Science

In this one-year course encompassing 150 hours, students develop a perspective of the interrelationships between environmental systems and global societies that enables them to adopt an informed personal response to the wide range of pressing environmental issues. The teaching approach is such that students evaluate the scientific, ethical, and socio-political aspects of topics including ecosystems and ecology, biodiversity and conservation, water and food production systems, soil systems, atmospheric systems, climate change and energy production, and human systems and resource use. Environmental Systems and Societies stresses research, contains an extensive laboratory component, and relies on students to express their ideas through writing.  Due to the nature of this course, students will be required to put in extra hours outside of time in the classroom. Students will be required to participate in an introductory session in the spring before they take the course and  complete an extensive summer assignment. During the year, students will be required to attend a laboratory field trip, put in time outside of class to complete an individual research project, and attend weekly sessions after school hours.