Biomechanics is both an advanced-level physics class and a class that fulfills the biology requirement. This class investigates human and animal motion from both a physical and biological perspective. Students build physical models, make real measurements, and explore topics of interest relating to the body and motion. Along the way, students study both evolution and DNA in the context of their investigations. This class includes a natural review of many physics topics from 10th grade, and expands on them to include concepts like rotational motion.

What’s the big deal about ChatGPT? Is Artificial Intelligence (AI) going to take over everything? Has it already? What happens to all of the data given to companies like Instagram, Google, and TikTok? What can you program a computer to do with that data? And more importantly, what should you do with it? This interdisciplinary class combines coding, data, science, and more. Students learn to code in Python on their way to building their own game. Then they learn to work with large data sets, create their own graphs, and solve computational problems. Students explore data visualization, data science, machine learning, and AI—all with a focus on social justice. Students then apply what they learn to topics in biology, chemistry, and physics—as well as social science, politics, math, art, language, climate science, humanities, and just about any other field they can imagine.

In this hands-on class students combine and apply ideas in science, math, and technology to design, build, and use engines, simple machines, and structures. We explore the engineering process through collaboration, ideation, documentation (drawing diagrams), construction, and redesign. The activities in this class are designed to have students work in groups and use modern technology to develop solutions for real-world engineering problems.

In this course, students study topics in evolutionary biology and genetics. By examining experiments, simulations, and readings, students explore the historical basis of key discoveries in biology using this data to create their own models and draw their own conclusions. In the field of evolutionary biology, students use the work of Darwin in natural selection as a springboard to understand multiple means of evolution and speciation. In the field of genetics, students examine information transfer through DNA and study the work of scientists in gene inheritance and mutation. As time allows, students use tools in molecular biology to learn about PCR and its modern uses in gene editing and DNA sequencing.

In this interdisciplinary course, students become familiar with the functions of the immune system at a molecular level. Students incorporate this understanding with an examination of social determinants of health at local, national, and global levels. Health is determined by a range of genetic and environmental factors. Students consider how their understanding of health and well-being is related to their experiences with healthcare systems, their values, and their assumptions. Topics covered may include immune cells, DNA, evolution, innate and adaptive immunity, epidemiology, the opioid epidemic and maternal mortality. 

 

All science and math concepts will be introduced and reviewed as you need them. This class is interdisciplinary. In addition to the science involved, students also investigate the policy and economics, engineering applications, and activism related to sustainability and energy use.

Students explore the properties, production, and environmental implications of everyday materials, with a focus on the materials life cycle and its social and economic impacts in this class. The class also explores principles of sustainable design and emerging green technologies. Students engage in laboratory investigations, hands-on activities, class discussions, Field Trips, and projects.

In this course, students are introduced to wildlife conservation through the study of conservation biology, an interdisciplinary science focusing on the protection of biological diversity on multiple levels. Students start by learning basic ecology, including the framework of ecosystems, trophic levels, and the value of biodiversity. They then move into the causes of biodiversity loss with a focus on the impacts of human activity, conservation approaches and strategies, and the biological, social, and economic consequences of our behavior.  Topics covered include mass extinctions, habitat destruction, climate change, and invasive species, amongst others.