Science
The Gailer School provides a full six-year science curriculum. In the first three years of the program, sciences complement the Da Vinci Core classes, giving students a rich appreciation for the evolution of science through human history. In later grades, Biology, Chemistry and Physics are studied in a more conventional laboratory context. Science is taught through hands-on lab work, discussions, lecture, textbooks and outdoor fieldwork.
Science Course Descriptions
Da Vinci 7 Science: Origins
This course parallels Da Vinci 7 Humanities, making connections between the sciences and humanities whenever possible. Students ask and answer questions about the origins of the universe and living things by exploring the world around them through their own investigations and by learning from the work of scientists who have come before them. Major units explore metamorphosis and migration, classification and biodiversity, the universe and astronomy, the origin of life and cells, and the origin of species and evolution. Students come to understand the importance of scientific process and collaboration and become more comfortable using the skills of scientific inquiry in the laboratory and in the field. Students use a variety of resources, such as textbooks (Astronomy and Cells and Heredity), the Internet, The Biology Coloring Book, In the Shadow of Man and other selected readings.
Da Vinci 8 Physical Science
Our physical science class includes an overview of motion and forces, work and power, matter, energy, electricity and magnetism and introductory chemistry. These topics are explored through a variety of activities including testing simple and compound machines, building and launching rockets and building models of atoms. Students continue to develop their scientific inquiry skills through the design and completion of science experiments.
Da Vinci 9 Environmental Earth Science
In this course, students take an interdisciplinary approach to the study of our Earth's environment. This course focuses on topics such as the Natural History of the Champlain Valley, Weather and Climate, the Life Sciences and Physical Sciences, and past and current "environmental issues." Additionally, students examine philosophical and ethical attitudes regarding the human relationship to "the natural world." Within this framework, students examine human impacts on Natural Systems and how to address the negative impacts of the human relationship with the natural world.
Da Vinci 10, 11, and 12
All students in Da Vinci 10, 11, and 12 study more advanced sciences in rotation as they move through the Gailer School.
Chemistry (2007-2008): Chemistry is a study of the interactions between matter and energy. This course focuses on the fundamentals of general chemistry with an introduction to organic chemistry. Students will explore the link between chemistry and environmental health. Labs support lecure topics, through both qualitative and quantitative experiments. Specific topics are: Structure of Matter, Periodic Table, Interactions of Matter, Chemical Reactions and Equations, Stoichiometry, States of Matter, Chemical Equilibrium, Solubility and Precipitation, Acids and Bases, and Carbon and its Compounds. Course readings include: Prentice Hall Chemistry, Silent Spring, Living Downstream, When Smoke Ran Like Water, and other selected texts.
Biology (2008-2009): Biology is the study of life. This course focuses on understanding how living things work and interact. Students use their skills to explore life by identifying the characteristics of living things, exploring how organisms survive and interact in different environments, and understanding how species change over time. Students will be asked to make connections between science content, selected readings, their own life and observations, and their other classes. They will develop skills ranging from designing experiments to understanding the natural world through observation. They will conduct field science projects. Each unit and project will help students appreciate the complexity of the web of life and how we fit into the cycles of life on Earth. Major units include: Ecology , Characteristics of Life, Cell Biology, Environmental Biology, Genetics, Heredity and Bioethics, Microbiology and Immunology, and Comparative Anatomy and Physiology. Texts include: Modern Biology (textbook); Peterson's Guide to Trees and Shrubs; Newcomb's Guide to Wildflowers.
Physics (2008-2009): This course will explore kinematics and dynamics including position, velocity, acceleration, force, momentum and energy. Students will learn through lab-based investigations and class work. Text: Holt Physics