Environmental Technology 

Environmental Technology is comprised of courses that will enable the students to acquire basic skills used by Field Biologists and Ecologists. Water resources, including freshwater and marine, are a central focus of the curriculum. Students choosing Environmental Technology  will be introduced to" Expeditionary Learning." They will take yearly trips that will allow students to practice, in the field, the skills they have learned, just as they would as part of a field research                             

The Environmental Technology  Program is a three-year major, which runs from the sophomore year to the senior year. It is designed for those who plan to pursue their studies beyond high school. The sophomore concentration focuses on inland waters and wetlands. The junior year focuses on Marine Sciences. Seniors will prepare for the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Technology Exam. 
Expeditionary Learning is an integral part of the program. Expeditions are designed around specific topics or themes related to the curriculum and are used to amplify classroom instruction. 

 Students who are interested in the program must plan on spending extra time on occasional weekends or  after school as we prepare for our expeditions or other events throughout the school year. Expeditions may be scheduled during a school vacation, or for a week at the very end of the year just after the regular school programs get out for the summer. The expeditions are a required part of the program and students must be prepared to participate fully. For a greater description of the environmental technology program, Click HERE

 Environmental Technology program Announcements
(these documents open with Adobe Acrobat Reader)

 Environmental Technology Parent -Teacher Boosters Club  newsletter minutes  

Click Here for a complete listing of course offerings

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY COURSE OFFERINGS

Grade 9 

Survey of Environmental Technology  7100
Survey of Environmental Science  is a required course for all freshmen. It is an overview of how the natural world works and how we use and protect its valuable resources. The course also explores the many career opportunities in the environmental field.


Grade 10 

Woo            Woodland and Wetland Ecology 7223

This c      This course will help students acquire the basic skills used by Field Biologists for conducting experiments and tests which aid them in 
                   developing models for better understanding of local forest communities, wetlands an d wildlife habitats. Water resources will be one of 
                   the central themes of study. This course has an expeditionary component in which the students organize a trip to the headwaters of the  

                   Merrimack River   in order to study the river’s hydrology and chemistry. Throughout the year students will examine the many career 

                   opportunities in this field with guest speakers and with visits to professionals in the field.

               Mapping Technology 7224

Boat Building I 7221

This course is designed to integrate academic and shop classes.  Students will learn the application of skills from both mathematics and physics classes in the process of repairing the existing fleet of canoes.  They will make detailed working drawings then fabricate the necessary parts needed in the repairs. Students will learn to safely use hand tools and power tools found in the wood working industry. As part of thee program students will create stock lists, apply the appropriate finish materials and develop a repair manual.

GRADE 11

Marine Biology 7323

                     The Marine Biology course is a hands on research-based course, which examines the marine environment encompassed by our 
                     local bioregion,the Gulf of Maine. Students conduct research in local salt marshes, in estuaries, and in the rocky inter-tidal zone. 
                     Marine geology and bathymetry of Stellwagon Bank, a local National Marine Sanctuary are examined through Geographic 
                     Information System maps and  Arc View Software. Fish biology aquaculture techniques and the fishing industry in the Gulf 
                    of Maine are also explored. The final  portion of  the year an  expedition to Nova Scotia finishes the year as students  
                    study marine resource management and the fishing practices between Canada and the U.S.

                Boat Building 7321               

                     
                    In this course using computer, math, science and boat building technologies students will fabricate a canoe. Using the 

                   computer, students will document the building process, develop a data base of materials and labor costs, research materials, and 

                    develop constrcution schedules. Mathematics skills are required to engineer the buoyancy and stability factors. Students will be given

                    the opportunity to study the history of boat building. The students will become efficient using the  basic hand tools and power equipment

                    found in the metal and woodworking trades.

GRADE 12

Environmental Technology  (AP)  7425
This year long course is designed to be the equivalent of a one-semester introductory college course. Students will be able take the Advanced Placement Environmental Technology Test at the end of this year of study. Environmental Technology is interdisciplinary; it embraces a variety of topics from different areas of study. Students participate in many career related activities, such as performing a wetland inventory, completing hazardous materials training, and developing regional and local maps for environmental planning.

 Geology 7426
This course is designed to give students in their senior year a concentrated exposure to the history of the earth and its geological processes.  Students will gain further knowledge in surficial and bedrock geology, water hydrology, ocean geology, environmental impacts and regulations and as well as using GPS and GIS equipment used in the industry.

 Field Ecology 7427
This course will be complementary to the Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Technology  Course. Projects will tie into several units that are covered in the AP curriculum. The students will learn how to conduct a wetland delineation using the wetlands here on campus by using both vegetative analysis and soil sampling methods, currently in use by Massachusetts Conservation Commissions. Working with the town of Danvers Conservation Commission students will also work on the ongoing inventory of the potential vernal pools in the town of Danvers. At the end of each year the students will update a GIS map and a CD, to pass on the most recent findings to the town. In our own school ponds, students will work with the Mass Wildlife Fisheries Biologist to learn how to conduct an inventory of the different fish species and numbers, and how to develop restocking tables.

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