Advanced Placement (AP) courses are designed to expose students to college-level course material while they are still in high school. These academically rigorous courses challenge students, offering them the responsibility of reasoning, analyzing and polishing their skills while preparing to take the AP exam. Students earn two high school credits upon the successful completion of coursework (grade C or better) and may, depending on the results of their AP exam and their selected college, earn college credit. Each May, the College Board administers the AP exams. While the goal of the AP classes is to succeed on the AP exam, only 10% – 20% of the class time is spent on test preparation.
Notes:

• Gifted LearningLinks participants must register through their local high school in order to take the exam. Check the College Board website at www.college board.com/student/testing/ap/about .html for more information, including registration deadlines and specific testing dates and times.
• Students beginning an AP course in the fall of 2007 will be prepared to take the AP exam in May 2008. Those enrolling in the winter or summer sessions should plan to take the AP exam in May 2009.
• All AP courses are offered online.

Student Expectations for Independent Study

While independent learning allows students the flexibility of working distance learning study time around both their academic interests and personal schedules, students must be able to:

•  Devote 4 to 6 hours per week to studying course material;

•  Plan ahead and meet all assignment and test deadlines;

•  Follow and complete instructor directions.

Students are expected to follow the course syllabus unless prior arrangements have been made with the instructor.

Gifted LearningLinks has fall, winter, and summer sessions. All courses run for nine months from the starting date, but students can accelerate their learning to finish in a shorter period of time if desired . (Requests to accelerate the course or change assignment deadlines must be made to the instructor at the start of the course.) All requests for extensions are reviewed and granted on an individual basis in conjunction with the instructor and Gifted LearningLinks coordinators. A fee is assessed for each month of the extension (see Policies & Fees). No extension may go beyond three months.

AP Humanities

85. AP® Latin IV: Vergil
Prerequisites: Latin I and II Wheelock or Ecce Romani and instructor’s permission
Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit. In other words, “Perhaps some day we will look back upon these things with joy.” These words of Aeneas to his crew may be equally well-addressed to stalwart Latin students who are interested in taking AP Latin: Vergil. Students translate and metri­cally scan all required Latin passages, discuss liteary and grammatical features and understand the literary context. Students
read the entire Aeneid and pertinent pas­sages in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey in English. Supplemental materials and rec­ommended texts are provided to aid in understanding passage interpretation. Examples from previous years illustrate how questions from AP exams have been graded in the past. This course prepares students for the AP Latin: Vergil exam.
High school credit: 2 semesters

86. AP® English Language and Composition
Prerequisites: two years of Honors English and a writing sample
Do you enjoy thinking about language and how to use it as a persuasive tool? This course focuses on reading and analyz­ing nonfiction prose while teaching stu­dents to write clear, persuasive essays. Participants consider stylistic and mechani­cal topics as well as broad, theoretical con­cerns. Through nonfiction readings and writings on politics, race, gender, history, science and ethics, students actively partic­ipate in class discussions while building a portfolio of their written work. This course prepares students for the AP English Language and Composition exam.
High school credit: 2 semesters

87. AP® English Literature and Composition
Prerequisites: two years of Honors English and a writing sample
As students carefully read works of consid­erable literary merit, they practice and refine their skills and reach a new level of maturity in their writing. By reading the finest poetry, plays, novels, short stories and essays written across cultures and his­torical periods, students develop their abil­ity to analyze, write and interpret literature. Being attentive to language usage, image, character, action, argument and the various literary techniques and strategies authors use to evoke emotional response from readers, students increase the level of their understanding of reading and their writing. This college-level class prepares students to take the AP English Literature and Composition exam and other college-level English and writing courses.
High school credit: 2 semesters

88. AP® US History
Prerequisite: writing sample
Are you interested in the story of the great “American experiment,” now known as the United States? For students of history, this course provides an opportunity to master the factual knowledge and analytical skills needed to understand and think critically about issues in American History. From the first European explorations of the Americas to current events and trends, students examine political institutions and behaviors, public policy, social and eco­nomic change, diplomacy and internation­al relations and cultural and intellectual developments. This course prepares stu­dents to take the AP US History exam.
High school credit: 2 semesters

89. AP® European History
Prerequisite: writing sample
 “The study of history enables us to control, not society, but ourselves... .” — Carl Becker. This course in European History, spanning the period from the High Middle Ages to the present, explores and examines the ori­gins and evolution of the values that shape our present world. Through primary sources, works of art and contemporary literature, students develop and sharpen the skills necessary for effectively analyz­ing, interpreting and evaluating historical materials. This course prepares students for the AP European History exam.
High school credit: 2 semesters

90. AP® World History
Prerequisite: writing sample
Learn about the world's history from mul­tiple perspectives and historical analysis. Through the use of analytical skills stu­dents discover the nature of historical, global processes. Building on an under­standing of history prior to 1000 C.E., students examine contacts and changes among various world civilizations and societies. The relationship of change and continuity throughout the periods of world history, the impact of interactions and developments among major societies are explored. This course prepares stu­dents to take the AP World History exam.
High school credit: 2 semesters

91. AP® Government and Politics: US and Comparative
Are you intrigued by the political process and its implications in our rapidly chang­ing global society? During the first semes­ter of this course, students acquire an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States. Included are both the study and analysis of general con­cepts used to interpret US politics. The second semester introduces comparative politics, based on an exploration of the political frameworks of France, Great Britain, China, Russia/the former Soviet Union, and one of the following: India, Mexico or Nigeria. Students examine the sources of public authority and political power, as well as the role of nationhood, in light of political change. This course prepares students for two exams: AP Government and Politics: US and AP Government and Politics: Comparative.
High school credit: 2 semesters

92. AP® Economics: Micro and Macro
As the world becomes increasingly flat, it is critical for its inhabitants to have a working knowledge of the basic principles of economics. This course addresses the central topics of supply-and-demand and demand-and-supply economics, the role of labor, government taxation, regulatory policy and expenditures; fiscal and mone­tary policy; international trade; and indi­vidual choices that affect the economy and standard of living. Microeconomics exam­ines the behaviors of individual businesses while macroeconomics analyzes the econ­omy as a whole. This course prepares students for two exams: AP Economics: Micro and AP Economics: Macro.
High school credit: 2 semesters

93. AP® Human Geography
How do human, political, cultural, social and economic factors create the distribu­tion of human activity on the Earth’s sur­face? Geography focuses on the question of “where?” but Human Geography tries to answer the question “why there?”  In this multifaceted approach to understand­ing world geography, students examine the basics of culture change, culture regionalism, spatial interaction, human behavior, population structures and pat­terns. Building on these fundamentals, students examine configurations of eco­nomic, urban, rural and political organiza­tion of space while learning about the methods and tools geographers use in their practice.  Students also follow and discuss current geopolitical events. This course prepares students for the AP Human Geography exam.
High school credit: 2 semesters

94. AP® Psychology
Prerequisite: writing sample
Throughout history, people have ranged from inquisitive to obsessive about the underlying reasons for emotions, thought and behavior. Psychology is the science developed in an attempt to explain these phenomena. Incorporating an overview of contemporary psychological perspectives, students investigate theories about behav­ior and cognition, participate in the research process, and study the current practice of psychology in various contexts. This course prepares students for the AP Psychology exam.
High school credit: 2 semesters

AP Mathematics and Technology

95. AP® Calculus AB
Prerequisites: Algebra II/Trigonometry, Geometry
Rocket scientist or brain surgeon, architect or engineer — the study of calculus is the foundation for many professional endeav-ors. AP Calculus AB is the equivalent of a first semester course in a college calculus sequence. This course includes analytic geometry, functions, limits, continuity, the derivative and its applications, and the integral and its applications. This course is designed for the student who has had no prior training in calculus and prepares stu­dents for the AP Calculus AB exam.
Notes:

• If the student finishes AP Calculus AB in five months or less, s/he may enroll immediately in AP Calculus BC.
• A graphing calculator is required.

High school credit: 2 semesters

96. AP®Calculus BC
Prerequisite: AP Calculus AB
From the Latin for “pebble,” this area of mathematics, calculus, is used to solve complex problems. AP Calculus BC is the equivalent of the second-semester course in a college calculus sequence. It includes advanced applications of integration, advanced integration techniques, infinite series, conics, parametric equations, polar coordinates, and the calculus of vector-valued functions. A thorough knowledge of the material from AP Calculus AB will be tested before students begin to study the advanced material.
Notes:

• This course prepares students for the AP Calculus BC exam.
• Graphing calculator is required.

High school credit: 2 semesters

97. AP® Statistics
Prerequisite: Algebra I
Statistics addresses the collection, analysis, interpretation or explanation, and presen­tation of data. This introductory, non-cal­culus-based college-level statistics course emphasizes understanding and analyzing statistical studies. Participants develop skills in sampling procedures, analyzing data, designing and analyzing surveys and experiments, as well as the testing of hypotheses. This course emphasizes the development of an intuitive understanding of statistics and probability. As students gain a sense of the importance and rele­vance of statistics in the real world, they become able to evaluate the use and mis­use of them.
Notes:

• This course prepares students for the AP Statistics exam.
• Graphing calculator is required.

High school credit: 2 semesters

98. AP® Computer Science AB
Prerequisite: Algebra II and Java Honors
A strong work ethic and motivation are necessary to succeed in this rigorous AP Computer Science course. Much emphasis is placed on object-oriented programming methodology with a concentration on problem solving and algorithm develop­ment. Also examined is the study of data structures, design, and abstraction. Students choose to take the AP test for Computer Science A or AB, based on the amount of course material they cover. Notes:

• Access to a printer is imperative.
• Macintosh or Windows operating systems are recommended.
• Students need a Java compiler (a pro­gram that allows students to write and run Java programs); information on free compilers that are available online is included in the course syllabus.

High school credit: 2 semesters

AP Science

99. AP® Biology
Prerequisites: Biology and Chemistry
New research suggests that many insects living in northern climates use specialized proteins to survive the cold, rather than expiring immediately. The ongoing infor­mation explosion in biology enhances this extremely challenging class that enables students to develop a conceptual frame­work for modern biology and helps them gain an appreciation of science as a process. Primary emphasis is on develop­ing an understanding of concepts rather than on memorizing terms and technical details. This course focuses on three units: molecules and cells, heredity and evolu­tion, and organisms and populations. Virtual and hands-on labs enhance the stu­dents’ understanding of these topics. This course is intended to provide appealing and challenging experiences that are beyond the scope of a general biology course at the high school level and pre­pares students for the AP Biology exam.

• Additional fee of $50 for online labs.

High school credit: 2 semesters

100. AP® Environmental Science
Prerequisites: Algebra I, one physical science and one life science course
Environmental science is interdisciplinary as it embraces a wide variety of topics from many areas of study. Students study the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world. They identify and analyze environmental problems, both natural and human-made, in an effort to evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems and to examine alternative solutions for resolving and/or preventing them. Lab activities in this class require a significant amount of fieldwork as students acquire the knowl­edge, skills and experiences of this curricu­lum. This course prepares students for the AP Environmental Science exam.
High school credit: 2 semesters

101. AP® Chemistry
Prerequisites: Algebra II and Chemistry
Chemistry is based on the concept that the physical properties of materials are generally determined by their structure at the molecular or atomic scale. Students examine stoichiometry, atomic theory, chemical bonding, gas laws, chemical equilibrium, chemical kinetics, acid-base reactions, precipitation reactions, chemical thermodynamics, electrochemistry, and organic chemistry. Virtual and hands-on labs augment students' understanding of the curriculum. This class places emphasis upon principal topics covered in introduc­tory college chemistry courses and pre­pares students for the AP exam.

High school credit: 2 semesters

102. AP® Physics B
Prerequisites: Algebra I and II
This course, which is concerned with the fundamental laws of the universe, presents students with a structured and challenging experience into this field of study. It offers
a broad foundation in the major topics of physics. Included are mechanics, waves and optics, electromagnetism, thermody­namics, and selected modern physics issues. Virtual and hands-on labs provide students with experiences in this exciting field of science. This course provides a foundation in physics for students who have no prior physics experience and are interested in a non-technical science major in college (such as medicine). This course prepares students for the AP Physics B exam.
High school credit: 2 semesters

103. AP® Physics C
Prerequisite: Previous or concurrent enrollment in Calculus
All fields of science, including chemistry and biology, investigate systems where properties are based upon the laws of physics. This advanced course provides students with a detailed study of both classical mechanics and classical electro­magnetism. Physics C is designed for those students who typically have some prior physics experience and are interested in majoring in technical science in college. The rigor of the course requires the use of calculus to solve college-level problems and prepares students to take the AP Physics C exam.
High school credit: 2 semesters

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