SPONSORED POST: Regardless of age or grade, students at Charles River School in Dover experience hands-on science with real-world applications as part of the curriculum. Experiences like these are supported by the school’s innovative curriculum and unique facilities like its Wetlands Lab and state-of-the-art middle school science lab.
For example, 5th graders are participating in a Citizen Science project supporting and monitoring the presence of salamanders in the CRS Wetlands Laboratory, and sharing their findings with the Massachusetts Audubon Society. Students measured a 10-meter by 5-meter transect near the school’s vernal pool, placed 50 untreated pine boards within the space, and monitored the areas beneath the boards for the presence of salamanders. Since salamanders are an indicator species that helps gauge the health of a wetland, the students have been excited to document the salamander sacs beneath the boards.
This fall, middle school students have undertaken a collaborative, cross-disciplinary study of climate change in their science and social studies classes. They have explored evidence of climate change and both human and natural causes of it, and researched climate-related policies in countries around the world. “The students are gaining an understanding not just of the science involved, but also the practical application of scientific knowledge,” explains teacher Chris Raskin. The unit’s culminating project will be a Model United Nations simulation held at the Dover Town Hall where students will represent points of view from various international governments, and also demonstrate a deep understanding of the science behind the policies.