Chesapeake Watershed Semester (2018-2019)
The Gunston School has launched an innovative new semester school, the Chesapeake Watershed Semester, which offers high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to take an educational deep-dive into the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay through the dual lenses of environmental science and public policy.
Mission:
Utilizing the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed as the foundation for an immersive, rigorous, and interdisciplinary educational experience, the Chesapeake Watershed Semester (CWS) is a single-semester, place-based academic program for high school juniors and seniors. The program cultivates reflective, confident student-leaders who promote regional, national, and global environmental sustainability through their understanding of scientific, social, cultural, and political systems.
Course Descriptions:
Environmental Science and Restoration Ecology
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States and home to 17 million people. The restoration of the Bay is a litmus test for humanity; if we pass the test we can keep the Planet. In this course we will investigate the pieces, patterns, and processes that affect the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Historical threats such as sedimentation, eutrophication, and land-use remain while climate change, sea level rise and coastal resiliency are becoming increasingly important. Through laboratory and field studies students will build a robust toolbox of primary research techniques. This course can be combined with another semester of Environmental Science to prepare students to take the College Board’s Advanced Placement exam in the spring.
American Government Seminar: Environmental Policy and Politics
Using environmental politics and policy as a guiding frame, this seminar introduces students to the key political concepts, institutions, roles, and behaviors that characterize the constitutional system and political culture of the United States; in addition, students gain familiarity with the institutions, agreements, and challenges associated with global environmental policy making. Maximizing our proximity to both the state and nation’s capitals, students interface with local, state, national, and international environmental leaders in Annapolis, Washington, DC, and beyond. Students wishing to take the AP American Government and Politics exam will be provided with additional tutorial support.
Literature of the Land and Water
Drawing upon the rich tradition of American Nature Writing, and with a special emphasis on award-winning literature from the Chesapeake Bay region, students read, discuss, and reflect upon fiction and nonfiction work. In addition to exploring how our literary traditions have shaped our interactions with the land and water, the course also provides a forum for individual reflections on issues raised in other classes and allows students to narrate their personal journey through the semester.
Leadership Seminar
All students participate in an integrated, skills-based leadership course. The course begins with a field Expedition to strengthen leadership capacities and concludes with students presenting their Capstone Project. Through weekly conversations and symposia throughout the term, students explore the character and qualities of great leaders: self-discipline, self confidence, self awareness, ethics, and poise and public speaking.
Capstone Project
The hallmark of the Chesapeake Watershed Semester is the cross-disciplinary thesis each student completes. Students work with teachers and mentors from the community to design the scope and sequence of the project, and many students focus their projects on their hometowns.
Documentation below: promotional brochure from the 2018 launch of the Chesapeake Watershed Semester, a summary of CWS in the National Association of Independent Schools Winter 2019 magazine, and a sample student essay on nature writing from the CWS literature class.
The Gunston School has launched an innovative new semester school, the Chesapeake Watershed Semester, which offers high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to take an educational deep-dive into the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay through the dual lenses of environmental science and public policy.
Mission:
Utilizing the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed as the foundation for an immersive, rigorous, and interdisciplinary educational experience, the Chesapeake Watershed Semester (CWS) is a single-semester, place-based academic program for high school juniors and seniors. The program cultivates reflective, confident student-leaders who promote regional, national, and global environmental sustainability through their understanding of scientific, social, cultural, and political systems.
Course Descriptions:
Environmental Science and Restoration Ecology
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States and home to 17 million people. The restoration of the Bay is a litmus test for humanity; if we pass the test we can keep the Planet. In this course we will investigate the pieces, patterns, and processes that affect the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Historical threats such as sedimentation, eutrophication, and land-use remain while climate change, sea level rise and coastal resiliency are becoming increasingly important. Through laboratory and field studies students will build a robust toolbox of primary research techniques. This course can be combined with another semester of Environmental Science to prepare students to take the College Board’s Advanced Placement exam in the spring.
American Government Seminar: Environmental Policy and Politics
Using environmental politics and policy as a guiding frame, this seminar introduces students to the key political concepts, institutions, roles, and behaviors that characterize the constitutional system and political culture of the United States; in addition, students gain familiarity with the institutions, agreements, and challenges associated with global environmental policy making. Maximizing our proximity to both the state and nation’s capitals, students interface with local, state, national, and international environmental leaders in Annapolis, Washington, DC, and beyond. Students wishing to take the AP American Government and Politics exam will be provided with additional tutorial support.
Literature of the Land and Water
Drawing upon the rich tradition of American Nature Writing, and with a special emphasis on award-winning literature from the Chesapeake Bay region, students read, discuss, and reflect upon fiction and nonfiction work. In addition to exploring how our literary traditions have shaped our interactions with the land and water, the course also provides a forum for individual reflections on issues raised in other classes and allows students to narrate their personal journey through the semester.
Leadership Seminar
All students participate in an integrated, skills-based leadership course. The course begins with a field Expedition to strengthen leadership capacities and concludes with students presenting their Capstone Project. Through weekly conversations and symposia throughout the term, students explore the character and qualities of great leaders: self-discipline, self confidence, self awareness, ethics, and poise and public speaking.
Capstone Project
The hallmark of the Chesapeake Watershed Semester is the cross-disciplinary thesis each student completes. Students work with teachers and mentors from the community to design the scope and sequence of the project, and many students focus their projects on their hometowns.
Documentation below: promotional brochure from the 2018 launch of the Chesapeake Watershed Semester, a summary of CWS in the National Association of Independent Schools Winter 2019 magazine, and a sample student essay on nature writing from the CWS literature class.
chesapeake_watershed_semester_brochure.pdf | |
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cws_article_national_association_of_independent_schools.jpg | |
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cws_student_work.pdf | |
File Size: | 68 kb |
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Pictured below: Gunston students on field expeditions to Wachapreague, VA and Harrisburg, PA during the inaugural Chesapeake Watershed Semester.