From 2019–2022, the BHS Innovation Fund invested $120,000 to support the development and pilot of Experiential Physics, a teacher-led redesign of 9th grade science. That investment proved especially timely during the pandemic, enabling a team of teachers to collaborate, adapt, and sustain hands-on, inquiry-based learning in a moment when it mattered most. What began as an innovative pilot is now a core part of the freshman experience, helping make physics more accessible, applied, and enduring within the BHS curriculum.
Dear Friends of the BHS Innovation Fund,I am thrilled to spotlight the Experiential Physics, a course made possible by the BHS Innovation Fund. This curriculum shifted the classroom away from traditional lectures and toward a model where science is something students do, rather than just something they hear about. By working in teams to investigate physical systems and build their own mathematical models, students are challenged to function like scientists and engineers in a real-world setting. The course was designed to make physics more inclusive and accessible, focusing on collaborative problem-solving and the technical skills required for modern STEM fields.In April, 9th grade students held their annual showcase for the Circuit Project at 22 Tappan. This unit replaced traditional textbook-based assessments with a hands-on engineering challenge where students designed and wired their own lighted window displays. Using everyday items like paper clips, cardboard, and aluminum foil, students constructed functional switches and managed complex wiring requirements. The project required them to master practical skills, such as stripping wires and troubleshooting circuit constraints, demonstrating that they could apply the theoretical laws of electricity to a physical, working system.
One specific project featured in the showcase was titled “The Four Seasons”. This group used circuitry to represent the changing elements of the year, featuring a main switch that functioned as a dimmer to adjust light intensity, representing the sun’s varying brightness. Student Elora Ling noted: “Physics is my favorite class. It is full of inspiration and imagination. This project we thought about many different elements. We created four different seasons.” The team also engineered the timing of their circuits so that different sections of the display would activate at specific intervals, showing a clear grasp of how to control power distribution within a design.The excitement was equally high for the team behind “The Circus”, a project that brought a miniature big top to life with moving parts. These students went beyond basic wiring, figuring out how to integrate motors and electronic switches to make their display spin and move. There was a lot of trial and error involved, but the students were eager to show how they worked through those technical hang-ups as a team. Watching the circus in motion, it was clear that the project allowed each student to bring their own technical or creative strengths to the table, turning a complex engineering challenge into something they were genuinely proud to share.
Erica O’MahonyBHS Innovation FundProgram Liaison
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: Justice Fair. Justice in Action Student Showcase. Thursday, May 21, 2026. 6PM at 22 Tappan Street. No registration required.
The excitement was equally high for the team behind “The Circus”, a project that brought a miniature big top to life with moving parts. These students went beyond basic wiring, figuring out how to integrate motors and electronic switches to make their display spin and move. There was a lot of trial and error involved, but the students were eager to show how they worked through those technical hang-ups as a team. Watching the circus in motion, it was clear that the project allowed each student to bring their own technical or creative strengths to the table, turning a complex engineering challenge into something they were genuinely proud to share.