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The overarching goal of Wellesley High School’s science department is to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to be scientifically literate citizens. To that end, students are required to pass two years of science as well as one of the Science, Technology, and Engineering MCAS exams for graduation. While this is WHS’s minimum graduation requirement, the Science Department strongly encourages continued enrollment in science courses throughout high school so that students will be positioned well to succeed in their post-secondary endeavors. For those students interested in pursuing a degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) field, it is imperative that students enroll in at least one science course during each of his or her four years of high school*.

The science program at WHS will follow the “Cornerstone-to-Capstone” approach which offers students a coherent sequence of courses in the following three core scientific disciplines: physics, chemistry, and biology. Ninth grade students will enroll in a physics course, which will provide them with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary for success in chemistry and biology courses during their sophomore and junior years. In addition, this course will prepare them to take the Introductory Physics MCAS exam.** 

All Physics 9, Chemistry 10, and Biology 11 courses are offered at three levels to meet the needs of all of our students, while they are learning our core content. While the content and activities at each level are tailored to meet the students’ individual needs and abilities, a central curriculum forms the basis for all courses. All senior level science electives will be taught at the Advanced College Prep level making them accessible for all students who have a passion for pursuing a particular area of the sciences.  Every science course provides laboratory experiences, as well as demonstrations and problem-solving exercises. A variety of teaching methods are used to ensure maximum understanding of science concepts in all levels. 

Advanced Placement courses are offered as first year courses for physics and environmental science, while the Advanced Placement courses in chemistry and biology are available as second year electives in grades 11 and 12, respectively.

*Schedule permitting and, in some cases, with department head approval, students have the option of taking a second science course in addition to the core sequence during his or her junior and senior year.

**All 9th grade students enrolled in physics will sit for the Introductory Physics MCAS in June of their freshman year. Students who do not pass the Introductory Physic MCAS exam at the end of their freshman year will have the opportunity to sit for one of the other STE exams while enrolled at WHS. The 9th grade course, as well as the 10th grade Chemistry and 11th grade Biology courses are aligned with state standards to ensure students are prepared to pass the MCAS STE exams in these subjects.