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The goal of the Science Department is to insure that our graduates are scientifically literate, career and college ready, and prepared to face the important societal decisions that will await them. Writing and critical thinking are stressed across the curriculum, and technology is used to enhance the learning process. We offer our students a solid foundation in the Sciences and hope to create in them a desire to delve further into these subjects. Each of our students study Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Introductory courses are complemented by our extensive elective program that includes advanced courses in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics such as Anatomy and Physiology, Biomedical Ethics, Forensic Science, Genetics, and Organic Chemistry.  We also offer Advanced Placement courses in Biology, Environmental Science, Physics I, and Psychology.

 

Additionally we offer two different three-year CTE sequences for which we have in place articulation agreements with Queens College.

• Biomedical Technology - Science Research 

Harris' world-class three-year Science Research Program begins in the sophomore year. Our students gain recognition annually in the Intel, NYCSEF,  ISEF and Junior Science and Humanities Symposium and many other contests in which they win a disproportionally large number of awards. Students in this program earn up to three years of additional high school science credit.

• Pre-Engineering - Robotics

Students in this program have the opportunity to intern at Magellan Aerospace after completing our program, and satisfying the Magellan criteria. All students are strongly encouraged to study a fourth year of Science; more than 80% of our students take at least four and up to eight years of science classes.

 

 

 

Science courses are available to qualified juniors and seniors. Juniors can enroll in special College Now courses while seniors can enroll in a wide variety of courses such as Anthropology, Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Physics and Psychology, based on their interest and having the necessary prerequisites.

 

 

 

We encourage and support a wide array of extra-curricular Science activities. The Townsend Harris Journal of Student Research is published annually and our students participate in the NYC Metropolitan and New York State Science Olympiad,  US FIRST Robotics, and the Dana Alliance Brain Bee Competition.

Teachers model the kind of lifelong learning we hope to instill in our students be attending science conferences annually to remain at the forefront of science education.

Our department actively promotes science education within our region, and our state by writing curricula that are used throughout New York City, training student teachers, participating in Science Fairs, Science Shows and running workshops.