The science program is aimed to encourage students to notice and, more importantly, to question the world around them and in them. It seeks to accommodate the variety of learning strengths and needs of the students, while emphasizing the importance of learning new skills and methods with which to acquire knowledge. The overall purposes and objectives of the science program at Rock Point School are to help students develop in the following ways:

- to feel competent and confident in their ability to learn science
- to be able to think critically and analytically about their world
- to learn the logical reasoning of “how” and “why”
- to engage and interact with the natural world
- to learn the importance of accuracy and preciseness in experimentation
- to gain experience in scientific research and writing, including but
not limited to using the scientific method, learning experimental design,observation skills and learning safety procedures in the lab and outdoors
- to have fun in learning

We work with many students who don’t come from a background of strong scientific knowledge, skills or curiosities. The science program believes that this is due in part to science being too abstract or detached from the present experiences of the students. This program’s curriculum was designed to offer topics that are more tangible and applicable, or obvious, to the students, hopefully resulting in greater student interest and intrigue in science.


Grade 9: Earth Science

In Earth Science, freshmen focus on learning about the fundamental processes and concepts that make Earth a planet that sustains and diminishes life as we know it.

First quarter is dedicated to teaching foundations that will be used throughout the entire year, such as general Earth characteristics, the scientific method, and basic map reading skills. We also will study weather and meteorology this quarter so that we can interpret current weather reports and happenings as they occur during the year.

Second quarter we delve into the interior workings of the Earth, studying plate tectonics, volcanoes, and earthquakes. Students will be responsible for researching a major tectonic event of the past, understanding the mechanics which caused the event and the implications that such forces have on human culture. Individual research will be presented to the class in the form of a PowerPoint™ presentation.

Third quarter the students will be studying basic chemistry, minerals and rocks. This quarter will involve several labs in which we will examine mineral specimens hands-on, and learn about the seven distinguishing characteristics that geologists use to identify minerals. Our study of rocks will provide the students with a strong understanding of the rock cycle, and how identify some of the most common rocks used in our society. The minerals and rocks unit will be accented by two field trips, one to the University of Vermont’s mineral and rock museum. The second trip takes us to downtown Burlington to take a look at wide array of rock types used as building stones.

Fourth quarter we will learn about the surficial processes that break down the minerals and rocks on Earth. Weathering and erosional processes are responsible for this breakdown of material. The effect that weathering and erosion have on a material depends greatly on several characteristics of the rocks or minerals on which it is acting. Students will learn how to identify which materials will degrade faster and why. Glaciers and streams are the two major erosional factors that we will study in detail, as Vermont has been greatly shaped by both. We will take a look at glaciers, learning where and how glaciers exist on Earth, how they advance and retreat, and the major landforms that they create or destroy. We will conclude the year focusing on streams and rivers. We will learn about the stages that a river goes through as it ages, and the effects that it has on the landscape surrounding it, as well as the rocks and minerals in it. Learning about weathering and erosion will be enhanced by taking three main field trips: first to the shores of Lake Champlain at Rock Point, second to the top of Mount Philo in Charlotte, Vermont, and third to Huntington Gorge, Huntington, Vermont.


Grade 10: Biology

Biology is the study of life, and as we all know or can imagine, life on Earth is an incredibly vast subject, and becoming evermore so. As a result of this, I have chosen the biology curriculum based on what I feel is most important and/or pertinent that the sophomores learn. The topics I have chosen are tangible to the students’ everyday life.

Sophomores will spend first quarter learning about the processes and characteristics that are considered commonalities of life. The majority of the quarter will be spent studying the fundamental building block of life, the cell. Students will create a book that will contain colored drawings of the major eukaryotic cell parts and written descriptions of the function of those parts. We will finish the quarter studying major cell processes that serve as the foundation of sustaining life.

Second quarter is dedicated to focusing on the anatomical systems of the human body. In lecture, we will primarily focus on the reproductive systems of males and females. For the male reproductive system we will learn about the key organs of the system, where sperm are produced and the path they travel to reach ejaculation. For the female reproductive system we will learn about the key organs of the system, and the life cycle of an egg as it moves through the stages of the menstrual cycle. For both systems, the hormones that are responsible for encouraging the changes in our bodies will be studied. As well, an overview of sexually transmitted diseases is covered. The other major anatomical systems of the human body will be learned about through research. Individual students will be required to research a system, resulting in a written research paper and a PowerPoint™ presentation to their classmates. Students will be required to take a test that covers the information presented.

The third quarter curriculum focuses solely on the brain. We will work our way from the outside to the inside of the brain, learning about the protective coverings of the brain, the hemispheres, the cortexes and association areas, to the very specialized parts of the brain such as the cerebellum, hypothalamus, and the hippocampus. We will briefly touch on brain damage and / or diseases, however, more of this will be covered by the students, as they are required to do a research project focusing on a topic that pertains to the brain, honing in on the area of the brain that is most used or affected in relation to their topic. Examples of topics previously researched are Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, and sexual attraction and preferences. We will conclude our study of the brain with taking a look at how and why social (and usually addictive) drugs affect the brain and a person’s ability to function normally while under the influence of a drug or drugs, and often in the absence of its influence.

Fourth quarter we turn our focus to the great outdoors. We will learn about the fundamentals of ecological systems and the components that comprise them. Particular attention will be paid to the ecosystem at Rock Point. Students will practice tree identification on the property. As a class we will learn about different physical characteristics of the area that dictates what life lives here. Students will perform tests, such as soil pH and water chemistry tests, to identify some of these physical parameters. We will identify the animal life on the point from the macroinvertebrates in the pond and lake to the larger animals that inhabit the land. Students will be required to keep journals throughout the quarter. In the end, they will be asked to synthesize the information in their journals and write a paper about the ecology on Rock Point.


Grade 11: Chemistry

In Chemistry, students start the year off by learning the metric system and conversion of units, properties of matter, and how to distinguish between physical and chemical properties. We will then move into studying elements, compounds, and the periodic table, which is essentially like learning a new language. They will become fluent in how to name and write elements, compounds, equations using chemical formulas and chemical notation. Students will gain a solid understanding why elements form compounds, and conversely, why some compounds easily break apart to form other ions, compounds, and/or elements, and others do not. We will cover why reactions occur, types of reactions, and factors that affect the rate at which reactions occur, or why they do not occur. Students will make ample use of basic algebra skills as they work to understand quantitative relationships between reactants and products. Special attention will be paid to aqueous solutions, and acids and bases. Throughout the year in chemistry, labs will occur on an almost weekly basis to give the students hands-on learning experiences. We will conduct labs that exemplify different chemical properties and reactions, such as density, oxidation states of transition metals, and how chemical bonding affects the physical texture of a substance. (We make slime!) Chemistry at Rock Point will challenge the students to think, to analyze, and to pay attention to many details, all the while being fascinated by how the world around us is put together.


Grade 12: Evolution and the Environment

“Evolution and the Environment” is a reading-intensive, college-prep course that provides a final view of science for Rock Point School students as they make their way into a larger world. The course is designed to provide a wealth of discussion about the natural world in which we live. Students become intelligent consumers of science reporting in the press by exploring the nature and limits of the Earth. We begin the year studying the theory of evolution, reading excerpts from Darwin’s Origin of Species. We will discuss the use and misuse of this notion from its first publication through the present. Our discussion of evolution then turns to the recent science and hypotheses that support the theory of evolution. Seniors will read chapters from the book Microcosmos, by Lynn Margulis and Dorian Sagan. The book offers evidence and ideas as to how life may have actually formed from the prebiotic soup called Earth almost 5 billion years ago.

For the second half of the year, our attention turns to the present-day environment, focusing primarily on energy and water issues. We will investigate the reasons supporting current conversations and debates about energy and water supplies, including difficulties that we face today or that future generations are predicted to experience. Students will learn about current technologies or ways of living that promote sustainability in their communities and means of prolonging their resources. Throughout the year, seniors will be responsible for writing many short papers and essays, based on both research and opinion. To conclude the year, students will write a paper in which they will convey their understanding of evolution and the state of the environment, and how one may influence the other.