We will start the fall with historical astronomy: Stonehenge, the Mayan calendar, Chinese & Egyptian astronomy, Lakota stone medicine wheels, etc. – figuring out what people knew about the sky from just their own observations. We will then move on to focus on what we know now about our own solar system and read Dava Sobel’s book “The Planets.” From there, we will expand our gaze to what we know of the universe today, studying stars, other solar systems, and the universe, including Einstein’s theories of relativity. We will end the fall with some of the current topics in astronomy: dark matter, extra-solar planets, wormholes and the like.

This class will include papers and projects along with readings and several class presentations. Readings will mostly be from current articles and books of essays. We will use some computer-based lab work. Students should also expect to have extra “lab time” in the evenings many weeks, either for telescope work or for viewing science documentaries.

Priority (if needed) for Astronomy will be given to students who cannot take other science courses this year.

In the fall term biology concentrates on the topics of cell biology and human physiology as an introduction to the fundamentals of the subject. All the systems of the body are discussed and explored, including a detailed section on the brain and nervous system. In the winter term, the focus is on genetics, looking into the workings of DNA and genes, and discussing current issues in genetic technology. In the spring, the main topic is evolution, looked at through the lens of the unique organisms that have evolved in island environments, such as the hotspots of the Galapagos, Hawaii, and Indonesia. All three terms involve weekly labs and several research papers. The spring term includes an independent research project as well, the results of which are presented at the Spring Arts Weekend. Buxton’s extensive campus and greenhouse provide excellent opportunities for many of these labs and projects.

This college-preparatory laboratory science is primarily for juniors and seniors. Topics covered include atomic theory, phase changes, origins and significance of the periodic chart, quantum mechanics, chemical reactions, acid-base relationships, oxidation-reduction principles, and an expanded section on organic chemistry. Whenever possible, discussions are geared to helping students gain an understanding of the principles and mechanics of natural phenomena as well as modern technological advances. The laboratory portion of the course has been designed to illustrate chemical principles and to develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills of the students. This is accomplished by starting with simple questions about chemistry and requiring students to develop the procedure for each laboratory experiment that they perform. As students develop their methods and become familiar with the lab, the questions become progressively more challenging.

This course provides a layperson’s overview of how to plan for and feed large groups in a commercial kitchen. Every Saturday the class prepares a well thought out and planned menu for at least one of the meals for the entire school, exploring different cuisines and techniques. The school day classroom portion touches on food safety and sanitation, as well as purchasing, menu-planning, and culinary math.

This class will explore health, wellness, and adolescent development. Throughout the semester, we will spend time learning about different aspects of health, as well as how physical, mental, sexual, and social health all interact and affect each other. This class will take an interdisciplinary approach, encouraging students to view their personal health through a social justice lens that accounts for current and historical public health issues. Students should expect a lot of in-class discussions, as well as engaging assignments in the form of readings, podcasts, videos, interviews, self-reflections, and projects rooted in peer-education.

In this course, we will be exploring the theories and skills required to lead successful trips into the outdoors. What makes a successful trip? What is the value of spending time in the outdoors? For whom is the outdoors accessible – and how can we expand that? These are all questions we will be exploring in this course. There will be a classroom component as well as a field component: expect to spend over 50% of this class outside of the classroom.

This course is designed to prepare students for college-level physics as well as to let them learn and work with the laws of the world around them. The fall term focuses on the fundamentals of Newtonian mechanics, work, pressure and energy. The winter expands the study of motion into centripetal and rotational analysis. The spring term moves on to the properties of waves, including sound, light and optics and concludes with a survey of modern physics: electro-magnetics, relativity, and quantum mechanics. Weekly labs allow students to make direct connections between theory and practice and to develop experimental procedures. Students also complete several independent or joint projects throughout the year with emphasis on exploration and design; the projects may be presented during Spring Arts Weekend. Due to the importance of mathematical descriptions in the course, Algebra II is a prerequisite for physics.

This will be a year long elective in which we start from the basics of writing code and programming principles, and build to much more complex projects. We will learn the control structures and patterns that are core to any computer language, and then implement them in a variety of ways. We will also learn about graphics control in Python with some simple graphic modules. While the language of choice will (most likely) be Python, these principles will apply to a wide array of languages that you may encounter in the future. As well, we will dedicate some time to the history of computer science and the fundamentals underlying hardware, software, and interfaces as well as some popular topics like encryption and cryptocurrencies. This course is appropriate for any student who likes getting immediate feedback from their work, is willing to do some math and calculation to make things come out neatly, and is not scared of learning by doing. There will be no tests or textbooks, though there will be numerous projects and short assignments. Once the first term is over, we’ll decide as a class where to focus – making games, data analysis, algorithms, or something else.

This elective course is made up of two semester-long courses that can be taken either independently or for the whole year.  Class work includes weekly individual readings of current articles followed by presentations to the rest of the group.  This seminar style requires that everyone be extremely responsible about meeting their individual work expectations. There are several papers assigned throughout the year, usually two in the fall, one in the winter, and two in the spring term.  The class will involve some hands-on labs, regular evening documentary watching, and then more extensive field work during a trip to Cape Cod in the spring.

Fall:  The fall semester will look at the ocean in depth, using all the various fields of science. We will discuss the coasts, along with tides, waves, and tsunamis.  We will talk about the open ocean along with currents and El Nino weather. We’ll delve into the structures of the ocean basins: the ocean floor, undersea volcanos and deep sea vents, and the edges of the sea.  Along the way we will talk about the variety of ecosystems and environments in the ocean:  the deep sea, the polar seas, rocky- and sandy- shores, coral reefs, mangrove swamps, salt marshes, and the surface of the ocean itself.

Winter/Spring:  In January the course will move into a survey of marine organisms, looking particularly at the adaptations that creatures make for life in the oceans.  It will start with the very small – the viruses and bacteria present in the seas, and move on through the invertebrates to the marine vertebrates – fish, sea turtles, seabirds, and marine mammals.  We will focus on animal adaptations and behaviors, and end with a special concentration on the cetaceans (whales and dolphins).  Along the way many of the topics will address various environmental issues and discuss human use and development of the ocean’s resources.

Each semester is limited to 12 people and is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors who have completed Biology.