Animal Behavior is a new course that students have been able to select from the elective list starting with the 2025-2026 school year. Proposed by AP Biology teacher Ruben Durandis, the science elective is designed to provide insight into how animals’ behavior and physical characteristics create complex behavioral patterns.

“It’s a good exploration of our world and something that is not too focused on assessments or grades, but mostly on exploring these cool concepts that we often overlook,” Mr. Durandis said.

The class is taught by Mr. Durandis along with instructional support and science teacher Christine Gallagher. “To create lessons, we introduce a new topic to the students. We teach a bit of the biology behind the topic. We find a method that allows students to research and present different aspects of said topic to their classmates. Students play a major role in planning lessons as well,” Mr. Durandis said.

Currently, the elective is only offered to students who have already completed their required science courses. Therefore, it is mainly composed of juniors and seniors who are passionate about conducting extensive research in this field.

Regardless of the grade level, Mr. Durandis said he offers this class for students “looking for a cool science class that lets you explore nature, explore the world in a different way.”

Senior Sergio Luna said, “I would recommend this class to others as a fun and interesting class that gets you excited for the next time you walk in the classroom again waiting to learn.”

Anna-Kylie Rodriguez, another senior currently taking this class, said, “I chose this class because I’ve always found interest in animals and learning what affects their actions.” She also mentioned how a major factor in her choice was to further her pursuit in the veterinary profession.

“I look forward to being more interactive with animals, like going on field trips and noticing their behavior, being able to identify their behavior, even when walking on the street seeing day by day animals,” Anna said.

Similarly, junior Rakibul Islam described how the class educated him “about different environments and how various species adapt.” He said, “It helps me understand the differences between animals and their ecosystems.”

Raki especially emphasized his appreciation for the project-based structure of the class. “As a group, you create slides on a designated animal and after the whole class walks around like a gallery walk. It helps getting to know different varieties of animals,” he said.

“A current project in this class includes students creating posters about studies done on plasticity on various animals in the wild. They then teach their findings to their classmates. We spent some time analyzing different mating systems and their evolutionary benefits. Students did research projects on sexual dimorphism and how the differences in these traits were pushed,” Mr. Durandis said.

“You’ll have fun, and like I said, it’s low pressure, low stakes, and it’s a high reward,” Raki added.