Course Descriptions

Required and elective courses offered for the school year are listed in this section. Most, but not all, courses will also be offered in subsequent years. Course availability depends on enrollment. 

Explore Our Secondary Curriculum

Science

  • The Science of You

    Focusing on life, this course emphasizes organisms and activities based on body structure, environment, and ability to adapt. Lab activities enable the student to develop important inquiry and laboratory skills using the scientific method of problem solving. Using microscopes, students examine slides of plant and animal tissues. The application of life science to decisions in health, medicine, nutrition, and agriculture is discussed. Students explore their relationship with and responsibility to the living world with specific reference to diminishing resources and the need for positive environmental management. (A one-year required course for 7th grade students.)

  • Science Investigations

    In this lab-oriented course, students discover the principles of chemistry and physics through independent and collaborative work. Students will gain an understanding of chemical and physical processes in their daily lives by participating in class discussions, conducting experiments, and testing hypotheses. Hands-on laboratory investigations will incorporate state-of-the-art instruments to expose students to modern scientific techniques. The high level of inquiry will allow students with a passion for science to develop their scientific curiosity. Students will explore states of matter, the periodic table, chemical bonding and reactions, motion, forces, and Newton's laws. At the end of the year, students will investigate various sources of energy, including wind, solar, and hydroelectric power. Through our exploration and application of these tenets, students will gain a deep understanding of how physical sciences are related and the forces that shape our world. (A one-year required course for all 8th grade students.)

Prerequisites + Recommendation for Courses

Some courses have prerequisites and/or require recommendation from the teacher and department chair. Students should direct questions regarding their course placement to their teachers in the spring, before or after their individual course request meetings with a principal, dean, or college counselor. Most honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses require certain grades in previous courses. A student must earn a grade of A- or higher (as determined by averaging the percentages of T1 and T2 grades) in a regular class in order to be granted the option to enroll in the next level of advanced study (usually honors or AP; in math, the next tier up of three).

Honors + Advanced Placement (AP) Courses

  • Generally move at a quicker pace and cover more material than regular college-prep courses of the same subject/name, with often higher expectations in terms of homework load
  • Are exempt from the policy that a student must have two or fewer major assessments on a day
  • Have prerequisite courses and/or grades for entry 

University of California (UC) Approved Courses

Courses marked with an asterisk (*) are approved by the UC, meaning that a C- or higher in that course counts towards satisfying UC requirements and count towards a student’s UC GPA. Many courses without the mark are pending approval. These courses also marked with a (†) have an Honors/AP designation (extra GPA point) with the UC. Read more details on UC requirements
4533 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Studio City, CA 91607
Phone 818.980.7280

Campbell Hall is a K-12 independent, Episcopal, gender-inclusive day school. We are a community of inquiry committed to academic excellence and to the nurturing of decent, loving, and responsible human beings.

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Nondiscriminatory Policy as to Students
Campbell Hall admits students of any race, color, gender, sexual orientation, national, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, national, and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletics and other school-administered programs.
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