There is a striking beauty and elegance in the fact that we are able to describe and predict aspects of our physical world through the use of models that are often mathematical in nature. In this course, students perform a variety of activities to discover these models. Students are encouraged to ask questions and play with ideas, materials and new technologies. Topics discussed include laws of motion, vectors, gravity, energy, electricity, magnetism, atomic structure, heat, sound and light. By the end of the year, students will be prepared to enter Grade 10 chemistry with confidence because they will have an understanding of the rules that govern the complicated dance that atoms participate in—the rules of physics.

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.

With the discovery of the structure of DNA, the sequencing of the human genome and the advent of biotechnology, molecular biology increasingly affects our understanding of the underlying principles of biology. This course builds on previous knowledge to help foster a broad understanding of biological concepts. Major areas of study include the chemical basis of life, cells, similarities and differences in living organisms, evolution, reproduction and genetics. Major themes are homeostasis, the relationship between structure and function (on both macroscopic and microscopic levels), division of labor and evolutionary adaptations of various organisms. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of data generated through lab activities.

In Independent Science Research, students have the unique opportunity to delve deeply into an aspect of science that particularly fascinates them. This three-year elective offers students an opportunity to perform actual research and participate in the scientific community as they work closely with a professional scientist.

Students begin this program in tenth grade and finish in the spring of twelfth grade. There are no textbooks or traditional tests for this course; rather students set their own path and create their own curriculum. They spend tenth grade identifying their topic of research and conducting an extensive review of the scientific literature on that topic. This process gives students the opportunity to dissect a very specific question or set of questions in depth. Students choose a topic from mathematics, physical sciences, life sciences, social sciences, computer sciences, or psychology that they may wish to research over the next two years. They contact the authors of related articles and eventually identify a mentor. Students spend the next two summers conducting research whereby they create testable hypotheses, perform experiments analyze the results and provide conclusions from their work. During the school year, juniors and seniors continue their research, analyze their data, share their results with their classmates, and mentor students new to the program. In the final year, students enter local, state, and national science competitions while creating a final paper and presentation that documents the entire experience. During all three years students share their ongoing research with each other, as a community of researchers, through formal presentations during regular class meetings.

Throughout the three-year program, classes are held during the week and the teacher meets with each student for one hour every two weeks to discuss hypotheses, goals, and objectives.

The Eco Fellows Program trains students to develop interdisciplinary skills to address growing environmental crises. In this three-year program, students develop knowledge of environmental science, political ecology, environmental sociology, ecological movements, sustainable agriculture, environmental justice, eco-criticism, and environmental psychology. In the first year of the program, students investigate global environmental governenance, with a specific investigation of interwoven, multifunctional landscapes. Students practice what they learn this yearby attending a weeklong trip. In the second year of the program, students explore environmental injustice with a focus on the intersection between colonialism, marginalization, and nature in New York City. In the final year of the program, students work with faculty members to develop an interdisciplinary thesis project. By the end of the three year program, students will have skills in communicating to different audiences, statistical analysis, nature drawing/painting, and integrating different ways of understanding the world. The knowledge and skills developed within an Eco Fellow will allow them to forge new solutions - solutions that are ambitious, audacious, aesthetic, and attainable.

Did you ever wonder how scientists collect and analyze evidence for criminal investigations? Do contemporary crime shows provide an accurate representation of what it means to be a forensic scientist? This college-level survey course provides students the opportunity to explore the many fields of forensics. Students will develop an understanding of evidence collection, crime scene investigation techniques, organic and inorganic chemical analysis of physical evidence, and biotechnology application in DNA analysis. In addition, students will explore fingerprinting, blood spatter analysis, and a newly emerging field called forensic entomology. In this elective students will draw upon their knowledge from prior physics, chemistry, and biology courses and apply it to the very real world of criminology and forensics. Prepare to put your detective skills to the test. Prerequisites: Physics 9, Chemistry 10, and Biology 11.

In this course, students follow in the footsteps of Alexander von Humboldt and Jane Goodall by using scientific reasoning to understand the connections between living and non-living systems. This is a skills-based course where students learn the fundamentals of observational research and statistics. The course begins with a survey of the atmosphere, lithosphere and oceans. It then moves on to survey the main branches of ecology: population, community, ecosystem, landscape, conservation, and coupled-socioecological systems. To aid students in developing their skills as an ecologist, they will engage in substantial field work in Central Park and other parks around the city. Moreover, students learn the basics of statistical programming, which will assist them in their own, original analyses.

In this course, students develop their skills as a natural historian by linking the fundamentals of evolution to vertebrate physiology. Through a series of dissections of vertebrate animals, students gain a deeper understanding of the anatomy and physiology of fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. In tandem with these dissections, students explore neurological pathways, muscle contractions, the development of integument, and the endocrine system. By engaging with physiological systems, students hone their understanding of basic biochemical reactions. At the end of the course, students students deepen their inquiries throughout the course in a capstone project on evolution and development. Prerequisites: Physics 9, Chemistry 10, and Biology 11. Permission of the department is required; B+ average in science strongly recommended.

Carbon is life. Every biological process on the planet, from the splitting of a single-cell amoeba, through the photosynthesis of plants, to how the human brain functions, is governed by carbon and its ability to form covalent bonds. Understanding how these bonds form, break and rearrange is fundamental to a wide variety of life sciences, such as medicine, veterinary science, and pharmacology. It is also of vital importance in industrial fields such as fossil and bio-fuels, plastics and household chemicals. This semester-long course provides an intensive and rigorous college-level introduction to organic chemistry. Students begin by discovering what makes carbon special, followed by learning about functional groups. Then we cover naming conventions and stereochemistry. We conclude by examining a wide range of important substitution and elimination reactions. This course is designed for those students with an intense interest in understanding the chemistry underpinning biology. Prerequisites: Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Permission of the department is required; B+ average in science strongly recommended.

“Not for school but for life we learn.” In this experiment and project-based course students not only develop a deeper understanding of many of the topics they covered in 10th Grade but also learn how to use their knowledge to creatively solve real-world problems. We first rediscover ionic and covalent compounds, stoichiometry and combustion analysis. Then we move to complex solutions chemistry, followed by acid-base reactions. We conclude by examining thermochemistry, thermodynamics and kinetics. This course is intended to provide the students with considerable exposure to a variety of experimental experiences and laboratory techniques common across a wide range of industries. This course is designed for those students looking for a more practical science experience, who like to work through a problem and with an interest in chemistry and mathematics. Prerequisites: Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Permission of department is required; B+ average in science and mathematics strongly recommended.

Previous physics courses only told you part of the story. Models developed by scientists such as Newton and Einstein and used to describe the universe were incomplete! The story continues with trying to determine what is the fundamental building of all that is around us. This course begins with an examination of the current theoretical framework of modern physics. Quantum Mechanics and Relativity. These two theories have long been the pillars of modern physics and have been able to model our Universe from the scale of galaxies right down to the elementary particles that are the physical building blocks of everything we know. Yet neither alone provides a complete picture of how the universe works. Currently, physicists are attempting to either bridge these two disparate worlds or imagine a completely new approach to modeling our Universe. This course is designed for those students willing to suspend their preconceived notions about the physical world around them, and consider an entirely new perspective. Prerequisite: Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Permission of the department is required; B+ overall science average strongly recommended.

Have you ever wondered what makes a summer's day hot, or what causes the aurora borealis to look so serenely beautiful, or how exactly your phone works? Physics has the answer: energy. This course provides a thorough examination of electricity and magnetism that is typically covered in the second semester of freshman college Calculus-based Physics courses. We will explore a broad variety of physical phenomena through problem solving and hands-on laboratory experimentation. Utilizing advanced mathematical tools and techniques including differentiation and integration, we will investigate the topics of electric and magnetic forces and fields, current flow, circuitry, electromagnetic radiation. This course is designed for inquisitive students who are eager to sink their teeth into challenging problems. Corequisite: Calculus; Prerequisite: Physics, Chemistry, Biology; Permission of the department is required; B+ overall science average is strongly recommended.