AP Course Descriptions

General

Capstone 1: Seminar

This course engages students in cross-curricular critical thinking of concepts that explore the complexities of academic and real-world topics and issues by analyzing divergent perspectives. Using an inquiry framework, students practice reading and analyzing articles, research studies, and foundational literary and philosophical texts; listening to and viewing speeches, broadcasts, and personal accounts; and experiencing artistic works and performances. Students learn to synthesize information from multiple sources, develop their own perspectives in research based written essays, and design and deliver oral and visual presentations, both individually and collaboratively.

Capstone 2: Research

AP Research allows students to deeply explore an academic topic, problem, or issue of individual interest. Students design, plan, and conduct a yearlong mentored investigation addressing a research question of their choosing. The course allows them to further the skills they acquired in the AP Seminar course by employing research methods and ethical research practices, and by analyzing and synthesizing information as they address a research question. Students must: introduce and contextualize their research question; synthesize information and perspectives related to the research question; explain the research method; analyze and interpret the evidence; illustrate a cogent argument based on a clear, evidence-based line of reasoning; reflect on the research project and the implications and limitations of the conclusion(s) reached; and acknowledge and cite sources.

Art

Studio Art

Grades 11-12Prerequisites: Art 1 and Art 2, or with permission of the instructor

AP Studio Art addresses three major concerns that are constants in the study of art:

• Quality: A synthesis of form, technique and content in the student’s work.
• Concentration: An in-depth investigation and process of growth and discovery centered on a particular and compelling visual interest or problem
• Breadth: A breadth of experience that exhibits serious grounding in visual principles as well as formal, technical and expressive means of the artist.

Formal visual concerns, technical skills, and conceptual issues will be addressed through creative means in both teacher-directed assignments and student-directed projects. The creation of an AP Studio Art portfolio is an involved and personal process of growth and discovery which is dependent on the student’s unique thinking and problem-solving skills. It is hoped that this course will not only help the student to produce an excellent body of artwork, but additionally it will introduce the student to the richness of the creative process on a personal level, open the door to personal discovery, and allow the student to make meaningful contributions to the greater culture.

Expectations and Commitment to the AP Studio Art Program: The AP program in Studio Art is intended for highly motivated students who are seriously interested in the study of art. While the AP portfolio requires a minimum of 24 works of art, it can be assumed that, due to the nature of the artistic process, many more than 24 pieces will need to be created throughout the year. Students may use artwork from previous art courses, and work created independently. However, the majority of the work is likely to be completed during the current year.

Students will need to be highly focused and productive. Students will need to work outside the classroom, as well as in it, and beyond scheduled periods to be successful in AP Studio Art.

English

English Language

Grade 11

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 and audience expectations, as well as the way generic conventions and the resources of language contribute to effectiveness in writing. Students will also learn to read primary and secondary sources carefully, to synthesize material from these texts in their own compositions, and to cite sources using conventions recommended by professional organizations such as the Modern Language Association (MLA). The course will help students move beyond such programmatic responses as the five- paragraph essay. Students will be encouraged to place emphasis on content, purpose and audience and to allow this focus to guide the organization of their writing. Both formal and informal contexts will allow students to gain authority and take risks in writing. The course will address the importance of graphic and visual images in texts published in print and electronic media.

While the course assumes that students already understand and use standard English grammar, it also reflects the practice of reinforcing writing conventions at every level. The intense concentration on language use in the course enhances students’ ability to use grammatical conventions appropriately and to develop stylistic maturity in their prose. When students read, they will become aware of how stylistic effects are achieved through a writer’s linguistic choices. Thus, students will use literature to understand rhetorical and linguistic choices rather than to study literary conventions.

English Literature

Grade 12

The AP English Literature and Composition course is designed to engage students in the careful reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature. Through the close reading of selected texts, students can deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure for their readers. As they read, students should consider a work’s structure, style, and themes, as well as such smaller-scale elements as the use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone.

World Languages

French Language

Grade 11, 12

The AP French language course is intended to develop in students the four necessary skills for communication: listening, reading, writing and speaking. While emphasis is put on communication, one very important consequence of the students’ immersion in a variety of authentic material is their increased cultural awareness and critical thinking.

The course will be conducted entirely in French, with occasional brief exceptions for explanation of fine points of grammar. The course requires students to interact with the instructor and peers exclusively in French. Students will speak French in a variety of situations, both partner and group activities, simulations, real conversations, debates and presentations. Every student will speak French every class in several different ways. Speaking French is an essential element of the participation grade, which counts as 20% of the course grade. In addition, speaking tests once per quarter will monitor progress in speaking ability. College-level effort is expected of students in AP French. The class is mean to be the equivalent of a third-year college class, and textbooks, resources and material and assessments used in the course are similar to those used by a third level language course in college.

Topics covered will be based on the FCPS Program of Studies for Upper-Level French and will include the following: civic responsibilities and engagement, diversity, prejudice and discrimination, historical and present conflicts, crime and justice, current events, politics, technology, the media, visual and performing arts, historical events, literature, environmental issues and problems, wildlife conservation, health issues and disease prevention, scientists and mathematicians, and other relevant topics.

Japanese

Grade 11, 12

This course satisfies the College Board requirements for a high school level Advanced Placement Japanese Language and Culture course. It is an
immersion experience requiring the exclusive use of Japanese in the classroom by teacher and students. The activities in this course will provide the students with a learning experience equivalent to that of a third year college Japanese language course. A wide variety of authentic materials will be used
in order to achieve mastery in listening and reading. The student will have ample opportunities to practice and develop formal and informal registers of speaking and writing using universal themes, cultural situations, and varied discourses and settings.

The Fairfax County Public Schools AP Japanese language program will prepare students to demonstrate their proficiency across the three Communicative modes: Interpersonal, Interpretive, and Presentational, as well as the five goals outlined in the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century (Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities). In addition, this course will challenge the student to think, read, speak, and write about culture and issues of global importance for Japanese speakers.

Latin

Grade 11, 12

The AP Latin course is intended to further develop and refine students’ reading skills through the study of Latin literature.

Students will read selections from Vergil's Aeneid and Caesar’s De Bello Gallico , analyzing the various passages as a study of Roman leadership. They will read selections of Vergil’s Aeneid and Caesar’s Gallic War in Latin and English. The Latin portion of Vergil’s Aeneid will include selections from Books 1, 2, 5, and 6. The Latin portion of Caesar’s Gallic War will include selections from Books 1, 4, 5, and 6. The English portion of Vergil’s Aeneid will include Books 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12. The English portion of Caesar’s Gallic War will include Books 1, 6, and 7.

Spanish Language

Grade 11, 12

This course satisfies the College Board requirements for a high school level Advanced Placement Spanish Language course. It is an immersion experience requiring the exclusive use of Spanish in the classroom by teacher and students. The activities in this course will provide the students with a learning experience equivalent to that of a third year college Spanish Language course. A wide variety of authentic materials will be used in order to achieve mastery in listening and reading. The student will have ample opportunities to practice and develop formal and informal registers of speaking and writing using universal themes, cultural situations, and varied discourses and settings.

The Fairfax County Public Schools AP Spanish Language program will prepare students to demonstrate their proficiency across the three Communicative modes: Interpersonal, Interpretive, and Presentational, as well as the five goals outlined in the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century (Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities). In addition, this course will challenge the student to think, read, speak, and write about culture and issues of global importance in the Spanish speaking world.

Mathematics

Precalculus

Grade level after Alegebra 2

In AP Precalculus, students explore everyday situations and phenomena using mathematical tools and lenses. Content of this college-level course corresponds to the curriculum framework of the College Board Precalculus Advanced Placement Program. Students will study polynomial, rational, exponential, and logarithmic functions, trigonometry, and functions involving polar, parametric, vector, and matrix representations. An emphasis will be placed on developing the mathematical practices of procedural and symbolic fluency, multiple representations, and communication and reasoning.

Calculus AB

Grade 11, 12

The purpose of this course is to prepare students to take the advanced placement examination, for which placement and/or credit may be awarded at the college level if a qualifying score is obtained. Content of this college-level course corresponds to the syllabus of the College Board Advanced Placement program. Content includes concepts and applications of differential and integral calculus. This course carries a weighted grade.

Calculus BC

Grade 11, 12

The purpose of this course is to prepare students to take the advanced placement examination, for which placement and/or credit may be awarded at the college level if a qualifying score is obtained. Content of this college-level course corresponds to the syllabus of the College Board Advanced Placement program. Content includes concepts and applications of differential and integral calculus. This course carries a weighted grade.

Computer Science A

Grade 10, 11, 12

In this course students will develop basic procedural programming constructs using the Java programming language. There is an emphasis on data structures in object-oriented programming. Students who complete this course will be prepared to take the AP Computer Science A exam.

Statistics

Grade 11, 12

Advanced Placement Statistics includes exploring graphical and numerical techniques to study: patterns and explore data, strategies for developing a plan to conduct a study based on data analysis, probability as a tool for predicting distribution of data, and techniques of statistical inference. AP Statistics teaches its students how to be numerically literate in understanding how to best interpret data from both experiments and surveys.

Music

Music Theory

Grade 10, 11, 12

The purpose of this course is to prepare students to take the Advanced Placement music theory examination, with college credit and/or placement being awarded if a qualifying score is achieved. Students are given a solid foundation in intervals, pitch patterns, metric/rhythmic patterns, chords, and the terms that are part of a basic understanding of reading, performing, and listening to music. Analysis and some elementary composition, aural skills, sight-singing, and keyboard harmony will also be included. All students are required to take the Advanced Placement Music Theory exam.

Science

Biology

Grade 11, 12

Chemistry

Grade 11, 12

A.P. Chemistry is a rigorous, fast paced course intended to be the equivalent of a college level first year general chemistry course. Earning an acceptable score on the Advanced Placement chemistry test in the spring is the course objective. The intention of the instructor is to provide a lecture/laboratory experience for each student enrolled in this class that will allow that objective to be obtained. The student will be required to participate in the objective by being prepared each and every class period.

Environmental Science

Grade 11, 12

This course is based on the course outline designed by the College Board. It provides 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 and/or preventing them.

Physics 1

Grade 12

AP Physics 1 is an advanced first year physics course designed for motivated learners who are considering a college degree in the physical sciences or engineering and enjoy a challenge. The class covers much of the same material as Honors Physics, but moves a lot more quickly and requires a deeper understanding of the content. Both in-depth problem solving and writing cohesively about the underlying principles are emphasized.  Students who sign up for AP Physics 1 must have already completed or be co-enrolled in Pre-Calculus/Trigonometry Honors. Most successful students have earned at least a B+ in their last honors math course as well as in Honors Chemistry and are often co-enrolled in Calculus, although this is not required. This course has the nation’s lowest AP Exam pass rate of any AP course offered by the College Board, so think about it before signing up!

Physics 2

Grade 12

AP Physics 2 is a continuation of AP Physics 1 and is intended for those students interested in pursuing science, mathematics, or engineering in college. The course covers topics such as thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, optics, and modern physics with an emphasis on an inquiry based approach to learning. This course is algebra and trigonometry based, with no need for Calculus. Successful completion of this course may earn students up to 4 college science credits.

Physics C-Mechanics

Physics C - Electricity and Magnetism

Grade 12

Advanced Placement Physics C Mechanics is a second-level course that handles classical mechanic topics at a level above Physics 1. It is designed for students who have a solid foundation in the core science and math curricula and are now ready to pursue more advanced studies. It is a course in physics for students who are considering pursuing a college degree in either science or engineering. All students are required to take the Advanced Placement Physics C Mechanics examination, for which college credit may be given if a qualifying score is achieved.

Social Studies

European History

Grade 10, 11, 12

Psychology

Grade 11, 12

The purpose of AP Psychology is to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals. Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields of psychology. They also learn about the methods psychologists use in their science and practice. The aim of Advanced Placement Psychology is to provide the students with a learning experience equivalent to that obtained in an introductory college psychology course. College credit and/or placement may be given if a qualifying score is made on the Advanced Placement Examination. Students who enroll in the course should be highly motivated and intellectually curious. All students are required to take the Advanced Placement Psychology Exam.

US History

Grade 11

The AP program in United States history is designed to provide students with the analytic skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in United States history. This program prepares students for intermediate and advanced college courses by making demands upon them equivalent to those made by semester introductory college courses. Students should learn to assess historical materials – their relevance to a given interpretive problem, their reliability and their importance – and to weigh the evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship. AP US History is designed to be taught at the college level and is meant to be a demanding and challenging experience for high school students. The primary objective in this class is the continued advancement of student information processing skills where strong emphasis on improving each student’s information processing skills, with an emphasis on improving their ability to analyze and evaluate the importance of historical data and their ability to express those ideas in written form. Through college-level AP courses, you enter a universe of knowledge that might otherwise remain unexplored in high school; through AP Exams, you have the opportunity to earn credit or advanced standing at most of the nation's colleges and universities.

US Government

Grade 12

This course explores the political theory and everyday practice that direct the daily operation of our government and shape our public policies. The express purpose of this course is to prepare students to take the AP Exam for U.S Government and Politics. It requires a substantial amount of reading and preparation for every class as it is taught as it would be in college. The objectives of this course go beyond a basic analysis of how our government works. Students will do this by developing a critical understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the American political system, as well as their rights and responsibilities as citizens.

World History

Grade 10, 11, 12

AP World History is a college-level course that is structured around the investigation of six major themes through six different chronological periods. The six periods from roughly 8000 BCE to the present provide the chronological framework for the course. The six themes are: Interaction between Humans and the Environment; Development and Interaction of Cultures; State-building, Expansion and Conflict; Creation, Expansion and Interaction of Economic Systems; Development and Transformation of Social Structures; Analysis of Change and Continuity over Time.Students are expected to develop historical thinking skills such as analyzing cause and effect, creating historical arguments using historical evidence, comparing and contrasting historical developments within one society, or across different societies, and interpreting and synthesizing historical arguments. Students will develop skills that will aid them in writing the three different essay types included on the AP exam (Document Based Question, Change and Continuity Over Time and Compare/Contrast).

Please note that this course is not aligned with the Virginia Standards of Learning for World History II.

Macroecomonics

Microeconomics

Grade 11, 12

The purpose of an AP course in macroeconomics is to give students a thorough understanding of the principles of economics that apply to an economic system as a whole. Such a course places particular emphasis on the study of national income and price-level determination, and also develops students’ familiarity with economic performance measures, the financial sector, stabilization policies, economic growth, and international economics.

The purpose of an AP course in microeconomics is to give students a thorough understanding of the principles of economics that apply to the functions of individual decision makers, both consumers and producers, within the economic system. It places primary emphasis on the nature and functions of product markets, and includes the study of factor markets and of the role of government in promoting greater efficiency and equity in the economy.