What is AP?

1. What is AP? Advanced Placement (AP) courses are developed and offered by the College Board. Essentially, they are college courses that are offered in high school, and are therefore rigorous and challenging. Studies show that students who challenge themselves in high school (by taking AP courses, for example) are more successful in college.

2. Benefits of Taking AP Earn college credit (3-4 hours) Saves money Saves time Makes you more marketable to colleges Makes you more career-versatile (double major) Experience a college class while still in high school Work with highly experienced, qualified teachers Interact with other students who share common goals At West Forsyth, teachers are available for tutoring

3. Compare to Honors/Seminar Rigor Pacing Quality Points College Level Curriculum Workload Work Ethic Self-Motivation

4. Current AP Courses at West • AP World History • AP US History • AP Psychology • AP Human Geography • AP Environmental Science • AP Calculus AB • AP English Language and Composition • AP English Literature and Composition

5. AP Courses Possible • AP Latin • AP French These courses are already allowed to be offered in the home schools if a certain number of students register.

6. AP Courses Requested • AP Biology • AP Government: Comparative • AP Government: United States • AP Macro Economics • AP Micro Economics

7. AP at West - Social Studies Advanced Placement Human Geography Advanced Placement Psychology Advanced Placement US History Advanced Placement World History

8. AP Human Geography Open to students in 11th and 12th grades Focused on interpreting, and analyzing spatial data, interactions between humans and geography, regionalization and globalization and other patterns and processes of interconnectedness Complements AP Environmental Science because of overlapping themes and concepts

9. AP Psychology • Open to students in 11th and 12th grades • Survey course on the fundamentals of Psychology • Specifically the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes • Explores biological, psychological and social influences on the human condition

10. AP United States History Open to students in 11th and 12th grades Fulfills US history graduation requirement Covers archaic North America to 1990s Helps with high order thinking and writing Complements Advanced Placement Language and Composition

11. AP World History Covers the period from 8000 B.C. to present Topics include political, economic, social cultural concepts and processes Focused at a high level on five themes of world history and habits of mind

12. AP at West - Science AP Environmental Science

13. AP Environmental Science Open to students in 11th or 12th grade Prerequisites: Biology and Chemistry The goal of APES is to help students to: understand the interrelationships of the natural world, identify and analyze natural and man-made environmental problems evaluate risks associated with these problems examine alternative solutions for resolving or preventing these problems Complements AP Human Geography (also offered at West by the social studies department) because some themes and concepts overlap

14. AP at West - Math AP Calculus AB

15. AP Calculus AB AP Calculus AB presents Calculus at a level that one could find at most colleges. This course does review and extend some PreCalculus topics during the first month of school. When the AB course covers a Calculus topic, it does so with the same rigor and demands as the BC course.  The two basic concepts covered in AP Calculus AB are derivatives and antiderivatives.   Before taking AP Calculus AB, students should successfully complete Honors PreCalculus.

16. AP at West - English AP English Language AP English Literature

17. AP English Language and Composition • Analyze American literature as it reflects social perspective and historical significance • Read lengthy text selections from the ConciseAnthology of American Literature and TheInformed Argument • Study and analyze current events • Read outside of class eight – ten novels and non-fiction texts of the teacher’s choice from the reading list • Write 9 – 14 essays per quarter • Enter this level with mastery of parts of speech, sentence types, all aspects of grammar, and sentence writing • Produce multi-draft, rhetorical analysis, argumentation, and synthesis essays based on fiction and non-fiction texts • Develop vocabulary including literary terms, words encountered in literature, and SAT vocabulary

18. AP English Literature and Composition • Reading: The course will include an intensive study of representative works from various genres and periods, concentrating on works of “recognized literary merit” according to the standards set forth by the Advanced Placement Program, Princeton, NJ.  Students should expect to study eight novels or plays including one during the summer and an additional selection of the student’s choice after the AP test in May. • Writing:   Writing assignments will focus on the critical analysis of literature and will include expository, analytical, and argumentative essays.  • Daily Expectations: Students in this college level class can expect homework over the summer, the weekends, and holidays. The assignments will require independent thinking, self motivation, and a strong work ethic. Students will be required to participate in class discussions. Students will need to exhibit a sense of personal responsibility and time-management.