Science

Prerequisite: None
Credits:  2
Required by all students for graduation

Course description: This course provides a foundational exploration of the biological sciences, rooted in the traditional values of our Lutheran heritage. We acknowledge that "The works of the Lord are great, studied by all who have pleasure in them" (Psalm 111:2), and we approach the study of life with wonder for the complexity of the natural world.

The curriculum focuses on helping students internalize the orderly choreography of the cell and the vast complexity of the natural world. By utilizing analogies and conceptual models, students bridge the gap between abstract scientific principles and physical reality.

To succeed in this course, students must maintain consistent study habits and a commitment to mastering the material in preparation for examinations. By emphasizing academic discipline and the pursuit of knowledge, students gain both scientific literacy and a profound appreciation for the intentionality and complexity inherent in every living organism.

Prerequisites: achieved a grade of B or higher in Biology and Chemistry, or Chemistry concurrently. Department approval required.
Credits:  2 (two-semester class)

Course description: his course provides an in-depth exploration of the human body, the pinnacle of physical creation, rooted in the traditional values of our Lutheran heritage. We acknowledge that "the hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both" (Proverbs 20:12), and we approach the study of the human form with reverence, recognizing that we are indeed "fearfully and wonderfully made."

The curriculum focuses on helping students internalize the sophisticated biological systems and the intentional, orderly choreography of physiological processes that maintain human life. By utilizing advanced anatomical models, histological analysis, and physiological simulations, students bridge the gap between microscopic cellular functions and the macroscopic reality of the human body.

To succeed in this course, students must maintain consistent academic discipline and a commitment to mastering complex terminology and systemic interactions in preparation for collegiate-level examinations. 

Prerequisite: Completion of Algebra I, Biology and Chemistry with a B or better. Department approval required.
LHS Credits:  2
IU Credits: 5

Course description: L100 Human and the Biological World is a 5-credit lecture-laboratory course that introduces students to the unifying principles of biology and their connection to human life, with an appreciation for the complexity and order of God’s creation. Topics include food and nutrition, how humans obtain and use energy, biotechnology in everyday life, the diversity of life through evolution, basic genetics, and humanity’s relationship with the environment.

Students practice the scientific method through investigation and analysis, recognizing science as a way to explore and better understand the living world. As scientific knowledge continues to grow and change, students are encouraged to think critically while reflecting on their role as thoughtful stewards of creation.

Prerequisites: None
Credits:  2 (two-semester class)
Fulfills science requirement for Indiana diploma

Course description: ICP is a full-year laboratory course in which students explore the order of the world God has made in the fundamental core topics of chemistry and physics. Students enrolled in this course examine, through the process of scientific inquiry, the structure and properties of matter, chemical reactions, forces, motion and the interactions between energy and matter as they relate to the environment and economy. Students will gain scientific knowledge by doing science; making observations, experimenting by designing and conducting investigations, and by evaluating and communicating the results of those investigations.  Emphasis will be on students making connections between the big ideas of chemistry and physics in solving real-world problems that may have personal or social consequences as they complete inquiry-based learning in both lab and non-lab activities to explore these ideas.

Prerequisites: Completion of Biology and Algebra 1 with a C or higher
Credits:  2 (two-semester class)
Fulfills science credits for Indiana diploma

Course description: Chemistry explores the order and consistency of God’s creation through the study of matter and its interactions. Topics include the properties and states of matter; atomic structure and the periodic table; bonding and molecular structure; chemical reactions and stoichiometry; gases; thermochemistry; solutions; and acids and bases.

Students develop and apply models to understand how matter is structured and how it behaves, while engaging in observation, experimentation, and scientific communication. Through this work, students recognize science as a way to explore and appreciate the orderly design of creation and to practice responsible stewardship of the world God has made.

Prerequisites: Pre-Calculus or taking concurrently. Achieve a B or higher in Chemistry and Algebra II.  Department approval required.
Credits:  2 (two-semester class)
Fulfills science credits for Indiana diploma and Honors Seal

Course description: Physics is a course focused on understanding the order of God’s creation in the following core topics: constant velocity; constant acceleration; forces; energy; linear momentum in one dimension; simple harmonic oscillating systems; mechanical waves and sound; simple circuit analysis. Instruction should focus on developing student understanding that scientific knowledge is gained from observation of natural phenomena and experimentation by designing and conducting investigations guided by theory and by evaluating and communicating the results of those investigations according to accepted procedures.

Prerequisite: Completion of Biology and Algebra 1 with a B or better.  Department approval required.
LHS Credits: 2 (two semester class)
IU Credits: 5 (two semester class)
Fulfills science requirement for Indiana diploma and Honors Seal

Course description: ACP Chemistry C101/C121 through Indiana University introduces students to the principles and practices of general and experimental chemistry, highlighting the order and consistency of God’s creation. This accelerated course covers the classification, measurement, and changes of matter; atomic theory; chemical bonding; nomenclature; mass relationships; gas laws; states of matter; acids and bases; oxidation-reduction reactions; organic chemistry; biochemistry; and nuclear chemistry.

Students develop scientific reasoning through laboratory investigation, data analysis, and communication of results, recognizing science as a way to explore and understand the structure and processes within creation. Applications to everyday life: including food, medicine, and household chemistry—encourage thoughtful stewardship of God’s world.

Successful completion of this course earns five college semester credits (three lecture and two laboratory), providing a strong foundation for future studies in fields such as medicine, nursing, engineering, and the physical sciences.

Prerequisite: MUST TAKE AP CALCULUS CONCURRENTLY.  Department approval required.
LHS Credits: 2 (two-semester class)
Fulfills science credits for Indiana diploma and the Honors Seal

Course description: This course will focus on understanding the complexity of God’s creation by exploring the concepts and laws of classical Newtonian mechanics. The ideas that have resulted from Newton’s Laws and the consequent conservation principles form the basis for all of contemporary physics. Develops an array of skills and techniques needed to appreciate what physicists do and how they do it.   Emphasizes the quantitative application of physical laws to solving problems.   Calculus and other mathematics are displayed daily in a more abstract approach to enhance fluency in and appreciation of mathematics.  Performance of simple (and not-so-simple) laboratory experiments will be done to demonstrate concepts covered in the lectures. Through these experiments, techniques will be learned to make reliable measurements and estimate their uncertainties, and build an appreciation of the interplay between experiment and theory in science.  Collaborations with other students will be developed as teamwork is central to physics research, as well as understanding the relationships between different approaches to the same problem.  This course is a preparation for the Physics 1 AP Exam.