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AP Courses

AP - ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES

The Advanced Placement Program is a cooperative educational endeavor between secondary schools, colleges and universities administered by the College Board. For students willing and able to apply themselves to college-level studies, the AP Program is designed to enrich their secondary experience in a variety of subject areas. It provides the means for colleges to grant credit, advanced placement, or both, to students who have applied themselves successfully in AP subject areas. Information on credit and/or placement of students at the college and university level after successful completion of AP examinations is available through University Hill’s AP Coordinator, the information offices of individual universities, or through the College Board.
Further information about these offerings and the AP examinations can be obtained from the AP coordinator, or through the teachers of the individual courses. AP examinations are offered in May of each school year.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT SELECTION CRITERIA:
• Students who wish to enroll in an AP course(s) must also enroll in courses across other subject areas.
• Students who wish to take AP course(s), must be enrolled in a minimum of 7 courses at U-Hill.
• Students MUST have completed the necessary pre-requisite courses as indicated in the AP course description(s) in the course planning guide and must have these pre-requisites approved by the AP selection committee.
• Students will be ranked and priority will be given to students who have achieved a minimum of 86% in the pre-requisite course(s) with no course mark below 60% and a minimum average of 86% in the best 6 of 7 courses at U-Hill.
To apply for any AP courses, students MUST complete an AP supplemental
application by February 12 th , 2021 to be considered for the AP course(s) of their
choice. Application forms will be available from subject teachers and in the main
school office. Applications can be returned to:
Mr. Low 1E4 (Math, Science)
Mr. Wilkie 2E3 (Math, Science)
Ms. Sodhi 1B4 (Economics)
Mr. Yetman 2D5 (Human Geography)
Ms. Stancombe 1F3 (English)

PRIORITY WILL BE GIVEN TO:
• Students who are involved in extra-curricular activities and show well-roundedness.
• Students who have demonstrated good character, leadership and initiative at U-Hill.
• Students who show good citizenship through their contribution to the school community.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT GUIDELINES:
• Students may take up to a maximum of 4 AP courses at U-Hill per year.
• Course Change Policy: Students wishing to drop an AP course(s) MUST follow regular course drop deadlines and guidelines.
*Deadline to change courses is September 17th, 2021.
*Any requests to change courses after September 17th, 2021 will NOT be considered unless there are exceptional, extenuating and unforeseen circumstances that have arisen. These requests will require application in writing to and approval from the grade administrator.
• Students MUST write the AP exam for each AP course they are enrolled in at U-Hill in order to get credit for that AP course(s). Students who choose to NOT write the AP exam(s) will NOT have the “AP” version of the course recorded on their transcript and will NOT get credit for the AP course. Students should seriously consider this when applying for post-secondary institutions.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
• Fees: A non-refundable amount of $200 will be charged for each AP exam that a student registers for, a non-refundable fee will also be charged for AP Course supplies. Please see the specific AP course teacher for amounts. Exams ordered after the Collegeboard Ordering Deadline will be charged $40.00USD (concerted to $CDN) last fee.
• Only 1 section of each AP course will be offered in a school year with a maximum of 30 students per course.
• Students approved for an AP course(s) will be ranked based on the criteria above with the first 30 students being registered in the course and the remaining approved students put on a waitlist.
• All applications, and the resulting selection process including waitlists, will be kept confidential due to the complexity of factors to be considered.


ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES:


AP ENGLISH LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION 12
AELC- -12
Pre-Requisite Course Required: Completion of Focused Literary Studies 11 or Creative Writing 11. Please submit a handwritten Statement of Interest to Ms. Stancombe

The AP English Literature and Composition 12 course engages students in the careful reading and critical analysis of literature from several genres and historical periods. The course is an excellent preparation for the critical thinking and writing required in all areas of post-secondary studies. Through close reading of selected texts, students will:
• deepen their understanding of how writers use language to develop meaning and pleasure for readers
• consider a work’s themes, structure, and style, figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone
• extend their ability to comprehend analyze, evaluate, compare a variety of texts
• persuade clearly, cogently, and elegantly, their interpretation of a literary work
• work collaboratively with a community of peers who have proficiency in and enthusiasm for literature
Students who take this course may choose to take the AP exam in May in order to receive the AP credit, and will also receive credit for English Studies 12. Success in this high-level course requires critical thinking, good work habits and a solid foundation in writing and reading. Strong essay writing skills are an asset, but these will be developed over the course of the year. Students must come with an open mind and a genuine interest in learning, but there is no minimum average mark required for registration.
This is an 8-credit course - 4 credits will be received for AP Literature and Composition on successful completion of the AP Exam, and 4 credits will be received for English Studies 12. Students who achieve a 4 or 5 in this course's AP Exam will be eligible for advanced credit in First Year English at many colleges and universities.


AP CALCULUS 12 AB
ACAL-12
Prerequisites Required: Pre-Calculus 11 with a minimum grade of 86%, Pre-Calculus 12 with a minimum grade of 86% (Or to be taken concurrently if you are in your Grade 12 year)
A supplemental AP application form and a recommendation from your Pre-Calculus teacher is required.
AP Calculus AB consists of a full high school academic year of work and is comparable to calculus courses in colleges and universities. Students are expected to write the AP Calculus AB exam and it is highly recommended that those wishing to take AP Calculus 12 AB be very strong in Mathematics. Those who are taking Pre-Calculus 12 concurrently must have a strong understanding of trigonometry and logarithms. Priority will be given to those who have taken a full year of Pre-Calculus 11.
Most of the year will be devoted to differential and integral calculus. Topics include: Functions, Graphs, and Limits, Concept of Derivatives, Derivatives at a Point, Derivative as a function, Second Derivatives, Applications of Derivatives, Computation of Derivatives, Interpretations and Properties of Definite Integrals, Application of Integrals, Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, Techniques of Antidifferentiation, Applications of Antidifferentiation, and Numerical Approximations to Definite Integrals. A graphing calculator is required.


BIOLOGY 11 PRE AP
MBI- -11ENR
Pre-Requisite Course Required: Science 10. A supplemental AP application form is required. This course is similar to an enriched Biology 11 curriculum; however, it will take a more laboratory intensive, inquiry-based study of how living organisms evolve and interact with their environment. This course is designed for students planning to enter AP Biology 12 and write the AP Biology exam. It is strongly recommended that Chemistry 11 precede or be taken concurrently with Biology 11 Pre-AP. Biology AP is divided into four Big Ideas and seven Scientific Practices. This course will cover two Big Ideas and start developing students’ Scientific Practices. Topics used to cover these ideas include: Evolution, Immunology, Cell Systems, Ecology, Plant and Animal Systems.


AP BIOLOGY 12
ABIO-12
Pre-Requisite Course Required: Biology 11 Pre-AP. A supplemental AP application form is required. This course is the continuation of Biology 11 Pre AP and students are expected to know the curriculum and laboratory experiments from Biology 11 Honors. It is strongly recommended that student complete Chemistry 11 preceding this course. Students are expected to write the AP Biology exam. This course will explore the final two Big Ideas and offer students more time to use their Scientific Practices. Topics used to cover this material include: Biochemistry, Gene Regulation, Ecology, Mendelian Genetics, Mitosis and Meiosis, and the Endocrine and Nervous System. AP Biology 12 students write the AP Biology exam in May.

CHEMISTRY 11 PRE AP
MCH- -11ENR
Pre-Requisite Course Required: Science 10. A supplemental AP application form is required.
This course is similar to an enriched Chemistry 11 curriculum; however, it will take a more laboratory intensive, inquiry-based study of how the macroscale (the scale at which they observe phenomena) to the nanoscale (the scale at which atoms and molecules interact). Students demonstrate that they have made these connections symbolically, graphically, and mathematically throughout the year. This course is designed for students planning to enter AP Chemistry 12 and write the AP Chemistry exam. The concepts are organized around chemical principles called big ideas that include the following topics: Atoms, Reactions and Stoichiometry, Chemical Energy and Thermodynamics, Atomic and Molecular Structure, Gases and Intermolecular Forces.


AP CHEMISTRY 12
ACHE-12
Pre-Requisite Course Required: Chemistry 11 Pre AP, Application Form Submitted
A supplemental AP application form is required.
This course is the continuation of Chemistry 11 Pre AP and students are expected to know the curriculum and laboratory experiments from Chemistry 11 Pre-AP. Students are expected to write the AP Chemistry exam. AP Chemistry students will write the AP Chemistry exam in May. The primary goal of AP Chemistry is for students to connect the macroscale (the scale at which they observe phenomena) to the nanoscale (the scale at which atoms and molecules interact). Students demonstrate that they have made these connections symbolically, graphically, and mathematically throughout the year.
The concepts covered include: Kinetics, General and Solubility Equilibria, Acid-Base Equilibria, and Reactions Involving Electron Transfer.


AP PHYSICS 1
APHH-11
Pre-Requisite Course Required: Science 10, Pre-Calculus 11, Application Form Submitted
(Pre-Calculus 11 may be taken concurrently)A supplemental AP application form is required.
It is recommended that Pre-Calculus 11 precede or be taken concurrently with AP Physics 1. The student should also be competent in math and physics at the grade 10 level. This is a mathematically intensive course, to develop the student’s understanding of the physical world through lectured discussions, and inquiry-based activities. Students develop critical thinking and reasoning skills and apply these skills to solving physics problems in one and two-dimensions.
This course includes: Newtonian Mechanics (kinematics, dynamics, circular motion and gravitation, equilibrium, rotational motion), Work, Energy, Power, Mechanical Waves and Sound, Simple Circuitry
Students write the AP Physics 1 exam in May. Upon successful completion of the course they will continue with AP Physics 2 the year after.


AP PHYSICS 2
APHH-12
Pre-Requisite Course Required: AP Physics 1, Application Form Submitted.
Recommended: Pre-Calculus 12 (To be taken concurrently)
A supplemental AP application form is required.
This course is the continuation of AP Physics 1 and students are expected to know the curriculum and laboratory experiments from AP Physics 1. This is a mathematically intensive course to develop the student’s understanding of the physical world through lectured discussion and inquiring based-activities. Students develop critical thinking skills and apply these skills to solving problems in two and three-dimensions.
This course includes: Fluid Mechanics, Thermodynamics and Kinetic Theory, Electrostatics and Circuits with Capacitors, Electromagnetism, Optics, Quantum, Atomic and Nuclear Physics.
AP Physics 2 students write the AP Physics 2 exam in May.


AP ECONOMICS-MICROECONOMICS 12
AMI- -12 Pre-Requisite Course Required: none, open to all in Gr 11 & 12
A supplemental AP application form is required. Microeconomics will focus on the principles of economics that apply to the functions of individual economic decision-makers. The course also develops students’ familiarity with the operation of product and factor markets, distributions of income, market failure, and the role of government in promoting greater efficiency and equity in the economy. Students learn to use graphs, charts, and data to analyze, describe, and explain economic concepts.

AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY 12
AHG- -12
Pre-Requisite Course Required: Socials 11
By understanding how human population has changed over time, students can better understand the reasons for and effects of current geographic patterns in population. Study of population theories, models, and problems will show students the widespread effect that human population growth and decline has on people throughout world. The course will take the student through an understanding of global patterns in population concerns including in-migration, outmigration, city growth and population density. Human geography looks at the factors that influence human settlement patterns including language, culture, ethnicity, and other factors. The course will also examine the factors that contribute to the development of a country’s infrastructure. This will include an analysis of the United Nations standards for development and human rights and concerns. Political geography will be discussed and analyzed in the context of human conflict.

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