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Science

Besant Hill School offers a variety of stimulating and challenging college prep courses within the Science Department. Through the use of inquiry-based projects, lab experiments, and real-world applications, our students learn how to “think like a scientist.”

Science classes at Besant Hill School ask students to play an investigative role as they learn about the world around them. In every science class, students are encouraged to never stop questioning the unknown. Both physical and life sciences are offered so that students gain a deeper understanding of the world around them and how it is constructed. The school’s sustainability initiatives are a common thread throughout all science courses and teach students the principles of environmental activism.

Science

Besant Hill School offers a variety of stimulating and challenging college prep courses within the Science Department. Through the use of inquiry-based projects, lab experiments, and real-world applications, our students learn how to “think like a scientist.”

Science classes at Besant Hill School ask students to play an investigative role as they learn about the world around them. In every science class, students are encouraged to never stop questioning the unknown. Both physical and life sciences are offered so that students gain a deeper understanding of the world around them and how it is constructed. The school’s sustainability initiatives are a common thread throughout all science courses and teach students the principles of environmental activism.

Marine Biology

Marine Biology is an advanced-level laboratory science course designed for 11th and 12th grade students. This course is an in-depth study of marine environments and their organisms and the physical, chemical, and geological characteristics of Earth’s oceans. Students will use rigorous investigative approaches to learn about the physical and chemical oceanography, as well as marine ecosystems and human impacts around the world ocean. Students will perform extensive directed and independent research through experiential learning and field trips, including data collection, in-depth analysis, and presentations on the variety of factors that influence the ocean. The principal objectives of this course are as follows: 1) to help students understand, investigate, evaluate, construct, and revise explanations based on scientific evidence for the importance of the world’s global ocean to human history and the distribution of our population and economy; 2) the critical role that the earth’s ocean plays in regulating weather, climate, global temperatures, chemicals in the atmosphere, and the rich biodiversity of the life supported in a wide range of ecosystems in the marine environment. Students will build upon their biological knowledge and extend this as they examine the role humans have played in altering marine life and marine resources and generate and design solutions to these challenges, enabling them to be better stewards for the world ocean and the planet. Additionally, students will acquire the advanced knowledge of the scientific equipment and techniques required for marine science research. They will be introduced to fields and careers in marine biology/ecology, ocean science, and natural resources conservation.

Marine Biology

Marine Biology is an advanced-level laboratory science course designed for 11th and 12th grade students. This course is an in-depth study of marine environments and their organisms and the physical, chemical, and geological characteristics of Earth’s oceans. Students will use rigorous investigative approaches to learn about the physical and chemical oceanography, as well as marine ecosystems and human impacts around the world ocean. Students will perform extensive directed and independent research through experiential learning and field trips, including data collection, in-depth analysis, and presentations on the variety of factors that influence the ocean. The principal objectives of this course are as follows: 1) to help students understand, investigate, evaluate, construct, and revise explanations based on scientific evidence for the importance of the world’s global ocean to human history and the distribution of our population and economy; 2) the critical role that the earth’s ocean plays in regulating weather, climate, global temperatures, chemicals in the atmosphere, and the rich biodiversity of the life supported in a wide range of ecosystems in the marine environment. Students will build upon their biological knowledge and extend this as they examine the role humans have played in altering marine life and marine resources and generate and design solutions to these challenges, enabling them to be better stewards for the world ocean and the planet. Additionally, students will acquire the advanced knowledge of the scientific equipment and techniques required for marine science research. They will be introduced to fields and careers in marine biology/ecology, ocean science, and natural resources conservation.

Our STEM Education Initiative

It is the goal of the BHS Science and Mathematics Departments to ensure that every student engages in problem-based learning investigations through daily classroom STEM instruction. Through our STEM education initiative, students learn how to think with a critical mind and approach realistic problems with a foundation in scientific and mathematics literacy. We provide learning both inside and outside of the classroom using computer programs and laboratory equipment which allows students to play a necessary and informed role in our modern technological society. Through our STEM initiative, it is our hope to enhance motivation, interest, and achievement among students. 

Our STEM Education Initiative

It is the goal of the BHS Science and Mathematics Departments to ensure that every student engages in problem-based learning investigations through daily classroom STEM instruction. Through our STEM education initiative, students learn how to think with a critical mind and approach realistic problems with a foundation in scientific and mathematics literacy. We provide learning both inside and outside of the classroom using computer programs and laboratory equipment which allows students to play a necessary and informed role in our modern technological society. Through our STEM initiative, it is our hope to enhance motivation, interest, and achievement among students. 

Chris Maddalone

Science Teacher

My educational philosophy is closely aligned with Besant Hill School’s motto, Aun Aprendo – I am still learning.”  As an educator, it is a primary responsibility to inspire my students so that they may subscribe to the words of Michelangelo, “Grant that I may always aspire to more than I accomplish.”

cmaddalone@besanthill.org

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