PHS Advanced Placement Course Offerings
AP French
Two credits, full year, Grade 12. Prepares for required National AP exam in May. Emphasis on speaking, reading and writing. Daily vocabulary and grammar quizzes.
AP Spanish
Two credits, full year, Grade 12. Prepares for required National AP exam in May. Emphasis on speaking, reading and writing. Integrates the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Class is conducted in Spanish
AP Latin
Two credits, full year, Grade 12. Focuses on close translation and analysis of a major portion (approximately 1300 lines), of the poetic works of Catullus and Horace. The skill of translation and literary analysis will be utilized to learn esay writing techniques as required by the required National AP Latin exam in May.
AP English 11 Literature and Composition
Two credits, full year, Prerequisites: Recommendation of Grade 10 Honors English teacher, honor grade in Grade 10 Honors English, and successful completion of the AP summer reading and writing assignment due on first day of school in September. Require reading and careful analysis of a braod and challenging range of non-fiction prose selections written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts, as well as selected major works of British literature. The small class, seminar-format demands full participation by each student. Students are required to take the National AP English literature and Composition exam at the completion of the course.
AP English 12 Literature and Composition
Two credits, full year. Prerequisites: Recommendation of Grade 11 English Teacher, honor grade in Grade 11 AP or Honors English, and successful completion of the AP summer reading and writing assignment due on the first day of school in September. Intensive exploration into master works of english and world writers. Close textual analysis is the heart of the program. The small class, seminar-format demands full participation by each student. Students are required to take the National AP English literature and Composition exam at the completion of the course.
AP Calculus BC
Two credits, full year. Prerequisistes: AMP II Calculus AB and teacher recommendation. Open to Grade 12. Includes the material of a second semester college or university course in Calculus. Students must take the National AP Calculus BC exam in May, which will include a sub-score in AP Calculus AB. The class will concurrently be enrolled in Calculus B at USM. In June, upon completion of the class, each student will recieve four semester hours of credit from USM.
AP Statistics
Two Credits, full year. Prerequisites: Advanced Math and familiarity with the TI-84 Plus calculator and Excel Programming. Open to Grade 12. Introduction to major concepts and tools for collecting, analyzing, and drawing conclusions from data. National AP exam required in May
AP Chemistry
Two credits, full year. Open to Grade 12. Follows College Board curriculum for a college-level chemistry course. Emphasis on understanding how matter behaves and the concepts learned in Honors Chemistry are built upon. Problem solving is a major focus on the class. National AP Chemistry exam in May is required.
AP Biology
Two credits, full year. Prerequisites: Full year of honors or college level biology and previous biology teachers' recommendation. Follows the College Board curriculum for a college level biology course. Requires extensive lab work, reading, and challenging assignments. National AP Biology exam in May is required.
AP U.S. History
Two credits, full year. Prerequisites: 10th grade honors AP US History. Open to Grade 11. Accelerated survey course equivalent to introductory course in college. Will cover period from Imperialism to the present. Students must take National AP U.S. History Exam in May.
AP Psychology
Two credits, full year. Prerequisites: Teacher recommendation. Accelerated survey course equivalent to an introductory course in college. Designed to introduce student to the sytematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and animals. A summer reading exam is required for the course. Students must take the National AP exam in May