Advanced Placement & College In The High School Courses
501611 Advanced Placement Art and Design (Weight 1.3) (Grades 11 and 12) 1.0 credit
(This course will be scheduled to meet every other day for the full year.)
The AP Art & Design course is a comprehensive program designed to foster artistic exploration and development among high school students similar to the experience of a foundational college course. This advanced placement course offers two distinct pathways—AP 2-D Art & Design and AP Drawing—that provide students with the opportunity to showcase their artistic skills and conceptual understanding. Emphasizing a strong foundation in visual communication, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving, students will explore the connection between ideas, materials, and processes through a wide range of media, techniques, and concepts. Students will also complete a sustained investigation of a chosen theme that reflects their personal voice and artistic identity. The AP Art & Design course challenges students to engage in a thoughtful artistic process, encouraging them to experiment, take risks, and develop an understanding of the purpose behind their choices.
Assignments will require approximately 5-7 hours of work outside of class per week. Students will be expected to complete summer assignments prior to the start of the course. Students enrolling in AP Art and Design will be required to submit the selected portfolio in May.
Prerequisite:
Successful completion of 3 advanced two-dimensional art courses (Drawing/Painting I-III, Photography I-III, Graphic Design I-II) with a grade of ‘B’ or higher. Completion of Drawing/Painting II is highly recommended prior to APAD but may be completed simultaneously with APAD in the fall semester. Teacher approval required.
201511 Advanced Placement Computer Science (Weight – 1.3) (Grades 11, 12) 1.0 credit
(This course will be scheduled to meet every other day for the full year)
This course is designed for the serious computer science student seeking to gain an understanding of a higher, structured computer language – JAVA. Preparation for the Advanced Placement examination, for which college credit may be earned, will be emphasized. Students enrolling in an AP course will be required to take the AP exam
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Computer Programming II with a grade of ‘B’ or higher and approval of the instructor.
101111 Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition (Weight – 1.3) 1.0 credit
(This course will be scheduled to meet every other day for the full year)
Course Overview as published by the College Board: “The AP English Literature and Composition course aligns to an introductory college-level literary analysis course. The course engages students in the close reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature to deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure. As they read, students consider a work’s structure, style, and themes, as well as its use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone. Writing assignments include expository, analytical, and argumentative essays that require students to analyze and interpret literary works.”
Prerequisites: Teacher approval required. To qualify for AP Literature at Donegal High School, students will need to earn an A or B in an honors English course in tenth or eleventh grade and also satisfactorily complete an admission essay. Prospective students should see Mrs. Brackbill to receive a copy of the assignment prior to registering for the course.
Summer Reading Requirement: Over the summer, accepted students will read three novels and keep a reading journal which is due on the first day of class. Materials will be distributed prior to summer break.
101311 Advanced Placement English Language and Composition (Weight 1.3) 1.0 credit
(This course will be scheduled to meet every other day for the full year)
Course Overview as published by the College Board: “The AP English Language and Composition course aligns to an introductory college-level rhetoric and writing curriculum, which requires students to develop evidence-based analytic and argumentative essays that proceed through several stages or drafts. Students evaluate, synthesize, and cite research to support their arguments. Throughout the course, students develop a personal style by making appropriate grammatical choices. Additionally, students read and analyze the rhetorical elements and their effects in non-fiction texts, including graphic images as forms of text, from many disciplines and historical periods.”
Prerequisites: Teacher approval required. To qualify for AP Language at Donegal High School, students will need to earn an A or B in an honors English course in tenth or eleventh grade and also satisfactorily complete an admission essay. Prospective students should see Mrs. Brackbill to receive a copy of the assignment prior to registering for the course.
Summer Reading Requirement: Over the summer, accepted students will read three novels and keep a reading journal which is due on the first day of class. Materials will be distributed prior to summer break.
101511 English Composition (Weight 1.3) (Grade 11 or 12) 1.0 credit
(College in the High School Course) - Approval of school counselor and principal required.
This Harrisburg Area Community College, Lancaster Campus course focuses on the development of fluency in writing clear, forceful, and effective prose. Students will learn and utilize the writing process for many modes of writing, including analytical, narrative, evaluative, argumentative, and explanatory writing. Deep understanding of the grammatical concepts of the English language as well as proper form and citation will also be studied. In short, the course prepares the student for the many types of writing required in a college setting. Completion of this course results in the awarding of 3.0 college credits, transferable to any college or university that accepts transcripts from HACC. A nominal registration and course fee is required by Harrisburg Area Community College in order to participate.
Prerequisites: Must have taken an honors-level English course in 10th or 11th grade and submit qualifying essay to Mrs. Stokes for approval prior to registering. Students will also need to pass HACC’s entrance exam to take the course. Students who have applied in 11th grade and were not accepted are encouraged to apply again for their senior year.
201111 Advanced Placement Calculus AB (Weight – 1.3) (Grades 11, 12) 1.0 credit
(This course will be scheduled to meet every other day for the full year)
The course consists of two main concepts: derivatives and integrals. A study of limits and continuity leads to several definitions of the derivative. The derivative is then used to define the integral, leading to the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. Functions are explored graphically, numerically, analytically, and verbally. The relationships among these representations are emphasized. Students are expected to clearly communicate procedures used and conclusions drawn, using proper vocabulary and terms. The appropriate use of a graphing calculator is essential, and the approach to the content will be rigorous. College credits may be earned by passing the Advanced Placement examination with a score of 3 or better. Students enrolling in an AP course will be required to take the AP exam
201211 Advanced Placement Calculus BC (Weight -1.3) (Grades 11, 12) 1.0 credit
The course includes further study of differential and integral calculus topics and also includes additional topics in polynomial approximations and series. As in the prerequisite course of Advanced Placement Calculus AB, problems are explored graphically, numerically, analytically, and verbally, and the relationships among these various representations are emphasized. The course also addresses an appreciation of calculus as a coherent body of knowledge and as a human accomplishment. Students are expected to clearly communicate procedures used and conclusions drawn, using proper vocabulary and terms. The appropriate use of a graphing calculator is essential, and the approach to the content will be rigorous. College credits may be earned by passing the Advanced Placement examination with a score of 3 or better. Students enrolling in an AP course will be required to take the AP exam
201411 Advanced Placement Statistics I (Weight – 1.3) (Grades 11, 12) 1.0 credit
(This course will be scheduled to meet every other day for the full year)
The AP Statistics course is equivalent to a one-semester, introductory, non-calculus-based college course in statistics. The course introduces students to the major concepts and tools for collecting, analyzing, and drawing conclusions from data. There are four themes in the AP Statistics course: exploring data, sampling and experimentation, anticipating patterns, and statistical inference. Students use technology, investigations, problem solving, and writing as they build conceptual understanding. Students must have successfully completed Honors Algebra II with a grade of B+ or better prior to enrolling in AP Statistics. College credits may be earned by taking the Advanced Placement examination with a score of 3 or higher. Teacher approval required. Students enrolling in an AP course will be required to take the AP exam.
251711 Advanced Placement Biology (Weight – 1.3) (Grades 11, 12) 1.0 credit
(This course will be scheduled to meet every other day for the full year)
The AP biology course is designed to be the equivalent of a college introductory biology course usually taken by biology majors during their first year. Students, who qualify on the advanced placement examination, as college freshmen, may be permitted to take upper level courses in biology or register for other courses in which biology is a prerequisite. Students who elect this class must have successfully completed a first course in biology and in chemistry. AP biology differs from the usual biology course in respect to the kind of textbook used, the range and depth of topics covered, and the time and effort required of students. Teacher approval required. Students enrolling in an AP course will be required to take the AP exam.
251811 Advanced Placement Chemistry (Weight – 1.3) (Grades 11, 12) 1.0 credit
The AP chemistry course is designed to be the equivalent of a college introductory chemistry course usually taken by science and medical majors during their first year. Students, who qualify on the advanced placement examination as college freshmen, may be permitted to take upper level courses in chemistry or register for other courses in which chemistry is a prerequisite. Students who elect this class should have successfully completed a first course according to the requirements for entering honors level courses and the Honors Chemistry II course as stated above. Being a third level chemistry course students should expect in-depth mathematics within the course. AP chemistry will focus on the topics of equilibrium, thermodynamics and acid/base chemistry. Teacher approval required. Students enrolling in an AP course will be required to take the AP exam.
251911 Advanced Placement Physics C Mechanics (Weight – 1.3) (Grades 11, 12) 1.0 credit
(This course will be scheduled to meet every other day for the full year)
(THIS COURSE WILL NOT BE OFFERED DURING THE 24-25 SCHOOL YEAR)
The AP physics course is designed to follow the AP physics “C” syllabus. The course will concentrate on the topics of mechanics, motion and energy. A calculus based course – tests, problems, and labs will make up the bulk of the grade along with outside required reading. Students must be either taking or successfully completed AP calculus or calculus. Teacher approval required. Students enrolling in an AP course will be required to take the AP exam
256211 Advanced Placement Environmental Science (Weight - 1.3) (Grades 11, 12) 1.0 credit
(This course will be scheduled to meet every other day for the full year)
The AP Environmental Science course is designed to be the equivalent of an introductory college Environmental Science course. The course of study will include a review of Earth’s chemical and physical cycles, an introduction to biodiversity and population ecology, an examination of resource use and pollution, as well as an analysis of global change. Course work will require students to employ algebraic models and students will be expected to maintain a cumulative lab notebook. Prerequisites: A grade of B or higher in Honors Environmental Science, successful completion of Academic or Honors Biology, Chemistry and Algebra I. Teacher approval required. Students enrolling in an AP course will be required to take the AP exam.
153111 Advanced Placement Government and Politics (Weight 1.3) (Grade 11, 12) 1.0 credit
(This course will be scheduled to meet every other day for the full year)
This course may be taken in place of civics and government. The AP United States government course provides an in-depth look at the government of the United States that includes a study and evaluation of the political system that runs it. The course is designed to help students develop an understanding and appreciation for how the political system works and how it influences and touches the lives of every American. Also, it is designed to help students understand how their participation in the system is important to its survival. Knowledge of contemporary political events is essential for the analytical focus that must be exhibited in the writing required in the course. Throughout the course of the semester students will be required to analyze various forms of political and statistical data. This will include charts, graphs, political cartoons, and other data distributed in class. Students enrolling in an AP course will be required to take the AP exam. Interested 10th grade students must obtain teacher and principal permission.
151611 Advanced Placement United States History (Weight – 1.3) (Grades 11, 12) 1.0 credit
(This course will be scheduled to meet every other day for the full year)
The elective advanced placement course in United States History is designed to expose students to a survey of U.S. history from its pre-colonial beginnings to the present day. This course offers a complete college-level study of United States history and may be taken in place of Modern U.S. History. Students enrolling in an AP course will be required to take the AP exam.
156111 Advanced Placement Psychology (Weight – 1.3) (Grades 11, 12) 1. 0 credit
(This course will be scheduled to meet every other day for the full year)
Advanced Placement Psychology is a course designed to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavioral and mental processes of human beings. Key concepts of the major schools of psychology and important theorists with their contributions to psychology are taught. Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomenon associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. They also learn about the ethics and methods psychologist use in their science and practice. Vocabulary is an essential part of psychology; therefore, vocabulary is emphasized. Students enrolling in an AP course will be required to take the AP exam
154111 Advanced Placement Human Geography (Weight - 1.3) (Grades 10, 11, 12) 1.0 credit
(This course will be scheduled to meet every other day for the full year)
This advanced elective course may be taken in place of the elective Social Studies course Human Geography, which is taught at the Academic level. The course emphasizes the importance of geography as an academic field of study by examining relevant topics from a geographic perspective and teaching students to think spatially in order to better understand human life on earth. Throughout the course, students will be seeking to answer the big questions of “where” and “why.” AP Human Geography introduces high school students to college-level introductory Human Geography or Cultural Geography. The content is presented thematically rather than regionally, although mapping knowledge is acquired regionally. The content is organized around the discipline’s main subfields of economic geography, cultural geography, political geography, and urban geography. Within these subfields, the following topics are examined: the nature and perspectives of geography; mapping and map projections; globalization; population and demographic patterns; migration and movement; cultural processes; geopolitics and the creation of borders and nation-states; colonialism and its influences; the Middle East in today’s global society and international terrorism; land use and resource stewardship; agricultural geography; industrialization; economic development; and urbanization patterns. Course participants can expect to expand their geographic understanding of the world's physical and political features through mapping, relevant case studies, and current events. The course is spatial and problem-solving in perspective and orientation as case studies are drawn from all world regions with a greater emphasis on understanding the world in which we live today. The goal of the course is for students to become more geoliterate, more engaged in contemporary global issues, and more informed about multicultural perspectives. Students enrolling in an AP course will be required to take the AP exam.
302711 Spanish IV/SPANISH 201 – CHS/HACC Intermediate Spanish I (Weight – 1.3) 1.0 credit
(College in the High School Course) - Approval of school counselor and principal required.
This course reviews the fundamentals of Spanish grammar and introduces advanced language structures. Extensive practice in conversation and composition is incorporated into each topic of study. Students will read and analyze works of acknowledged literary and cultural merit in order to familiarize themselves with the history, geography, culture (music, art, famous people), and current events of the Spanish-speaking world. Students are expected to interact with each other and the teacher in Spanish. This class is conducted in Spanish. This course is available as a Harrisburg Area Community College course. Completion of this HACC course results in the awarding of 4.0 college credits, transferable to any college or university that accepts transcripts from HACC. A nominal course fee is required by Harrisburg Area Community College in order to participate.
Prerequisite: Completion of Spanish III with a minimum grade of ‘B’ and teacher recommendation
302811 SPANISH 202 – CHS/HACC Intermediate Spanish II (Weight 1.3) 1.0 credit
(College in the High School Course) - Approval of school counselor and principal required.
This Harrisburg Area Community College course focuses on continued study of the fundamentals of Spanish grammar and practice in conversation and composition. Further practice in oral and written skills and continued reading of works of literary and cultural merit will prepare students for advanced study of the language. Culture is presented through literature, Spanish-language movies and music, and the use of Spanish realia such as newspapers and magazines. Students are expected to interact with each other and the teacher in Spanish and to handle the language with a degree of fluency. This course is conducted in Spanish. Completion of this course results in the awarding of 4.0 college credits, transferable to any college or university that accepts transcripts from HACC. A nominal course fee is required by Harrisburg Area Community College in order to participate.
Prerequisite: Completion of Spanish IV or HACC SPANISH 201 with a minimum grade of ‘B’ and teacher recommendation