Science

List of 4 items.

• Grade 9: Physics

  Physics is an exploratory course that introduces students to the fundamental principles governing the physical world through inquiry, modeling, and experimentation. Students investigate how physical phenomena can be described and predicted using conceptual and mathematical models. Through hands-on investigations and guided explorations, students are encouraged to ask questions, test ideas, and work with materials, data, and emerging technologies. Emphasis is placed on using evidence and data to construct and refine explanations, as students collect, analyze, and interpret data to evaluate models. Topics include motion and forces, vectors, gravity, energy, electricity and magnetism, atomic structure, heat, sound, and light. The course prioritizes reasoning, problem-solving, and connections across physical systems. By the end of the year, students develop a strong conceptual foundation in physics that prepares them to enter Grade 10 Chemistry with confidence and a deeper understanding of matter and energy.

• Grade 10: Chemistry

  In this course, students explore the structure of atoms and the complicated dances in which atoms participate—better known as chemistry. Students learn how this knowledge can give us a deeper appreciation of our world and lead to wondrous new materials and applications. Problem-solving, the critical analysis of models and processing skills are emphasized, and students are encouraged to make connections to chemistry in their everyday experience. A well-equipped chemistry classroom enables students to have a rich, hands-on experience. Topics include scientific measurement and analysis, properties of matter, atomic structure, quantum theory, periodicity of elements, bonding, organic chemistry, chemical reactions, chemical quantities, thermochemistry, reaction rates, equilibrium, acid-base reactions and electrochemistry. The course requires a solid understanding of basic algebra.

• Grade 11: Biology

  Introductory Biology is a rigorous survey course that builds on students’ prior scientific knowledge to develop a broad and integrated understanding of living systems through evidence-based inquiry and analysis. The course begins with a shared summer reading of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, which sets the tone for engagement in the life sciences while highlighting the human stories and ethical considerations that shape biological research. Over the course of the year, students strengthen core scientific skills by analyzing data, designing and evaluating investigations, and constructing evidence-based explanations as they study biological phenomena from the cellular level to complex organisms and systems. Laboratory work plays a central role, engaging students in model-based investigations that support understanding and synthesis of biological concepts. Major areas of study include the chemical basis of life, cell structure and function, genetic inheritance, human anatomy, evolution, and the diversity of living organisms. By the end of the course, Grade 11 students develop a fundamental understanding of the interconnectedness of biological systems and the role of evidence, ethics, and inquiry in advancing biological knowledge. Prerequisites: Physics and Chemistry.

• Grade 12: Semester and Yearlong Electives

  Elective Courses (Fall):

  
  

  Environmental Science

  In this course, we will explore the scientific, engineering, political, legal, and equity dimensions of environmental science. Human use and transformation of the physical and living world have given rise to many environmental challenges. This will be a semester of constructive problem-solving for environmental management and imagining alternative solutions to our current trajectory. The issues explored will occur at different scales. Global issues will examine challenges that we face collectively as a planet, including population growth and climate change, and how environmental systems and disparate groups of people will be impacted in varying ways. Some environmental challenges are regional in nature, such as water scarcity, or soil and land remediation. Lastly, local issues, such as those specific to New York City and its surrounding areas, include questions of sustainability, waste and wastewater management, and adaptation for a changing climate. All of these questions require multiple perspectives and skill sets to effectively navigate. Through this course, students will develop both the paradigm and the methodology for analyzing complex environmental systems and, in the process, imagine creative and novel paths forward. Prerequisites: Physics and Chemistry.

  
  

  Forensic Science: Criminal Behavior

  Why do some individuals engage in criminal activity? What are the behavioral, psychological, and cognitive factors that influence the likelihood of committing a crime? This college-level course gives students the opportunity to explore different theories in criminology and deviance. Through the lens of a forensic psychologist, students gain an understanding of abnormal brain structures and possible links to antisocial or violent behavior. Students will also learn about the process of criminal investigations, the collection of evidence, and the impact that social justice has on our current legal system. Prerequisites: Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. 

  
  
  

  Elective Courses (Spring):

  
  

  Engineering

  Engineering is a hands-on, collaborative course where students design, build, test, and improve solutions to real-world problems. Through projects like truss bridges, load-bearing structures, water filtration systems, materials testing, and simple electronic systems using sensors and controllers, students see how engineering ideas connect to everyday life. The course introduces various engineering fields, including civil, mechanical, electrical, environmental, and human-centered design, and highlights how these disciplines collaborate in practice. A key goal of the course is to help students develop skills used across all engineering fields. Students learn how to define problems, analyze data, design and test prototypes, collaborate in teams, and communicate technical ideas clearly. These skills are developed through a semester-long team project in which students identify a real need in their school or local community and create a solution using the engineering design process. Students build, test, gather feedback, and revise their designs multiple times, learning that iteration and improvement are central to engineering work. Throughout the course, students reflect on their decisions and consider engineering ethics, including safety, responsibility, equity, and community impact. Students document their work in an engineering notebook and track how their ideas evolve over time. Prerequisites: Physics and Chemistry.

  
  

  Elective Courses (Yearlong) :

  
  

  Advanced Biology: Genetics and Statistics

  Advanced Biology: Genetics & Statistics is a yearlong, college-level science course that explores how genetic information is regulated and expressed to explain biological variation, disease, and evolution. Students study the human genome using statistical analysis and modern biotechnology tools, gaining hands-on experience with how scientists investigate genes and genetic data. During the first semester, students examine inheritance patterns, population genetics, and multifactorial diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. They analyze real biological datasets to evaluate gene function and genetic risk, strengthening quantitative reasoning and data interpretation skills. In the second semester, Your Inner Fish, by evolutionary biologist Neil Shubin, serves as a guiding text. Students use evolution as an explanatory framework to investigate vertebrate anatomy and development, exploring how changes in gene regulation, and evolutionary constraints and trade-offs, link humans to other vertebrates over time. The course emphasizes experiential learning, evidence-based reasoning, and clear scientific communication through culminating projects. Prerequisites: Physics, Chemistry, and Biology with a grade of B or higher. Permission of the department is required.

  
  

  Advanced Chemistry

  This yearlong, experiment-based course offers a rigorous, college-level introduction to chemistry. The first semester revisits core principles—ionic and covalent compounds, stoichiometry, combustion analysis, solutions chemistry, acid-base reactions, thermochemistry, thermodynamics, and kinetics—while emphasizing real-world applications and lab techniques. The second semester focuses on organic chemistry, exploring carbon’s role in biological and industrial processes. Students study functional groups, nomenclature, stereochemistry, and key substitution and elimination reactions. This course is ideal for students with a strong interest in chemistry and mathematics who enjoy hands-on problem-solving.  Prerequisites: Physics, Chemistry, and Biology with a grade of B or higher. Permission of the department is required.

   

  Advanced Physics

  This course provides a rich exploration of both classical mechanics and modern physics; topics that are part of a freshman college calculus-based physics course, and beyond. We begin by tackling a variety of complex physical scenarios, pairing a deep conceptual understanding with effective mathematical modeling. Using algebra, trigonometry, and calculus, we will explore the topics of forces, motion, energy, torque, rotational and oscillatory motion. With the classical foundation in place, we then move to modern theories of physics, beginning with the essential understanding of electricity and magnetism. Mathematical modeling of these forces is both elegant and profound, and lays the groundwork for Maxwell’s Equations of Electromagnetism. The story continues with the current theoretical framework of modern physics: Quantum Mechanics and Relativity. These two theories have long been the pillars of modern physics successfully modeling our universe from the scale of galaxies down to the elementary particles that are the building blocks of everything we know. The beauty of physics lies in its ability to explain so many of the physical phenomena we experience every day. This course is designed for students who like to puzzle through a problem, are comfortable moving at a brisk pace, and have a strong interest in physics and applied mathematics. Corequisite: Calculus; Prerequisite: Physics, Chemistry, Biology; Permission of the department is required; B+ overall science average.
  
  

  Science Department Fellowship Programs:

  
  

  Independent Science Research 

  Grades 10-12 or Grades 11-12. Counts as (NB)

  Independent Science Research (ISR) is a multi-year elective for students who wish to pursue advanced scientific inquiry within the Spence science research community. Students enter the program in tenth or eleventh grade and complete it in the spring of twelfth grade. Central to ISR is student agency, where students design individualized research pathways guided by their interests and questions. In the first year, students develop foundational practical research skills, including reading and analyzing scientific literature, formulating research questions, and understanding research ethics and methodology. Students are also introduced to a range of scientific fields through outside speakers and researchers. In subsequent years, students conduct original research projects or work with a research mentor in a laboratory setting. Throughout the program, students share their work, mentor peers, and contribute to a collaborative community of Spence science researchers. The program culminates in a final research paper and symposium presentation, with opportunities to present or submit work for external review.

  
  

  Eco Fellows 

  Grades 10-12 or Grades 11-12. Counts as (NB)

  The Eco Fellows program empowers students to become environmental leaders with the skills and information to design innovative solutions to current environmental challenges. In this interdisciplinary program, students develop knowledge of key environmental science concepts, research skills, and systems-based thinking. In the first year of the program, students build their foundational knowledge of ecoliteracy, including environmental governance, social justice, and the different forms that environmental leadership can take. From there, students identify a field of interest and build a scientific review of knowledge, from which a guiding question emerges.  Students then design a project in response to their question, which can take many forms, including research, design, education and awareness, among others. The remainder of the fellowship is devoted to the completion of and reflection on the project, including the submission of a formal paper documenting the experience. Students work both independently and collaboratively, sharing their ongoing work through presentations and class discussions.