Teaching & Learning

How should we weigh conflicting values and interests in determining policies that affect human beings and the natural world? Is the very habit of distinguishing “humans” and “nature” an ethical mistake? Science on its own is silent before such questions. Yet if science without ethics is silent, ethical thinking about environmental responsibilities, without the aid of the sciences, is blind. The facts matter; probabilities of various outcomes can make an enormous difference. This interdisciplinary course draws on ethics, law, politics, and science to examine controversial environmental topics such as climate change mitigation and adjustment, allocation and use of resources, endangered species protection, and the use of animals for human endeavors. We will pay special attention to charges that policies and consumption patterns in developed countries unfairly burden poorer nations. Before examining specific policy topics, we will study the historical development, among diverse cultures and philosophers, of attitudes towards nature, as well of contemporary arguments over the ethical significance of non-human beings and ecosystems.

This program emphasizes the use of the watershed approach to the study of freshwater ecosystems. Students in this course engage in intensive field research aimed at developing their understanding of a variety of freshwater systems (lakes, impoundments, rivers and streams, wetlands, and groundwater). The focus is on the importance of water as the biosphere’s circulatory system. Flowing water transports energy and materials, linking distant and varied systems (biological as well as cultural) into a coherent whole that demands our attention and thoughtful stewardship. The goal of the course is to give students a solid background in the fundamentals of aquatic ecology. Toward that end, students learn basic principles of aquatic ecology, a variety of sampling and measurement techniques, and the use of computer software for data compilation, analysis, and presentation. Those skills are applied toward the completion of an individual research project intended to be of practical value to the student, the School, and the community. Students are expected to participate in frequent early-morning field study and sampling trips to nearby aquatic systems (with an emphasis on Lake Wononscopomuc) and one extended field trip each semester.

“...bounded on the East by?...The Housatonic River!” The Housatonic River is the central artery of our home place here in the northwest corner of Connecticut. This course uses the river, its tributaries, its watershed, and its history to provide students with a strong foundation in the science of ecology and to develop a more nuanced sense of place. During the winter term we will use George Black’s excellent Trout Pool Paradox as a guide to the fundamental ecology of rivers and the specific cultural, political, and economic history of the Housatonic. Emphasis is placed on the past impacts of the iron industry on the watershed and on modern cases like PCB contamination and dam re-licensing. In the spring, the course shifts to practicing field-based science. Weekly trips to various sites will allow students to make observations and collect data aimed at testing general ecological principles and their application to flowing water ecosystems. Emphasis is placed on aquatic insects as indicators of ecosystem function and health and on “reading a stream” with an eye toward trout habitat preference.

This course, using a hands-on approach, focuses on the science underlying environmental problems and issues. The goal of this course is to provide students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world and to analyze both natural and human-made environmental problems. The various ecosystems in Hotchkiss’s natural areas (fields, forests, wetlands, brooks, ponds, and the lakes) provide the laboratory for hands-on learning. Working on independent projects of their own design, or as part of the School’s ongoing research of local mammals, vegetation, and bodies of water, students apply basic ecological principles, data collection, and research methods to questions concerning the impact of human intervention and disturbance. Students learn that local environmental issues often have global implications and that human beings can, and must, assume stewardship of local environments. Students taking AP Environmental Science should be aware that there is a major field component, including early morning fieldwork and several all-day field trips. On completing this course, a student is expected to take the AP exam.

Why does a seat belt grab you when the car stops suddenly? How does an oil refinery work? Why does a rocket follow a projectile path? What causes current to flow? What causes the differences in the state of matter? Why is the periodic table arranged as it is? In this introductory course, students will seek the answers to these questions and much, much more. Through hands-on activities, laboratory investigations, and the use of modern technology, students will get the opportunity to develop cooperative problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, the ability to work in teams, oral and written presentation skills, and experience in the use of the scientific method. This course covers many topics in physics and chemistry and weaves an environmental theme into specific topic areas. The course provides a strong foundation for further study in science.