The Hotchkiss School
Science
Science Department News ...
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"Who Killed Mr. Oberto?" An experiment in forensic science
A crime had been committed, the outline of a body was on the floor of Mr. Oberto’s classroom, and one of the students gathered for the in-school forensic science “field trip” was the "perpetrator." In a series of experiments supervised by Dr. Wen Li from the Center for Molecular Biology at Smith College, students set out to uncover the criminal.
The science department seeks to instill in students an excitement about the discipline, a solid body of knowledge and competency, and a sense of challenge and responsibility to use their science education positively and proactively throughout their lives. We challenge our students to formulate hypotheses, observe and analyze data, and solve problems creatively. We teach students to communicate those observations and analyses clearly and to understand the relevance and wider implications of scientific knowledge. We are committed as a department to underscoring the interaction between the sciences and the humanities, the arts, and the social sciences.
Within each course, the range of topics is broad. For example, the introductory study of biology includes the investigation of molecular biology, genetics, evolution, ecology, and human anatomy. The exploratory physics course examines the basics of linear motion as well as the interrelationship between electricity and magnetism. Organic chemistry investigates the importance of hydrocarbons to our society and addresses some of the environmental problems associated with their chemistry.
Throughout the science curriculum, we begin to further our students' commitment to environmental stewardship and to strengthen their understanding of their responsibilities in a global society.