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Set to integrate the resources of this region into the curriculum, Cape Henlopen High School’s newly founded Marine Science course began its year in calm water.
During the school year, students taking the all-senior course are building Remote Operational Vehicles (ROVs) and plan to enter them in national competitions. They will learn the history of marine navigation, and will attend several field trips to expand their boundaries using hands on learning.
“We already have the College of Marine Studies in Lewes,” said teacher Bill Geppert. “The course just seemed like a natural fit.”
In early October, 18 of the students traveled to the Nauticus Naval and Maritime Museum in Norfolk, Va. The seniors attended what was normally a ROV teacher workshop. However, a select team of Cape students pioneered the task of building one of the vehicles in the previous school year, allowing them to participate.
“We learned about the vehicles and their role in marine research,” said senior Roy Collins. “We were broken into to teams and received the chance to build our own ROVs.”
After the robots were built, they were tested in the Nauticus pool.
“It was really cool,” said Hannah Lokken, another student in the course. “The whole workshop was set up for us. I was a bit overwhelmed at first because I had never done it before.”
Only in its first year, the science department is already looking to move the course on to the Honors level. Students will be visiting the traveling Darwin exhibit in Philadelphia, participating in a behind the science tour of an aquarium, and learning how life evolved in the seas at the Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C.
“Mr. Geppert is putting forth a big effort to make sure we go on a lot of different field trips to experience a variety of things,” added Lokken. “I honestly didn’t know what to expect going into this first-year course, but I really like it.”
In addition to Marine Sciences, Geppert is also the chemistry teacher and swim coach at the high school.
“The goal is to fully integrate other science levels into a fun and very educational setting for the students,” said Geppert.
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