AP Courses at Laurel Springs

+ AP® Seminar is a foundational course that engages students in cross-curricular conversations that explore the complexities of academic and real-world topics and issues by analyzing divergent perspectives. Students explore these complexities via thematic connections between multiple lenses (e.g., cultural, social, artistic, philosophical, political, historical, environmental, economic, scientific, ethical). Using an inquiry framework, students practice reading and analyzing articles, research studies, and foundational, literary, and philosophical texts. Course activities may include listening to and viewing speeches, broadcasts, personal accounts, artistic works and performances. Students learn to synthesize information from multiple sources, develop their own perspectives in written essays, and design and deliver oral and visual presentations, both individually and as part of a team. Ultimately, the course aims to equip students with the power to analyze and evaluate information with accuracy and precision in order to craft and communicate evidence-based arguments.

Available to 10th and 11th grade students; Workshop component required

Prerequisite: Successful completion of a prior or concurrent enrollment in an AP course

The level of rigor in these AP® Electives courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement® examination.

+ AP® Research, the second course in the AP® Capstone experience, is a course that allows students to deeply explore an academic topic, problem, issue, or idea of individual interest. Students design, plan, and implement a yearlong investigation to address a research question. Through this inquiry, they further the skills they acquired in the AP Seminar course by learning research methodology, employing ethical research practices, and accessing, analyzing, and synthesizing information. Students reflect on their skill development, document their processes, and curate the artifacts of their scholarly work through a process and reflection portfolio. The course culminates in an academic paper of 4,000–5,000 words (accompanied by a performance, exhibit, or product where applicable) and a presentation with an oral defense.

Available to 11th and 12th grade students; Workshop component required

Prerequisite: Successful completion of AP® Seminar

The level of rigor in these AP® Electives courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement® examination.

AP® 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.

Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing; A or B in English Advanced Placement • UC Honors Approved English • NCAA Approved English

The level of rigor in these AP® English courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement® examination.

This course provides high school students with college-level instruction in active, close reading, and analysis of imaginative literature. Through the close reading of works of literary merit, students learn to consider how a work's style, figurative language, theme, and other literary elements contribute to its meaning and cultural significance. This approach to analyzing prose and poetry allows students to establish connections, make observations about textual details, and sharpen their understanding of these nuances through their own writing. This course will effectively prepare students for the AP Exam and to learn beyond the exam by enabling them to read, analyze, and write about complex texts.

Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing; A or B in English Advanced Placement • UC Honors Approved English • NCAA Approved English

The level of rigor in these AP® English courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement® examination.

AP^® Art History is designed to provide college-level instruction in art history and prepare students for the AP exam in early May. This course is divided into two semesters, during which students examine major forms of artistic expression from the past and present and from a variety of cultures. Students learn to look at works of art critically, with intelligence and sensitivity, and to articulate what they see or experience.

Advanced Placement • UC Honors Approved Visual and Performing Arts

 

The level of rigor in these AP^® Fine Arts courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement® examination.

This award-winning AP^® Calculus course is an immersion into calculus, giving students a taste of college with the comfort of high school. Within this course, students are led through the historical journey of the discovery and development of calculus. Each lesson involves interactive videos that allow students to go at their own speed, with the ability to pause and rewind at any point. With student-friendly note packages and practice questions with detailed solutions, students will never get stuck and can learn how to solve even the most challenging calculus problems. Students can also retake every quiz and test, which are randomized, to encourage them to strive towards mastery.

This course is designed to cover the equivalent of one semester of college calculus. AP Calculus AB covers derivatives, definite integrals and the fundamental theorem of calculus. Note: AP Calculus AB only differs from AP Calculus BC in scope, not difficulty.

Online or Handheld Graphing Utility Required

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Pre-Calculus

Advanced Placement • UC Honors Approved Mathematics • NCAA Approved Mathematics

 

The level of rigor in these AP^® Math courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement^® examination.

This award-winning AP^® Calculus course is an immersion into calculus, giving students a taste of college with the comfort of high school. Within this course, students are led through the historical journey of the discovery and development of calculus. Each lesson involves interactive videos that allow students to go at their own speed, with the ability to pause and rewind at any point. With student-friendly note packages and practice questions with detailed solutions, students will never get stuck and can learn how to solve even the most challenging calculus problems. Students can also retake every quiz and test, which are randomized, to encourage them to strive towards mastery.

AP Calculus BC covers the first two semesters of University Calculus (Calc 1 and Calc 2). It includes the topics covered in AP Calculus AB with the addition of parametric functions, polar functions, vector functions and analysis of series. Note: AP Calculus BC only differs from AP Calculus AB in scope, not difficulty

Online or Handheld Graphing Utility Required

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Pre-Calculus

Advanced Placement • UC Honors Approved Mathematics • NCAA Approved Mathematics

 

The level of rigor in these AP^® Math courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement^® examination.

AP^® Computer Science A introduces students to computer science through programming. Fundamental topics in this course include the design of solutions to problems, the use of data structures to organize large sets of data, the development and implementation of algorithms to process data and discover new information, the analysis of potential solutions, and the ethical and social implications of computing systems. The course emphasizes object-oriented programming and design using the Java programming language. The AP Computer Science A course is a year-long course designed to help students master the basics of Java and equip them to successfully pass the College Board AP Computer Science A Exam at the end of the school year.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Algebra 2

Advanced Placement • UC Honors Approved Mathematics

 

The level of rigor in these AP^® Math courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement^® examination.

The AP^® Statistics course introduces students to the major concepts and tools for collecting, analyzing, and drawing conclusions from data. There are four themes evident in the content, skills, and assessment in the AP Statistics course: exploring data, sampling and experimentation, probability and simulation, and statistical inference. Students use technology, investigations, problem solving, and writing as they build conceptual understanding. The purpose of this course is to provide students with a deep understanding of the concepts of statistics to prepare them for the AP Statistics Exam and for future higher education statistics courses.

Online or Handheld Graphing Utility Required

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Algebra 2

Advanced Placement • UC Honors Approved Mathematics • NCAA Approved Mathematics

 

The level of rigor in these AP^® Math courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement^® examination.

AP^® Biology is designed to provide a college-level experience and prepare students for the AP exam in early May. Students will be provided with a foundation for developing an understanding for biological concepts through scientific inquiry, investigations, interactive experiences, higher-order thinking, real-world applications, writing analytical essays, statistical analysis, interpreting and collecting data. The key big ideas of the AP Biology course are system interactions, evolution, energetics, information storage, and transmission. Students will participate in a variety of engaging activities that enhance their mastery of biology concepts

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Biology, Chemistry, and Algebra 1

Advanced Placement • UC Honors Approved Science • NCAA Approved Science

 

The level of rigor in these AP^® Science courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement^® examination.

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 lab investigations as they explore content such as: atomic structure, intermolecular forces and bonding, chemical reactions, kinetics, thermodynamics, and equilibrium.

Requirement: Students will receive a lab kit to complete the required lab component

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Biology, Chemistry, Geometry, and Algebra 2

Advanced Placement • UC Honors Approved Science • NCAA Approved Science

 

The level of rigor in these AP^® Science courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement^® examination.

AP^® Physics 1 is equivalent to the first semester of an algebra-based college-level course in physics and prepares students to seek credit and/or appropriate placement in college physics courses. This course is structured around the six big ideas that are intended to encourage students to think about physics concepts as interconnected pieces of a puzzle. The solution to the puzzle is how the real world around them actually works. Students will participate in inquiry-based explorations to gain a more conceptual understanding of physics concepts. They will spend less of their time in traditional formula-based learning and more of their effort will be directed to developing critical thinking and reasoning skills.

A special emphasis will be placed on capturing important aspects of the work that scientists engage in, with learning objectives that combine content with inquiry and reasoning skills. With teacher guidance, students explore physics, perform hands-on labs, engage with a suite of virtual labs and participate in online discussions with their peers. A variety of assessments are delivered at regular intervals to monitor learning progress.

Requirement: Students will receive a lab kit to complete the required lab component

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Algebra 2 and Trigonometry or concurrent enrollment in Pre-Calculus

Advanced Placement • UC Honors Approved Science • NCAA Approved Science

 

The level of rigor in these AP^® Science courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement^® examination.

With the current changes in global climate, rising sea levels, and warming oceans, it is important for students to discover the state of Earth's systems and the consequences of human activities. AP^® Environmental Science provides students with a global view of their world and their role in it. It examines the scientific principles and concepts required to understand the interrelationships between ocean, land, and atmosphere that guide the natural world and allow Earth to be a planet suitable for life.

Laboratory activities within the course support their learning of these relationships through reflective, hands-on, or virtual experiences. In addition, students identify and analyze environmental problems that are natural and human-made, determining their own ecological footprint in the world to discover how their activities affect the world around them. They evaluate the relative risks associated with environmental problems and examine alternative solutions, such as clean energy, sustainable practices, and conservation, for resolving or preventing future environmental problems.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Algebra 1 and 2 years of high-school science with labs

Advanced Placement • UC Honors Approved Science • NCAA Approved Science

 

The level of rigor in these AP^® Science courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement^® examination.

In AP^® European History, students investigate significant events, individuals, developments, and processes from approximately 1450 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 also provides seven themes that students explore throughout the course in order to make connections among historical developments in different times and places: interaction of Europe and the world, economic and commercial development, cultural and intellectual development, states and other institutions of power, social organization and development, national and European identity, and technological and scientific innovations.

This course is taught at the college level. Major differences between a regular high school history course and a college-level history course is the greater amount of reading and the depth of focus that is found in the college-level course. Moreover, the AP^® curriculum demands higher-order thinking skills within a rigorous academic context. Thus, students are frequently required to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate primary and secondary historical sources, in addition to comprehending, memorizing, and applying facts.

Advanced Placement • UC Honors Approved Social Science • NCAA Approved Social Science

 

The level of rigor in these AP^® Social Studies courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement^® examination.

AP 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.

Advanced Placement • UC Honors Approved Social Science • NCAA Approved Social Science

 

The level of rigor in these AP AP^® Social Studies courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement AP^® examination.

Students investigate 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 the structure of the Constitution throughout the course, as well as its implications for the functioning of government today. Other foundational documents, landmark Supreme Court cases, and opportunities for research and civic action are key elements in this rich course that prepares students to be informed and active participants in U.S. society.

Advanced Placement • UC Honors Approved Social Science • NCAA Approved Social Science

 

The level of rigor in these AP^® Social Studies courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement AP^® examination.

In this course, students explore the power of marginal thinking and apply it to common decisions that individuals and business firms encounter each day. Students examine, interpret, analyze, and model key microeconomics concepts and processes, from the shifting supply and demand for familiar products to the model of the labor market and how wages are determined. This rich course provides students with all the material and practice needed for success on the AP Exam. Yet, this is just the beginning—in the long run, taking AP^® Microeconomics will develop the critical thinking and analytical skills that empower students for a lifetime.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Algebra 1

Advanced Placement • UC Honors Approved Elective • NCAA Approved Social Science

 

The level of rigor in these AP^® Social Studies courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement^® examination.

In this course, students establish the fundamentals of economics with a survey of scarcity, opportunity cost, supply, demand, and market equilibrium. They then zoom out to the largest scale of economic analysis, learning the indicators of whole countries’ economic health, specifically gross domestic product, unemployment, and price level. With that foundation, the rest of the course looks at fiscal and monetary policies, their consequences, and the basics of international trade and the foreign exchange market. Besides being intentionally prepared for the AP^® Exam, students will gain a much deeper understanding of the world around them, the roles that government and banks play in an economy, and the economic outcomes generated by their policy decisions.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Algebra 1

Advanced Placement • UC Honors Approved Elective • NCAA Approved Social Science

 

The level of rigor in these AP^® Social Studies courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement^® examination.

AP^® Human Geography introduces high school students to college-level introductory human geography or cultural geography. The content is presented thematically rather than regionally and is organized around the discipline’s main subfields: economic geography, cultural geography, political geography, and urban geography. The approach is spatial and problem oriented. Case studies are drawn from all world regions, with an emphasis on understanding the world in which we live today. Historical information serves to enrich analysis of the impacts of phenomena such as globalization, colonialism, and human–environment relationships on places, regions, cultural landscapes, and patterns of interaction. Students also learn about the methods and tools geographers use in their research and applications. The curriculum reflects the goals of the National Geography Standards (2012).

Advanced Placement • UC Honors Approved Elective • NCAA Approved Social Science

 

The level of rigor in these AP^® Social Studies courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement^® examination.

Immerse yourself in the scientific study of human behavior and cognition. Learn about notable figures and psychological studies. Investigate scientific methods and ethical considerations related to human and animal research. In this college-level course, you will learn about and apply important terms, concepts, and phenomena associated with each major area of psychology and enhance your critical thinking skills. Topics include the biological bases of psychology, sensation and perception, learning, cognition, development, motivation, emotion, personality, psychological disorders, and social psychology.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Biology

Advanced Placement • UC Honors Approved Elective • NCAA Approved Social Science

 

The level of rigor in these AP^® Social Studies courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement^® examination.

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.

This course is taught at the college level. Major differences between a regular high school history course and a college-level history course is the greater amount of reading and the depth of focus that is found in the college-level course. Moreover, the AP curriculum demands higher-order thinking skills within a rigorous academic context. Thus, students are frequently required to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate primary and secondary historical sources, in addition to comprehending, memorizing, and applying facts.

Advanced Placement • UC Honors Approved Elective • NCAA Approved Social Science

 

The level of rigor in these AP^® Social Studies courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement^® examination.

The AP^® Spanish Language and Culture course is an advanced language course in which students are directly prepared for the AP Spanish Language and Culture test. It uses as its foundation the three modes of communication: interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational. The course is conducted almost exclusively in Spanish. The course is based on the six themes required by the College Board: (1) global challenges, (2) science and technology, (3) contemporary life, (4) personal and public identities, (5) families and communities, and (6) beauty and aesthetics. The course teaches language structures in context and focuses on the development of fluency to convey meaning. Students explore culture in both contemporary and historical contexts to develop an awareness and appreciation of cultural products, practices, and perspectives.

Students should expect to listen to, read, and understand a wide variety of authentic Spanish-language materials and sources, demonstrate proficiency in interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational communication using Spanish, gain knowledge and understanding of the cultures of Spanish speaking areas of the world, use Spanish to connect with other disciplines and expand knowledge in a wide variety of contexts, develop insight into the nature of the Spanish language and its culture, and use Spanish to participate in communities at home and around the world. The AP Spanish Language and Culture course is a college-level course. The intensity, quality, and amount of course material can be compared to that of a third-year college course.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Spanish 3 or native fluency in Spanish

Advanced Placement • UC Honors Approved Language • NCAA Approved Additional Core

 

The level of rigor in these AP^® World Languages courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement^® examination.

AP® French Language and Culture offers authentic selections organized around the integrated themes and developed in conjunction with the College Board's recommended contexts for each theme. These selections offer an extraordinary wealth of authentic source materials for study and discussion. Rather than simply learning about the French Language, students can use these genuine sources to experience real-world issues through the French Language. Pre- and post-reading and listening activities guide students to promote a deeper understanding of culture, especially through cultural comparisons within the francophone world and with students' own life experiences. This course provides additional exam preparation through the inclusion of many activities that mimic the exam format.