"In the measurement world, you set a goal and strive for it. In the universe of possibility, you set the context and let life unfold."

~ R. S. Zander and B. Zander

Curriculum offerings for CSG students are centered on the understanding that adolescent girls are most fully supported by the discovery of self, both as an individual and within the context of a community. Personal growth of this type will occur as a small student body and a dedicated, knowledgeable faculty come together. It is our ultimate goal that CSG students return to their sending schools and communities with a heightened sense of what it means to excel as an individual as well as a member of a community.

We have developed a unique curriculum that both stands alone and allows extensive work with our educational partners. Classes in scientific research, leadership adventure and core subjects make up the academic scope of a CSG semester.

Scientific Research Strand
Coastal Marine Ecosystems
Environmental Science Seminar

Leadership Strand
Leadership Adventure

Core Strand
History
English
Mathematics—Algebra II, Geometry or Pre-Calculus
Foreign Language—Intermediate French and Spanish

Coastal Studies' academic program will be enhanced by current and future educational partnerships with the following institutions: College of the Atlantic, National Coalition of Girls' Schools (NCGS), Maine Department of Marine Resources, Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance, Women Unlimited, Living Classrooms Foundation, The Lobster Conservancy, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, World Ocean School, Buccoo Reef Trust, Tobago, and Coastal Studies Center at Bowdoin College

The following is an abstract of Coastal Studies for Girls' curriculum. The courses are briefly described. With high academic expectations of our students as a priority, the faculty at CSG is committed to the best teaching and learning practices using the Maine State Learning Results and the National Education Standards as competency guidelines.

COASTAL MARINE ECOSYSTEMS

Coastal Marine Ecosystems will introduce the principles of chemical and physical marine science, marine biology (vertebrate and invertebrate), estuaries, and marine resource issues. As the students explore these complex concepts, they will gain an understanding of the importance of ecology in all aspects of marine science. The relevance of estuaries and marine resource issues to a coastal marine ecosystem will help to underscore how humans fit into the ecological web and bring about the concepts of personal and community responsibility. Humans live on the boundary between land and sea, and the students will learn how challenging it is to keep the delicate balance.

The course will begin with discussions of how science works – how we as students of science will use our skills to ask questions, address problems, review information and report our findings to our peers. The focus will be on how to apply this basic understanding to the particular areas of study in a marine coastal ecosystem. One of the main topics of exploration will be chemical composition of the marine environment and how tightly it is interconnected. With this basic understanding of chemistry, we then move on to the organism level and look at marine coastal life and the ecology of estuaries. The knowledge of the chemical health of the sea, its life and its boundaries will inform discussions of our own role as humans in this ecological web. Students will have access to a Flowing Seawater Lab and use of the tanks and algae room for various experiments as well as opportunities to learn how to use seawater monitoring equipment, Onset Hobo temperature loggers, microscopes—dissecting and compound—and different software programs for data collection and analysis.

A significant part of the course will be an independent student-designed project with a component focused on one aspect of the marine coastal ecosystem. This project will be combined with the Environmental Science Seminar project as well as other course work.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

There is no place like home, planet Earth. Throughout human history there have been many different perspectives of Earth. Ancient tribes of India thought Earth to be a tray resting on the backs of elephants and for many of our Native Americans Earth is a dynamic living planet deemed “Mother Earth.” The Earth is constantly changing and local and global environmental change is both a concept and a process that shifts in meaning with scientific discovery, public awareness and individual responsibility.

The Environmental Science course focuses on the Earth's systems and the interconnectedness of all the systems. We will develop an understanding of the bio-geochemical cycles and how these cycles are interrupted by human impact. Scientists, public policymakers, economists and the general public perceive and analyze environmental issues in different ways. Students will spend time determining what the environmental changes are, the different perspectives on change and how individuals can take responsibility for their own choices and behaviors. Students will have the opportunity to work with Geographic Information Systems and sophisticated hardware and software to collect and analyze data.

A large component of each student's grade will be an independent project that focuses on an environmental issue. Students will analyze all components of the issue and develop a final product that documents their work. The final product will also incorporate work accomplished in Marine Coastal Ecosystems, History and English.

LEADERSHIP ADVENTURE

Through various outdoor pursuits and experiential learning activities, young women are presented with the opportunity to explore, cultivate and reflect upon the habits of effective leadership as well as contemplate their own contributions to the group. Time spent aboard a schooner along the coast of Maine , kayaking, camping, a high ropes course, snow cave building, team challenges, group initiatives, rock climbing and more await every participant in Coastal Studies for Girls.

In this experiential education class, students will explore the question, “What are the traits of an effective leader?” and engage in activities that allow them to learn more about themselves and to cultivate the leadership qualities that they possess. Through these activities there exist boundless opportunities for hands-on authentic learning that can be effectively transferred to the many experiences of daily life.

Outdoor pursuits, individual challenges and group initiatives provide participants with the opportunity to hone communication skills, improve critical thinking processes, and explore self-directed learning to establish habits of lifelong curiosity. Participation in such endeavors also naturally lends itself to cultivating awareness of our environment and the natural world around us, thus enhancing the understanding for our role as stewards of the earth.

This course will also fulfill the requirements for a ½ credit in Physical Education.

EXPERIENCING A HISTORY OF THE WORLD

As no man is an island, no history course is independent of the many influences of other disciplines. World history will come alive when explored in an interdisciplinary, experiential medium where all aspects of social studies are explored in creative ways. By utilizing a thematic approach, focus will be placed upon teaching students different perspectives in the progress of humanity throughout time, making themes relevant to life today. This will enable students to build upon their own knowledge to create unique insights into the future and help them begin to see their potential as citizens in the world.

With a strong emphasis on social, economic, and political systems, the curriculum will cover from the Renaissance through the present. Throughout the semester, themes will touch upon many questions common to the inquisitive minds of teens. Decision-making activities will explore the ideas presented in our Constitution such as freedom and the social conscience. The benefits and consequences of exploration and imperialism will be examined. The connections between technology and history will be made with analysis of the impact of progress on society. A probing look at religion and its influences on social, economic, and political systems will be explored. Different government systems will be compared, contrasted and debated, with a focus on identifying positive leadership skills. We will scrutinize the historical efforts of diplomacy versus war and discuss possible solutions to current international disagreements. A concerted effort will be made in making current events relevant to weekly discussions.

A detailed look at coastal Maine and other Maine waterways will be examined in conjunction with the many themes explored. The course, Experiencing a History of the World, will contribute to a student's character development through focusing on stewardship, intellectual development, and a continual inquiry into the world around her.

ENGLISH SEMINAR: THE LITERATURE OF PLACE

The Literature of Place is rich and timely. In this class students will study a body of work representative of nature writing at its best. We will consider works by contemporary writers as well as selected classic works in which landscape is central to the meaning of the work. By considering different writers' relationships with their environment and how they convey what is meaningful to them, we will explore our own sense of meaning associated with the places of our past, present, and future. Through selected readings and their own nurtured writing processes, students will learn to identify their personal relationship to the world around them, and discover new depths of appreciation for using the written language to discover a sense of place.

Classes will alternately focus on student writings and discussions of literature. Readings for this course will be rigorous and numerous to illustrate the longstanding and steady importance of the landscape in literature. Students will have the opportunity to consider and comment on how landscape is utilized in literature in relation to human experience and how that changes over time. In addition to literary texts, we will study grammatical constructions and how to integrate them effectively into the writing process. The development, expansion and usage of vocabulary will be incorporated into each reading and writing assignment to expand both critical and creative thinking skills. The class promises a rich introduction to an environmental literature experience.

MATHEMATICS

In school, work and life students will meet new challenges and will need to utilize and implement creative, flexible and adaptable mathematical skills. The objective of the math courses is to continue to develop upon the math skills of each student in order to create a problem-solving disposition that includes confidence, willingness and the ability to engage in the communication process. Scientists use mathematics as a language to communicate how different systems work. Students will have opportunities in Marine Coastal Ecology and the Environmental Science Seminar to demonstrate their use of the mathematics language in the process of collecting, manipulating and analyzing data.

Students will select a math course, Algebra, Geometry or Pre-Calculus, depending on their individual needs and the requirements of their sending school.

INTERMEDIATE SPANISH AND FRENCH

In our emerging global society the importance of learning a world language is increasingly evident. It is the goal of the World Language curriculum to prepare students to live in this diverse society, armed with the asset of appreciating diverse cultures and conversing in a second language.

This intermediate course is designed to meet the needs of individual students while adhering to the guidelines of both the American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and the Maine State Learning Results. Students will engage in a variety of activities designed to develop and maintain proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, listening and cultural appreciation. Examination of cultural practices, involvement in multicultural communities, making connections to other disciplines and comparisons to native language, will all serve as tools for enhancing proficiency.