Upper School Program Guide for 2022-2023

climate changes and their relevance to current climate events. Special attention is given to current events that show Earth’s processes are in a state of constant dynamic motion and change. Chemistry is a prerequisite for this course. (Semester, .50 credit) Offered 2022–2023 Evolution of the Biosphere This course focuses on the relationship between the evolution and interactions of life on Earth, and the physical and chemical processes that shape the world. The initiation and evolution of life through time is intricately linked to extraterrestrial (e.g., the delivery of major elements to Earth, the formation of the solar system, bolide impacts and extinction events), tectonic (the movement of continents across the surface of the Earth), biological (competition, reproduction, DNA and metabolism), and chemical (ocean chemistry and nutrient supply) processes, and how they interact. Therefore, the course involves the interplay of all the major disciplines, including physics, biology, chemistry, astronomy and Earth science. This course requires students to use their knowledge to reproduce and explain the major features of the history of life, and includes laboratory activities, modeling exercises and long-term scientific investigations wherein students assemble information learned throughout the year and obtained from outside sources. Projects are intended to mimic the experience of scientific discovery through the assimilation of multiple data sets. Chemistry is a prerequisite for this course.

(Semester, .50 credit) Offered 2022–2023 Field Natural History and Ornithology On weekly field trips to local parks from Delaware Bay to Shenandoah National Park, students investigate the local flora, fauna, geology and ecology. Insect watching, eating wild edibles, stream surveys, botany, frog surveys and searching for fossils are all interesting ways to learn about ecosystems. A major component of the course is ornithology (the study of birds), especially in the companion course, outlined below. This course meets for only three class periods each six-day cycle; the remaining time is spent on field trips. More field trips are offered than are required, making it possible for students to avoid major conflicts with other activities. These field trips may be after school, before school, or either for a half-day or a full-day on weekends. Another important component of this course is working on the campus to make it a better wildlife habitat. This course can be taken in any of the four quarters or in multiple quarters.

Each quarter offers different opportunities to experience nature based on the season.

This course is open to any student from grades 9 to 12. (Quarter, .25 credit) Offered 2022–2023 Forensic Science: Physical Evidence 82