All of our programs have been reviewed to ensure their relevance to state and national standards. (See School Program descriptions.)

Below are the ties to the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks standards.

River as a Classroom/

Riverworks

Science and Technology/Engineering

Grades 6-8 Earth and Space Science Learning Standard 1: Mapping the Earth: Recognize, interpret, and be able to create models of the earthÕs common physical features in various mapping representations, including contour maps.

Grades 6-8 Life Science (Biology) Learning Standard 17: Changes in Ecosystems Over Time: Identify ways in which ecosystems have changed throughout geologic time in response to physical conditions, interactions among organisms, and actions of humans. Describe how changes may be catastrophes such as volcanic eruptions or ice storms.

Grades 9 or 10 Earth and Space Science Learning Standards: 3.6 and 3.7 Explain how water flows into and through a watershed, e.g., aquifers, wells, porosity, permeability, water table, capillary water, runoff. Compare and contrast the processes of the hydrologic cycle including evaporation, condensation, precipitation, surface runoff and groundwater percolation, infiltration, and transpiration.

Grades 9 or 10 Biology Learning Standard 6.4: Analyze changes in an ecosystem resulting from natural causes, changes in climate, human activity, or introduction of non-native species. Grade 9 or 10 Physics Learning Standards: 1.2 and 1.3 Motion and Forces: Illustrate how to represent vectors graphically and be able to add them graphically. Distinguish between, and solve problems involving, velocity, speed, and constant acceleration.

History and Social Science

U.S. History I: The Revolution through Reconstruction, 1763-1877 Economic Growth in the North and South 1800-1860. Learning Standard USI.26 Explain the importance of the Transportation Revolution of the 19th century ---the building of canals, roads, bridges, turnpikes, steamboats, and railroads---including the stimulus it provided to the growth of a market economy. Learning Standard USI.27 Explain the emergence and impact of the textile industry in New England and industrial growth generally throughout antebellum America.

U.S. History, II: Reconstruction to the Present, 1877-2001 Industrial America and its emerging Role in International Affairs, 1870-1920. Learning Standard USII.2 b Explain the important consequences of the Industrial Revolution; the environmental impact of the Industrial Revolution.