TC Roberson Science Department
Curriculum Information

3 science credits are required for graduation with a high school diploma in North Carolina.

All students must achieve science credits in earth science (satisfied by earth/ environmental science or
AP environmental science), biology, and a physical science (satisfied by physical science, chemistry, or
physics) in order to graduate.

Students are allowed to take more than one science class per year.

Students should be familiar with college requirements when planning. For example, South Carolina
universities require physics, while other states may not. Meanwhile, Tennessee universities require
chemistry.

Honors courses require students to demonstrate greater rigor, manage greater complexity, and move at
a faster pace.
Possible Science Sequences:
o
Students can move from one sequence to another based on performance, teacher
recommendations, and student needs.
Sequence “A”: Earth Science – Physical Science – Biology – Physics and/ or Chemistry
Sequence “B”: Earth Science Honors – Biology Honors – Chemistry and/or Physics Honors
Sequence “C”: Earth Science H and Biology H – Chemistry H – Physics H or AP Physics
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Students can add Advanced Placement science courses to their planned schedules.
Students who are interested in majoring in science or plan to pursue careers in science
are advised to consider AP courses. AP courses are equivalent to college freshman
courses and include an exam prescribed by the College Board.
We offer AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, and AP Physics 1 and 2.
AP courses are offered if a minimum of 15 students enroll in the course.
AP Biology and AP Chemistry are offered on an every other year schedule. AP Biology
will be offered in 2015-2016 and AP Chemistry will be offered in 2016-2017.
AP Environmental Science is a one semester course.
Students must take chemistry before AP Chemistry.
Students must take biology and chemistry before AP Biology or AP Environmental
Science.
Students do not have to take physics before AP Physics. Math 3/ Algebra 2 is a
prerequisite for AP 1, and Precalculus is a prerequisite for AP 2.
Students can take AP Physics 1 only, or AP Physics 1 followed by AP Physics 2. AP 2
must be taken the same year as AP 1.