Course Descriptions
SEASHORE LIFE (7-8) AB, A, B Students will explore and study the various areas of the seashore, including dunes, marshes, beaches, and shallow water. On field trips and in the classroom, students will learn about the flora and fauna of the seashore. Their activities may include setting up aquaria, experiments, art projects, and collections. In the three-week version, students will explore the areas of the seashore and will learn about the seashore life forms and their communities.
WOODS, PONDS, AND FIELDS (8) A, B Students will observe the local habitats of plants and animals both outdoors and in classroom tanks. They may make collections of plants, insects, and other natural objects. Separate units will introduce students to botany, entomology, herpetology, geology, and limnology.
AQUATIC LIFE (8-9) AB Come learn about fish, crustaceans and other aquatic life found in our local bays, sounds and marshes. Using collection, observation and experimentation students will become acquainted with the animals and plants that live an aquatic life.
ANIMAL BEHAVIOR (9) A, B Ever wonder why certain animals live where they do or behave in particular ways? Through collection, observation and experimentation this course will study the habits and habitats of local animals.
MARINE BIOLOGY (9-10) AB, A, B This is a diverse field-oriented course, which takes full advantage of low tide to see, study, and collect the major groups of animals and plants of the ocean. Students will visit rocky, sandy, and marshy ecosystems for their study. In the classroom, students will use dissecting microscopes and will make a shell collection. The six-week version will study these areas in greater depth.
ECOLOGY OF THE BIKE PATH (9-10) A, B This course has a similar focus on Marine Biology: however, students will explore the ecosystem along the Shining Sea Bike Path using bicycles. Participants must provide their own bicycles and helmets.
COASTAL BOTANY (10-11) A Study the flora of Woods Hole’s coastal regions. Students will study basic and intermediate botanical concepts through demonstrations, experiments and projects. They will collect specimens for their own herbarium!
GEOLOGY OF CAPE COD (10-11) B Student will be introduced into the geological history of Cape Cod. The course will focus on such topics as: Cape Cod’s rock record and history, fossils, soil, and water. Laboratory modeling and fieldwork will help students examine the changes in the environment over the past geological period.
OCEANOGRAPHY (10-11) AB Students will examine the physical and chemical features that comprise our oceans. They will learn about ocean zonation, beach profiles, wave formation, astronomical observations on tides and currents, seafloor mapping, and considerations of light, temperature, and food. Students will also be introduced to marine robotics, engineering and its oceanographic applications.
TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY (11-12) A Experience the terrestrial ecosystem. Identity and investigate the fundamental elements: soil, plants, and animals. Learn about watersheds, nutrient cycling, plant-animal interactions and succession through models, experiments and field trips. We will observe and explore how these components benefit us.
NAUTICAL SCIENCE (11-12) 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, delve into nautical terminology and practical seamanship. Class trips to the working waterfront and through Woods Hole passage itself.
ICHTHYOLOGY (11-12) AB In this class students not only will learn about how to fish using different baits and lures, setting traps and using seines, they will have the opportunity to learn about characteristic species of different North Atlantic and freshwater habitats and to observe the diversity of form and different strategies for survival.
HERPETOLOGY (12-13) A Study the reptiles and amphibians of the Woods Hole environs. Learn how ‘herps’ are different from other animals, where they live and how to identify them.
ENTOMOLOGY (12-13) B Why are insects so successful? Investigate the curious world of insects through the collection and classification of living insects. Study their morphology, habitats, and role in human history.
EMBRYOLOGY (12-13) A How long does it take for an organism to develop? During development a single cell will grow into many different cell types with different shapes and jobs. This course will introduce and explore the changes and stages of embryonic development in organisms. Through collection and microscopic research students will follow the growth and changes in the embryo.
INVERTEBRATES (12-13) B Invertebrates – animals without backbones – make up 97% of all animal species. This hands-on class will survey the diversity of invertebrate phyla from the simplest to the most complex. Students will study internal and external anatomy, reproduction, and feeding through observation of live specimens, dissection, and field trips to local ecosystems.
PARASITOLOGY (13-15) A Discover the relationship between a parasite and its host. What are their specialized traits and life-history strategies that enable them to colonize hosts? How are parasites eradicated and how can humans avoid them? Students will learn the answer in this class.
ROBOTICS & ROVs (13-15) B Students will focus on the technical, economic, environmental and social aspects of real-world marine engineering and electronics. Frequent field trips and data analysis will be used to study propulsion and energy. Through project design, data analysis, and field exploration students will explore the physical principles behind modern marine technology. Material Fee: $40
MICROBIAL LIFE (13-15) B a Find out more about the strange and exciting world of microbes. Observe and learn how bacteria, protests, and fungi survive and thrive. Discover how they change and shape our environment. Students will collect samples from the local environment using the classroom for microscopic observation and learning.
PHOTOGRAPHY (13-15) AB In this popular, intensive, six-week class, students will review the basic principles of photography, including the balance of light and time, composition and darkroom procedure. The six weeks allow the students to focus on printing techniques and photographic essay. Space limited to 10 students. Material Fee: $60.
BIOLOGICAL ILLUSTRATION (14-16) A Illustration can be a most useful and beautiful method of recording information. Become familiar with basic techniques of biological illustration, while examining the structure, anatomy and functions of local organisms. This course will also touch upon how biological illustrations are applied to science today.
EXPERIMENTS IN WOODS HOLE (14-16) A For more than a century, Woods Hole has been “an international center for research, education and training in biology.” Distinguished scientists from around the world come to study the diverse and abundant marine organisms in local waters. This innovative course is designed for the discerning young scientist with an interest in and a curiosity for studying the experiments and investigations that take place in Woods Hole.
MARINE MAMMALS (14-16) A Whales, dolphins and seals have long fascinated people. In this course, students will study behavior, communication, social structure, adaptations, interactions with humans and natural history of marine mammals. The course will include a whale watch.
ANATOMICAL DRAWING (14-16) B This illustration course is designed to introduce students to a comparative study of marine organisms. The anatomy of structures will be integrated with function, biological role, and adaptation to ecosystems.
ADVANCED MARINE BIOLOGY (14-16) B Students will delve into the biology and ecology of marine vertebrates and invertebrates, their evolution and classification, anatomy and physiology, ecology and behavior. This course will include snorkeling field trips, experiment design and analysis, and a whale watch!
