From molecules to mountains.

Full year – .33 credits/trimester
Physics introduces all Cate ninth-grade students to scientific inquiry and problem-solving. After framing science as a “way of knowing,” students explore fundamental mechanics topics of kinematics, projectile motion, statics, dynamics, momentum, and energy along with wave phenomena of light and sound. Students focus on exercising scientific practices: asking scientific questions and defining problems, planning and carrying out investigations, developing and using models, analyzing and interpreting data, using mathematics and computational thinking, arguing from evidence, and communicating in both verbal and written forms. Students are expected to extract the majority of their learning from these experiences and from each other with teachers serving as guides and coaches. With these scientific and metacognitive tools, Cate ninth-grade students leave the course with a firm conceptual understanding of physics and the nature of science in preparation for Chemistry and Biology at Cate. Instructional methods follow a guided-inquiry approach where students are expected to do science — collaboratively explore phenomena, seek answers and solutions, find patterns, and develop and use models to predict the future. Required for all ninth-grade students at Cate.

Full year – .33 credits/trimester
Honors Physics is an upper school algebra-based, introductory physics course that is well suited either as a follow up to the 9th-grade Physics course in mechanics or as a first experience with physics for 11th and 12th graders with other scientific backgrounds. This class is laboratory-based; students develop their scientific inquiry skills and their understandings through collaborative handson investigation and argumentation. Topics of focus include electricity, magnetism, fields and potential, fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, electric circuits, optics, and modern physics. Students in upper school science classes are expected to operate with a high degree of independence and collaborate effectively with classmates. Open to juniors and seniors who have completed biology and chemistry. Prerequisites: completion of lab-based high school biology and chemistry or departmental permission. Classic mechanics coursework useful but not required. Integrated Algebra 2 and Trigonometry or higher.

Full year – .33 credits/trimester
Chemistry is an introductory lab-based course is designed to foster inquiry and an exploration of the macroscopic and molecular-level characteristics of matter and how it changes. Students refine their ability to develop and answer scientific questions, develop and use models, plan and conduct investigations, analyze and interpret data, use mathematics and computational thinking, formulate scientific explanations, engage in argument from evidence, and communicate scientific ideas. Through lab investigation and analysis of real-world data, students construct an understanding of the structure and arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules and the forces between them. Topics explored include atomic theory, chemical bonding, intermolecular forces, the mole concept, gases and pressure, stoichiometry, thermochemistry, and kinetics. Chemistry is co-enrolled with Honors Chemistry. All students in both courses will be exposed and have access to greater depth and exploration of topics and higher-level problem-solving. Open to sophomores.

Full year – .33 credits/trimester
Honors Chemistry is a rigorous introductory lab-based course designed to foster inquiry and an exploration of the macroscopic and molecular-level characteristics of matter and how it changes. Highly skilled, independent, and motivated learners will refine their ability to develop and answer scientific questions, develop and use models, plan and conduct investigations, analyze and interpret data, use mathematics and computational thinking, formulate scientific explanations, engage in argument from evidence, and communicate scientific ideas. Through lab investigation and analysis of real-world data, students construct an understanding of the structure and arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules and the forces between them. Topics explored include atomic theory, chemical bonding, intermolecular forces, the mole concept, gases and pressure, stoichiometry, thermochemistry, and kinetics. While co-enrolled, Honors Chemistry goes into greater depth and exploration of modern atomic theory, thermochemistry, electrochemistry, and the discipline’s quantitative applications. Honors students are expected to operate with a high degree of independence and collaborate effectively with their classmates. Open to sophomores placed in an Algebra 2 and Trigonometry course or higher. Prerequisites: High achievement in Physics and departmental permission. Co-Requisite: Integrated Algebra 2 and Trigonometry or higher.

Full year – .33 credits/trimester
Biology is a first-year, laboratory-based introductory life science course that continues the development of scientific inquiry practices, furthers their mastery of science’s crosscutting concepts, and builds understanding of life science’s core ideas. The course explores five core areas of life science: 1) Structure and Function, 2) Inheritance and Variation of Traits, 3) Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems, 4) Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, and 5) Natural Selection and Evolution. Students engage in inquiry through the scientific practices, by generating questions, developing and using models, planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, using mathematics and computational thinking, constructing explanations, engaging in argument from evidence, and obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information. Open to juniors and seniors. Prerequisite: Chemistry.

Full year – .33 credits/trimester
Honors Biology is challenging and demanding first-year biology course designed to foster scientific thinking at a high level and addresses the core topics of ecology, cell biology, genetics, and evolution while placing a particular emphasis on biological systems at the molecular level. Resilient, motivated and strong independent learners will observe natural phenomenon, analyze patterns, and create models to describe biological systems from the cellular to the population level. In laboratory investigations, students follow an inquiry process that helps them develop their scientific skills from experimental design to interpreting data to evidence-based argumentation. Students are expected to be open to growth, operate with a high degree of independence, and collaborate effectively with their classmates. Open to juniors and seniors who have demonstrated high achievement and interest in science coursework. Prerequisite: high achievement in chemistry and departmental permission.

Full year – .33 credits/trimester
This second-year, lab-based course is equivalent to a first-year college chemistry course. Using a guided-inquiry method, students explore nuclear chemistry, atomic and molecular structure, thermochemistry, states of matter, kinetics, equilibrium, oxidation and reduction, and thermodynamics in-depth. Students refine their ability to develop and answer scientific questions, develop and use models, plan and conduct investigations, analyze and interpret data, use mathematics and computational thinking, formulate scientific explanations, engage in argument from evidence, and communicate scientific ideas. The course has an extensive laboratory component, with many of the labs requiring students to lead the design of the investigation and methodology. Due to the rigor and pace of this course, there is an extended laboratory commitment one period each week. Students are expected to operate with a high degree of independence and collaborate effectively with their classmates. Open to juniors and seniors who have completed three years of laboratory-based high school science (physics, chemistry, and biology) and demonstrated high achievement and interest in science coursework. Note: Juniors who qualify and place in Advanced Chemistry may either take Honors Biology in their senior year or request to complete a pre-approved (in-person, lab-based, equivalent) course during the summer. Eligible students must take advanced biology and math courses in the senior year. Prerequisites: high achievement in Physics, Chemistry, and departmental permission. Co-Requisite: Pre-Calculus: Functions, or higher.

Full year – .33 credits/trimester
This year-long course is modeled after introductory, calculus-based physics courses at the college level. The course explores kinematics, dynamics, projectile motion, energy, momentum, rotation, gravitation, and oscillation with special attention to the calculus basis for these topics. Class time is devoted primarily to physical experiments both as learning activities and as a form of assessment. Experiments are supplemented with both mathematical and computational modeling. After deploying the foundational models of classic mechanics, students will explore two revolutionary developments of the 20th century – Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. Students are expected to operate with a high degree of independence and collaborate constantly with their classmates. Open to seniors who have completed three years of laboratory-based high school science (physics, chemistry, and biology) and demonstrated high achievement and interest in science coursework. The successful student, with some additional practice outside of course time. Prerequisite: Physics and Calculus (Advanced Calculus 1/PBL 4 or equivalent) or departmental permission.

Fall trimester – .33 credits/trimester
Neurobiology is a rigorous second year, college-level biology course with additional lab requirements exploring central and peripheral nervous systems. Students – starting at the organismal level with nervous system anatomy and extending down to the molecular level with neurotransmitters – will examine how neurons coordinate and control movement and lead to learning, memory, and emotion. Students will learn about the structure and function of the neuron, focusing specifically on its electrical properties of the action potential. Students will perform laboratory inquiries using simulations, live organisms, and preserved specimens (mammalian brains). The class is modeled after introductory college-level neurobiology courses for science majors, so students will learn how to read primary scientific literature and expect to be challenged and demonstrate independence in their pursuit of new learning. Open to juniors and seniors who have completed three years of laboratory-based high school science (physics, chemistry, and biology) and demonstrated high achievement and interest in science coursework. Prerequisite: high achievement in Chemistry and Biology and departmental permission. Co-Requisite: Integrated Algebra 2 and Trigonometry or higher.

Fall trimester – .33 credits/trimester
Climate Biology is a rigorous second year, college-level biology course, with additional field and lab requirements, that explores climate change and its impacts on biological communities, feedback from the biosphere to the climate system and human impacts on the carbon cycle. This course advances student’s understanding of system science, with a college-level exploration of climate, placing an emphasis on interpreting the current climate change data in a historical context and defining natural and human causes of climate variability. The course also allows students to explain expected changes in the net primary production of ecosystems through the analysis of different effects of climate change on plant physiology and decomposition. Heavy emphasis will be placed on developing hypotheses on how different species and entire communities react to the changing climate by formulating a scientific question that will be applied to the design and presentation of a poster. This is a rigorous second year, college-level laboratory biology course, with a focus on the scientific practices and crosscutting concepts. Limited space available; students will be required to prioritize course requests during registration. Open to juniors and seniors who have completed three years of laboratory-based high school science (physics, chemistry, and biology) and demonstrated high achievement and interest in science coursework. Prerequisite: high achievement in Chemistry and Biology and departmental permission. Co-Requisite: Integrated Algebra 2 and Trigonometry or higher.

Fall trimester – .33 credits/trimester
Human Transmission Genetics is a rigorous second year, college-level biology course that examines the details by which genetic information is transferred from one generation of humans to the next and how that information is transformed into the physical expression of traits. Advanced studies will include the ability to distinguish more subtle patterns of inheritance, such as sex-linked traits, incomplete and co-dominance, multiple alleles and linked genes, as well as types and effects of different gene and chromosomal mutations. Through an evolutionary lens, the course will conclude with an examination of complex multifactorial traits and the interaction between human genes and the environment. Students will discuss and debate the ethical issues raised by their studies in stem cells, reproductive technology, and eugenics. Due to the rigor and pace of this course, there is an additional required time commitment. Limited space available; students will be required to prioritize course requests during registration. Open to juniors and seniors who have completed three years of laboratory-based high school science (physics, chemistry, and biology) and demonstrated high achievement and interest in science coursework. Prerequisite: high achievement in Chemistry and Biology and departmental permission. Co-Requisite: Integrated Algebra 2 and Trigonometry or higher.

Winter trimester – .33 credits/trimester
Molecular Genetics is a rigorous second year, college-level biology course of study that examines the biochemistry of the gene and the applications of current biotechnology. Students will begin with evolution and the foundations of the molecular structure of DNA, and the mechanics of DNA replication, protein synthesis, and gene expression. Subsequently, the more complex topics of gene regulation, non-coding DNA, RNA interference, and epigenetics will be explored. Students will become proficient with current biotechnological skills and techniques involving DNA extraction, gel electrophoresis, the polymerase chain reaction, DNA sequencing, and genetic engineering. Throughout the course, students will consider and discuss the ethical dilemmas associated with the development of these revolutionary ideas and techniques. Due to the rigor and pace of this course, there is an additional required time commitment. Limited space available; students will be required to prioritize course requests during registration. Open to juniors and seniors who have completed three years of laboratory-based high school science (physics, chemistry, and biology) and demonstrated high achievement and interest in science coursework. Seniors who have completed Advanced Biology: Human Transmission Genetics will be given preference. Prerequisite: Advanced Biology in the fall trimester.

Winter trimester – .33 credits/trimester
Coastal and Marine Ecology is a rigorous second year, college-level biology course, with additional field and lab requirements, that examines a wide variety of marine ecosystems, from the nearby intertidal and kelp forest systems to distant reefs and deep ocean ecosystems. Focusing on local coastal ecology, students will gain an appreciation for biodiversity and sustainability of marine ecosystems through field inquiry practices as well as classroom studies. With an emphasis on how abiotic factors impact ecological relationships and resilience, students will consider human impacts throughout the course. Students will begin to read primary scientific literature, compose annotated bibliographies, and communicate their findings in the form of scientific papers or presentations. Due to the rigor and pace of this course, there is an additional required time commitment which may include fieldwork. Limited space available; students will be required to prioritize course requests during registration. Open to juniors and seniors who have completed three years of laboratory-based high school science (physics, chemistry, and biology) and demonstrated high achievement and interest in science coursework. Prerequisite: Advanced Biology in the fall trimester.

Winter trimester – .33 credits/trimester
Toxicology and Health is a rigorous second year, college-level biology course, with additional lab requirements. In this course, students will be introduced to toxicology at the biochemical and molecular level, including covering basics in toxicology, molecular biology, and human physiology. Emphasis will be placed on the molecular mechanisms leading to the deleterious effects of toxins on the cell, regulatory proteins, and DNA. Students are expected to develop a broad understanding of xenobiotics metabolism, biomarkers of toxicity, animal models of toxicology, techniques used in detection of toxicant and molecular changes caused by environmental chemicals and toxicants. In addition, students further their scientific practices through self-designed controlled experiments. Due to the rigor and pace of this course, there is an additional time commitment. Limited space available; students will be required to prioritize course requests during registration. Open to juniors and seniors who have completed three years of laboratory-based high school science (physics, chemistry, and biology) and demonstrated high achievement and interest in science coursework. Prerequisite: Advanced Biology in the fall trimester.

Spring trimester – .33 credits/trimester
Marine Evolutionary Biology is a rigorous second year, college-level biology course, with additional field and lab requirements, that examines marine species in light of evolution. Focusing on marine organisms and their adaptations to life in the sea, students will investigate the physiology, behavior and biodiversity of species found in the Ocean. Students will use computational methods to investigate evolutionary relationships between species and construct phylogenetic trees using molecular and morphological evidence. Due to the rigor and pace of this course, there is an additional required time commitment which may include fieldwork, reading primary literature, dissections for comparative anatomy and independent research. Students are expected to embrace challenge, operate with a high degree of independence and a collaborative mindset. Limited space available; students will be required to prioritize course requests during registration. Open to juniors and seniors who have completed three years of laboratory-based high school science (physics, chemistry, and biology) and demonstrated high achievement and interest in science coursework. Prerequisite: Advanced Biology in the fall and winter trimesters.

Spring trimester – .33 credits/trimester
Animal Behaviors is a rigorous second year, college-level biology course with additional field and lab requirements that examines the terrestrial species found around the Mesa and beyond. Students will conduct behavioral analysis of local animals through tracking, collecting sound recordings, and using camera traps to determine the evolutionary and mechanistic causes of characteristic behaviors in given species. Students will design, conduct, and report an observational or experimental behavioral study on an organism of their choice. Students will incorporate the results of these surveys into ongoing research of the species inhabiting Carpinteria’s coastal plains and mountains. Due to the rigor and pace of this course, there is an additional required time commitment which may include fieldwork, frequent dissections, and independent research. Students are expected to embrace challenge, operate with a high degree of independence and a collaborative mindset. Limited space available; students will be required to prioritize course requests during registration. Open to juniors and seniors who have completed three years of laboratory-based high school science (physics, chemistry, and biology) and demonstrated high achievement and interest in science coursework. Seniors who have completed a previous Advanced Biology course will be given preference. Prerequisite: Advanced Biology in the fall and winter trimesters.

Fall trimester – .33 credits/trimester
The world ocean is the defining feature of our planet and makes it habitable. This senior elective examines the major physical and chemical properties of the ocean and the essential understandings needed to understand this dynamic system. Students will explore the physical properties of our one big, largely unexplored, ocean that shape many of the Earth’s features. Beginning with early explorers and their understanding of our planet and the important concepts in earth structure and plate tectonics, students will investigate the influence of weather, climate, and atmospheric circulation, in addition to the ocean floor, structure, and circulation, on Earth. Students will make use of big data, satellite images, and other graphical imagery, in addition to laboratory experimentation, to understand and analyze the interaction of the hydrosphere with the atmosphere, lithosphere, and ultimately the biosphere, to deeply understand, analyze, and solve problems associated with the ocean. Open to seniors. Prerequisites: Chemistry and Biology.

Winter trimester – .33 credits/trimester
This senior elective explores the scientific story of the Southern California coast: the story of its beaches, islands, waves, faults, and other natural phenomena. Through the topics of surf, sand, and stone, this course examines the coastal boundary of unrelenting geological and oceanographic processes that have shaped California’s coast and created its unique surf spots, beaches, islands, and coastal ecology. Ideally an outdoor science course, students will explore Cate’s coastal classroom. The big ideas of the course will make the most sense when learning is transferred from the classroom to the beaches, the bluffs, the islands, the mountains, and the salt marsh. The course values the adventure and fun of scientifically investigating intriguing and beautiful places on our coast. If sand grains are caught between our toes and falling from the binding of our books with saltwater-stained pages, then we will know that we are doing it right! Open to seniors. Prerequisites: Chemistry and Biology.

Spring trimester – .33 credits/trimester
The world ocean supports the human population and a great diversity of life that are inextricably linked. This senior elective examines the marine environment as a vast interconnected living space with diverse and unique ecosystems distributed horizontally by latitude as well as vertically through the water column – from the pelagic surface to the abyssal depths. The course begins by looking at the ocean’s past and comparing it to its present state. Big topics include ocean acidification, sea level rise, climate change, overfishing, dead zones, and pollution (biological, synthetic, and noise). Through the lens of stewardship and Servons, the course will look to the future and changing course by asking compelling questions and offering solutions: How do we sustainably farm, cleanup, and renew life in the sea? What would a New Deal for the ocean look like and how do we proceed? Taking advantage of Cate’s coastal classroom, students will investigate near-shore communities (kelp forests, tide pools, etc.) while focusing on global solutions and ways to promote a more oceanliterate society. Open to seniors. Prerequisites: Chemistry and Biology.

Fall trimester – .33 credits/trimester
This course will serve as a basic introduction to the fields of human anatomy and physiology. Exploration into body systems and their interactive nature will lead to a greater understanding of the overall function of the human organism. Laboratory study will include experiential learning opportunities in the fields of athletic training, exercise physiology, physical therapy, emergency management and orthopedic medicine. Through a variety of hands-on activities and laboratory inquiries, students will be exposed to the basic skills and concepts relating to the prevention, recognition, and management of athletic injury, as well as the collaborative health care approach utilized by sports medicine professionals. Students will increase their knowledge and awareness of human anatomy and physiology, pathology, and histology in addition to basic first aid and emergency management procedures (American Red Cross CPR/AED and First Aid Certification). Opportunities for specialized practical experience with the Athletic Trainer and Cate School team physicians will also be available. Open to juniors and seniors. Prerequisite: Chemistry. Corequisite: Biology.

Winter trimester – .33 credits/trimester
Anatomy and Physiology: Sports Medicine 2 will allow students the opportunity to increase the depth of their knowledge and understanding of several body systems. Students will embark on research and laboratory study relating primarily to the cardiac and nervous systems. This course will also provide independent enrichment through a series of self-directed inquiry-based projects which may include scientific research, journal reviews, oral presentations, and debate. Laboratory study will include units in nutrition, neuroscience, psychology, and general fitness. Opportunities for specialized practical experience with the Athletic Trainer and Cate School team physicians will also be available. Prerequisite: Anatomy and Physiology: Sports Medicine 1

Full year – .17 credits/trimester
This full-year course will equip students with the necessary skills to begin writing computer programs and provide an overview of the ways computational tools and approaches can be used to solve problems in many fields. No prior experience with computer programming is required. Working in a hands-on, self-paced format, students will learn the core computer programming concepts of variables, loops, functions, conditionals, and recursion. The course will also showcase scenarios in which each of these concepts can be applied to problem scenarios from other disciplines and contexts, including mathematics, science, humanities and the arts. This class meets twice each week and carries no homework load. Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Prerequisites: None

Full year – .33 credits/trimester
This advanced course in computational thinking will provide students with the programming skills to ask and answer a broader class of questions than can be addressed by conventional means. Problem solving lies at the heart of this course, so no prior background in programming is necessary. Students will learn the core concepts of variables, loops, functions, recursion, and conditional execution. Smaller projects draw from physics and mathematics, but the first trimester concludes in a weeks-long video game development project. In the second term, students build on the skills of the first trimester as they extend into string manipulation, object oriented design, arrays, and array lists. The second term will culminate with an in-depth exploration of searching and sorting algorithms. In the spring trimester, we will delve more deeply into data structures, algorithms, and other more advanced topics. Object-oriented design and the concepts of encapsulation and inheritance are fleshed out more completely. Students are given considerable leeway to pursue specific interests, based on current events happening in the world and/or students’ interests. Open to juniors and seniors. Prerequisite: Algebra 2 and Trigonometry/equivalent or Introduction to Computational Thinking and permission of the department.

Winter trimester – .33 credits/trimester
American Wilderness 1: The Wilderness Ethos is the first trimester of a two-course sequence and must be followed by American Wilderness 2 in the spring trimester. Students will examine the role of wilderness in American culture – historically and currently – using the writings of authors such as Thoreau, Abbey, Stegner, Leopold, and McPhee to develop a personal understanding of the value of wilderness in their own lives. While developing their critical reading and writing skills, students will examine current environmental and political implications of our impact on the American wilderness and, through the use of a journal, work actively to articulate their own developing perceptions about the role of wilderness in American culture. In the winter trimester, there will be an overnight solo backpacking trip, and students will begin to learn the skills of whitewater kayaking in preparation for the river trips of the spring trimester.

Spring trimester – .33 credits/trimester
American Wilderness 2: Looking Inward is the second trimester of a two-course sequence and must be preceded by American Wilderness 1 in the winter trimester. The classroom component of this course shifts from analytical reading, critical writing, and argumentation in the winter term to personal introspection and creative writing with a study of the novel The River Why. Students will explore how the American wilderness has shaped various spiritual paradigms found in American society and use class discussions and journal writing to develop their own sense of their place in the natural world. In the spring trimester, students will continue to develop their kayaking skills locally and will spend a weekend on the Kern River applying their whitewater skills to moving water. Prior to Commencement, the course culminates in a week-long desert wilderness river trip in Utah. Prerequisite: American Wilderness 1: The Wilderness Ethos.