Why does a star shine? How does a television work? How do we generate electricity? This course focuses on how the principles of physics work in the real world. Students learn to design experiments in order to get meaningful results that further their knowledge. Hands-on challenges give students experience in applying their understanding and improving their iterative designs. Classes are a mix of lecture, discussion, demonstration, small-group work, and laboratory exploration. Physics lays the foundation for students to more thoroughly understand the concepts in the chemistry and biology classes that follow, and it prepares them to take upper level physics electives in the future.

Biology is an introductory survey course structured around some of the most fundamental topics of the life sciences, including the molecular study of life, the function and workings of cells, the inheritance of traits, organismal biology, and the diversity of life. Recurring themes of the course are evolution, the relationship between structure and function, and interactions between living systems. Throughout the course, students study the structure of the scientific method through laboratory experiments, examine the ways in which scientific questions are formed and tested, and discuss how bias influences the methods and discoveries of scientific researchers. Students also delve into various genetic diseases and Bay Area ecosystems through case studies and presentations.

College Prep’s STEM program is for students interested in getting hands-on research experience in a broad array of STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). The course begins with a spring semester seminar (STEM Research Part I) that provides foundational scientific knowledge and analytical skills. During discussion-based classes, students learn how to read primary scientific literature, analyze and critique raw data, and work as a productive member of a research team. The core of the program takes place during the summer when students are matched with research mentors for full-time, six-week internships. In the fall, the program concludes with a semester-long seminar (STEM Research Part II) during which students prepare a poster about their summer research and deliver a formal scientific talk. Most placements are in labs at UCSF or UC Berkeley. 

Using knowledge about genes, cells, and homeostasis learned in Biology, students expand their focus in this course to examine the structure and function of tissues, organs, and organ systems. Topics include the roles these systems play in supporting organismal function and survival and the diseases and disorders that can occur when things go awry. The course relates core concepts to physiological experiences, including the biological explanations for exercise-induced exhaustion, feeling full after a meal, and orienting while in motion. Students learn how their own bodies work, which provides a scientific foundation for understanding the impact of sleep, nutrition, exercise, stress, and more.

This mind-expanding course investigates the universe, starting with the solar system—including planets, comets, and asteroids—followed by the birth, evolution, and death of stars, and ending with cosmology, the study of how the universe was created, its current state, and ultimately how it will end. Topics include supernovas, neutron stars, pulsars, and black holes (including what would happen if you fell into one). Einstein’s theories of relativity, essential for the conception of time and space, are covered in depth, which leads to a discussion of time travel and its paradoxes. Other highlights include space travel, life on other planets, and dark matter.

This course delves into the science behind what is creating climate change, how it is changing the global climate, and what mitigation strategies are currently being explored. Students learn how greenhouse gases work, what human factors create the biggest carbon footprints, and how carbon offsets work.  Topics include the major climate issues facing our world such as drought, flooding, forest fires, storms and hurricanes, loss of wildlife species, and the spread of insect borne diseases.

This course focuses on the major events of animal development, including genetic, cellular, and biochemical processes, the regulation of gene expression, cell to cell signaling, and cell shape change. Students learn to design and interpret experiments to answer questions about development and to discuss and analyze primary articles from the literature. Connections between developmental biology and related fields such as evolutionary biology and human disease recur in the curriculum.

To find rational, ethical answers to questions that arise at the interface between scientific technology and society’s values systems, bioethicists employ the four principles of bioethics: autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. Using this powerful toolkit, this course seeks to answer questions of all kinds: Who should get access to limited respirators or vaccines when the need exceeds supply? Is it ethical for physicians to provide lethal doses of medication to the terminally ill? Should parents be allowed to withhold medical treatment from children on religious grounds? Students use the formal principles of bioethics to refine their arguments. The course draws upon a wide variety of academic and media sources to examine how scientific research is changing our understanding of the world, and how society, in turn, is being transformed by scientific tools.