Science and Technology
At Taft, we offer a variety of science courses to meet the needs of our students. No matter the course or the level, we hope to inspire a sense of wonder in our students. Our curriculum begins with physics and moves into chemistry and biology in the following years. From foundational classes to high-level college-level courses, we offer a range of science classes so that every student can find a path where they can excel. From Scientific Ethics and Infectious Diseases to Sports and Adolescent Psychology, and Advanced Ecology and Aquatic Sciences, our electives help keep students engaged in scientific thought, giving them confidence with scientific vocabulary and reasoning, while exploring a topic not traditionally covered in our core classes. Our STEM offerings challenge students to tinker, create, and explore in our STEM lab in a range of classes from Introduction to Engineering to 3-D Printing and Design.
For students looking to challenge themselves with a deeper dive into a particular subdiscipline, we have advanced courses in biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science, and psychology. These courses offer opportunities to engage in high-level lab and fieldwork while expanding students' knowledge of a particular topic. Every year we also have students create Independent Tutorials in Science, with topics ranging from marine science to neuroscience to organic chemistry. Behind all of this work is a faculty that challenges students with the goal of cultivating independent, scientific thinkers, eager to take students as far as they can go in science.
Students can pursue their passions outside of the academic day through our various offerings ranging from Science Team and Robotics to competitions like Science Olympiad, Chemistry Olympiad, Physics Olympiad, and Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science (TEAMS). Many of our students engage in summer internships in scientific fields, including Yale’s Discovery to Cure and our partnership with the New York Botanical Garden.
Portrait of a Science Graduate
Our work is guided by the Science Department Portrait of a Graduate. Our hope is that graduates from our program will:
- Demonstrate proficiency with scientific processes and content
- Be literate, critical consumers of scientific information
- Be able to design and execute experiments, interpret data, and communicate results
- Habitually apply science and scientific thinking beyond the science classroom
- Utilize the interpersonal and problem-solving skills necessary to navigate individual and collaborative challenges
- Possess a growth mindset, a sense of curiosity, and an appreciation of scientific discovery
Programs and Partnerships
STEM
Taft students build robots, compete in international mathematics competitions, and create 3-D worlds using the latest technology.
NYBG Partnership
What is it like working side-by-side with renowned scientists at The New York Botanical Garden? We asked Teddy Verheggen '20.
“The school does a really great job of preparing students to be critical thinkers. Our talented faculty offers broad electives that inspire curiosity in all kinds of students.”—Dr. Amanda Benedict, Science Teacher
Into the Amazon
Michael McAloon returned to the Peruvian Amazon with fellow Taft Science Teacher Maddie Beitler. McAloon and Beitler participated in two of the primary research projects currently being led by the Amazon Research Initiative for Educators program.
Maggie Zeng '24 Publishes Research in International Journal
Maggie Zeng '24 recently had an independent research study published in The Journal of Student Research.