Science Department

Biology is a laboratory science course focused on major topics in biology. Its five modules cover cells, cell organelles, developmental biology, genetics (Mendelian/non-Mendelian), and finally DNA and evolution/natural selection. Embedded within each module is a variety of activities that allow students to be actively engaged in inquiry and the development of a mastery-level understanding of concepts. Students are given a variety of opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills acquired throughout the modules. These activities include traditional assessments (tests and quizzes) in addition to non-traditional assessments such as model building, laboratory activities, digital media work, experimental design and data analysis, and many other hands-on application tasks. This course will provide students with an overview of the biological sciences that is commensurate with their level of study.

Chemistry is a laboratory course that provides students opportunities to demonstrate mastery of topics covered throughout five modules. The modules include topics in elements and the periodic table, compounds, moles and measuring, heat and the heat of reactions, and solutions. Students will be able to develop science skills by engaging in laboratory activities where they will design and carry out experiments, collect data, organize data in spreadsheets and graphs, interpret results, and conclude their findings in formalized laboratory reports.

Physics is a lab science course that is intended to challenge students to develop critical thinking skills and gain an appreciation for the physical world around them. Students work in cooperative groups in the classroom and laboratory on activities that emphasize the use of technology. Computers are used to collect and analyze data, communicate, and report findings 17 of experiments. The material will be presented through inquiry-based labs and problem-oriented approaches. Skills are further developed as students originate, plan, and carry out experimental projects. Modules of study include optics, basic electricity, and Newtonian mechanics.

Anatomy and Physiology is a trimester-based scientific laboratory course that is offered as an elective and can be taken yearlong. Have you ever wondered how our bodies function? How does the structure of our body systems relate to our health? What happens if there is a malfunction? In this course students will have an opportunity to better understand the human body system through creating models, collecting data, and drawing conclusions. Students will also touch upon topics related to bioethics and will need to utilize critical thinking skills to make decisions. Anyone interested in pursuing a career in the health field should consider this survey course.

This course will teach students how to navigate the nighttime sky. Students will learn how to use a telescope and get to see everything from the moon to nebula to star clusters. In learning their way around the sky, students will have a better understanding of a wide variety of natural phenomena like seasons, moon phases, why the sun shines, and motions of different objects in the sky. One night a week will be devoted to observing outside at night. The course’s observation projects range from learning how to set up the telescope and astrophotography to observing deep sky objects.

This course takes a project-driven approach, offering students the opportunity to learn about problems impacting watersheds and investigate solutions. The course is broken into five main modules focusing on our local watershed, freshwater, water access: a social justice issue, aquatic ecosystems, and human impacts on freshwater. With the school’s location on the shores of Wolfeboro Bay on Lake Winnipesaukee, students are able to experience these modules through hands-on activities. Furthermore, this course has an extended lab period which allows students the opportunity to complete a long-term study of water quality in Wolfeboro Bay, go on field trips, and learn from guest speakers. Throughout this course, students will gain a greater awareness of their impact on watersheds.

Robotics is a project-based course that uses a hands-on approach to introduce the basic concepts of robotics, exploring three main focus areas: design (drawings/blueprints), fabrication (3D printing/modified parts), and programming. The course will provide students with the opportunity to take a deep dive into designing feedback loops, fabricating parts to accomplish goals, and programming robots. Course information will be tied to project challenges; students will keep an Engineering Notebook on their progress as well as be required to do weekly check-ins to document their productive use of group work.

This trimester introduces the telescoping complexities of living things, focusing on the human body. Starting with a review of chemistry fundamentals, students will consider the atom as the basic building block of all matter. They will explore the cells and connective tissues that support, protect, and give structure to the components of the human body. A culminating project will have students highlighting their understanding of the study of movement, known as kinesiology.

In this course, students will get familiar with how the sky works and learn how to use planispheres and celestial spheres as astronomical calculators. Students will learn how to find things in the sky, how to set up a telescope, and find objects in the weekly night class. By the end of the class, students will have a better appreciation for the night sky. They will be able to identify all the fall constellations and set up the telescope to find some of the easier astronomical objects. Beyond just knowing how to set up a telescope, students will understand how to evaluate the difference in quality between telescopes. The course will also touch on why seasons happen, what circumpolar stars are, and how the Sun traverses our sky.

In this course students will look into the base of all freshwater systems; water. Students will learn where the water comes from that forms our lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands—and how the shape of the land impacts water’s path to its final destination by understanding topography and watersheds. Have you ever jumped in a lake and reached a layer of extremely cold water? This course will dive deeper into what causes this. With weekly trips on Lake Winnipesaukee, students will collect real-time water quality measurements throughout the Fall, which will then be analyzed to understand the health of our lake. By the end of the term, students will have a solid understanding of basic water chemistry along with the importance water has in our world and the path it takes to get to its final destination.

In the Fall, Robotics will focus on design and fabrication. The challenges will require students to create plans and designs for robot parts and functionality to complete the challenges. Programming will be covered at its basics, and students will have a chance to focus on this area in an independent way if they wish.

In this Trimester of Anatomy and Physiology, students will explore that which flows within the human body. The team of body systems comprising the Respiratory, Cardiovascular, Digestive and Urinary systems all work to transport air, water, nutrients, and waste throughout the body to support metabolism. A culminating project will have the students working to make understanding the human form accessible to all!

In this course, we will do a deep dive into the Moon. You may think you know what causes the phases of the moon–but 90% of people do not! Be one of the few “in the know.” We will consider the geography of the Moon, how it formed, and the startling ways the Earth would be different if we had no Moon. Then we will turn our attention to the Sun. You will understand how the Sun (and other stars) work. Finally, we will spend significant time building a properly scaled model of the solar system. You will also learn about the night sky and be able to point out winter constellations. Through weekly night classes, you will learn how to find celestial objects through a telescope.

In this course we will look how human activity impacts freshwater systems, both in a positive and negative manner. We will start by looking into eutrophication, the impact it can have on a body of water and how human activities play a big role. We will then look deeper into life under water and how human inputs play a role, specifically looking at invasive species and ways that we can protect our fisheries. As we try to find alternative sources of energy besides fossil fuels, dams have played a key role in providing energy to communities. We investigate the advantages and disadvantages of dams and the impact they have on the freshwater environment as well as the communities around them. We finish up the winter term looking more into social justice issues in relation to freshwater, particularly looking at environmental racism and freshwater access.

In the Winter, Robotics will focus on robot construction and programming. The challenges will require students to create fabricated parts for the robot to complete the challenges while also programming how the robot will function. Design will be covered at its basics, and students will have a chance to focus on this area in an independent way if they wish.

In the Spring Trimester of Anatomy and Physiology, students will consider the body from a molecular level (proteins like antibodies, neurotransmitters, and sex hormones) and how they are the drivers for simple acts like seeing, responding to stimuli, bodily defense against disease, and reproduction. A trimester project will have students designing their own investigations, analyzing data, and presenting their findings “science fair” style!

In this course, we will explore the possibility of alien life. This is a controversial topic with no “right” answer–at least for now. We start our investigation by trying to define life, which is harder than you may imagine. Then we look at what all life needs to survive. After that, we look for places in the solar system that might be habitable. Next, we look at life that lives in extreme conditions on Earth; these are called extremophiles. We consider how life developed on Earth before turning our attention to one of the hottest research topics in astronomy–finding exoplanets, which are planets outside our solar system. Astrobiology includes many different fields from philosophy to chemistry to planetary science. You will experience all of these perspectives in the context of this course. You will also have the opportunity to learn about the night sky and be able to point out spring constellations. Through weekly night classes, you will learn how to find objects through a telescope.

After a long winter, our freshwater ecosystems start to become alive in the spring season. We will first look more into what makes up an ecosystem and the specific parts of our ecosystem here in Lake Winnipesaukee watershed. Once we understand the different components of our ecosystem, we will get outside and explore, looking specifically at the different organisms that make up our ecosystem. We will look into rivers and streams and the macroinvertebrate community that calls those freshwater systems home. We will then walk around some wetlands and look deeper into their importance in a freshwater ecosystem as well as the organisms that call this environment home. Lastly, we will explore the body of water right on campus, Lake Winnipesaukee, and the organisms that live here. As the spring comes to an end we will finish the term by looking at ways humans can help minimize our impact on these freshwater environments through best management practices.

In the spring, Robotics will focus on fabricating a small robot to battle against peers. Using knowledge that has culminated all year, students will apply to their robots design and programming. Prior knowledge is not needed, but will be helpful to create a competitive robot.

Advanced Placement (AP) Biology is a lab science course that will prepare students to take the AP exam in the spring. Students will develop a content background, experience the use of a variety of laboratory equipment and techniques, and gain science process skills in order to be prepared for entrance into college level science courses. Each student will be involved in multiple, self-designed, -executed and -analyzed laboratory experiments over the year culminating in a major final project in the spring. To enroll in this class, students must complete Biology and Chemistry at the accelerated level and receive department approval. A major field-study trip in the fall provides an opportunity for students to apply key ecological concepts as they hike through a local mountain ecosystem.

Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry is a laboratory science course that will prepare students to take the AP exam in the spring. In AP Chemistry students will have the opportunity to build their understanding of chemistry as they further explore the concepts of (1) scale, proportion, and quantity; (2) structures and properties of substances; (3) transformations; (4) energy. Throughout the course students will develop critical thinking skills, experience a variety of laboratory equipment and techniques, and develop science skills which will prepare them for college level science courses. Students enrolled in this course must have successfully completed Chemistry at the accelerated level and complete or concurrently enroll in Physics. Students will need to receive departmental approval.

Advanced Physics is an AP-level course that roughly follows the AP Physics 1 curriculum. It is a second-year physics course that is designed for students who have shown strong interest in the field. At the end of the course, students will be able to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of selected physics concepts and improve their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Lab work and data analysis is a major part of this class. Students will develop the skills needed to record and synthesize data and information from general observations and experimental work at an advanced level. Topics include, but are not limited to, advanced Newtonian mechanics (including circular and rotational dynamics), electricity, and sound & waves. Students enrolled in this course must have successfully completed Physics and Pre-Calculus at the accelerated level and receive department approval.