Science Page

As we hurdle toward the new millennium, no field of study will prove more important to the future than the sciences. At WWHS the science department realizes and understands this fact and is committed to teaching the art of improving our world. The science staff also understands that improvement can only come about when built upon a foundation of basic science knowledge. Pouring this foundation is the responsibility and honor of the WWHS Science department. #At the dawn of time, when man had not a single clue as to how the world around him functioned, he could dream of a time when all of his cro-magnon questions could be answered by the WWHS science department. Each year old questions are answered by science while at the same time creating new ones. The study of the solutions to the mysteries of nature and the question as yet unanswered is the heart of the science department.
The sciences are not simply about the questions which have been answered in the past or those left for the future but about the questions which students come across during their studies. A key part of every lesson is the quiet voice deep inside a student's mind which asks the question "WHY".
"Why do the laws of physics always work?" "Why do amoebas divide into twos instead of nines?" "Why must the lab goggles leave creases all over you face?" All of these questions are examples of what comes into the mind of a student during a science class.
The science department offers solutions to these questions through study and experimentation. As we all know form a memorable class experience in high school nothing can hold a candle to a good lab. Who can forget the feeling of dull resistance when the scalpel first pierced the rubbery skin of a long-dead-well-preserved-soon-to-be-french- delicacy. Other lab classics include: the pop-gun physics trajectory shootouts, the "dear god where's my skin!" chemistry acid titrations, the smell of the ocean without the sand, water or sun oceanology fish dissection, the "I'm never going to eat Chinese take out again." anatomy class cat dissection, and let us not forget that the UNABOMBER began his illustrious career in high school chemistry using iodine and ammonia combinations to scare girls with the unexpected "POP" of a small explosion.
Today in the sciences greater attention is being paid to solving problems which have consequences which could threaten our very existence. It is a very unfortunate fact that in the past science was used to create things without consideration to the affects upon the earth. Science and society formed an interesting bond of production and consumption of "disposable" products. Through these attitudes the world has worked itself into quite a corner. Thus, today, science must turn its consideration to a more environmental attitude. The WWHS science department reflects this change through the attitudes presented to the students. This environmental attitude makes its way into each and every science department class. From Physics to Botany to Astronomy the study of the environment and the world around us comes to the forefront of every science class at W est Warwick High. Just this year in fact, this attitude in the science department and the student population resulted in the formation of the WWHS Ecology Club. It is the hope of the WWHS Science Department that educating students to the condition and needs of the environment will enable them to make better choices for their future world.
Above all what the Science Department does is provide the information and the drive necessary for students who desire to make a difference or strive for an understanding of the world around them.

Course Listing:
Meteorology
Astronomy
Ecology
Biology
Life Science
Chemistry
Physical Science
Physics
Oceanology
Anatomy & Physiology
Zoology
Botany
2+2 Applied Biology/Chemistry 1
2+2 Applied Biology/Chemistry 2
2+2 Principles of Technology 1
2+2 Principles of Technology 2
Independent Study in Science