<p>It's interesting how different the school science programs are!
At our hs the kids take Earth Science in 9th grade and use a junior college level text book. It's a very very challenging course. After that there is bio, chem and physic with options for the AP in each one and physics having two different AP levels. The more difficult physics class is analytical physics--I've heard this class referred to as "anal" physics so often that I forget and call it that myself.</p>