Eleventh Grade STEM Curriculum

STEM Disciplines and Skills

Science: Synthetic biology (BioBricks), genetics (genetic circuits), cell biology.
Technology: CAD software for SynBio (Tinkercad for Bio, Benchling), databases (iGEM Registry).
Engineering: Bioengineering, design of «bio-robots» (Xenobots - conceptual), tissue engineering.
Mathematics: Boolean logic (AND/OR/NOT genetic circuits), modeling of biological systems.

Critical Thinking: What is the difference between «editing» life (CRISPR) and «creating» life (SynBio)?
Collaboration: Design a team «genetic circuit» for a new function (e.g., arsenic-detecting bacteria).

Hands-on activities

• Design of «BioBrick» (Simulated): Use Benchling (free) to design a simple plasmid (a genetic circuit) by combining «BioBricks» (Promoter + RBS + Gene + Terminator) from the iGEM database.
• Simulation of Xenobots: Analyze the paper and videos of the «Xenobots». Conceptually design a «bio-robot» for a task (e.g. «cleaning microplastics»).
• Discussion: «Dual Use» in SynBio: Discuss the risks of synthetic biology - how do we prevent it from being used to create pathogens or biological weapons?

Formative Evaluation

• Genetic circuit design in Benchling.
• Xenobot« design proposal.
• Argumentative essay on the regulation of «dual use».

Integration of Ethical Values

Ethics of «Creating Life»: Discuss the philosophical and moral implications of creating organisms from scratch.
Biosafety: The responsibility to «contain» synthetic organisms so that they do not escape into the ecosystem.

STEM Disciplines and Skills

Science: Systems ecology, population genetics, biotechnology (cloning, CRISPR).
Technology: Ecosystem modeling software (NetLogo), genomic databases.
Engineering: Ecosystem engineering, rewilding, geoengineering (advanced).
Mathematics: Population modeling (predator-prey), population viability analysis (MVP).

Systemic Thinking: What would happen if we reintroduce the Woolly Mammoth (or a proxy) into Siberia? What are the cascading effects?
Data Literacy: Analyze the genetic viability of an endangered species.

Hands-on activities

• Rewilding simulation (NetLogo): Use the «Wolf Sheep Predation» model of NetLogo. Modify parameters (grass growth, reproduction rate) to simulate rewilding and see if the ecosystem collapses or stabilizes.
• De-extinction« panel: Each group defends a candidate for «de-extinction» (Mammoth, Dodo, Bucardo). Argue «why» (ecological role) and «how» (technology).
• Ecological Intervention Design: Design an engineering intervention for a local ecosystem (e.g. artificial reef, wildlife corridor) and analyze its impact.

Formative Evaluation

• NetLogo lab report (ecosystem stability analysis).
• Presentation/defense of the candidate for «de-extinction».
• Ecological intervention design proposal.

Integration of Ethical Values

Playing God: Do we have the wisdom to manage an ecosystem?
Resource Allocation: Is it better to spend money on saving existing species or reviving extinct ones?
Animal Welfare: Is it ethical to create a mammoth that will live in a zoo without a herd?

STEM Disciplines and Skills

Science: Data science (long tail distributions), complex systems science.
Technology: Agent-based modeling software (NetLogo, Mesa - Python).
Engineering: Financial engineering (design of «anti-fragile» portfolios).
Mathematics: Statistics (non-normal, power law), chaos theory (conceptual), Monte Carlo simulation.

Critical Thinking: Why do financial models (based on Gaussian bell) fail to predict «Black Swans» (rare and shocking events)?
Planning: Design a system (financial or personal) that benefits from disorder (Antifragility).

Hands-on activities

• Simulation of «Wealth» (NetLogo): Use a simple «Agent-Based Economy» model. Demonstrate how simple exchange rules can lead to a power-law distribution (inequality).
• Monte Carlo Simulation (Spreadsheets): Simulate the return of a portfolio using RAND functions in Google Sheets. See the wide range of possible outcomes.
• Debate: Fragile or Robust? Analyze a system (e.g. electrical system, internet, the school itself). Is it robust (withstand shocks), fragile (fail) or anti-fragile (improve)? Propose a redesign.

Formative Evaluation

• NetLogo simulation analysis (wealth distribution).
• Functional Monte Carlo spreadsheet (with analysis).
• System analysis (fragile/robust/antifragile).

Integration of Ethical Values

Systemic Equity: If economic systems naturally tend to inequality (power law), what ethical intervention (taxation, RBU) is necessary?
Moral Hazard: Is it ethical for banks to be «fragile» and take risks, knowing that they will be bailed out?

STEM Disciplines and Skills

Science: Quantum physics (superposition, entanglement, decoherence), quantum algorithms (Shor, Grover - conceptual).
Technology: Programming (IBM Quantum Composer, Qiskit - basic), quantum simulators.
Engineering: Quantum hardware engineering (qubits, cryogenics - conceptual), cybersecurity.
Mathematics: Linear algebra (vectors, matrices), complex numbers (basic).

Critical Thinking: What problems can a quantum computer solve that a classical one cannot?
Creativity: Explain a qubit (in superposition) using an analogy (spinning coin).

Hands-on activities

• Quantum Programming (IBM Composer): Use the «IBM Quantum Composer» (drag and drop graphical interface) to build a simple quantum circuit (e.g. a Hadamard gate to create superposition, or a CNOT for entanglement).
• Simulation of Grover's Algorithm: Use a simple simulator to understand how Grover's algorithm can «find» an item in a cluttered database faster than a classical search.
• Discussion: Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC): Investigate how Shor's (quantum) algorithm will break current cryptography (RSA). Discuss the urgency of migrating to «Post-Quantum Cryptography».

Formative Evaluation

• Functional quantum circuit in IBM Composer (with explanation).
• Explanation of Grover's algorithm (comparative).
• Argumentative essay on the urgency of PQC.

Integration of Ethical Values

Quantum Arms Race: Which nation will break cryptography first? What are the risks to global security?
Access and Equity: Who will have access to this technology and will it create a «quantum divide»?

STEM Disciplines and Skills

Science: Biology (swarming behavior: ants, bees), complex systems (emergence).
Technology: Programming (Python, NetLogo), multi-agent simulation.
Engineering: Robotics (design of simple and cheap robots), swarm algorithms (e.g. particle cluster optimization).
Mathematics: Statistics (task distribution), network modeling.

Critical (Systemic) Thinking: How can very simple local rules (e.g. «avoid the neighbor», «follow the one in front») lead to complex global behavior (a swarm)?
Collaboration: Program a «swarm» where each student is an «agent» following rules.

Hands-on activities

• Swarm Simulation (NetLogo): Use NetLogo models (e.g. «Ants», «Flocking») to experiment with local rules and see how the global behavior of the swarm changes.
• «Enjambre Humano» (Unplugged): Students act as «robots» on the playground. Each must follow 3 simple rules (e.g., «stay 1m away from others», «move toward the group average»). See if they «flock».
• Design of «SwarmBots»: Design (conceptual or with simple robots such as mBots) a swarm for a task: e.g. «search for survivors» in a disaster, «clean up a spill».

Formative Evaluation

• NetLogo lab report (rules vs. emergency).
• Analysis of the «human swarm».
• SwarmBot« mission design proposal.

Integration of Ethical Values

Emerging Consciousness: If a swarm becomes sufficiently complex, could it be «conscious»? How would we know?
Swarm Weapons: The ethics of autonomous «swarm drones» in warfare.

STEM Disciplines and Skills

Science: Cognitive science, philosophy (theory of mind), data science (AI scaling).
Technology: AI (LLMs, Agent models), AI Safety.
Engineering: Software engineering (interpretable AI, «black boxes»).
Mathematics: Logic (value formalization), game theory (AI vs. AI).

Digital Literacy: Differentiate between «narrow» AI (ANI), «general» AI (AGI) and «superintelligent» AI (ASI).
Critical Thinking: Analyze the «Alignment Problem» - how do we tell an IGA what we «really» want?

Hands-on activities

• Experiment: «Clip Maximizer» (Unplugged): Simulate a simple AI with a goal (e.g. «make paper clips»). Discuss how, if it becomes super-intelligent, it could logically convert all resources (including humans) into paper clips.
• Black Box Audit (Conceptual): Discuss how we would audit an AI that makes decisions (e.g. medical, legal) if we cannot understand «why» (Interpretability).
• Debate: Accelerate or Pause? Investigate and discuss the «e/acc» (effective accelerationism) vs. «decel» (deceleration/pause) positions in AGI research.

Formative Evaluation

• Reflective writing on the «Clip Maximizer» and alignment.
• Proposal of an AI «audit» method.
• Argumentative essay (Accelerate vs. Pause).

Integration of Ethical Values

Existential Risk (x-Risk): Discuss AI as a possible «Big Filter» and our responsibility to the long-term future (Longtermism).
Human Values: How do we «encode» morality, compassion and human values in an AI?

STEM Disciplines and Skills

Science: Physics (propulsion (ion, EmDrive, solar sails), astrophysics, exoplanetology).
Technology: Simulators (Kerbal Space Program - advanced), data analysis (SETI@home - concept).
Engineering: Aerospace engineering (interstellar mission design - conceptual).
Mathematics: Drake equation, special relativity (time dilation - conceptual).

Creativity: Propose a novel solution to the Fermi Paradox.
Critical (Systemic) Thinking: Analyze the variables of the Drake Equation. What is the «bottleneck» variable?

Hands-on activities

• Calculation of the Drake Equation: In groups, investigate and assign values (optimistic and pessimistic) to each variable of the Drake Equation. Calculate and compare the results.
• Interstellar Mission Design (Conceptual): Design a mission to Proxima Centauri. Choose a propulsion type (e.g. «laser sail», «fusion») and calculate the travel time.
• Debate: Solutions to the Fermi Paradox: Each group defends a solution (e.g. «Zoo Hypothesis», «The Great Filter», «We are alone», «We can't see them»).

Formative Evaluation

• Drake Equation spreadsheet (with justification of variables).
• Interstellar mission proposal.
• Argumentative essay on the Fermi Paradox.

Integration of Ethical Values

METI« protocol (Messaging ET): Should we actively send messages into space, or is it better to «listen» (SETI) and remain silent?
Intellectual Humility: Accept the limits of our knowledge about the universe.

STEM Disciplines and Skills

Science: Advanced research methodology (experimental design, rigorous statistical analysis).
Technology: Programming (original software development), version control (Git/GitHub).
Engineering: Prototyping (hardware/software), technical writing (patent documentation).
Mathematics: Statistical analysis (hypothesis testing), predictive modeling.

Collaboration: «Peer review» of other teams' work prior to presentation.
Critical (Systemic) Thinking: Produce an original work (a paper or a prototype) that provides new knowledge or a novel solution.

Hands-on activities

• Track 1 (Research): «Publication in ArXiv»: Conduct a complete original research (based on a previous unit), write a technical paper in LaTeX format and publish it on ArXiv (or a similar scholarly server).
• Track 2 (Engineering): «Patent Application»: Develop a novel invention or software, perform a «prior art search» (Google Patents) and draft a provisional patent application (PPA).
• 11th Grade Research Symposium: Present and defend the paper or patent before a panel of judges (teachers, professionals, alumni) in conference format.

Formative Evaluation

• Quality and originality of the ArXiv paper (rubric).
• Quality and feasibility of the patent application (heading).
• Oral defense at the symposium.

Integration of Ethical Values

Academic Integrity and Authorship: Who goes first in the paper? What constitutes an intellectual contribution?
«Publish or Perish: Discuss the pressure in academia to publish.
Intellectual Property: The debate between «patenting» (protecting) and «publishing» (sharing) knowledge.