This year-long seminar-style course introduces students to the concepts that provide the foundation for physics, chemistry, and biology. Students will explore energy and matter, two ideas that unify the sciences, and examine these core concepts from the perspective of each discipline. Students will use an inquiry-based approach with an emphasis on acquiring the background knowledge and perspective to develop research problems and will practice these skills through experimentation at home. Through exploration of the central themes of the course, students will additionally become familiar with the basic principles of scientific reasoning. The primary goal of the course is to provide students with a well informed introduction to science that prevents common misconceptions and that prepares students for high-school and AP-level laboratory sciences.

Honors Chemistry is a year-long seminar-style course that introduces the fundamental language, ideas and tools used in the study of chemistry. This advanced introductory high school chemistry course covers key topics such as chemical nomenclature, stoichiometry, the periodic table, chemical bonding, equilibrium, kinetics, thermodynamics, nuclear chemistry, and common laboratory practices. Emphasis is placed on the use of chemistry in the natural world, the physical world and our daily lives. The course fosters skills necessary to describe chemical processes and behaviors and to solve numerical and verbal problems in chemistry. Through both at-home and virtual lab work, students learn useful chemistry laboratory techniques, gain the ability to formulate experimental questions, design scientific experiments, effectively articulate scientific findings, conduct error and statistical analysis, and strengthen understanding of course material. Upon completion, students will have a solid foundation in chemistry and will be prepared for AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and college-level chemistry courses.

Related course: Students also have the option of doing additional laboratory work during the summer at Stanford (see OCL10 – Chemistry Lab)

Chemistry Lab is a residential summer course held on the Stanford campus during Summer @ Stanford that allows students to explore chemistry topics through hands-on experimentation in a lab class setting. Experiments correspond with topics covered in Honors Chemistry (OC005) and AP Chemistry (OC010), and experiments will be scaffolded according to students’ depth of understanding. Students will gain a variety of skills needed in a research lab, including experience with modern tools and techniques and effective communication of results. Examples of experiments that may be performed include chelation titration, calorimetry, nanoparticle synthesis and characterization, silver plating, synthesis/purification of aspirin, micro- and thin layer chromatography, extraction/purification of chlorophyll and carotene from plants, and UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy.

AP Biology Lab is a residential summer course held on-campus during Summer @ Stanford that allows students to explore college-level introductory biology topics through hands-on experimentation. Experiments correspond with topics covered in AP Biology (OB010). Techniques utilized to explore these topics may include polymerase chain reaction (PCR), gel electrophoresis of nucleotides or proteins, ELISA, and microscopy. Emphasis is placed on understanding the process of science, experimental design and interpretation, and the relevance of biology to our everyday lives. Students gain experience with modern biological techniques currently used in molecular biology and medical diagnostic labs, as well as learning to effectively record and communicate results.

Advanced Topics in Biological Research: Writing Option is a companion course to OB011. Students choosing the Writing Option will be engaged in the discussions of OB011 and additionally discuss the forms and styles of science writing including primary research publications, reviews, and science journalism. Students will apply their knowledge of these forms by composing a review article or significant research paper on the modern biological research topic of their choosing. Throughout the writing process, students will learn the skills necessary to independently and deeply explore scientific research literature and the process of writing, editing, and reviewing a lengthy written piece including peer-evaluation.

Honors Physics is a year-long seminar-style course that introduces the fundamental language, ideas and tools used in the study of physics. This advanced introductory high school physics course covers key topics such as kinematics (displacement, velocity, acceleration, vectors), dynamics (inertia, momentum, force, Newton’s laws, kinetic and potential energy), wave phenomena, electric fields and forces, magnetism, and sound. Emphasis will be placed on introducing and developing those concepts, skills, and methods necessary to excel in physics, thus providing the foundation for more advanced study of physics. Through both at-home and virtual lab work, students learn useful experimental techniques, gain the ability to formulate experimental questions, design scientific experiments, effectively articulate scientific findings, and strengthen understanding of course material. Upon completion, students will have a solid foundation in physics and will be prepared for AP Physics C contingent on preparation in mathematics.

Related course: Students also have the option of doing additional laboratory work during the summer at Stanford (see OPL50 – Physics Lab)

AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism is a semester-long calculus-based physics course designed to be equivalent to an introductory university-level physics course when taken in conjunction with AP Physics C: Mechanics (OP051). In this course, the main focus is on electricity and magnetism, including exploration of electrostatic force, electric fields, electric potential, simple circuits, magnetic fields, induction, and EM Waves. By completing lab work (a combination of at-home labs and virtual labs), students reinforce their understanding of concepts, gain hands-on experimentation experience, and develop their written communication skills. This course prepares students for the AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism exam, though the scope of the course is not limited exclusively to the AP curriculum. Prior completion of AP Calculus BC is advantageous but not required.

Related course: Students also have the option of doing additional laboratory work during the summer at Stanford (see OPL50 – Physics Lab)

Light and Heat is a directed study course that the student completes at his or her own pace, but is designed to be completed within one semester. The course is an introduction to university-level optics and thermodynamics. Topics include temperature, properties of matter, introduction to the kinetic theory of matter, light and electromagnetic waves, reflection and refraction of light, lens systems, interference, and diffraction.

Intermediate Mechanics I & II are two directed study courses taken in sequence that the student completes at his or her own pace, but is designed to be completed within one semester each. Together, the courses provide a thorough exploration of the mechanics of systems of particles and rigid bodies. Topics include coordinate transformation and vectors, Newtonian mechanics, linear and nonlinear oscillations, Hamilton’s principle, Lagrangian and Hamiltonian dynamics, non-inertial reference systems, rigid-body dynamics, coupled oscillations, and introductory fluid mechanics.