Science

Advanced Astronomy

.5 credit
It hardly seems reasonable to detect an object that by its very nature is unobservable, or to claim knowledge of the composition of stars with any scientific certainty. Yet astronomers have reached many such conclusions, and we will follow their chain of reasoning. Topics to be discussed are planetary motion, stars and their life cycles, galaxies, and cosmology. We will use our observatory to view, image, measure, and make inferences about the objects we find. Over time, we will reconcile observations made at night with knowledge developed in the classroom. By the end of the course, students will know their way around the sky, have a sense of the scale of our universe, how it develops over time and the nature of the objects in it. A chemistry background is preferred. Completion or concurrent enrollment in Algebra 2 or above is required.

Advanced Chemistry: Chemistry of Food

.5 credit
This hands-on, laboratory based, Chemistry and first trimester physics grounded, problem solving, team driven course is offered in the winter. While Molecular Genetics is not required to take this course, it is recommended. This course explores the science that underpins the acquisition and preparation of food. It touches on the cultural, historical, and evolutionary importance of different foodstuffs. Students in this course will conduct weekly labs such as coffee roasting, spherification, tea brewing and caffeine/tannin analysis, chocolate making, the understanding of taste buds, and emulsification and other ways to blend fats. In this class, unlike most science classes, students will get to eat some of their experiments. This course will also focus on the history of the foods/ techniques being studied and will ask questions about the status of those who cooked the food, those who ate the food, and how individuals used food to support health, freedom, and survival. This course is challenging but a lot of fun. Students must have successfully completed Algebra II, and Chemistry, and have completed or currently be enrolled in physics or obtained permission of the instructor before enrolling in this course.

Advanced Chemistry: Climate Change Topics

Not Currently Offered

.5 credit
Climate change is arguably the most pressing issue of our time. This course is designed to advance student knowledge and understanding in chemistry by exploring some of the fundamental science behind climate change processes and mitigation strategies. At the end of this course, students will understand gas laws, including greenhouse gas structure and behavior. They will know how isotopes are used to determine our climate history. Students will develop a working knowledge of acid and base chemistry and be able to model acidification of our ocean’s ecosystems. Finally, students will be able to demonstrate and describe energy flow and determine whether fuel cells and biodiesel are effective technologies to combat climate change. Based on research and understanding of different oils, students will design and fabricate their own fuel. This course will be fast-paced, quantitative, and will draw heavily on the foundational understanding developed in previous coursework. Prerequisite: Chemistry and Microbiology

Advanced Chemistry: Color Extraction

.5 credit
This is a lab-based science class where students learn how to extract color from natural sources for either dyes that could be applied on fibers or pigments to combined with vehicles to produce paints. In both cases, the student will learn the chemical process for the extraction techniques. Along the way, context in terms of historical, environmental, and socioeconomic impact will be provided and there will be room to implement techniques to minimize the waste of resources.

Anatomy and Physiology 1

.5 credit
Together, anatomy and physiology provide us with an intimate understanding of the form and function of the body’s tissues and organs. Throughout this course, we will focus on identifying structures and discovering how their form enables the human body to accomplish remarkable tasks every second of every day. After developing a working knowledge of cellular function, histology, and homeostasis, students will explore three systems of human anatomy and physiology: skeletal, muscular, and cardiovascular. In each section, students will learn relevant anatomical terms, perform laboratory dissections (on animal parts), and design physiological tests to observe processes in action. Case studies will be used to provide context for what happens when systems fail (i.e. disease and injury). Prerequisite: Chemistry and Microbiology

Anatomy and Physiology 2

.5 credit
The second term of anatomy and physiology builds on the foundational knowledge gathered in the first term. Students will collectively select three or four systems to investigate; possible options include nervous, endocrine, respiratory, immune, digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems. For each system of study, students will learn critical anatomical terms, design and implement physiological tests, and employ computer simulations. Clinical scenarios will be used to to refine and expand our understanding. Prerequisite: Anatomy and Physiology I

Bioethics in Modern Science

.5 credit
This course is a science seminar in which students will explore, navigate and create systematic frameworks for evaluating ethics in research science. Students will discuss controversial issues that may include human subjects, organism patents, and stem cell research. Using a case study approach, students will practice critical science writing and argumentation in the context of challenging, modern issues, while developing evaluative criteria for scientific research subjects and projects. Prerequisite: Chemistry and Microbiology

Chemistry and Microbiology

1.0 credit
Chemistry is everywhere - in what we eat, in what we breathe, in how we live, in what we are. Using an understanding of the essentials of chemistry—atomic structure, electronegativity, chemical bonding, intermolecular forces and reactivity—students will explore fundamental biochemical pathways and cellular processes. We will integrate principles of chemistry and biology to understand how cells communicate and replicate, enabling a variety of organisms to maintain a stable internal environment in the face of changing external conditions. We will also explore how organisms relay information from generation to generation and how these pathways can be disrupted. Students will develop laboratory skills as well as the ability to design and implement a protocol to answer a discrete biochemical question. Students will become proficient in gathering, organizing, describing, and analyzing data. We will also consider emerging technologies and how they are transforming our collective capacity to understand and manipulate the world on a biochemical level.

Complex Systems: Agroecology

.5 credit
This biology course will use The Putney School and other local farms to explore the sustainability (ecological, economic, and social) of these agricultural systems. We will study the history of farming in our area, investigate how past and current practices affect the land and economy, and familiarize ourselves with soil and plant ecology and how nutrient cycles determine how and what we can grow. Readings will consist of excerpts from a variety of scientific texts, trade publications, scientific journals, newspapers, and agricultural texts and histories. We will use farm visits to practice analyzing the sustainability of farm systems. While the focus will be on dairy farming, we will also work with local vegetable farmers, orchardists, and permaculturists. Final projects will provide the opportunity to delve into sustainability issues with respect to agriculture, such as climate change, organics, GMOs, rotational grazing, permaculture, water conservation, pest management, etc. Prerequisites: Humans in the Natural World and Chemistry and Microbiology or permission of the instructor.

Engineering and Design

.5 credit
In this hands-on, lab-based, trigonometry and chemistry grounded, problem-solving, team-driven course, students will use the engineering and design process to solve problems of increasing difficulty. Students will use engineering and scientific concepts in the solution process. In addition, students will be required to document their work using standard engineering and scientific rubrics. In designing prototypes/solutions students will learn skills used by mechanical and chemical engineers such as simple mathematical analysis, 3D printing, circuit design, and simple solution chemistry. This course is open to students who have successfully completed Algebra II and Chemistry, or permission of the instructor.

Field Ornithology

.5 credit - 11th and 12th grade elective
This course will introduce students to birding through sound. Students will focus first on investigating the physics of sound and the mechanics of recording sound. Student will build their own microphone systems to record and then visualize sound through sonograms (spectrograms) and how these sonograms can act as a distinguishing feature for identifying birds species. In the field, students will be asked to create a sound map of campus during spring migration to understand how habitat can predict bird species present. Finally, students will design their own experiment using sound data as their dependent variable and choosing an independent variable of their choice. The course will have an indoor and field lab component as well as connections to both physics, biology and ecology. 10th graders can sign up with permission from the instructor

Independent Topics in Science: Life Science

.5 credit -spring
This course is designed to give highly motivated and independent students the opportunity to pursue scientific or technological questions of their own design, or for students to take on a challenge such as entry in a science contest. One component of the course will be continuous communication and collaboration with others in the class, regardless of their area of study. To qualify for enrollment, students submit a description of their proposed study which must then be approved by the science department. Students considering this course are expected to discuss their eligibility with the instructor before submitting a proposal. Proposals which overlap significantly with courses currently being offered will not be considered. Offered in Winter & Spring. This course is open to students at any grade level. There are no prerequisites.

Independent Topics in Science: Physical Science & Engineering

.5 credit - winter
This course is designed to give highly motivated and independent students the opportunity to pursue scientific or technological questions of their own design, or for students to take on a challenge such as entry in a science contest. One component of the course will be continuous communication and collaboration with others in the class, regardless of their area of study. To qualify for enrollment, students submit a description of their proposed study which must then be approved by the science department. Students considering this course are expected to discuss their eligibility with the instructor before submitting a proposal. Proposals which overlap significantly with courses currently being offered will not be considered. Offered in Winter & Spring. This course is open to students at any grade level. There are no prerequisites.

Introduction to Astronomy

.5 credit
It hardly seems reasonable to detect an object that by its very nature is unobservable, or to claim knowledge of the composition of stars with any scientific certainty. Yet astronomers have reached many such conclusions, and we will follow their chain of reasoning. Topics to be discussed are planetary motion, stars and their life cycles, galaxies, and cosmology. We will use our observatory to view, image, measure, and make inferences about the objects we find. Over time, we will reconcile observations made at night with knowledge developed in the classroom. By the end of the course, students will know their way around the sky, have a sense of the scale of our universe, how it develops over time and the nature of the objects in it. A chemistry background is preferred. Completion or concurrent enrollment in Algebra 2 or above is required.

Introductory Physics

1.0 credit
Students look at familiar phenomena from the perspective of an experimental scientist. Reasoning is developed through an emphasis on deriving equations to make predictions and then designing experiments to test those predictions. The skills of computation and estimation and scientific riting are developed throughout the course. We begin by studying kinematics, Newton’s Laws of Motion, momentum, energy, rotational motion, and planetary systems. The second part of the course concentrates on electricity and magnetism. The course ends with a brief survey of topics in modern physics. While this class is best taken in conjunction with Precalculus or Calculus, two years of Algebra is a prerequisite.

Molecular Biology and Genetics

.5 credit
This hands-on, laboratory based, Algebra II and Chemistry grounded, problem solving, team driven course is offered in the fall. We cover a range of topics including gene expression, gene regulation, genomics, population genetics, genetic analysis, use of molecular genetic techniques to tackle disease, and genetic algorithms and coding. Students learn various molecular biological techniques including DNA isolation, PCR, transformation, and sequencing. We also touch on the meanings of genetic citizenship. Students are responsible for designing and conducting one laboratory experiment per week and are expected to report out that shared experience through the writing of a weekly lab paper. This course is challenging but a lot of fun. Students must have successfully completed Algebra II and Chemistry, or obtained permission of the instructor before enrolling in this course.

0.5 Credit
This course is designed to strengthen a student's understanding of electricity and magnetism. The format will largely be independent study with problem sets and experiments as well as discussions with the instructor. The course will run concurrently with Independent Topics in Science during the winter term and is limited to a small number of students. Successful completion of Introductory Physics or equivalent is a prerequisite. No special ability in physics is required but it's way more fun if you enjoy the work!

Physiological Ecology

.5 credit
This course uses the 320 acres of Putney School’s forests to understand the distribution, adaptations and interconnections of organisms in a New England wooded ecosystem. In addition to learning about plant physiology, students will hone field observation skills through careful identification of the most common plant and tree species living in our forests, use field data to differentiate and delineate forest types, and investigate our area’s geologic history, soils, natural and human disturbance histories, and current stressors (climate change, acid rain, pests, etc.). Through first-hand field work and readings, students will discuss and explore concepts like natural resource management, sustainable forestry, and other ecological and forestry principles. Prerequisites: Humans in the Natural World and Chemistry and Microbiology or permission of the instructor.