Students at Lexington High School often focus on core classes without realizing the ample learning opportunities that electives offer. Electives, due to their personalized nature, allow students to learn about their passions and find others with shared interests.
Specifically, STEM-based electives prepare students for a STEM-focused career in specialized fields that aren’t addressed by core classes at LHS.
“I feel like students want to do just biology or chemistry and don’t really think of how there are thousands of fields within those fields,” Carlota Navarro, a junior taking Marine Science, said.
One STEM-related elective that catches students’ eyes is Astronomy, which spans a full school year and is the only space-related course at LHS. Uniquely, Astronomy covers more than just science and math—it also covers the history of astronomers, their scientific methods, and how the field has evolved.
“It doesn’t require you to be a super science-y person or a math person. It’s directed towards anybody who just wants to learn more about astronomy,” Benji Randall, a senior, said.
Another notable elective is Marine Science, taught by Elizabeth Ilagan, who is also a biology teacher. She took a particularly memorable marine biology course when she was in high school, which she wishes to recreate for her students.
“I just remember how fun it was because it was a class that I decided I wanted to be in, not one that I was required to take,” Ilagan said.
To ensure her students are learning about topics they are personally curious about, she puts together a curriculum based on her students’ interests from a google form. Because the students have a say in the curriculum, students with any sort of interest in the ocean can enjoy the class. Giorgia Tan, a senior, is planning to major in marine biology as an undergraduate and is taking the course to understand the basics of the field.
“When we get assigned these kinds of activities, it doesn’t feel like an academic burden,” Tan said. “It just feels like I’m just doing something I’m interested in and enjoying my time with my friends, and that’s very special.”
Students learn more than cursory marine science; activities have included naming and identifying whales and analyzing turtle corpses.
For students whose topics of interest don’t coincide with any other electives or classes, Science Research Methods provides students with the opportunity to research any scientific interest they have and create a final project to present to peers.
“It’s a great option for anyone that needs or wants more science credits or has a passion that they’re interested in learning more about,” Sarah Legge, the Science Research Methods teacher and a biology teacher, said. “Some students use it as a chance to explore and develop their curiosity in a field and they really excel.”
Adelie Baldo, a senior, has taken the class two years in a row. Because of the format of the class, students can retake the class with a different topic to research. Baldo chose to learn about food sciences because of her interest in baking.
“I like this class because of its open-ended nature and the designated time I’m given to explore what I’m curious about,” Baldo wrote.
There are many hidden opportunities for aspiring scientists at LHS through the school’s STEM electives. From projects in Science Research Methods to deep dives in Marine Biology and Astronomy, the LHS science program enables students to explore their unique passions in STEM.
