understand, use, and change Earth’s surface. Students use geographic models, methods, and tools to examine human social organization and its effect on the world in which we live. Students are challenged to use maps and geographical data to examine spatial patterns and analyze the changing interconnections among people and places.

Access the link below to view the PDF of the course description from the Florida Course Code directory: http://www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewCourse/Preview/4509
Access the link below to view the PDF of the course description from the College Board: https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/ap/ap-human-geography-course-description.pdf

Major Topics and Concepts

Segment 1:

Human Geography as a field of study
Evolution of geography
Key Questions geographers seek to answer
Cartography including history, tools and evolution of field of study
Types of maps
Geographical technologies including GIS and GPS
Sources of geographical data
Toponymy
Interpreting maps
Map bias
Five themes of geography
Absolute and relative location
Spatial perspective
Physical and human characteristics of place
Types of regions
Population distribution, density and scale
Analyze population trends
Population pyramids
Population growth theory
Demographic transition model
Population policy
Impact of population growth
Population and natural disasters
Migration: Push and pull factors
Newton’s gravity model
Internal and global migration patterns
Involuntary and voluntary migration
Impacts of migration on home and host country
Cultural diffusion, acculturation, assimilation and globalization
Cultural differences in language, religion, ethnicity, gender
Pop and folk culture
Cultural landscape and identity
Scales and Interpretation of Data
Epidemiological Theory
Demographics with Push/Pull Factors

Segment 2:

Nationality and nationalism
Nation-state concept
Territorial morphology
Boundaries: Identify, interaction and exchange
Federal and Unitary States
Electoral geography
Imperialism and colonialism
International alliances
Devolution
Political conflict and terrorism
Agriculture revolutions
Agriculture and place
Commercial agriculture
Scientific agriculture
Economics of agriculture
Major agricultural regions
Linkages and flows among agricultural regions
Rural land use models
Rural settlement patterns
Environmental impacts of agriculture; deforestation, desertification
Green revolution
Bioagriculture
Economic indicators of development
Development models
Industrial Revolution
Deindustrialization
Industrial growth and diffusion
Industrial location models
Industrial regionalism, economic development and world systems
Environmental impact of industrialization
Natural resources and environmental concerns
Women in development; agribusiness
Sustainable development
Globalization of industry; trade
Commodity chains
Industrial interdependence; transnational corporations
Millennium development goals
Development of cities; origin, growth; suburbanization; megacities;edge;galactic
Urban development models
Internal city models
Urban planning and design
Urban housing
Urban transportation and infrastructure
Changing demographics
Urban social structure patterns
Ecotourism
Rural Settlement Patterns
Transnational Environmental Challenges

Macroeconomics

Description

ou have been called upon to assist the leader of the Macro Islands who is running for reelection next year. The economy is in shambles, and you need to come up with some feasible solutions. This will not only help the people of the Macro Islands but will also ensure a victory for your employer. You were hired over the Internet and received a first class ticket to the Macro Islands where you can learn first hand about the situation. You arrive at Pineapple Airport in the middle of the day and are met by a man with a briefcase who is holding a sign with your name on it. You approach the man and introduce yourself. “I’m Mr. Scarcity,” he says. “I’ll be your guide as you learn about the economic situation of the islands. You need to learn everything you can about both macroeconomics and our Macro Islands for your presentation to our island leader in May.” (Your AP Exam.)

Pre-Requisites: None. Students will be exposed to a college-level learning experience.
Credits: 0.5
Estimated Completion Time: 1 segment / 16-18 weeks

Major Topics and Concepts

Segment 1:

Overview of Advanced Placement
Economic Basics
Scarcity and Opportunity Costs
Production Possibilities Curves
Absolute and Comparative Advantage
Demand
Supply
Equilibrium
Government Impact
Circular Flow
GDP
Other Measures of National Income
Inflation and Price Indices
Business Cycle
Unemployment
Classical Economics
Aggregate Supply
Aggregate Demand
Propensities and Multipliers
Equilibrium
Economic Growth
The AE Model
Understanding the AD/AS Model
Comparative Advantage and International Trade
Balance of Payments
Exchange Rates
Graphing Foreign Exchange
International Value of Currency
Trade Barriers
Understanding International Trade and Finance
The Money Supply
Loanable Funds Market
Equation of Exchange
Money Creation
Fiscal Policy
Automatic Stabilizers
Debt vs. Deficit Interview
Fiscal Policy and Interest Rates
The Federal Reserve System
Monetary Policy
Interest Rates and the Impact on Financial Capital
Phillips Curve
Modern Theories
Understanding Policies
Guided Review

Microeconomics

Description

Students must take the Advanced Placement Exam in order to receive Advanced Placement credit. Students who do not take the AP® Exam will be awarded Honors level credit. You traveled to the Macro Islands to assist the leader in winning re-election. You came for a job, but you realized as you were working that you loved the islands and wanted to make your home there. Because you are adept at giving economic advice to the leader, you have been appointed as the new President of the Sunny Seas Shell Company. As part of your role in assuming the leadership duties of the company, you will need to brush up on microeconomics. The Board of Directors has appointed Ms. Equilibrium to act as your personal assistant and advisor as you transition into your new role. You will be learning all you can about microeconomics and will be required to exhibit your knowledge in May at the annual Board of Directors’ meeting (the AP Exam).

Pre-Requisites: None. Students will be exposed to a college-level learning experience.
Credits: 0.5
Estimated Completion Time: 1 segment / 16-18 weeks

Major Topics and Concepts

Economic Basics
Production Possibilities Frontier
Types of Economic Systems
Economic Reasoning Activity
Absolute vs. Comparative Advantage
Understanding Economic Basics
Equilibrium
Shifts in Supply and Demand
Models of Consumer Demand
Excise Tax
Production Costs
Production Curve Graph
Perfect Competition
Short and Long Run
Consumer and Producer Surplus
Monopolies
Monopolistic Competition
Oligopoly
Market Structure
Circular Flow
Marginal Productivity Theory
Determinants of Demand and Resources
Wages
Outsourcing
Private vs. Public Goods
Externalities
Economic Situations: Environment and Government
Introduction to Taxes
Income Distribution
Guided Review

Psychology

Description

AP Psychology is a college-level course providing students with an overview of the development of human behaviors and thoughts. Along with preparation for the AP Psychology exam, the goals of this course are to immerse students in modern psychological investigation techniques, to accentuate the ethics and morality of human and animal research, and to emphasize scientific critical thinking skills in application to the social sciences. Psychology is a diverse social and biological science with multiple perspectives and interpretations. The primary emphasis of this course is to help students develop an understanding of concepts rather than memorize terms and technical details; the ultimate goal is to prepare students to successfully take the AP Psychology examination offered in May.

Pre-Requisites: None
Credits: 1.0

Major Topics and Concepts

Segment 1

The history of psychology
Major historical figures in psychology
Research methods of psychology
Biological bases of behavior
Influence of drugs on the brain
Sensation and perception
States of consciousness
Types of learning: classical conditioning, operant conditioning and observational learning
Compare and contrast cognitive processes

SEGMENT 2

Memory
Compare and contrast motivational theories
Compare and contrast theories of emotion
Developmental psychology
Nature vs. nurture
Compare and contrast theories of personality
Intelligence and testing intelligence
Abnormal behavior/Psychological disorders
Major contributors to the different fields of psychology

Statistics

Description

Advanced Placement Statistics will introduce students to exploring data, sampling and experimentation by planning and conducting studies, anticipating patterns using probability and simulation, and employing statistical inference in order to analyze data and draw conclusions.

http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/ap-statistics-course-description.pdf

Major Topics and Concepts

SEGMENT 1

Module 1: Exploring Data

Classifying Variables
Describing Data
Displaying Data
Measuring Position
Normal Distribution

Module 2: Exploring Relationships

Scatterplots and Correlation
Least-Squares Regression
Transformations

Module 3: Collecting Data

Sampling and Surveys
Experiments
Correlation Versus Causation

Module 4: Probability and Random Variables

Randomness and Simulations
Probability
Random Variables
Binomial Random Variables
Geometric Random Variables

SEGMENT 2

Module 5: Sampling Distributions and Confidence Intervals

Sampling Distributions and Proportions
Sample Means
Confidence Intervals for Proportions
Confidence Intervals for Means

Module 6: Proportions

Hypothesis Testing—One Proportion
Errors, Power, and Significance
Confidence Intervals—Two Proportions
Hypothesis Testing—Two Proportions

Module 7: Means and Slope

Hypothesis Testing—One-Sample Mean
Comparing Two Means
Matched Pairs
Linear Regression and Interval for Slope

Module 8: Chi-Square and Summary

Chi-Square Goodness-of-Fit Test
Chi-Square Tests of Inference
Exploring Data and Sampling and Experimentation Review
Anticipating Patterns and Statistical Inference Review

U.S. Government and Politics

Description

Within AP U.S. Government and Politics, students develop and use disciplinary practices and reasoning processes to explore political concepts, policies, interactions, roles, and behaviors that characterize the constitutional system and political culture of the United States. Students examine core principles, theories, and processes through direct study of U.S. foundational documents and Supreme Court opinions. They also participate in a civic project in which they research, study, and compile data on a political science topic and create a presentation that exhibits their findings and experiences. The AP U.S. Government and Politics course is structured around five big ideas outlined within the College Board Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics Course Framework. Each big idea is aligned to enduring understanding statements and learning objectives that focus on key concepts and essential knowledge about foundations of American democracy, civil liberties and civil rights, interactions among branches of government, American political participation, ideologies, and beliefs.

Pre-Requisites: U.S. History recommended
Credits: 0.5
Estimated Completion Time: 16-18 weeks

Major Topics and Concepts

Divided by module and segment level.

Module 1 – Constitutional Democracy

Founding documents, Supreme Court cases
Why Government?
Founding Principles
The Constitution
Federalists and Anti-Federalists
Separation of Powers
Federalism
The Power Debate Today

Module 2 – Civil Liberties, Civil Rights

Founding Documents, Supreme Court cases
The Bill of Rights
The First Amendment
Security v. Speech
Liberty v. Safety
The Accused
Due Process
Equal Protection
And Justice for All

Module 3 – Interaction Among Branches

Supreme Court cases
Congress
Congressional Behavior
The Presidency
Executive Power
The Supreme Court
The Bureaucracy
Checks, Balances, and Accountability

Module 4 – Political Culture and Participation

Supreme Court cases
Political Socialization
Ideology
Public Opinion
The Media
The Parties
Interest Groups
The Voters
Elections
Campaigns

AP Practice Exam

US History

Description

AP United States History focuses on developing students’ abilities to think conceptually about U.S. history from approximately 1491 to the present and apply historical thinking skills as they learn about the past. Seven themes of equal importance —American and national identity; politics and power; work, exchange, and technology; culture and society; migration and settlement; geography and the environment; America in the World— provide areas of historical inquiry for investigation throughout the course. These require students to reason historically about continuity and change over time and make comparisons among various historical developments in different times and places.

Pre-Requisites: None required, but strong reading and writing skills are recommended.
Credits: 1.0
Estimated Completion Time: 18 weeks per segment

Major Topics and Concepts

The AP U.S. history course is structured around themes and concepts in nine different chronological periods:

Period 1: 1491-1607
Period 2: 1607-1754
Period 3: 1754-1800
Period 4: 1800-1848
Period 5: 1844-1877
Period 6: 1865-1898
Period 7: 1890-1945
Period 8: 1945-1980
Period 9: 1980-Present

The historical thinking skills provide opportunities for students to learn to think like historians, most notably to analyze evidence about the past and to create persuasive historical arguments. Focusing on these practices enables teachers to create learning opportunities for students that emphasize the conceptual and interpretive nature of history rather than simply memorization of events in the past. Skill types are listed below:

Chronological Reasoning
Comparison and Contextualization
Crafting Historical Arguments from Historical Evidence
Historical Interpretation and Synthesis

Module One: Quest for the Americas

1491-1607

North, Central, South American native tribes (corn and government structure)
Columbus then Spanish and Portuguese colonization (Columbian exchange, encomienda, Christianity)
New cultures of Central America and Caribbean
Influx of African slavery

1607-1754

Map of Spanish, Dutch, French, and British colonization in N. America
British slave system and indentured servants
Compare and contrast of British colonies—NE, Middle, Chesapeake and NC, and Southern Atlantic including British isles and West Indies
Growing conflict between settlers and native populations
“Atlantic World”—mercantilism, Anglicization, early Enlightenment spread

Module Two: Colonies at War

1754-1800

Native American conflicts with colonies
Seven Years’ War
Revolution
Articles of Confederation
Constitution
Washington’s Presidency

Module Three: A New Republic

1800-1848

Domestic policy and trade
International policy and trade (1812)
Migration to U.S. as well as within
Manifest Destiny
Nullification and political issues, sectionalism
Market Revolution

Module Four: American Civil War

1844-1877

Effects of Manifest Destiny
Abolition—women, social
Compromises—1850, Kansas-Nebraska, Dred Scott
Election of 1860—sectionalism, secession
Civil War
Reconstruction—political
Reconstruction—social

Module 5: A Growing Nation

1865-1898

Industrialization and big business—2nd Industrial Revolution
Urbanization—early reform, political machine
Western migration
Native Americans
Gilded Age—social
Gilded Age—political

Module 6: Imperialism & Progressivism

1890-1932

Effects of industrialization—Progressives
Imperialism
World War I
Post-war 1920s

Module 7: The World at War

1932-1945

End of the boom and depression
FDR and New Deal
End of neutrality
World War II—domestic and foreign
Effects of World War II

Module 8: Cold War

1945-1980

Cold War origins
Political and military involvement—Korea, Vietnam, Middle East, Latin America
Great Society
Civil Rights Movements
Changing migration—Immigration Act of 1965
Liberal and Conservative society and their effects on politics

Module 9: A Brave New World

1980-Present

Failures of the 1970s led to change in 1980s—political, social, economic
Reagan’s presidency and the fall of Communism
Global marketplace
War on Terror
Social changes—internet, demographics
Testing lesson—practice exam