AP Course Expectations

Advanced Placement (AP) Course Expectations

This chart is intended to provide you with an approximation of the workload and demands of Advanced Placement courses offered at LBSS.

AP Course

Pages of reading per week

Weekly Outside Hours

Tests/essays/Papers per quarter

Major projects and other info.

Art

    

Studio Art

AP2D Design,

AP2D Drawing, and AP3D

(Gr. 11-12)

 

2 Skill videos for AP classroom assignments.

 

Research Artists for artworks.

 

 

 

Plan, Experiment and research artworks

 

5 hours per week

 

Total 1st-4th Quarter requirements:

Create and maintain a Digital Portfolio documenting Sustained Investigation- 

INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS for the course: the ability to

(1) conduct a sustained investigation through practice, experimentation, and revision, guided by questions;

(2) skillfully synthesize materials, processes, and ideas; and (3) articulate, in writing, information about one’s work.

In the end, students need to submit 15 composite slides and/or images in their ‘Sustained Investigation’ portion of their portfolio. 

For the ‘Selected works’ portion of their College Board digital portfolio–artworks are intended to show off student's very best and technically advanced art. These artworks can be 5 of your best Sustained Investigation artworks or they can be relatively random unconnected artworks that show off the best of your art. 

Digital Portfolio submitted in May with Sustained Investigation (15 slides) and Selected Works (5 works). 

Mid-year and End of Year Portfolio Review

End of Year Final Portfolio Presentation

Sketchbook/Journal writing on art  and research for creating works of art

2D Design can focus on photography, digital art, or studio art

3D can focus on ceramics, sculpture, or 3D modeling and printing.

English

    

English Language and Composition

(Gr. 11)

100-150 pages per week 4-5
  • 1 research paper in MLA format
  • 4-6 shorter writings
  • Numerous timed writings
  • Tests and quizzes
  • Oral presentations
  • Group projects/team work
  • 4-6 books per year
  • Summer reading project
  • Choice book project some quarters
  • Be sure that you are organized and have elevated writing and grammar skills to keep up with a rigorous pace.

English Literature and Composition

(Gr. 12)

100-150 pages per week4-6
  • Multiple major writing assignments and reading assessments
  • More timed writings as AP exam approaches
  • Individual and collaborative papers and projects
  • Mandatory summer reading and writing
  • Discussion and collaboration skills are essential to success
  • College-level writing skills are expected upon enrollment

General

    

AP Capstone 1: Seminar

(Gr. 10-12)

30 pages/week: primarily articles from newspapers, magazines, and academic journals3-5

At least one substantial research paper per quarter; oral presentation each quarter

Four substantial research papers, plus mandatory oral presentations

AP Capstone 2: Research

(Gr. 10-12)

30 pages/week: primarily academic journals3-5Article analysis, research writeups, portfolio of ongoing responses

AP Research culminates in a 5000-word independent and original research paper, plus a 15-minute oral presentation and defense; students must take AP Seminar first

Mathematics

    

Calculus AB

(Gr. 11-12)

1-3 sections per week 3-6
  • 4-6 quizzes,
  • 2-3 tests
End of year project and possibly one-two projects during year

Calculus BC

(Gr. 11-12)

3-6 sections per week3-6
  • 4-6 quizzes
  • 2-3 tests
2 projects for the year

Computer Science Principles

(Gr. 9-12)

15 pages per week3-5
  • 4-6 quizzes/tests
  • 5-8 lab assignments
  • General CS course: Computational thinking, data storage, internet structure, programming basics
  • Portfolio project
  • Many assignments require access to a computer

Computer Science A

(Gr. 10-12)

Varies3-5
  • 4-6 quizzes/tests
  • 8-15 lab assignments
  • Specific CS course: Object-oriented programming using Java programming language
  • Mandatory summer packet
  • Many assignments require access to a computer

AP Precalculus

 

(Gr. 9-12)

1-3 sections per week 3-6

2-3 quizzes

4-6 free response questions

2-3 tests

Students are expected to perform much more analysis using multiple representations (tables, equations, graphs, verbal) than previous courses. 

 

The course has an emphasis on communicating understanding versus computation.

Statistics

(Gr. 11-12)

15-30 pages per week3-6

2-4 tests per quarter

4-6 quizzes per quarter

 

Some homework assignments require access to YouTube

Significant independent review and practice expected

Midterm assessment given before the end of the 2nd quarter

Music

    

Music Theory

(Gr. 10-12)

Varies

 

3-5

2-3 tests – ear training and dictation, analysis, harmony, sight singing, unit exams.

20-25 Short Weekly Quizzes to check for understanding

  • Composition project OR music history research project.

Science

    

Biology

(Gr. 11-12)

10-25 pages per week (1-2 chapters)

 

5-7

2 exams (MCQ and FRQ)

5-7 quizzes

2-3 labs and write-ups

Significant independent review and practice expected

Lab work/data collection and analysis before/after school and/or in WIN Time

Chemistry

(Gr.11-12)

0-30 pages per week5-10
  • 3 major tests
  • 3-4  labs/reports
  • Significant independent review and practice expected
  • Project after the AP Exam

Environmental Science

(Gr. 11-12)

0-20 pages/week1-2

2 units/quarter

Each unit has 1 exam and 2-4 graded labs

2Culminating activity after AP test

Physics 1

(Gr. 11)

10 pages per week (half chapter)

May vary

5-7

 

3-5 quizzes and/or tests per quarter

2-4 labs

  • End of year group project

Physics 2

(Gr. 12)

10 pages per week (half chapter)

May vary

3-4
  • 4-6  quizzes and/or tests per quarter
  • 3-5 labs
  • End of year group project

AP C Physics Mechanics and Electricity and Magnetism

(Gr. 11-12)

10-20 pages per week 

May vary

5-7
  • 5-8 quizzes/tests per quarter
  • 5-10 labs per quarter
  • Optional participation in Science Fair, Science Olympiad, TARC, and Robotics

Social Studies

    

Economics

(Gr. 11-12)

2-4 YouTube videos or 30-60 pages of reading per week2-4
  • 2 unit tests
  • Vocabulary quizzes
  • Economic models and simulations
  • Problem sets
  • Project-Based Learning Project
  • 2 or 3 one and a half page written analyses of economics in the real world

European History

(Gr. 11-12)

20-30 pages per week 3-5
  • 1-2 tests
  • 1-2 timed writings
  • Designed to be rigorous and intellectually challenging, but not as time-intensive as other AP history courses 
  • Recommended for students with a genuine interest in history and current events

Human Geography

(Gr. 10-12)

20-25 pages per week while taking reading notes

3-5

2 unit tests per quarter

 

FRQs (Free Response Questions) building to 3 timed questions by the AP exam dates

 

Online Regional map quizzes

Emphasis on analyzing the patterns of human behavior and our impact on the world. Textbook readings must be complete in order to do case study analysis during classes.

 

Must have an interest in human behavior at world and regional levels as well as current world events.

Psychology

(Gr. 11-12)

30-40 pages per week3-6
  • 2 cumulative tests
  • 4-5 reading quizzes
  • 1-2 free response questions (FRQs)
At least 1 project per quarter

US and Comparative Government

(Gr. 12)

2-6 YouTube videos per week

Textbook reading optional

3-6
  • 2-4 tests
  • 2-4 free response questions (FRQs)
  • 1-2 essays

This is a VERY fast-paced class and covers double the material that AP US Government does

Background knowledge of US History and current politics is recommended

Community Service requirement

US Government

(Gr. 12)

30-40 pages per week

 

(Text and articles)

4-6
  • 4-6 vocabulary and reading quizzes
  • 2-3 tests
  • 4-6 free response questions (FRQs)

1-2 individual or group projects per quarter

Community Service requirement

US History 

(Gr. 11)

15-30 pages per week (1 chapter)1.5 - 2 

2-3 timed exams

2-3 timed writing requirements 

Varies per teacher

1-2 projects a year

Emphasis on critical thinking and analytical skills

Regular college-level reading and document analysis

World History

(Gr. 10-12)

25-35 dense pages per week (1 chapter)6

5 Stimulus based multiple-choice and short answer question tests

Weekly reading quizzes

2-4 timed in class document based and long-question answer  essays

Period based simulations

Unit Emphasis on critical thinking and analytical skills

Need to be an independent learner

For strong readers

Must have a great interest in history

World Languages

    

French Language

(Gr. 11-12)

Articles, poems, short stories, excerpts2-3

Mastery Benchmark Assessments 

(two or more types)

AP style practice exam 

3-4 quizzes

Other info: AP French is combined with French 4

 

Optional after-school practice sessions are offered throughout the year.

Japanese

(Gr. 11-12)

Articles and short stories of varying lengths

2-3

(Continuous and regular practice is expected.)

Mastery Benchmark Assessments 

(two or more types)

AP style practice exam 

3-4 quizzes

Capstone project (PBL) in 1Q.

 

Other info: AP Japanese is combined with Japanese 4. 

Latin - Caesar & Vergil

(Gr. 11-12)

50-60 lines per week (1 chapter in Latin workbook)3
  • 5-8 quizzes and tests
  • 3-4 essays
  • 1 test on English reading
  • 1 project per quarter

Spanish Language

(Gr. 11-12)

Articles and short stories of varying lengths3-4

Reading comprehension questions for each work. 

3-4 quizzes

2-3 tests

4 essays

  • 3-4 oral presentations/projects per quarter

Spanish Literature and Culture

(Gr. 11-12)

15-20 pages per week2-3

Reading comprehension questions for each work. 

 

End of unit tests with analysis/comparison of the works in their literary, social, historical and cultural contexts.

Class notes about literary movements & their characteristics, and the social, historical and cultural contexts of the works

 

Class incorporates art, movies/videos, interviews, etc. in relation to the works. 

 

2-3 short presentations.

 

LBHS Curriculum Fair AP Courses