Upper School Curriculum

Grades: 11, 12
Full-Year

PREREQ: Physics and A- or better in Honors Chemistry; departmental approval

This Advanced course is an in-depth exploration of topics and experimental techniques introduced in a standard first-year college chemistry curriculum. ADV Chemistry includes a more sophisticated treatment of many of the topics studied in Honors Chemistry, as well as additional topics such as thermodynamics, quantitative kinetics, and acid/base chemistry. Laboratory experiments and research projects will enable students to apply their conceptual understanding to real-world problems and allow them to draw connections to areas such as environmental science, forensics, and material science. These activities will involve professional scientific practices, including reading primary literature, developing scientific questions and designing experiments to obtain answers, and collaborating in teams to formulate, test, and revise hypotheses. Students will practice communicating findings through both formal scientific writing and oral presentations, as well as effectively communicating results to general (non-scientific) audiences.