Typical AP Progressions by Department (Core Subjects Only)
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Alphabetical List of Courses Offered and Descriptions
*for more detailed information about Chiles pre-requisites, speak to your current teacher or one of the AP teachers of the subject of interest.
Art History
ABOUT THIS COURSE: the AP Art History course explores such topics as the nature of art, its uses, its meanings, art making, and responses to art. Through investigation of diverse artistic traditions of cultures from prehistory to the present, the course fosters in-depth and holistic understanding of the history of art from a global perspective. Students learn and apply skills of visual, contextual, and comparative analysis to engage with a variety of art forms, constructing understanding of individual works and interconnections of art-making processes and products throughout history.
COLLEGE COURSE EQUIVALENT: AP Art History is designed to be the equivalent of a two-semester introductory college or university art history survey course.
PREREQUISITES: There are no prerequisites for AP Art History. Students who have been successful in humanities courses, such as history and literature, or in studio art courses are especially encouraged to enroll since those experiences will likely support and enrich the context of the art history course.
Art Portfolio
AP Studio Art is an advanced, art production based course which requires teacher approval based on portfolio submission. The course can serve both the college-bound student and career-oriented student whose goal is the development of proficiency in concept, composition, and execution of their artistic expression.
All AP Studio Art exams are based upon the development of a portfolio which is submitted for evaluation at the end of the school year. Students will create art in three sections of the AP portfolio – Quality, Concentration, and Breadth. The student is required to produce a minimum of 18-24 works of art. This course contains advanced content and is accelerated in pace with requirements for research and dedication to art making out of class.
Three different exams are offered in Advanced Placement Art area: Drawing, 2D and 3D
· AP Drawing is focused on the mark making process and includes diverse materials and media, including digital drawings.
· AP 2D is focused on the elements and approaches to formal aspects of design, color theory, graphic design, photography, etc.
· AP 3D deals with spatial design and formal aspects of surface, form, mass, and creating using diverse media.
AP Studio Art will allow the student to reflect on his/her main field of study, document progress in a sketchbook/journal, refine skills and techniques, take part in individual and group critiques, and create artwork centering on a personal style and theme.
Goals
• To encourage creative as well as systematic investigation of formal and conceptual issues in the Quality, Concentration, and Breadth sections of the portfolio.
• To emphasize making art as an on-going process that involves the student in informed and critical decision making to develop ideation.
• To develop technical versatility and skills while using the visual elements and principles in compositional forms.
• To encourage students to become independent thinkers who will contribute inventively and critically to their culture through the making of art.
• To develop career relative responsibilities as an artist, inclusive of communication, use of technology and file management, preparations for art displays, and self-promotion in partnership with galleries and museums
For more course information, http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/ap-studio-arts-course-description.pdf
Biology
AP Biology is designed to be the equivalent of a two semester college introductory biology course usually taken by biology majors during their first year. Students cultivate their understanding of biology through inquiry-based investigations as they explore the following topics: evolution, cellular processes — energy and communication, genetics, information transfer, ecology, and interactions.
Calculus AB
Calculus is the mathematics of change. It is where all mathematical topics come together. For that reason, it is for those who are strong students of mathematics. First semester concentrates on differential calculus, which deals with rates of change or slopes. Second semester is a study of integral calculus which handles total changes or areas. There is a required summer assignment. Also, each student must have a graphing calculator.
Calculus BC
Calculus BC covers the same curriculum as Calculus AB plus additional topics. Typically the Calculus AB topics are taught in the first semester and the additional topics are covered in second semester. Included in the additional topics are applications of integral calculus. Because of the additional topics the pace is quicker and more demanding. Students may take this course after Calculus AB or, with a teacher recommendation, after Precalculus BC. Any juniors taking Calculus BC can expect to dual enroll at FSU senior year, providing they make at least a 4 on the AP exam. A graphing calculator is required for this course.
Chemistry
The AP Chemistry course provides students with a college-level foundation to support future advanced coursework in chemistry. Students cultivate their understanding of chemistry through inquiry-based investigations, as they explore content such as: atomic structure, intermolecular forces and bonding, chemical reactions, kinetics, thermodynamics, and equilibrium.
Prerequisites: Students should have successfully completed a general high school chemistry course and Algebra II.
English Language & Composition
The central focus of AP Lang is the argument (and the close analysis of the words and strategies intended to persuade). As we study shorter works of nonfiction, students will grow increasingly aware of how authors from different periods and disciplines suit their rhetorical choices to particular aims. By modeling such authors, students will develop flexibility and maturity in their own writing. Extensive vocabulary study, essay writing, and close reading are the main elements of study in AP Lang.
English Literature & Composition
AP Lit (12th grade) builds on the analytical and writing skills students develop in AP Language and Composition (11th grade). It requires careful reading and critical analysis and discussion of imaginative literature. Students will deepen their understanding of the writer’s use of language as it relates to structure, style, theme, and figurative language. This course will include an intensive study of representative works from various genres and historical periods. Authors common to the AP Lit curriculum: William Shakespeare, John Donne, Voltaire, Mary Shelley, Emily Dickinson, Henrik Ibsen, William Faulkner, Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison, and Barbara Kingsolver.
Environmental Science
The Course
The goal of the AP Environmental Science course is to provide students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world, to identify and analyze environmental problems both natural and human-made, to evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems, and to examine alternative solutions for resolving or preventing them.
Prerequisites
The AP Environmental Science course is an excellent option for any interested student who has completed two years of high school laboratory science — one year of life science and one year of physical science (for example, a year of biology and a year of chemistry). Due to the quantitative analysis that is required in the course, students should also have taken at least one year of algebra. Also desirable (but not necessary) is a course in earth science. Because of the prerequisites, AP Environmental Science will usually be taken in either the junior or senior year.
The AP Environmental Science course is designed to be the equivalent of a one-semester, introductory college course in environmental science. Unlike most
other introductory-level college science courses, environmental science is offered from a wide variety of departments, including geology, biology, environmental studies, environmental science, chemistry, and geography.
Depending on the department offering the course, different emphases are placed on various topics. Some courses are rigorous science courses that stress scientific principles and analysis and that often include a laboratory component; other courses emphasize the study of environmental issues from a sociological or political perspective rather than a scientific one. The AP Environmental Science course has been developed to be most like the former; as
such, it is intended to enable students to undertake, as first-year college students, a more advanced study of topics in environmental science or, alternatively, to fulfill a basic requirement for a laboratory science and thus free time for taking other courses.
What makes this course interesting?
· Learn about the natural world through hands-on, laboratory investigations and observations
· Use field work to study both human-made and natural environmental problems in your local ecosystem
Sample Activities
· Collect water-quality data from local rivers and creeks to analyze overall health of the aquatic ecosystem; determine if any human activities are negatively impacting the system and how those impacts can be remediated
· Use government-based data sets, such as census, NASA, and USGS data, to study the environmental, social, and economic impact of natural and/or human-made disasters (such as Chernobyl and hurricanes Sandy and Katrina).
European History
AP European History focuses on developing students’ abilities to think conceptually about European history from approximately 1450 to the present and apply historical thinking skills as they learn about the past. Five themes of equal importance—Interaction of Europe and the World, Poverty and Prosperity, Objective Knowledge and Subjective Visions, States and Other Institutions of Power, and Individual and Society—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.
French Language
The AP French Language and Culture course emphasizes communication (understanding and being understood by others) by applying interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational skills in real-life situations. This includes vocabulary usage, language control, communication strategies, and cultural awareness. The AP French Language and Culture course strives not to overemphasize grammatical accuracy at the expense of communication. To best facilitate the study of language and culture, the course is taught almost exclusively in French. The AP French Language and Culture course engages students in an exploration of culture in both contemporary and historical contexts. The course develops students’ awareness and appreciation of cultural products (e.g., tools, books, music, laws, conventions, institutions); practices (patterns of social interactions within a culture); and perspectives (values, attitudes, and assumptions).
Human Geography
AP Human Geography reflects a growing interest in the spatial interaction of the people on earth. This new view of Geography involves viewing the world from a truly global perspective. The students will study trends and changes across geographic regions, looking for common themes and patterns. As a result, this course is less about memorization of names, dates and events and more about analysis, critical thinking and evaluation. Students will be expected to draw from the text, lecture notes and outside readings (primary and secondary sources) to formulate well-written, cogent essays. We will focus on seven themes throughout the year:
AP Human Geography offers students the opportunity to earn both high school and college credit at the same time. This course fulfills the Florida graduation requirement for a Social Studies’ elective. Students will take the AP exam in May. Many colleges and universities around the world award credit and/or advanced placement for qualifying scores (typically 3 or higher on a 5 point scale). Because this course entails substantially more work than a standard high school class, and because students are expected to read, write, and analyze documents at a much higher level than their peers, this course is weighted with an additional full honors credit point.
Latin
The AP Latin course focuses on the in-depth study of selections from two of the greatest works in Latin literature: Vergil’s Aeneid and Caesar’s Gallic War. The course requires students to prepare and translate the readings and place these texts in a meaningful context, which helps develop critical, historical, and literary sensitivities. Throughout the course, students consider themes in the context of ancient literature and bring these works to life through classroom discussions, debates, and presentations. Additional English readings from both of these works help place the Latin readings in a significant context
Macroeconomics
AP Macroeconomics is a college-level course that introduces students to the principles that apply to an economic system as a whole. The course places particular emphasis on the study of national income and price-level determination. It also develops students’ familiarity with economic performance measures, the financial sector, stabilization policies, economic growth, and international economics. Students learn to use graphs, charts, and data to analyze, describe, and explain economic concepts.
Music Theory
The AP Music Theory course corresponds to one-to-two semesters of typical, introductory college music theory coursework that covers topics such as musicianship, theory, and musical materials and procedures. Musicianship skills, including dictation and listening skills, sightsinging, and harmony, are an important part of the course. Through the course, students develop the ability to recognize, understand, and describe basic materials and processes of tonal music that are heard or presented in a score. Development of aural (listening) skills is a primary objective. Performance is also part of the curriculum through the practice of sight-singing. Students learn basic concepts and terminology by listening to and performing a wide variety of music. Notational skills, speed, and fluency with basic materials are emphasized.
Physics 1: Algebra-Based
AP Physics 1 is an algebra-based, introductory college-level physics course. Students cultivate their understanding of physics through inquiry-based investigations as they explore these topics: kinematics, dynamics, circular motion and gravitation, energy, momentum, simple harmonic motion, torque and rotational motion, electric charge and electric force, DC circuits, and mechanical waves and sound.
Physics 2: Algebra-Based
AP Physics 2 is an algebra-based, introductory college-level physics course. Students cultivate their understanding of physics through inquiry-based investigations as they explore these topics: fluids; thermodynamics; electrical force, field, and potential; electric circuits; magnetism and electromagnetic induction; geometric and physical optics; and quantum, atomic, and nuclear physics.
Prerequisites: Students should have completed AP Physics 1 or a comparable introductory physics course and should have taken or be concurrently taking pre-calculus or an equivalent course.
Physics C - Electricity and Magnetism
AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism is a calculus-based, college-level physics course, especially appropriate for students planning to specialize or major in physical science or engineering. The course explores topics such as electrostatics; conductors, capacitors, and dielectrics; electric circuits; magnetic fields; and electromagnetism. Introductory differential and integral calculus is used throughout the course.
Prerequisites: Students should have taken or be concurrently taking calculus.
Physics C - Mechanics
AP Physics C: Mechanics is a calculus-based, college-level physics course. It covers kinematics; Newton’s laws of motion; work, energy, and power; systems of particles and linear momentum; circular motion and rotation; oscillations; and gravitation.
Prerequisites: Students should have taken or be concurrently taking calculus.
Pre Calculus
AP Precalculus fosters the development of a deep conceptual understanding of functions. In this course, students study a broad spectrum of function types that are foundational for careers in mathematics, physics, biology, health science, business, social science, and data science. The course is designed to be the equivalent of a first semester college precalculus course. It provides students with an understanding of concepts in college algebra, trigonometry, and additional topics in further college-level mathematics courses.
Psychology
The AP Psychology course introduces students to the systematic and scientific study of human behavior and mental processes. While considering the psychologists and studies that have shaped the field, students explore and apply psychological theories, key concepts, and phenomena associated with such topics as the biological bases of behavior, sensation and perception, learning and cognition, motivation, developmental psychology, testing and individual differences, treatments of psychological disorders, and social psychology. Throughout the course, students employ psychological research methods, including ethical considerations, as they use the scientific method, evaluate claims and evidence, and effectively communicate ideas.
Spanish Language
The AP Spanish Language and Culture course is a rigorous course taught exclusively in Spanish that requires students to improve their proficiency across the three modes of communication: Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational. The course focuses on the integration of authentic resources including online print, audio, and audiovisual resources as well as traditional print resources which include literature, essays, and magazine and newspaper articles with the goal of providing a diverse learning experience. Students communicate using advanced vocabulary and linguistic structures as they build proficiency in all modes of communication toward the pre-advanced level.
The course is divided into six thematic units which are further based on recommended contexts and guided by essential questions. In no particular order, here are the six major themes of the course:
§ Global Challenges
§ Science and Technology
§ Contemporary Life
§ Personal and Public Identities
§ Families and Communities
§ Beauty and Aesthetics
Thematic vocabulary and corresponding cultural elements are integrated into the study of the units, and activities are directed with those cultural connections in mind. Discussion of the topics completely in Spanish is a requirement for this course. It is assumed that students have previously been
exposed to advanced language structures in the courses leading up to the AP Spanish Language and Culture course; however, review of the mechanics is done within the contextual framework of each unit as needed.
Spanish Literature
AP Spanish Literature and Culture is a course which covers the six AP Spanish Literature themes and the entire reading list outlined within the AP Spanish Literature Curriculum Framework. The course is conducted entirely in Spanish and covers Spanish and Latin American authors, and their works, from the medieval period to the present day. The works are presented in chronological order with the aim of integrating the historical themes and literary movements of the different time periods and highlighting the schools of literature to which each piece belongs as well as the author’s style and the characteristics of each selection.
Students will explore the interdisciplinary connections between literary works and other artistic forms of expression such as music, painting, architecture and film. This course prepares students to read and critically analyze representative works of Spanish literature in all genres. Students will focus on the terminology of textual analysis, learn to identify the different elements of style, and interpret texts in correct oral and written Spanish. Discussion of the topics completely in Spanish is a requirement for this course.
Statistics
The purpose of the AP course in statistics is to introduce students to the major concepts and tools for collecting, analyzing and drawing conclusions from data.
Students are exposed to four broad conceptual themes:
1.Exploring Data: Describing patterns and departures from patterns
2.Sampling and Experimentation: Planning and conducting a study
3.Anticipating Patterns: Exploring random phenomena using probability and simulation
4.Statistical Inference: Estimating population parameters and testing hypotheses
U.S. Government & Politics
AP U.S. Government and Politics provides a college-level, nonpartisan introduction to key political concepts, ideas, institutions, policies, interactions, roles, and behaviors that characterize the constitutional system and political culture of the United States. Students will study U.S. foundational documents, Supreme Court decisions, and other texts and visuals to gain an understanding of the relationships and interactions among political institutions, processes, and behaviors. They will also engage in disciplinary practices that require them to read and interpret data, make comparisons and applications, and develop evidence-based arguments. In addition, they will complete a political science research or applied civics project.
U.S. History
AP US History is designed to meet two objectives: one, to offer the students a challenging, college-level history course; and two, to offer the students an opportunity to prepare for the AP US History exam that will allow them to gain college credit for a college-level history course. In addition to lecture and textbook work, we will examine various primary and secondary sources, work on timed document-based question and free response question essays, and practice multiple choice AP test taking.
World History
In AP World History: Modern, students investigate significant events, individuals, developments, and processes from 1200 to the present. Students develop and use the same skills, practices, and methods employed by historians: analyzing primary and secondary sources; developing historical arguments; making historical connections; and utilizing reasoning about comparison, causation, and continuity and change over time. The course provides six themes that students explore throughout the course in order to make connections among historical developments in different times and places: humans and the environment, cultural developments and interactions, governance, economic systems, social interactions and organization, and technology and innovation.
*for more detailed information about Chiles pre-requisites, speak to your current teacher or one of the AP teachers of the subject of interest.
Art History
ABOUT THIS COURSE: the AP Art History course explores such topics as the nature of art, its uses, its meanings, art making, and responses to art. Through investigation of diverse artistic traditions of cultures from prehistory to the present, the course fosters in-depth and holistic understanding of the history of art from a global perspective. Students learn and apply skills of visual, contextual, and comparative analysis to engage with a variety of art forms, constructing understanding of individual works and interconnections of art-making processes and products throughout history.
COLLEGE COURSE EQUIVALENT: AP Art History is designed to be the equivalent of a two-semester introductory college or university art history survey course.
PREREQUISITES: There are no prerequisites for AP Art History. Students who have been successful in humanities courses, such as history and literature, or in studio art courses are especially encouraged to enroll since those experiences will likely support and enrich the context of the art history course.
Art Portfolio
AP Studio Art is an advanced, art production based course which requires teacher approval based on portfolio submission. The course can serve both the college-bound student and career-oriented student whose goal is the development of proficiency in concept, composition, and execution of their artistic expression.
All AP Studio Art exams are based upon the development of a portfolio which is submitted for evaluation at the end of the school year. Students will create art in three sections of the AP portfolio – Quality, Concentration, and Breadth. The student is required to produce a minimum of 18-24 works of art. This course contains advanced content and is accelerated in pace with requirements for research and dedication to art making out of class.
Three different exams are offered in Advanced Placement Art area: Drawing, 2D and 3D
· AP Drawing is focused on the mark making process and includes diverse materials and media, including digital drawings.
· AP 2D is focused on the elements and approaches to formal aspects of design, color theory, graphic design, photography, etc.
· AP 3D deals with spatial design and formal aspects of surface, form, mass, and creating using diverse media.
AP Studio Art will allow the student to reflect on his/her main field of study, document progress in a sketchbook/journal, refine skills and techniques, take part in individual and group critiques, and create artwork centering on a personal style and theme.
Goals
• To encourage creative as well as systematic investigation of formal and conceptual issues in the Quality, Concentration, and Breadth sections of the portfolio.
• To emphasize making art as an on-going process that involves the student in informed and critical decision making to develop ideation.
• To develop technical versatility and skills while using the visual elements and principles in compositional forms.
• To encourage students to become independent thinkers who will contribute inventively and critically to their culture through the making of art.
• To develop career relative responsibilities as an artist, inclusive of communication, use of technology and file management, preparations for art displays, and self-promotion in partnership with galleries and museums
For more course information, http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/ap-studio-arts-course-description.pdf
Biology
AP Biology is designed to be the equivalent of a two semester college introductory biology course usually taken by biology majors during their first year. Students cultivate their understanding of biology through inquiry-based investigations as they explore the following topics: evolution, cellular processes — energy and communication, genetics, information transfer, ecology, and interactions.
Calculus AB
Calculus is the mathematics of change. It is where all mathematical topics come together. For that reason, it is for those who are strong students of mathematics. First semester concentrates on differential calculus, which deals with rates of change or slopes. Second semester is a study of integral calculus which handles total changes or areas. There is a required summer assignment. Also, each student must have a graphing calculator.
Calculus BC
Calculus BC covers the same curriculum as Calculus AB plus additional topics. Typically the Calculus AB topics are taught in the first semester and the additional topics are covered in second semester. Included in the additional topics are applications of integral calculus. Because of the additional topics the pace is quicker and more demanding. Students may take this course after Calculus AB or, with a teacher recommendation, after Precalculus BC. Any juniors taking Calculus BC can expect to dual enroll at FSU senior year, providing they make at least a 4 on the AP exam. A graphing calculator is required for this course.
Chemistry
The AP Chemistry course provides students with a college-level foundation to support future advanced coursework in chemistry. Students cultivate their understanding of chemistry through inquiry-based investigations, as they explore content such as: atomic structure, intermolecular forces and bonding, chemical reactions, kinetics, thermodynamics, and equilibrium.
Prerequisites: Students should have successfully completed a general high school chemistry course and Algebra II.
English Language & Composition
The central focus of AP Lang is the argument (and the close analysis of the words and strategies intended to persuade). As we study shorter works of nonfiction, students will grow increasingly aware of how authors from different periods and disciplines suit their rhetorical choices to particular aims. By modeling such authors, students will develop flexibility and maturity in their own writing. Extensive vocabulary study, essay writing, and close reading are the main elements of study in AP Lang.
English Literature & Composition
AP Lit (12th grade) builds on the analytical and writing skills students develop in AP Language and Composition (11th grade). It requires careful reading and critical analysis and discussion of imaginative literature. Students will deepen their understanding of the writer’s use of language as it relates to structure, style, theme, and figurative language. This course will include an intensive study of representative works from various genres and historical periods. Authors common to the AP Lit curriculum: William Shakespeare, John Donne, Voltaire, Mary Shelley, Emily Dickinson, Henrik Ibsen, William Faulkner, Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison, and Barbara Kingsolver.
Environmental Science
The Course
The goal of the AP Environmental Science course is to provide students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world, to identify and analyze environmental problems both natural and human-made, to evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems, and to examine alternative solutions for resolving or preventing them.
Prerequisites
The AP Environmental Science course is an excellent option for any interested student who has completed two years of high school laboratory science — one year of life science and one year of physical science (for example, a year of biology and a year of chemistry). Due to the quantitative analysis that is required in the course, students should also have taken at least one year of algebra. Also desirable (but not necessary) is a course in earth science. Because of the prerequisites, AP Environmental Science will usually be taken in either the junior or senior year.
The AP Environmental Science course is designed to be the equivalent of a one-semester, introductory college course in environmental science. Unlike most
other introductory-level college science courses, environmental science is offered from a wide variety of departments, including geology, biology, environmental studies, environmental science, chemistry, and geography.
Depending on the department offering the course, different emphases are placed on various topics. Some courses are rigorous science courses that stress scientific principles and analysis and that often include a laboratory component; other courses emphasize the study of environmental issues from a sociological or political perspective rather than a scientific one. The AP Environmental Science course has been developed to be most like the former; as
such, it is intended to enable students to undertake, as first-year college students, a more advanced study of topics in environmental science or, alternatively, to fulfill a basic requirement for a laboratory science and thus free time for taking other courses.
What makes this course interesting?
· Learn about the natural world through hands-on, laboratory investigations and observations
· Use field work to study both human-made and natural environmental problems in your local ecosystem
Sample Activities
· Collect water-quality data from local rivers and creeks to analyze overall health of the aquatic ecosystem; determine if any human activities are negatively impacting the system and how those impacts can be remediated
· Use government-based data sets, such as census, NASA, and USGS data, to study the environmental, social, and economic impact of natural and/or human-made disasters (such as Chernobyl and hurricanes Sandy and Katrina).
European History
AP European History focuses on developing students’ abilities to think conceptually about European history from approximately 1450 to the present and apply historical thinking skills as they learn about the past. Five themes of equal importance—Interaction of Europe and the World, Poverty and Prosperity, Objective Knowledge and Subjective Visions, States and Other Institutions of Power, and Individual and Society—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.
French Language
The AP French Language and Culture course emphasizes communication (understanding and being understood by others) by applying interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational skills in real-life situations. This includes vocabulary usage, language control, communication strategies, and cultural awareness. The AP French Language and Culture course strives not to overemphasize grammatical accuracy at the expense of communication. To best facilitate the study of language and culture, the course is taught almost exclusively in French. The AP French Language and Culture course engages students in an exploration of culture in both contemporary and historical contexts. The course develops students’ awareness and appreciation of cultural products (e.g., tools, books, music, laws, conventions, institutions); practices (patterns of social interactions within a culture); and perspectives (values, attitudes, and assumptions).
Human Geography
AP Human Geography reflects a growing interest in the spatial interaction of the people on earth. This new view of Geography involves viewing the world from a truly global perspective. The students will study trends and changes across geographic regions, looking for common themes and patterns. As a result, this course is less about memorization of names, dates and events and more about analysis, critical thinking and evaluation. Students will be expected to draw from the text, lecture notes and outside readings (primary and secondary sources) to formulate well-written, cogent essays. We will focus on seven themes throughout the year:
- Geography: It’s Nature and Perspectives
- Population and Migration
- Cultural Patterns and Processes
- Political Organization of Space
- Agricultural, Food Production, and Rural Land Use
- Cities and Urban Land Use
- Industrialization and Economic Development
AP Human Geography offers students the opportunity to earn both high school and college credit at the same time. This course fulfills the Florida graduation requirement for a Social Studies’ elective. Students will take the AP exam in May. Many colleges and universities around the world award credit and/or advanced placement for qualifying scores (typically 3 or higher on a 5 point scale). Because this course entails substantially more work than a standard high school class, and because students are expected to read, write, and analyze documents at a much higher level than their peers, this course is weighted with an additional full honors credit point.
Latin
The AP Latin course focuses on the in-depth study of selections from two of the greatest works in Latin literature: Vergil’s Aeneid and Caesar’s Gallic War. The course requires students to prepare and translate the readings and place these texts in a meaningful context, which helps develop critical, historical, and literary sensitivities. Throughout the course, students consider themes in the context of ancient literature and bring these works to life through classroom discussions, debates, and presentations. Additional English readings from both of these works help place the Latin readings in a significant context
Macroeconomics
AP Macroeconomics is a college-level course that introduces students to the principles that apply to an economic system as a whole. The course places particular emphasis on the study of national income and price-level determination. It also develops students’ familiarity with economic performance measures, the financial sector, stabilization policies, economic growth, and international economics. Students learn to use graphs, charts, and data to analyze, describe, and explain economic concepts.
Music Theory
The AP Music Theory course corresponds to one-to-two semesters of typical, introductory college music theory coursework that covers topics such as musicianship, theory, and musical materials and procedures. Musicianship skills, including dictation and listening skills, sightsinging, and harmony, are an important part of the course. Through the course, students develop the ability to recognize, understand, and describe basic materials and processes of tonal music that are heard or presented in a score. Development of aural (listening) skills is a primary objective. Performance is also part of the curriculum through the practice of sight-singing. Students learn basic concepts and terminology by listening to and performing a wide variety of music. Notational skills, speed, and fluency with basic materials are emphasized.
Physics 1: Algebra-Based
AP Physics 1 is an algebra-based, introductory college-level physics course. Students cultivate their understanding of physics through inquiry-based investigations as they explore these topics: kinematics, dynamics, circular motion and gravitation, energy, momentum, simple harmonic motion, torque and rotational motion, electric charge and electric force, DC circuits, and mechanical waves and sound.
Physics 2: Algebra-Based
AP Physics 2 is an algebra-based, introductory college-level physics course. Students cultivate their understanding of physics through inquiry-based investigations as they explore these topics: fluids; thermodynamics; electrical force, field, and potential; electric circuits; magnetism and electromagnetic induction; geometric and physical optics; and quantum, atomic, and nuclear physics.
Prerequisites: Students should have completed AP Physics 1 or a comparable introductory physics course and should have taken or be concurrently taking pre-calculus or an equivalent course.
Physics C - Electricity and Magnetism
AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism is a calculus-based, college-level physics course, especially appropriate for students planning to specialize or major in physical science or engineering. The course explores topics such as electrostatics; conductors, capacitors, and dielectrics; electric circuits; magnetic fields; and electromagnetism. Introductory differential and integral calculus is used throughout the course.
Prerequisites: Students should have taken or be concurrently taking calculus.
Physics C - Mechanics
AP Physics C: Mechanics is a calculus-based, college-level physics course. It covers kinematics; Newton’s laws of motion; work, energy, and power; systems of particles and linear momentum; circular motion and rotation; oscillations; and gravitation.
Prerequisites: Students should have taken or be concurrently taking calculus.
Pre Calculus
AP Precalculus fosters the development of a deep conceptual understanding of functions. In this course, students study a broad spectrum of function types that are foundational for careers in mathematics, physics, biology, health science, business, social science, and data science. The course is designed to be the equivalent of a first semester college precalculus course. It provides students with an understanding of concepts in college algebra, trigonometry, and additional topics in further college-level mathematics courses.
Psychology
The AP Psychology course introduces students to the systematic and scientific study of human behavior and mental processes. While considering the psychologists and studies that have shaped the field, students explore and apply psychological theories, key concepts, and phenomena associated with such topics as the biological bases of behavior, sensation and perception, learning and cognition, motivation, developmental psychology, testing and individual differences, treatments of psychological disorders, and social psychology. Throughout the course, students employ psychological research methods, including ethical considerations, as they use the scientific method, evaluate claims and evidence, and effectively communicate ideas.
Spanish Language
The AP Spanish Language and Culture course is a rigorous course taught exclusively in Spanish that requires students to improve their proficiency across the three modes of communication: Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational. The course focuses on the integration of authentic resources including online print, audio, and audiovisual resources as well as traditional print resources which include literature, essays, and magazine and newspaper articles with the goal of providing a diverse learning experience. Students communicate using advanced vocabulary and linguistic structures as they build proficiency in all modes of communication toward the pre-advanced level.
The course is divided into six thematic units which are further based on recommended contexts and guided by essential questions. In no particular order, here are the six major themes of the course:
§ Global Challenges
§ Science and Technology
§ Contemporary Life
§ Personal and Public Identities
§ Families and Communities
§ Beauty and Aesthetics
Thematic vocabulary and corresponding cultural elements are integrated into the study of the units, and activities are directed with those cultural connections in mind. Discussion of the topics completely in Spanish is a requirement for this course. It is assumed that students have previously been
exposed to advanced language structures in the courses leading up to the AP Spanish Language and Culture course; however, review of the mechanics is done within the contextual framework of each unit as needed.
Spanish Literature
AP Spanish Literature and Culture is a course which covers the six AP Spanish Literature themes and the entire reading list outlined within the AP Spanish Literature Curriculum Framework. The course is conducted entirely in Spanish and covers Spanish and Latin American authors, and their works, from the medieval period to the present day. The works are presented in chronological order with the aim of integrating the historical themes and literary movements of the different time periods and highlighting the schools of literature to which each piece belongs as well as the author’s style and the characteristics of each selection.
Students will explore the interdisciplinary connections between literary works and other artistic forms of expression such as music, painting, architecture and film. This course prepares students to read and critically analyze representative works of Spanish literature in all genres. Students will focus on the terminology of textual analysis, learn to identify the different elements of style, and interpret texts in correct oral and written Spanish. Discussion of the topics completely in Spanish is a requirement for this course.
Statistics
The purpose of the AP course in statistics is to introduce students to the major concepts and tools for collecting, analyzing and drawing conclusions from data.
Students are exposed to four broad conceptual themes:
1.Exploring Data: Describing patterns and departures from patterns
2.Sampling and Experimentation: Planning and conducting a study
3.Anticipating Patterns: Exploring random phenomena using probability and simulation
4.Statistical Inference: Estimating population parameters and testing hypotheses
U.S. Government & Politics
AP U.S. Government and Politics provides a college-level, nonpartisan introduction to key political concepts, ideas, institutions, policies, interactions, roles, and behaviors that characterize the constitutional system and political culture of the United States. Students will study U.S. foundational documents, Supreme Court decisions, and other texts and visuals to gain an understanding of the relationships and interactions among political institutions, processes, and behaviors. They will also engage in disciplinary practices that require them to read and interpret data, make comparisons and applications, and develop evidence-based arguments. In addition, they will complete a political science research or applied civics project.
U.S. History
AP US History is designed to meet two objectives: one, to offer the students a challenging, college-level history course; and two, to offer the students an opportunity to prepare for the AP US History exam that will allow them to gain college credit for a college-level history course. In addition to lecture and textbook work, we will examine various primary and secondary sources, work on timed document-based question and free response question essays, and practice multiple choice AP test taking.
World History
In AP World History: Modern, students investigate significant events, individuals, developments, and processes from 1200 to the present. Students develop and use the same skills, practices, and methods employed by historians: analyzing primary and secondary sources; developing historical arguments; making historical connections; and utilizing reasoning about comparison, causation, and continuity and change over time. The course provides six themes that students explore throughout the course in order to make connections among historical developments in different times and places: humans and the environment, cultural developments and interactions, governance, economic systems, social interactions and organization, and technology and innovation.
Last update: 5/2022
