AP Courses - Linden Hall School For Girls

Advanced Placement® Courses

The five-year average AP® exam score of a Linden Hall student is 4.1, far outpacing the national average score. All AP® courses at Linden Hall are offered based on student interest and teacher availability. In addition to the courses offered on Linden Hall’s campus, students have the option of taking advanced-level courses online from the accredited online provider One Schoolhouse (indicated by *).

Biology

Calculus AB

Calculus is the study of instantaneous rates of change. Students in this course learn how mathematicians answer science's plea for solutions for questions of rates of change in population growth, interest income, distance traveled, and more. Students explore the idea of a derivative as the slope of a curve as well as its applications. The inverse function, or integral, is explored as a means to calculate area and volume. The class employs a team approach to learning the concepts of calculus together with technological aides.

Calculus BC

Chemistry

This course provides students with a foundation to support future advanced course work in chemistry as work equivalent to a full year's introduction to college-level chemistry is completed. Students cultivate their understanding of chemistry and science practices as they explore topics such as : atomic structure, intermolecular forces and bonding, chemical reactions, kinetics, thermodynamics, and equilibrium. Through inquiry -based learning and laboratory exercises, students develop critical thinking and reasoning skills.

Chinese Language and Culture

The Chinese Language and Culture course in Mandarin Chinese emphasizes communication (understanding and being understood by others) by applying interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational skills in real-life situations, This includes vocabulary usage, language control, communication strategies, and culture awareness. The course engages students in an exploration of culture in both contemporary and historical contexts.

Computer Science A*

Offered exclusively through One Schoolhouse, Computer Science A is equivalent to a first-semester, college-level course in computer science. The course introduces students to computer science with fundamental topics that include problem solving, design strategies and methodologies, organization of data (data structures), approaches to processing data (algorithms), analysis of potential solutions, and the ethical and social implications of computing. The course emphasizes both object-oriented and imperative problem solving and design using Java language. These techniques represent proven approaches for developing solutions that can scale up from small, simple problems to large, complex problems. The AP Computer Science A course curriculum is compatible with many CS1 courses in colleges and universities.

English Language and Composition

English Language and Composition students become skilled in the use and understanding of rhetoric and argument in a variety of contexts. This course focuses on analyzing non-fiction and argumentative texts from various time periods and disciplines. Students read and analyze academic sources, journalism, classical philosophy, creative non-fiction, movies, satire, and political cartoons, among other types of texts. Students utilize a structured writing process to compose expository essays that engage the reader and execute nuanced arguments in formal and informal writing. Assessments include written work along with evaluations of vocabulary, rhetorical terms, and reading comprehension.

English Literature and Composition

English Literature and Composition students approach studied texts using strategies that lead to a deeper reading of challenging works while also fostering an understanding of how literary elements help create meaning. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking and close readings of poetry, novels, and drama, and students will interpret and analyze literary works through reaction papers and in-class essays, Each student contributes thoughtfully to class discussions in the informal setting where we talk and learn together.

Environmental Science*

Offered exclusively through One Schoolhouse, the AP® Environmental Science course is the equivalent of a one-semester, introductory college-level course in environmental science, through which students engage with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world. The course requires that students identity and analyze natural and human-made environmental problems, evaluate the relative risks associates with these problems, and examine alternative solutions for resolving or preventing them.

European History

This college-level European History offers students a challenging, curriculum primarily focusing on the period from 1450 to the present while they prepare for the College Board examination in May, a requirement of the class. In addition to textbook work, we examine various primary and secondary sources for their historical importance and their underlying biases and points of view, work on timed document-based question and thematic question essays, and practice multiple choice standardized test taking.

French Language and Culture

Linear Algebra*

Offered exclusively through One Schoolhouse, the Linear Algebra course corresponds to a one-semester college linear algebra curriculum, with topics including matrix algebra, vector spaces, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, and applications to differential equations. Students who have completed AP® Calculus AB will cover the study of vectors, the spaces in which they live, and linear mappings between those spaces. Linear algebra has many applications in science, engineering, economics, and any field in which multiple variables interact in ways that can be modeled by systems of linear equations. It is a very useful subject for those who want to go into science and engineering fields.

Macroeconomics*

Offered exclusively through One Schoolhouse, Macroeconomics is an introductory college-level course that focuses on the principles that apply to an economic system as a whole. The course places particular emphasis on the study of national income and price-level determination; it also develops students’ familiarity with economic performance measures, the financial sector, stabilization policies, economic growth, and international economics. Students learn to use graphs, charts, and data to analyze, describe, and explain economic concepts.

Microeconomics

Multivariable Calculus

Offered exclusively through One Schoolhouse, the Multivariable Calculus course picks up after AP® Calculus BC and explores topics that are studied in a typical college-level Calculus III course, including vectors and vector-valued functions, curves and surfaces in space, partial derivatives and gradients, multiple integration, and line and surface integrals. The course’s final unit provides an introduction to differential equations, including exact first-order equations, second-order homogeneous and nonhomogeneous linear equations, and series solutions. Built on a foundation of sophisticated problem solving, the course also features discussions, projects, and exploratory activities that help students develop their advanced math skills in a collaborative and creative way.

Music Theory*

Offered exclusively through One Schoolhouse, the Music Theory course corresponds to one or two semesters of a typical introductory college music theory course that covers topics such as musicianship, theory, musical materials, and procedures. Musicianship skills, including dictation and other listening skills, sight singing, and harmony, are considered an important part of the course. Through the course, students develop the ability to recognize, understand, and describe basic materials and processes of tonal music that are heard or presented in a score. Development of aural skills is a primary objective. Performance is also part of the curriculum through the practice of sight singing. Students understand basic concepts and terminology by listening to and performing a wide variety of music. Notational skills, speed, and fluency with basic materials are also emphasized.

Physics

Students in AP® Physics explore the principles of Newtonian machines (including rotational motion): work, energy, and power; mechanical waves and sound; and introductory, simple circuits in this college-level course equivalent to one semester's study of introductory physics. In the inquiry-based laboratory, students establish lines of evidence and use them to develop and refine testable explanations and predications of natural phenomena.

Psychology

U.S. History

This course offers a survey of U.S. History from the Columbian Exchange to the present day with additional preparation for the SAT Subject Test and/or AP® examination in U.S. History in May. Students study the formation and development of the American nation, political and economic growth, international interactions, and the change of the nation's supremacy on the world stage.

Statistics

Spanish Language and Culture

Conducted completely in Spanish, this course helps students gain a strong command of the language through speaking, writing, listening, and reading. Current events and literary works of the Spanish-speaking world are accessed through newspaper and magazine articles as well as short stories. Students are required to complete the College Board examination in May and round out the year with an independent project after the exam.

Spanish Literature and Culture*

Offered exclusively through One Schoolhouse, the AP® Spanish Literature and Culture course uses a thematic approach to introduce students to representative texts (short stories, novels, poetry, and essays) from Peninsular Spanish, Latin American, and United States Hispanic literature. Students develop proficiencies across the full range of communication modes (interpersonal, presentational, and interpretive), thereby honing their critical reading and analytical writing skills. Literature is examined within the context of its time and place, as students reflect on the many voices and cultures present in the required readings. The course also includes a strong focus on cultural connections and comparisons, including exploration of various media (e.g., art, film, articles, literary criticism).

Studio Art 3D Design

This portfolio course is designed for experienced, highly motivated, and dedicated students interested in the practical experience of art. Students prepare a portfolio for presentation to the College Board in May, highlighting aspects of Quality, Breadth, and Concentration. Extensive work must be completed independently and students are expected to take advantage of opportunities to visit museums, galleries, and art exhibits as they study masters of art as a means of personal artistic enrichment.

Studio Art 2D Design (Studio)

This portfolio course is designed for experienced, highly motivated, and dedicated students interested in the practical experience of art. Students prepare a portfolio of drawing, painting, and mixed media in 2D Design for presentation to the College Board in May, highlighting aspects of Quality, Breadth, and Concentration. Extensive work must be completed independently and students are expected to take advantage of opportunities to visit museums, galleries, and art exhibits as they study masters of art as a means of personal artistic enrichment.

Studio Art 2D Design (Photography)

This portfolio course is designed for experienced, highly motivated, and dedicated students interested in the practical experience of art. Students prepare a portfolio of photography for presentation to the College Board in May, highlighting aspects of Quality, Breadth, and Concentration. Extensive work must be completed independently and students are expected to take advantage of opportunities to visit museums, galleries, and art exhibits as they study masters of art as a means of personal artistic enrichment.

World History

This challenging college-level World History course prepares students for the College Board examination in May, a requirement of the class. This course focuses on developing students' abilities to think conceptually about world history from approximately 8000 BCE to the present and apply historical thinking skills as they learn about the past. AP World History encompasses the history of the five major geographical regions of the globe: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, with a special focus on historical developments and processes that cross multiple regions.