Science

Our Science Department inspires students to understand scientific methods of inquiry and prepares them to live in a scientific and technological society.

Students learn to access and process information from readings, diagrams, investigations, and oral communications, not just in the classroom, but with an eye to future STEM careers and in their personal health and environmental stewardship decisions. Students learn to design effective scientific investigations, analyze data, communicate results, and apply results to explain phenomena inside and outside the laboratory. Teachers and students collaborate on project-based work to explain scientific concepts in biology, chemistry, the environmental sciences, and physics. Students participate in field trips to some of the Bay Area’s top science centers and have several curriculum-based service learning opportunities.

Three years (30 units) of Science are required for graduation: two years of integrated science that includes foundational concepts of biology, chemistry, and physics and a third year of lab science. Unless otherwise noted, all Science courses are UC-approved as college-preparatory core/elective courses.

Science Courses