Our March Best Thursday brought us an amazing performance from the WUHS concert band, tributes to our winter athletes including our own very special Special Olympians, raffles, games and laughter. Beware the Ides of March! Click on the photo to view the entire gallery (kudos to our own Micky Corrow for his fine photography)
A little blast from the past: In the spring of 2011 as part of their study of climate change, AP Environmental Science students created this documentary. After learning about phenology, the study of the timing of biological events like first sap flow, students ventured out into the mud to chat with local sugarers of all ages from students at Killington Elementary to the professionals at Sugar and Spice restaurant in Mendon, VT.
Mrs. Hagenbarth's Accelerated Geometry class took to the woods this month to learn about how pi is a crucial number for forest management. Students met with Mike Scott, a consulting forester to Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park. They learned about how to calculate a tree's diameter, basal area, and board feet using tape measures, calculators, Biltmore sticks, and 10 BAF prisms (Want to know what a 10 BAF prism is? Just ask a student!). In addition to the math skills, students also learned what factors need to be taken into account when making forest management decisions, such as tree density, wildlife habitat, biodiversity, recreation, and aesthetics. Pi Day (3.14) is a big day for the math department--keep your eyes peeled for some yummy pies next week! Click on the photo to view the entire gallery.
WUHS Biology students study Cold Blooded Critters in collaboration with the Vermont Institute of Natural Science. Students met native amphibians and reptiles as part of an evolutionary unit where we explore patterns of similarity and differences among living organisms. Click on the image to view the entire gallery.
Glaciologist Bob Hawley visited Barbara Drufovka's 8th grade science class on Friday, March 1st. Dr. Hawley visit included a slideshow, interactive q&a and a hands-on project where students created ice molecules. Dr. Hawley started working as a glaciologist in 1995, as an undergraduate at the University of Washington, through the National Science Foundation 'Research Experience for Undergraduates' (REU) Program. Following the completion of his BS degree he continued in glaciological research by participating in the inaugural winter-over at Summit camp, Greenland, during the 1997-1998 boreal winter. He earned a Ph. D. in geophysics from the University of Washington in 2005. His research interests include: the physics of firn densification, mass balance of large ice sheets, interpretation of ice core records, and remote sensing. He has worked primarily in East and West Antarctica and Greenland.
Students in Mrs. Stainton's chemistry class worked with Molly Carpenter, Chemistry Graduate Student at Dartmouth to modify variables in gummy worm recipes and measure their impact on the quality of the product. When gelatin, sugar and flavorings mix in various amounts, the quality of the gummy worm changes. Students learned about hydrogen bonding in the protein gelatin component, collagen, and how the variables impact how stretchy gummy worms can be. Click on the photo to view the entire gallery.
Chemistry students made silver ornaments in class today. They used a Tollen's test to reduce silver atoms that plate the inside of a glass ornament and make a mirror! Click on the image to view the entire gallery and to see before and after shots!
