Science and Technology, for boys in Class VI, begins with an introductory unit that uses Roxbury Latin’s 50-acre forest as a living laboratory to teach foundational skills in scientific observation, data collection, and in developing hypotheses. From there, the course consists of three complementary, 10-week units taken in rotation. The technology component, Our 21st-Century World, is paired with two science department courses, The Design of Life, and Environmental Studies. All three courses take a “hands-on” approach, pairing rigorous academic study with frequent lab activities.

In Our 21st-Century World, students learn about our connected digital world and how they can be creative, productive, safe, and ethical citizens within it. Computers, personal devices, apps, and networks have become so easy to use that they no longer require much understanding of the way that they actually work. Learning about what is going on “under the hood” makes it possible for students to take fuller advantage of the technology and become creative producers—not simply consumers—in the digital realm, and to understand the risks of using technology. Students learn about transistors, bits, and bytes, and move on to learn about programming languages and the ways in which they can control a computer. The boys practice programming with simple LEGO EV3 robots and develop an understanding of basic algorithms and programming structures. They learn about how information moves around a network, what the Internet is, and what web pages are, and build their own simple page. They close the rotation with discussions of privacy, anonymity, critical consumption, fair use, and internet ethics.

In The Design of Life, students study form and function in living systems. They investigate the nature of life itself, observing its remarkable unity and its incredible diversity. They consider how Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection accounts for these features of life and enables us to understand the exquisite design of cells, organs, and organisms. They develop an understanding of the nature of scientific inquiry by making frequent observations of organisms in the lab. They use compound microscopes, conduct dissections, and construct models and simulations to accomplish these goals.

In Environmental Studies, students learn about the earth’s biotic and abiotic systems and their interconnections. They discover that humans are part of these natural systems, not outside of them. From this perspective, the boys consider the impacts of human activities on the environment, focusing on issues associated with waste generation and energy use. The boys go beyond simply understanding the environmental problems society is facing; they investigate ways to overcome these challenges by meeting society’s needs in more environmentally sustainable ways.

Introductory Physical Science (IPS), a full-year course required for boys in Class V, is devoted to the study of matter. The course enables boys to experience the scientific process firsthand. They make qualitative and quantitative observations, systematically record and analyze them in their notebooks, and work together to develop hypotheses to explain what they see. Through an extensive series of laboratory exercises, the class investigates characteristic properties of matter. Boys learn techniques for measuring mass and volume in metric units and use their measurements to develop the idea of mass conservation in physical and chemical changes. They examine densities, boiling points, and solubilities of substances, and use differences in characteristic properties to independently separate substances from mixtures in the “Sludge Lab.” Following this exercise, boys learn to distinguish elements from chemical compounds and consider how Dalton’s Atomic Theory can explain all they have observed over the course of the year. The course becomes more project-oriented during the spring. Boys perform an array of laboratory tests on samples gathered from several locations along the Charles River and present reports on their results as well as design and test their own water filters.

Math-Science Investigations (MSI) is a lab-based, full-year course that provides all Class IV boys the opportunity to investigate how we use energy and materials to shape and control the world around us. Boys do this in an interdisciplinary context, exploring ideas in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics. Boys are active learners in this course, discovering concepts through investigation and experimentation and completing projects, often in collaboration, of increasing complexity over the course of the year. They also become immersed in the “maker” culture, building the creative confidence to use newfound skills, tools, and technologies to approach challenging problems.

Conceptual Physics is a concept-based survey course in which students in Class III investigate the laws governing our physical world. Advanced math skills are not required or expected. Students learn by doing. They discover patterns and test ideas in hands-on activities and demonstrations. Students make measurements and evaluate the uncertainty in their measurements. They learn how to construct an experiment and how to analyze and interpret data. Topics include Newtonian mechanics (motion, forces, momentum, and energy), the geometry of optics, and a study of wave properties, including sound and light waves. Students connect concepts to “real world” applications whenever possible. During the spring students investigate electricity, magnetism, and electromagnetic devices such as motors, transformers, speakers, etc. Students also apply what they learn in several in-house competitions, such as an egg-drop challenge, the design and construction of Mars habitats, and an electrical motor build.

In Honors Physics, students in Class III study the behavior of matter and energy in our natural world. While conceptual understanding is paramount, students have many opportunities to practice the scientific process by observing phenomena, designing experiments, collecting and analyzing data, and drawing and presenting conclusions. After a hands-on, collaborative, introduction to the scientific method the course moves quickly into kinematics—the study of space and time and how things move. Next, students study dynamics characterizing forces and why things move, using Newton’s laws of motion. Students then go on to investigate circular, rotational, orbital, and oscillatory motion in the lab. Next students study energy and momentum of particles as they collide and interact. In the second semester students consider the physics of waves. They study sound waves, electrostatics and electrical fields, electricity and DC current, magnetism, and electromagnetic induction. Additionally, throughout the year, students learn about more current topics in physics including the foundations of early quantum theory.

In Chemistry and Honors Chemistry boys in Class II explore the world of matter and energy. In the laboratory, students learn to safely observe and measure the properties of substances, mixtures, and chemical reactions. By combining the data they collect with data collected over the years by generations of RL boys, they derive fundamental laws of Chemistry and, through their collaborative efforts, work out the critical theories required to explain them. In this way, boys experience how science proceeds and come to understand how the dominant theories in Chemistry—Kinetic Theory, Atomic Theory, Quantum Theory, Bonding Theory, VSEPR Theory, and Collision Theory—developed and enable us to make sense of how matter behaves. Students in Honors Chemistry proceed at a more rapid pace and consider topics in more quantitative depth than do students in Chemistry. Both courses offer effective preparation for students to take Honors Biology in Class I.

Honors Biology, offered to members of Class I who have completed Chemistry or Honors Chemistry, completes a thorough education in science at Roxbury Latin. The course assumes a working knowledge of physical science and chemistry. Students begin the year by considering the nature of life and scientific inquiry. They consider how living and non-living systems differ, study the flow of matter and energy through ecosystems, and design and analyze a controlled experiment using the bacterium Eschircha coli. Next, they apply the theories they developed in chemistry to understand biochemistry, cell biology, membrane physiology, and cellular energetics. In the second semester, students investigate cell division, genetics, molecular biology, biotechnology, and mammalian anatomy and physiology. Students finish the year by independently designing and executing a controlled experiment to answer a biological question of their choosing.

Environmental Science is another culmination of a thorough education in science at Roxbury Latin. Completion of Chemistry or Honors Chemistry is required of boys electing Environmental Science along with permission of the department. In 2022, the human population reached 8 billion. If current trends continue, the population could reach 10 billion within the lifetime of today’s Roxbury Latin students. Is our growing population’s use of natural resources—forests, agricultural lands, oceans, fresh water, fossil fuels—sustainable? Are the ways in which we meet society’s needs today going to compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs? If so, what changes can be made in current natural resource use patterns? In Environmental Science, each student develops and defends his own answer to these questions. While the course focuses on the science behind the earth’s biotic and abiotic systems and the ways in which humans are impacting them, students also discuss the economic, societal, and cultural barriers to change, and the opportunities to overcome these barriers through education, public policy, technological advancement, and individual actions. Throughout the year, students use the Roxbury Latin forest as a living laboratory, observing and investigating the earth’s ecological and physical systems. Topics include energy flows, the hydrologic cycle, biogeochemical cycles, biodiversity, species interactions, soils, climate and weather, and forestry. They uncover the geologic and written history of the Roxbury Latin forest, and take an in-depth look at the many ecosystem services it provides today. The students use their local forest explorations as a platform for learning about the world’s other major biomes and aquatic ecosystems, and for considering the range of impacts that human actions are having on the environment.

Topics in Engineering and Design is a full-year course for boys who wish to explore further and apply their skills in mathematics, science, and art to authentic problems with global significance. Boys develop a framework for analytical problem solving and decision making through a series of directed challenges in a range of engineering fields. Building from prior knowledge in chemistry and physics, they learn basic principles of mechanical and electrical design, then extend these principles and techniques of analysis to more complex human and environmental systems. Throughout this process, boys discover the meaning of “engineering” and develop senses of personal and professional responsibility for their communities and the complex systems in which they operate. Students frequently collaborate on short- and long-term projects, actively using technology and research to solve unique problems. The course is available to boys in Class I. Class II boys must secure permission from the instructor and take either Chemistry or Honors Chemistry simultaneously.