SEASHORE LIFE   (7-8) A, B 

Students will explore local beaches and salt marshes to observe and learn about marine life and coastal processes.  Activities will include the study of seashore communities, learning to identify common invertebrate phyla, collecting organisms in intertidal environments, setting up classroom aquaria, experiments, and art projects. 

WOODS, PONDS, AND FIELDS  (8-9) A, B 

Students will learn about the natural history of animals and plants that live in terrestrial and freshwater environments.  Through explorations in the field, collections, and by setting up terraria and aquaria in the classroom, the kids will be introduced to concepts of entomology, botany, ornithology, herpetology, limnology, and ecology.

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR (8-9)  A, B 

Animals are born with innate behaviors, already knowing how to do lots of things. A fox has the instinct to chase prey, and that same kind of instinct is seen when a dog chases a ball. Animals also have learned behaviors. Herring Gulls learn to drop clams onto the road to crack them open by watching other gulls do it.  Students will observe animals to learn about what they do and why they do it. They will set up experiments to demonstrate behaviors and to find out how animals learn.

MARINE BIOLOGY  (9-10)  A, B 

This is a diverse field-oriented course in which students will visit rocky shores, sandy beaches, and marsh ecosystems to explore and to observe the organisms that live there.   The kids will collect animals and plants to learn to identify them and learn about how they live.  In the classroom, students will keep aquariums for a better look at animals they find.  Microscopes and dissections will be used for close study.   

HABITS and HABITATS  (9-10) B

In this course we will explore a variety of land-based and seashore environments and learn about the animals and plants that live there.  What are the characteristics of different habitats?  How does an animal’s habitat determine its behaviors and how it survives?  We’ll make observations in the field, and carefully collect animals and plants to set up aquaria and terraria in the classroom.  We’ll observe the animals closely to help us answer those questions.

ART, SCIENCE, AND NATURE (10-11)  A 

This course blends science, nature, and the visual arts. Students will use various materials to create forms of art while learning about ecological relationships between organisms and local natural environments.  Students will explore different habitats along the seashore, in the woods, in freshwater wetlands, and in the suburban backyards of Woods Hole. Through sketches, sculptures, and other projects, students will showcase the connections among animals, plants, and their environments as well as our interactions with them. 

METEOROLOGY (10-11) B

Weather is easy to study because it’s around us every day and is always changing. But what is weather, what causes it, and how can we predict it?  Solar energy input, temperature differences, and pressure variations in the atmosphere drive the weather.  Students will learn about the components of weather, and they will use and construct instruments that will demonstrate concepts and collect data of temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction, humidity, precipitation, and cloud cover.  Students will become adept at identifying cloud types and recording data and looking for patterns in changing weather conditions …and maybe even predict what tomorrow’s weather will be without consulting the internet!

SEAWEEDS (10-11) A 

Did you know that we most likely consume some form of seaweed everyday without even knowing it? Come find out why seaweeds are so common. Over the course of three weeks, students will immerse themselves in hands-on activities that cover such topics as: form and function, growth and light, photosynthesis and respiration, eutrophication and pollution, ocean acidification, and aquaculture. Students will learn how to identify local species using identification guides, examine ecological interactions between seaweeds and their surroundings, press seaweeds, eat seaweeds, and design a kelp farm in a fish tank.

OCEANOGRAPHY  (11-12) A

Students will learn about the physical and chemical properties of seawater and take measurements of salinity, temperature, and pH.  We’ll learn about ocean zonation, beach profiles, and wave formation and about how ocean currents are affected by the earth’s rotation.  We’ll collect data on tidal currents and tides and learn how they are caused by the interaction of Earth, sun and moon.  Students will investigate how changes in ocean chemistry that are due to natural processes (such as biological activity or geology) or are caused by human activities (such as pollution) may impact both marine and terrestrial life.  

ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS AND BEHAVIORS (11-12) B

An adaptation is a physical or behavioral characteristic that has evolved to help an organism survive in its environment.  Webbed feet help ducks and bullfrogs move efficiently in water.  Squid and octopuses have chromatophores that allow them to change color to match their surroundings and escape predators.  A squirrel’s long tail helps it balance as it walks on branches and jumps from tree to tree.  How does evolution happen?  We will answer this question and learn about natural selection as we set up some experiments and observe animals’ behaviors in local habitats. 

WETLAND ECOLOGY (11-12) B

Students will explore and compare local wetlands: ponds, streams, marshes, swamps, freshwater, brackish and saltwater.  We’ll measure physical parameters such as salinity, temperature, turbidity, and pH.  We’ll look at substrate and water quality.  We’ll be collecting organisms from these environments and setting up terraria and aquaria to help us get to know the animals and plants of various wetlands and learn about the ecological relationships between the organisms and their environments.   

FIELD GEOLOGY (11-12) A 

Did you know that Cape Cod and the Islands were formed by a huge ice sheet over ten thousand years ago?  Students will be introduced to the geological history of Cape Cod through field work, experiments, and classroom modeling.  The class will visit and observe landforms that the glaciers left behind when they retreated.  Field trips will take us to see cliffs, outwash plains, moraines, knob and kettle terrain, and kettle holes and learn about the processes that formed them.  Please be aware that there may be additional field trips or slightly longer trips to visit landforms that are beyond what we can see right in Woods Hole.

CETACEANS (whales), PINNIPEDS (seals) and SEA TURTLES   (11-12)  B

Students will learn to identify the marine mammal and sea turtle species most common to our waters.  Whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals and sea turtles can be found all around Cape Cod.  Some can be easily seen from shore, even in Woods Hole.  We’ll look at their adaptations for life in the ocean.  We’ll learn about the many threats these animals face from ocean debris –  like fishing line, nets, rope and  plastic bags – and about the great dangers posed by ship strikes and boat propeller injuries.  Local biologists who work in the field of marine animal rescue and rehabilitation will visit us in the classroom and we will have the chance to visit animals in rehab facilities.  A driving trip to the National Marine Life Center in Bourne will take an extra half hour of class time, and a visit to the New England Aquarium’s sea turtle hospital in Quincy will be scheduled as an extended field trip for a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.    

ENTOMOLOGY (11-12) B  

Students will learn about the major groups of insects: their habits, growth and development, and the important roles they play in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Many of our activities will involve collecting insects in fields, woods, ponds, and backyards, and rearing them in the classroom.  We will pay special attention to important relationships between insects and plants. 

INVERTEBRATES (11-12)  A  

Invertebrates dominate the animal world. They include diverse organisms such as sponges, cnidarians, worms, echinoderms, mollusks, and arthropods. This hands-on class will survey the diversity of invertebrate phyla and explore the evolutionary relationships between these groups. Field trips to local natural areas will give the class the chance to collect animals to bring back to the classroom where aquaria and terraria will be set up for close study and observations of anatomy, reproduction, feeding, and behavior.

NAUTICAL SCIENCE (12-13) B

Explore boat design and build a seaworthy model boat, learn to navigate by chart and compass, experiment with the principles of buoyancy and displacement, and delve into nautical terminology and practical seamanship. Classes will take trips to the working waterfront and by boat through Woods Hole Passage. 

INTRODUCTION TO FILM PHOTOGRAPHY (12-13)  A, B 

Students will learn the science behind photography, and how to use a 35-mm SLR film camera.  The class will learn to develop film and use enlargers in the darkroom to enlarge and print photographic images.  They’ll learn about the chemical reactions that take place when film and photo paper are exposed to light, and about how darkroom chemicals like developer, stop bath and fixer work.  Students will explore how to artistically capture nature through a lens.  CSS will provide each student with an SLR film camera to use for the class.  Space is limited to 10 students. Materials Fee: $40

ICHTHYOLOGY (12-13) A, B 

Students will learn to fish using different baits and lures, as well as by setting traps and using seines. They’ll study the characteristics of fish species that are found in local North Atlantic and freshwater habitats, and learn about fish anatomy and adaptations they have developed for life and survival in aquatic environments.  

BOTANY (12-13) B 

Plants provide the foundation for all life on earth. Students will collect and identify plant species and learn about their importance in ecosystems. Through experiments, microscopy, dissection, field work and art projects students will gain a hands-on appreciation for botanical concepts and the dynamic role that plants play in the world around us.  

EXPERIMENTS IN FIELD ECOLOGY (12-13)  A 

Students will explore various habitats around Woods Hole – woodland, seashore, marsh, unmowed fields – to learn about the animals and plants that live there and to learn ecological concepts about the ways that organisms interact with each other and their environments.   Students will come up with questions about plant/animal/environmental relationships and strategies for survival.  Questions like:  Are there more aphids on a plant when ants are present?  Why do some beaches have more hermit crabs than other beaches?  

Experiments will be designed to collect data and test hypotheses in the field.   

ROBOTICS/ROVs (13-15) A, B

Students will focus on the technical, economic, and environmental aspects of real-world marine engineering and electronics.  Through project design and data analysis, students will explore principles such as buoyancy, propulsion, and energy.  There will be frequent field trips to Woods Hole labs to observe and learn about real-world ROVs (remotely operated vehicles).  Students will build and test functional underwater ROVs. Materials Fee: $40

MICROBIAL LIFE    (13-15)  A

How many organisms live in a single drop of pond water?  Or in a teaspoon of soil?  To find out, students will gain skills in microscopy while observing and learning about bacteria, protists, microfungi and other microorganisms.  Discover how they survive and thrive and how they change and shape environments.  Students will collect samples in local habitats to bring back to the classroom for study.               

EARTH SCIENCE (13-16) A

The planet Earth is 4.6 billion years old.  Earth science is geology, meteorology, climatology, oceanography, and environmental science.  Also called geoscience, earth science studies the processes that form and shape Earth’s surface, and how water and ecosystems are interconnected.  We’ll learn about earthquakes and volcanoes and go out into the field to learn first-hand about minerals, soils, oceans, freshwater, fossils, atmosphere, weather, and hydrology.  

BIOLOGICAL ILLUSTRATION (14-16) A 

Illustration can be a useful and beautiful method of recording information. In this class we will become familiar with basic techniques of biological illustration, while examining the structure, anatomy and function of local organisms. This course will also compare historically important methods of illustration with modern techniques such as photomicrographs and data-based animations. 

EMBRYOLOGY (14-16)  B 

During development, a single cell will divide and produce many different cell types with different shapes and jobs. How does this happen? How long does it take? This course will introduce and explore the changes and stages of embryonic development in organisms through collection and microscopic research.  We’ll look at embryonic development in vertebrates and invertebrates.

ADVANCED MARINE BIOLOGY (14-16) A, B 

Through hands-on exposure, students will delve into the biology and ecology of marine vertebrates and invertebrates, their evolution and classification, anatomy and physiology, behaviors, and habitats. This course will include snorkeling field trips to explore different marine ecosystems around Woods Hole. Students must provide their own mask, snorkel and fins. A swim test will be administered requiring students to swim 50 ft and tread water for 2 minutes.  Space is limited to 14 students.