Science Department Overview

  • The Diman science curriculum is aligned to the Massachusetts Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) frameworks. Students are enrolled in either biology or physics in their freshmen year, depending on their aptitude in science and math and their physical or life science related vocational interests. Students learn problem solving skills and gain hands on experience through lecture, demonstrations, and laboratory experiments that help prepare them for their vocational shops, post-secondary education, and their future careers. Diman students take the high school biology or physics Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test in the end of their sophomore year to meet high school science graduation requirements. Diman science teachers are highly qualified under NCLB and ESSA.

    Read our course descriptions here.

    Science Course Selection Guide

In the News

  • Diman students win bridge-building contest

    Diman is pleased to announce that three sophomores took first place in the UMass Dartmouth "Engineers Without Borders" competition in February of 2020. The students, Cynthiyana Mendez, Alesandra Paulino, and Isacc Paiva, are members of Mr. Adam Pimentel's Physics First class. (2/24/20)

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  • Clear pumpkin pie: Diman’s latest equipment is teaching students the future of food

    In Diman Regional Vocational Technical School’s bustling teaching kitchen, a group of culinary students paused to sample a crystal clear liquid from plastic pipettes. The fluid looked like water, but when dispensed on the tongue revealed its origin: Pumpkin puree, the type in pantries across the country this holiday season. (12/10/18)

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  • Update from Washington DC

    Three Diman juniors - Dylan Barcelos, Kylie Cooper, and Mason Frizado - were accompanied by science teachers Steve Vaitses and Maureen Cooney on a trip to Washington DC to advocate for science education through a partnership with Citizens for Space Exploration. (5/26/17)

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Science Department Achievements

  • Carbide Cannon Firing

    Posted by Morris Slutsky on 5/18/2021 1:00:00 PM

    Firing the Carbide Cannon
    A salute to the class of 2021!  Outdoor activity with Chemistry II and Honors Chemistry II.

    Cannon Firing

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  • Sublimation and deposition of iodine

    Posted by Morris Slutsky on 2/10/2021 3:00:00 PM

    Sublimation and Deposition of Iodine

    Iodine has been heated and vaporizes into a purple vapor.  The vapor then condenses on a 'cold finger' consisting of a test tube packed with an ice-salt mixture, and deposits as glittering black crystals.

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  • Separating a Mixture

    Posted by Morris Slutsky on 2/4/2021 3:00:00 PM

    distillation of red reaction mixture

    Examples of separating mixtures:  a reaction mixture (red) is being distilled to remove ethanol solvent, which condenses in the beaker to the right as a clear liquid.  You can also see thin-layer chromatography plates at lower center, showing reaction progress from samples taken.  Today we do our experiments on video, but someday students will be back in person.

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  • Rubrocurcumin - Trick of the Light

    Posted by Morris Slutsky on 1/13/2021 3:05:00 PM

    Rubrocurcumin in a round-bottom flask.

    A sample of the compound 'rubrocurcumin', synthesized from boric acid, curcumin tumeric extract, and oxalic acid in boiling acetone as an Honors Chemistry II activity.  I was interested in the color:  some references claimed it was red, while others claimed it was green.  It turns out it's both!  Depends on the angle of the light!  It transmits red light and reflects green light.

     

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