High School Courses

Science

Science at Dalton is taught through an inquiry-based approach with an emphasis on skill development. These skills include experimental design, critical thinking, problem-solving, data analysis, scientific literacy, and collaborative skills. When possible, connections are made to historic and current events, as well as the world at large, putting science in context. Advanced level courses prepare students for the study of science at the college level.

Minimum Requirements
All students will take a year of biology (in 9th grade) and one year of chemistry (in 10th grade).  A third year, consisting of a one-year course or two one-semester courses is needed to complete the three-year requirement.

Electives – Levels
These include advanced level courses (second year, college level), honors-level courses and more descriptive courses, often directed toward special interests.  Questions regarding the appropriateness of a particular course should be addressed to the current science teacher, the teacher of the course under consideration, and/or the Science Department Chair in consultation with the house advisor.  Often the choice depends on the number and rigor of other courses the student is taking and/or the degree of extracurricular involvement.
  • Biology

    This course explores the various concepts and processes that unify organisms and simultaneously give rise to the diversity of life forms on Earth.  It is an introduction to laboratory skills and the major areas of biology, such as the study of organic molecules, plant and animal cellular biology, genetics, evolution, and ecology. Discussions also explore health, social, and environmental issues within selected topics. Students will be expected to take intellectual risks to cultivate their curiosity, to deeply investigate topics of interest, and to take ownership of their role in their educational experience. 

    The ability to apply and communicate knowledge will be a defining feature of this course. The course is primarily taught through scientific inquiry that allows students to develop their conceptual understanding through experimental explorations, data analysis in their lab reports, and student discussions, where the important biological concepts are utilized to solve problems.  Many of the laboratory experiments are student designed and each student, as one of their projects, will conduct a semester long experiment. Multiple opportunities are provided for curiosity-driven explorations and intellectual risk-taking.

    Full Year Course, 1.0 credit
  • Chemistry

    This introductory survey course provides students with a fundamental understanding of chemistry and its applications in everyday life. Topics covered include Atomic Theory, the Periodic Table, Stoichiometry, Thermodynamics, Acids and Bases, and Equilibrium. Wet experimentation is a prominent component. Technology is often used for data collection and analysis and for computer simulations that enrich learning. 

    Prerequisite: Biology and Algebra I 
    Full Year Course, 1.0 credit
  • Chemistry 'A'

    As in Chemistry but with more emphasis on analytical reasoning and more extensive quantitative problem-solving.
     
    Full Year Course, 1.0 credit
     
    Requires Preapproval
  • Physics

    This is an introductory survey course that includes the study of mechanics and the fundamental laws of gravity, electrostatics, and magnetism.  It is conceptual in its nature and problems are solved using only fundamental algebra skills and some basic trigonometry that will be introduced alongside the physics concepts.  The course develops an understanding of the concepts through demonstrations, questions, activities, computer-simulated physical situations, computer aided experiments and projects.  Students will learn to represent physical phenomena graphically and mathematically - these representations will guide their thinking in answering what will happen in a given situation. An emphasis of the course is on how physics relates to everyday life.  The final assignment in the spring integrates applications influenced by student interest.  Past topics have included the physics of music, the physics of dance, and pseudo-science.

    Full Year Course, 1.0 credit
  • Physics 'A'

    This course is similar to regular Physics in content, but with a greater emphasis on the mathematical analysis of physical phenomena and a deeper treatment of most concepts.
    Students who have taken regular Physics are not eligible for Physics ‘A’

    Requires Preapproval
    Prerequisite: 2 years of science
    Recommend: Precalculus ‘2A’ for juniors, and Calculus ‘1A’ or Calculus ‘2A’ for seniors.
    Full Year Course, 1.0 credit
  • Forensic Science

    Forensic science is the application of science to law. The forensic science class is a project and experiment based course centered on case studies where students reproduce many of the analytical techniques that current forensic scientists use while also critically examining the technique’s validity and reliability. The course stresses the logic, ethics, and social justice of creating a case that is based solely on evidence.  Assignments include fingerprint evidence (studied through the Madrid Train Bombings), ballistic analysis with an emphasis on kinematics (studied through the Kennedy Assassination), testimonial evidence with an emphasis on psychology (studied through North Carolina vs. Ronald Cotton), and forgery analysis with an emphasis on fluorescence (through the Salvator Mundi and La Bella Principessa paintings). 

    Prerequisites: Biology and Chemistry
    Fall Semester, 0.50 credits
  • Food: A Biomolecular and Chemical Study

    Cooking is often about combining ingredients to create something completely different. It involves many chemical and physical changes to the food that the cook carefully controls in order to produce the desired result.  Looking at food in a different way can be fun and enlightening.  What is actually going on in the bread that changes it from a sticky, runny dough or batter into a structural element that holds a sandwich together? How many of your favorite foods are foams? Bread, cake, whipped cream, marshmallows, ice cream, and meringue—all would be quite different if they didn’t have bubbles of gas in them. What makes some foods foam and others not? What are some of the different ways you can cook something?  Each Assignment will look at a different technique, ingredient, or approach to food and cooking. Through inquiry and experimentation, students will learn to think like a chef and a scientist while understanding (and appreciating) their food at a molecular level. 

    Note: This course meets four times a week and does not meet for a double lab period.

    Prerequisite: Biology and Chemistry
    Spring Semester, 0.50 credits
  • Bioethics

    Recent advances in the biological sciences, which have given us many new capabilities, have also caused a great deal of controversy. Amazing new medicines, biomedical procedures and ways of genetically altering animals and plants are certainly benefitting millions of people across the globe. However, these same innovations also have the potential to cause harm or to raise other types of ethical questions about their appropriate use. It seems that humans are constantly confronted by stories in the media that focus our attention on bioethical issues, from gene testing and right-to-die situations to stem cell research and animal/human experimentation issues, to mention a few. In this course, various case studies, journal articles and video supplements will serve as a framework for our class discussions, debates and final reflections on these complex issues that confront us on both a personal and societal level. Students will be discussing many of the historical scandals (i.e. Tuskegee Syphilis and Willowbrook Hepatitis Studies, the American eugenics movement, etc.) and philosophical influences (Virtue Ethics, Deontology and Utilitarianism) that have helped to pave the way to where we are today as we attempt to analyze and resolve the many bioethical issues that confront us. Besides deepening an understanding of the specific biological topics themselves, this course will allow students to hone their critical thinking skills to a level that will help them  make informed, thoughtful decisions as adults in the future. Frequent class participation is an integral aspect of this class, as the vast majority of our daily discussions are student driven. 

    Note: this class meets three times a week, and does not meet for a double period.

    Prerequisite: Biology and Chemistry 
    Full Year Course, 1.0 credit
  • Modern Physics 'A'

    Whether talking on our smartphones, listening to MP3’s, surfing the web, or watching TV, just about every action we take has been shaped by the two great twentieth-century revolutions in Physics:  Quantum Mechanics and Relativity.  Einstein’s theories of relativity, both special and general, have forever altered our understanding of space and time.  They also helped to usher in the atomic age. Humans have unlocked the secrets of the atom and of the stars, while at the same time, brought about the most terrifying power ever unleashed on humanity.  Einstein also played a pivotal role in laying the foundations of quantum physics – the modern theory of physical reality.  Also, quantum is the basis of all technology and without the pioneering theories of the early twentieth century, there would be no digital revolution today. Quantum Mechanics explains the rules that govern our microscopic world.  It is those same rules that helped to explain the origin of our universe.  That scientific revolution and the new rules allowed Bohr to unravel the mystery of the atom; empowered Planck to explained how light was both a wave and a particle; inspired Schrödinger to teach us that a cat can be simultaneously dead and alive; and finally permitted Heisenberg to show us that reality is governed by chance and that God plays dice with the universe. Students will explore other applications of these revolutionary ideas: the structure of nuclei, atoms, and molecules, the properties of the particles that compose all matter - quarks, leptons, and bosons - and the origin of space and time.  This course will start off with a review of three concepts of last years’ Physics: energy, momentum, and electrostatic interactions. Students will then have solid foundations to explore revolutionary topics such as Newton’s model of light, simple harmonic motion, waves, sound, interference and diffraction phenomena, and other applications of these revolutionary ideas such as the structure of nuclei and the origin of space and time.
     
    Prerequisite: Physics or Physics 'A'
    Co-requisite: Calculus ‘1A'
    Full year course, 1.0 credit

    Requires Preapproval
  • Adv. Physics 2 'A'

    This course is a two-semester sequence. The fall semester, Advanced Physics I, will have a curriculum that includes the content required for the AP Physics C exam in Mechanics.  The first part of this Mechanics section will revisit the topics covered in Physics ‘A’ with an emphasis on more advanced mathematics and more realistic scenarios. In the spring semester, Advanced Physics II will develop further the concepts and topics of the first semester, and then move on to include fundamental topics in Electricity and Magnetism, though it may not include all of the required content for the AP Physics C: E&M exam. Physical laws are expanded upon through the use of advanced demonstrations, computer-simulated physical situations, computer-aided experiments, and projects.  Because of the advanced nature of the course, the student must have a solid conceptual understanding of physics and have highly proficient mathematical skills, including differential and integral calculus.  The emphasis of this course is on the application of physical laws and advanced mathematical techniques to solve more realistic and complex physics problems.

    Prerequisite: Physics 'A'
    Co requisite: Calculus ‘2A’
    Full Year Course, 1.0 credit

    Requires Preapproval
  • Abnormal Psychology

    This course focuses on psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, eating disorders, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, and depression. While students examine these and other disorders, they will learn about the symptoms, diagnoses, and treatments. Students will also deepen their understanding of the social stigmas associated with mental illnesses. This course may be taken as a continuation of Introduction to Psychology, although doing so is not required.

    This course is offered through our partnership with Global Online Academy (GOA).
    One Semester Course, Fall and Spring, 0.50 credits

    Requires Preapproval
  • Introduction to Psychology

    What does it mean to think like a psychologist? In Introduction to Psychology, students explore three central psychological perspectives—the behavioral, the cognitive, and the sociocultural—in order to develop a multi-faceted understanding of what thinking like a psychologist encompasses. The additional question of “How do psychologists put what they know into practice?” informs study of the research methods in psychology, the ethics surrounding them, and the application of those methods to practice. During the first five units of the course, students gather essential information that they apply during a group project on the unique characteristics of adolescent psychology. Students similarly envision a case study on depression, which enables application of understandings from the first five units. The course concludes with a unit on positive psychology, which features current positive psychology research on living mentally healthy lives. Throughout the course, students collaborate on a variety of activities and assessments, which often enable learning about each other’s unique perspectives while building their research and critical thinking skills in service of understanding the complex field of psychology. 

    This course is offered through our partnership with Global Online Academy (GOA).
    One Semester Course, Fall and Spring, 0.50 credits
     
    Requires Preapproval
  • Medical Problem Solving I

    In this course, students collaboratively solve medical mystery cases, similar to the approach used in many medical schools. Students enhance their critical thinking skills as they examine data, draw conclusions, diagnose, and identify appropriate treatment for patients. Students use problem-solving techniques in order to understand and appreciate relevant medical/biological facts as they confront the principles and practices of medicine. Students explore anatomy and physiology pertaining to medical scenarios and gain an understanding of the disease process, demographics of disease, and pharmacology. Additional learning experiences include studying current issues in health and medicine, building a community-service action plan, interviewing a patient, and creating a new mystery case.

    This course is offered through our partnership with Global Online Academy (GOA).
    One Semester Course, Fall and Spring, 0.50 credits

    Requires Preapproval
  • Neuropsychology

    This course is an exploration of the neurological basis of behavior. It covers basic brain anatomy and function as well as cognitive and behavioral disorders from a neurobiological perspective. Additionally, students explore current neuroscience research as well as the process of funding that research. Examples of illnesses that may be covered include: Alzheimer’s disease, traumatic brain injury, and stroke. In addition, we explore diagnostic and treatment issues (including behavioral and pharmaceutical management) as well as attention, learning, memory, sleep, consciousness and emotional intelligence. Students conclude the course by developing a fundraising campaign to support research and/or patient care initiatives related to a specific neurological condition and nonprofit foundation. 

    This course is offered through our partnership with Global Online Academy (GOA).
    One Semester Course, Fall and Spring, 0.50 credits

    Requires Preapproval
  • Global Health

    What makes people sick? What social and political factors lead to the health disparities we see both within our own communities and on a global scale? What are the biggest challenges in global health and how might they be met? Using an interdisciplinary approach to address these questions, this course improves students' health literacy through an examination of the most significant public-health challenges facing today's global population. Topics addressed include the biology of infectious disease, the statistics and quantitative measures associated with health issues, the social determinants of health, and the role of organizations (public and private) in shaping the landscape of global health policy. Throughout the course, students use illness as a lens through which to critically examine such social issues as poverty, gender, and race. Student work includes analytical writing, research and curating sources around particular topics, readings and discussions exploring a variety of sources, and online presentations, created both on their own and with peers.

    This course is offered through our partnership with Global Online Academy (GOA).
    Fall Semester Course, 0.50 credits
     
    Requires Preapproval
  • Medical Problem Solving II

    Medical Problem Solving II is an extension of the problem-based approach in Medical Problem Solving I. While collaborative examination of medical case studies remain at the center of the course, MPSII approaches medical cases through the perspectives of global medicine, medical ethics, and social justice. The course examines cases not only from around the world but also in students’ local communities. Additionally, the course addresses the challenges patients face because of a lack of access to health care, often a result of systemic discrimination and inequity along with more general variability of health care resources in different parts of the world. All students in MPS II participate in the Catalyst Conference, a GOA-wide conference near the end of the semester where students from many GOA courses create and publish presentations on course-specific topics. For their projects, students use all of the lenses from the earlier parts of the course to choose and research a local topic of high interest. Further, their topics enable identifying a local medical problem, using local sources, and generating ideas for promoting change. Prerequisite: Medical Problem Solving I. 

    This course is offered through our partnership with Global Online Academy (GOA).
    Spring Semester Course, 0.50 credits

    Requires Preapproval
  • Acoustics: Science of Sound and Music

    Why do some tones sound significantly different when played together? Studying the science of music provides inspiration to train, energize, and challenge the next generation of scientists and artists in a connected global world. Seniors will study music from physical, biological, and mathematical points of view. Students will analyze the structure of a sound waveform that evolves in time, the interactions with other waveforms, and the final complex waveform that forms a piece. Other examples of assignments include the structure and function of hearing, the social effect of sound on the organization of marine ecosystems, and the physiological influences of music on plants. We will incorporate a wide diversity of sounds, acoustics and music from several traditions and from fusions of traditions (e.g. the integration of the Indian raga scale system into jazz). Judgments of value are beyond the scope of this course as culture has a dominant role in shaping aesthetic responses to music. Music is present in every culture, but the degree to which it is shaped by biology remains debated. As time and space allows, we will use brass, woodwind, percussion and string instruments as a leitmotif to understand the science of sound waves. Students will learn to apply analogies across apparently disparate fields of the arts and sciences. This class will highlight the connections between music, physics, biology, and humanity, from a global perspective.
     
    Spring Semester, 0.5 credits
  • Adv. Biological Systems 'A'

    In this class, students will explore the human body’s response to stressors that challenge homeostasis in three categories: extreme environmental conditions, such as a climb to the top of Mount Everest; serious illnesses, such as cancer and heart disease; and traumatic experiences, such as being a refugee. Within each body system, students will be introduced to how the structures at the tissue and cellular level fit the function of the system and how any relevant feedback mechanisms work to regulate the function of the system down to the molecular level. Then students will explore how the system responds to a stressor. Throughout the course, students are regularly asked to take on case studies themselves and to conduct research using peer reviewed sources. The ability to communicate knowledge and apply it to novel scenarios will be a defining feature of this course.

    Requires Preapproval
    Prerequisite: Biology and Chemistry
    Full year course, 1.0 credit
  • Adv. Biology 'A'

    Advanced Biology is essentially a college level human physiology/molecular biology course that provides a detailed study of how the various body systems, such as the nervous, immune, circulatory and endocrine, operate at a biochemical, cellular and macroscopic level. Besides studying body systems, an emphasis is placed on investigating DNA and modern genetics, genetic engineering, and molecular biology. The roles played by diet, stress, exercise, and various medical technologies and medicines in extending or shortening our lives will be included. The coursework frequently incorporates aspects of evolutionary biology into our discussions.The curriculum then proceeds into studies of the many aspects of evolution from classical and modern perspectives. This course constantly utilizes information and important concepts studied in General Biology and Chemistry. Experimental work includes histological studies, a bacterial DNA transformation, amino acid analysis /chromatography, enzyme-substrate titration studies, osmosis/diffusion experiments and pH buffer experiments. Students also dissect the pigs heart, sheep brain and sheep kidney. A field trip to the Cold Spring Harbor DNA Laboratory to perform a DNA Restriction Analysis utilizing electrophoresis is included.
     
    Prerequisite for preapproval: B+ or better in Biology; B+ or better in Chemistry ‘A’ or Chemistry
    Full year course, 1.0 credit

    Requires Preapproval
  • Adv. Chemistry 'A'

    A challenging college level course designed to expand upon the concepts introduced in the introductory course and to develop higher level analytical skills in problem-solving and laboratory work. Quantum mechanics, molecular bonding theories, thermodynamics, kinetics, and equilibrium systems are some of the topics that are studied in significantly more depth. Laboratory work is a major focus throughout the year. Students are required to use lab time outside of class to finish some experiments. Students may be required to complete some preparatory work before the start of the school year.
     
    Prerequisites for preapproval: A- or better in Chemistry or B+ or better in Chemistry ‘A’ or, permission of the instructor

    Full Year Course, 1.0 credit
    Requires Preapproval
  • Advanced and Organic Chemistry ‘2A’

    The Advanced and Organic Chemistry ‘2A’ course provides students with a college-level foundation to support future advanced coursework in chemistry.. Students will cultivate their understanding of chemistry through inquiry-based investigations, as they explore content such as: atomic structure, intermolecular forces and bonding, chemical reactions, kinetics, and thermodynamics through the lens of the behavior of carbon.  Students will take an in-depth look at functional groups, emphasizing nomenclature, synthesis, and stereochemistry. The course will also provide a brief but thorough introduction to biochemistry. The laboratory component will introduce students to synthetic methods for making organic compounds and extraction and purification techniques.

    Prerequisite: Chemistry
    Full Year Course, 1.0 credit

    Requires Preapproval
  • Advanced Organic Chemistry '2A'

    This course provides students with a college-level foundation to support future advanced coursework in chemistry. Students will cultivate their understanding of chemistry through inquiry-based investigations, as they explore content such as: atomic structure, intermolecular forces and bonding, chemical reactions, kinetics, and thermodynamics through the lens of the behavior of carbon.  Students will take an in-depth look at functional groups, emphasizing nomenclature, synthesis, and stereochemistry. The course will also provide a brief but thorough introduction to biochemistry. The laboratory component will introduce students to synthetic methods for making organic compounds and extraction and purification techniques.

    Prerequisite: Biology and Chemistry
    Full Year Course, 1.0 credit
    Requires Preapproval
  • Animal Anatomy and Physiology: Invertebrates

    In this course, students will learn about the evolving body systems of the eight exclusively invertebrate phyla that are still in existence today: Porifera (sponges), Cnidaria (jellyfish and corals), Platyhelminthes (flatworms), Nematoda (roundworms), Mollusca (such as squid), Annelida (such as earthworms), Arthropoda (such as insects), and Echinodermata (such as starfish). Within each phylum, animals share traits and structural organization. The class will progress in its learning from most primitive to the most advanced animal phylum. Students will identify intricacies of the body systems as they dissect a representative animal from each of these phylum,  and they will learn detailed anatomy and physiology of those systems through reading and class conversations. The curricular progression from one phylum to the next will reveal the evolution of invertebrate body systems. Students’ understanding of content related to each animal will be assessed. Additionally, they will be expected to produce a digital journal of their dissection experience, meeting criteria that focuses on detailed images and organ system analysis.

    Prerequisites: Biology and Chemistry
  • Animal Anatomy and Physiology: Vertebrates

    In this course, the focus will be Phylum Chordata. Most species in this phylum are from the subphylum Vertebrata, which means they have a backbone. Students will learn about the anatomy and physiology of five classes of chordates: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. As these animals are from the same phylum, there will be many similarities in anatomical structure and function, but there are key differences that represent unique environmental adaptations. Students will identify intricacies of the body systems as they dissect a representative animal from each of these classes. They will learn detailed anatomy and physiology of those systems through reading and class conversations. Students' understanding of content related to each animal will be assessed. Additionally, they will be expected to produce a digital journal of their dissection experience, meeting criteria that focuses on detailed images and organ system analysis.

    Prerequisites: Biology and Chemistry
  • Applied Data Science

    This course examines fundamental concepts of data science tools and computer science to answer contemporary key questions about our environment, geography, and society. Students will understand the fundamental theories and techniques of data science, and will examine real world examples to develop data-analytic thinking and to learn that proper application of data science is as much an art as it is a science. 

    Trimester Course, 0.5 credits
  • Astronomy: Exploring the Solar System

    Humans have always wondered about the night sky. First we explained the stars with stories. With the discovery of tools of observation and with the development of mathematics, the science of astronomy was born. We now understand how much of the universe was formed and operates, though mysteries remain. In this semester, students will learn about the tools and techniques that astronomers have used to make their discoveries, and along the way they will focus on the historical and philosophical contexts in which those discoveries were made. Student understanding will be deepened through virtual lab experiences, hands-on experience with astronomical data, and independent research. The specific topics include: makeup of the solar system, astronomical units, the celestial sphere, the phases of the moon, and the structure of the sun. Astronomy electives can be taken independently; neither is a prerequisite for the other course.

    Prerequisites: Biology and Chemistry
  • Astronomy: Exploring the Universe

    Over the course of the year, students will take a tour of the Universe and learn its secrets – what it’s made of, how it evolved, and where we fit in. We will explore the Universe on all scales, from the atomic processes that power stars, to the very boundaries of observable space. Students will learn about the tools and techniques that astronomers have used to make their discoveries, and along the way they will focus on the historical and philosophical contexts in which those discoveries were made. Student understanding will be deepened through virtual lab experiences, hands-on experience with astronomical data, and independent research. The specific topics covered will be: A Brief History of Astronomy and the Night Sky, Gravitation and Orbits, Radiation and Spectra, Astronomical Instruments, Earth and the Solar System, Our Sun and Other Stars, Stellar Evolution, Black Holes, The Milky Way Galaxy, Evolution of Galaxies, The Big Bang, Cosmology, and the Fate of Our Universe.

    Prerequisites: Biology and Chemistry
    Full Year Course, 1.0 credit
  • Astronomy: Exploring the Universe

    Humans have always wondered about the night sky. First we explained the stars with stories. With the discovery of tools of observation and with the development of mathematics, the science of astronomy was born. We now understand how much of the universe was formed and operates, though mysteries remain. In this course, we’ll see how the nature of light has allowed us to discover much about distant objects, despite only being able to observe the light that arrives to us on Earth. Topics include radiation and spectra, stars and stellar evolution, and the nature of other objects such as galaxies, nebulae, neutron stars, and black holes. Astronomy electives can be taken independently; neither is a prerequisite for the other course.

    Prerequisites: Biology and Chemistry
  • Comparative Neuroscience: An Experimental Approach

    This course will begin by addressing questions such as “What is a brain?” and “How do scientists access how the brain works?” and later ask students to interrogate and compare models of brain function and human behavior. Students will develop the skills to decipher and critique primary scientific research papers, as well as design and carry out data driven experiments and projects to test their own ideas.

    Students will explore four overarching topics in this course. First, how the human brain elicits behaviors. Second, how other animal brains function compared to human brains with a focus on evolutionary frameworks. Third, how social networks can augment and alter the function of the brain and behavior. Finally, what artificial intelligence can tell us about the brain, and whether or not the human brain can be modeled as a computer. Comparison with non-human brains will allow students to question commonly held beliefs about what it means to be intelligent and the idea that human intelligence is the pinnacle of evolution. The course will also provide opportunities to imagine potential futures as humans evolve and perhaps co-evolve with artificial intelligence in an increasingly technology-augmented and socially-interconnected world.

    Prerequisites: Biology & Chemistry
    Full Year Course, 1.0 credit
  • IS: Science

    Independent studies are opportunities for 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students to pursue ideas and passions not covered by current course work.  

    Students must complete this form to apply for preapproval.

    Requires Preapproval
    Graded Pass/Fail
    Fall or Spring Semester Course, 0.25 credits
  • Oceanography

    This course is an exploration of how the oceans contribute to Earth's atmosphere by storing and transporting water masses, heat and nutrients. Oceanography is a rapidly developing field that has evolved as a response to the pressing need to understand how oceans might be changing as part of a changing Earth climate or vice versa. By critically analyzing texts and ocean data, students will improve their critical thinking skills, their communication skills, and become better citizens for the benefit of society and future generations.The main Assignments include geophysical fluid dynamics, meter scale fluid dynamics, aerodynamics, and marine engineering.

    Prerequisites: Biology and Chemistry
    Prior completion of, or concurrent enrollment in, Physics or Physics ‘A’  is Recommended
  • Physics 2

    In this elective, students will build on their understanding of Physics from the previous year as they explore new topics. Possible topics include Circular motion; Physics of Dance (Torque) ; Electricity and Magnetism; Physics of Music (Oscillations and waves); Light (lenses and how the eye works); Engines (thermodynamics); Fluids; Atomic physics ; and Intro to Quantum Mechanics and Special relativity. This class will involve mathematical manipulations similar to Physics with a focus on the conceptual understanding of the “Big Ideas”. This elective is great for students who enjoyed Physics. 

    Prerequisite: must have taken Physics 
    Full Year Course, 1.0 credit
  • Psychopharmacology: A study of drugs and the brain

    This course examines how drugs act on the brain and affect behavior.  It is a general information class that benefits any student. Some background material covered in the course applies to any type of drug (like dosage, route of administration and side effects). The main focus of the course is the study of psychoactive drugs.We will explore the relationship between drugs, their mechanism of action and the resultant behavior. An introduction to the physiology of the brain will be presented, followed by an overview of the main categories of psychoactive drugs. 

    Prerequisites: Biology and Chemistry
  • Science and Ethics

    Since the beginning of modern scientific thought, society has faced the dilemma of how to understand the power science has unlocked, and how to question its use in a variety of contexts.  For example, discoveries in the biological sciences are benefitting millions of people across the globe, but also creating new potentials to harm millions of people. In between helping and hurting lies a sea of ethical questions regarding appropriate use. In this class, the intersection of science and ethics will go beyond biology to include questions of surveillance, privacy, patents, and more. Various case studies, journal articles, and video supplements will serve as a framework for our class discussions, debates and final reflections on these complex issues that confront us on both a personal and societal level. We will be discussing many of the historical scandals and philosophical influences that have helped to pave the way to where we are today as we attempt to analyze and resolve the many ethical issues that confront us. Besides deepening your understanding of the specific topics themselves, this course will allow you to hone your critical thinking skills to a level that will help you to make informed, thoughtful decisions as adults in the future. Frequent class participation is an integral aspect of this class, as the vast majority of our daily discussions are student driven.

    Prerequisite : must be in grades 11 or 12
    Full Year Course, 1.0 credit
  • Science Research Methods

    This required class embodies the Dalton plan of allowing students to learn through hands-on, personally motivated science. Rather than asking them to master a set of material, it requires them to independently develop a program of inquiry, controlling every aspect of the project. This process not only provides insights into what it is actually like to conduct professional scientific research, it also imparts valuable skills to students who do not intend to make science their life’s work. Acquiring, visualizing, and analyzing a dataset allows every student at Dalton to have an advanced understanding of how to interpret the statistics they will be confronted with in our increasingly data driven world. It is also an opportunity for fun, self directed learning in an area of personal interest. 

    This is a semester-long class, the grade is incorporated into the Biology grade.
  • Science Research Program

    The Dalton Science Research Program, or DSRP, was developed in an effort to provide students with authentic research opportunities to prepare them for a future in research science. Students in DSRP meet weekly to develop their research skills, deepen their analytical thinking, and increase their understanding of cutting edge science. Students pursue internships in research labs and programs of individual research in house at Dalton.
     
    Full Year Course, 0.25 credits
  • Science Research Program 2

    A continuation of Science Research Program - The Dalton Science Research Program, or DSRP, was developed in an effort to provide students with authentic research opportunities to prepare them for a future in research science. Students in DSRP meet weekly to develop their research skills, deepen their analytical thinking, and increase their understanding of cutting edge science. Students pursue internships in research labs and programs of individual research in house at Dalton.
     
    Full Year Course, 0.25 credits
  • SMART Team 1

    SMART (Students Modeling A Research Topic) Team is composed of students that meet once a week to learn about the biochemistry of proteins and then use computer software to create a 3D model of a particular protein. Finished models are printed in 3D. For example, our first team modeled the interaction of an influenza protein with an antibody that might become a universal flu vaccine. Each SMART Team studies a unique topic and creates their own model. The model is based on their reading of the primary scientific literature and their evaluation of most important functional parts of the protein. Students interact with a local scientist who studies the structure of the protein. Students also present their work at a local meeting at Rockefeller University and at the national American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology meeting if it is held on the East Coast.
     
    Prerequisite: Biology
    Permission of the instructor required.
    Full year course, 0.25 credits, Pass/Fail
  • SMART Team 2

    In the second year of SMART Team, following a review of protein biochemistry, students study and model a unique protein. The protein studied in the second year tends to be more complex than the one studied in the first year. Students present their work at a local meeting at Rockefeller University and the national American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology meeting if it is held on the East Coast.
     
    Prerequisite: Biology, SMART Team 1
    Permission of the instructor required.
    Full year course, 0.25 credits, Pass/Fail
  • SMART Team 3

    In the third year of SMART Team, following a review of protein biochemistry, students will study and model a unique protein. The protein studied in the third year tends to may be more complex than the protein studied in the first year and/or students take a leadership role in mentoring first and second year students. SMART Team Students present their work at a local meeting at Weill Cornell Medical Center and at the national American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology meeting if it is held on the East Coast.

    Prerequisite: Biology, SMART Team 1, SMART Team 2
    Permission of the instructor required.
    Full year course, 0.25 credits, Pass/Fail
  • Social Psychology

    Are you thinking and acting freely of your own accord or is what you think, feel, and do a result of influences by the people around you? Social psychology is the scientific study of how and why the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others influences our thoughts, feelings, and behavior. The principles of social psychology help explain everything from why we stop at stop signs when there is no one around to why we buy certain products, why in some situations we help others and in some we don’t, and what leads to more dramatic (and catastrophic) events such as mass suicides or extreme prejudice and discrimination. As we take up these topics and questions, students will build and engage in a community of inquiry, aimed primarily at learning how to analyze human behavior through the lens of a social psychologist. Social Psychology invites students to explore, plan, investigate, experiment, and apply concepts of prejudice, persuasion, conformity, altruism, relationships and groups, and the self that bring the “social” to psychology. The course culminates in a public exhibition of a student-designed investigation of a social psychological topic of their choice. This course uses a competency-based learning approach in which students build GOA core competencies that transcend the discipline and learn how to think like a social psychologist. Much of the course is self-paced; throughout the semester, students are assessed solely in relation to outcomes tied to the competencies.

    This course is offered through our partnership with Global Online Academy (GOA).
    One Semester Course, Fall and Spring, 0.50 credits

    Requires Preapproval
  • The Science of Science Fiction

    This course will examine topics in the physical sciences through the lens of science fiction. Science fiction is often related to the forefront of technological and scientific progress of its era, while also reflecting its moral and ethical quandaries. We will discuss works of science fiction, highlighting where the science is right and where it is wrong. Works of science fiction will be gateways to cutting edge science topics. We will also discuss the moral considerations contained in science fiction, some of which becomes increasingly relevant as technology advances.  Finally, we will discuss the artistic merits of works of science fiction. 

    Students will gain a conceptual understanding of several advanced science topics, including: space travel, artificial intelligence, quantum theory, nanotechnology, special and general relativity, astrobiology, the search for intelligent extraterrestrial life, and the scientific basis for time travel.

    By watching, reading, and discussing science fiction, students will gain an understanding of how science fiction reflects not just the scientific progress of its time, but also the culture.
    Finally, students will gain an understanding of how to use real science to come up with compelling narratives, and apply this to writing of their own.

    Prerequisites: Biology and Chemistry
    Spring Semester, 0.5 credits

Faculty

  • Photo of Shahar Atary
    Shahar Atary
    MS and HS Science Teacher and Science Department Chair, K-12
    University of Florida - B.S.
    University of Colorado Law School - J.D.
  • Photo of Elizabeth Brizzolara
    Elizabeth Brizzolara
    High School Science Teacher
    Fordham University - M.S.
    Fordham University - Masters of Arts in Teaching
  • Photo of Ryan Brennan
    Ryan Brennan
    High School Physics Teacher
    Fordham University - B.S.
    Rutgers University - Ph.D.
  • Photo of Andy Chen
    Andy Chen
    Laboratory Technician
    Binghamton University, State University of New York - B.S.
  • Photo of Matthew Dito
    Matthew Dito
    University of California, Santa Barbara - B.S.
    St. George's University School of Medicine - M.D. and M.P.H
  • Photo of Katherine Kartheiser
    Katherine Kartheiser
    High School Science Teacher
    Brown University - B.S.
    Dominican University - M.A.
  • Photo of David Lindo
    David Lindo
    High School Science Teacher
    University of Miami and University of Las Palmas - Ph.D.
    University of the Balearic Islands - M.S.
    Polytechnic University of Catalonia - B.S. and M.S.
  • Photo of Clayton Mattis
    Clayton Mattis
    HS Science Teacher
    The University of The West Indies - B.S.
    The City University of New York Graduate Center
    The City University of New York Graduate Center - Ph.D.
  • Photo of Bradford Melius
    Bradford Melius
    High School Science Teacher
    Colgate University - B.A.
  • Photo of Joaquin Ramsey
    Joaquin Ramsey
    High School Science Teacher
    Reed College - B.A.
    Columbia Teachers College - M.Ed.
  • Photo of Alicia Reid
    Alicia Reid
    Middle and High School Science Teacher
    Virginia Union University - B.S.
    Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences - Ph.D
    Fordham University - M.S.
  • Photo of Benedetta Sampoli Benitez
    Benedetta Sampoli Benitez
    HS Science Teacher
    University of Florence, Italy - B.S./M.S.
    University of California, San Diego - Ph.D.
(Grades K-3) 53 East 91st Street
New York, NY 10128
General: (212) 423-5200 | Admissions: (212) 423-5463
General: info@dalton.org | Admissions: fpadmissions@dalton.org

(Gr. 4 Dalton East & PE Center) 200 East 87th Street
New York, NY 10128
General: (212) 423-5200 | Admissions: (212) 423-5262
General: info@dalton.org | Admissions: admissionsmshs@dalton.org

(Grade 5-12) 108 East 89th Street
New York, NY 10128
General: (212) 423-5200 | Admissions: (212) 423-5262
General: info@dalton.org | Admissions: admissionsmshs@dalton.org