This course is designed to introduce students to the universals, tools, and techniques of World Geography. Students will examine the composition of the physical earth and its relationship to the sun, the theory of plate tectonics, as well as landforms, water, and climate. Students will also analyze the complexities of human culture and its relationship with the Earth, and assess impacts on the environment. World Geography also provides a general overview of the cultural, socioeconomic, political, and ecological issues unique to different geographical regions of the world. Inquiry and research, lecture notes and discussion, projects and presentations are all designed to encourage students to contemplate our responsibility to the future of the planet.

The history component of the World Visions course explores the story of human societal development through a thematic approach rather than chronologically. The four themes are: The Individual and Society; Power and Justice; Change and Dissent; and Creativity, Will, and the Human Spirit. These themes include content in sociology, anthropology, political science, and ecology. Historical examples of paradigm shifts and tipping points, along with accompanying causes and effects are used to help the student understand that what has occurred in the past is part of who we are today. The student should gain an understanding that the process and reasons for historical cultural change can and should influence our choices about the future.

This course is designed to foster a deeper understanding of our nation’s continuing historical, political, and cultural development. We will examine the history of the United States from its origins through the present-day, emphasizing the post-Civil War time period. Students will broaden their perspectives on U.S History through primary documents, personal narratives, novels, and films.

The overriding goal in Political Science is to create and encourage political literacy. This can be broadly defined as a working knowledge of many of the terms and concepts that students will see on yard signs, read in headlines, hear on the radio, or watch on the evening news. To that end, our class is devoted to introducing students to a wide range of political vocabulary. We will study several forms of government, comparing and contrasting totalitarian and democratic forms of government with special emphasis on the distinction between direct democracy and representative democracy. We will study each branch of the US government, along with a relevant event or case study pulled straight from the week’s headlines. Presumably, if students can understand the politics bombarding them on a daily basis, they will be more likely to be engaged citizens regardless of their political affiliation.

Through covering the various issues present in the world, students will gain awareness of the struggles of humanity and their effects. The ultimate goal is to obtain a sense of responsibility to stay informed and realize the capacity for change.

The geographic region of the Middle East has been the focus of a long human history during which time a many-layered cultural landscape evolved. It is the birthplace of the greatest changes human organization has seen, from the earliest agriculture to the first gathering of people into urban, city living. From those early beginnings came many of the greatest human accomplishments in art, science, and religion, but also a long legacy of human conflict. The colonization of the region by powerful European nations left a legacy of distrust of the West, and vast cultural and geopolitical differences continue to create serious conflicts between and within the countries of the region. More recently, the region’s vast oil reserves have become a focus of economic attention and conflict. This course will be an in-depth exploration into the region’s rich, but complicated cultural history, and the legacy that has created the conflicts we face today.

The AP program in United States History is designed to provide students with the analytical skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in United States History. The program prepares students for intermediate and advanced college courses by making demands upon them equivalent to those made by full-year introductory college courses. Students should learn to assess historical materials, their relevance to a given interpretative problem, their reliability, and their importance, and to weigh the evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship. An AP United States History course should thus develop the skills necessary to arrive at conclusions on the basis of an informed judgment and to present reasons and evidence clearly and persuasively in essay format. (AP United States History Course Description, May 2002, The College Board).\new GOALS:

• Demonstrate comprehension of the central themes that characterize the history of the United States.
• Practice the skills necessary to making an effective oral argument.
• Practice and refine the techniques for writing analytical essays, under pressure of time.
• Understand the requisite components for compelling critical analysis.
• Synthesize varied materials and subject said materials to critical analysis.
• Improve functioning vocabulary.
• Achieve a score on the advanced placement exam commensurate with your skill and knowledge base.
• Work collaboratively to produce a polished documentary project at year’s end.

A well-designed course in US Government and Politics will give students an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States. This course includes both the study of general concepts used to interpret U.S. politics and the analysis of specific examples. It also requires familiarity with the various institutions, groups, beliefs, and ideas that constitute U.S. politics. Certain topics are usually covered in all college courses:

• The Constitutional Underpinnings of United States Government
• Political Beliefs and Behaviors
• Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media
• Institutions of National Government
• Public Policy
• Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

(Source: College Board, AP US Government and Politics course description, 2005-06)

The study of European history since 1450 introduces students to cultural, economic, political, and social developments that played a fundamental role in shaping the world in which they live. Without this knowledge, we would lack the context for understanding the development of contemporary institutions, the role of continuity and change in present-day society and politics, and the evolution of current forms of artistic expression and intellectual discourse. In addition to providing a basic narrative of events and movements, the goals of AP European History are to develop an understanding of some of the principal themes in modern European history, an ability to analyze historical evidence and historical interpretation, and an ability to express historical understanding in writing.

This course is designed to help students gain insight and understanding of human behavior and to understand the developmental stages of human psychology. There is emphasis on reading and observation, as well as class participation.

Philosophy deals with the great questions of human existence. What gives human life meaning? How do we come to know? What are the characteristics of the moral life? Does a God exist? This course explores the efforts of philosophers of Western civilization to answer these and other questions and allows the students to delve into the process of answering many of their own philosophical questions.