Social Studies
The Social Studies Department offers courses in four academic areas: Introductory Survey, Honors, Elective, and Advanced Placement. Students are required to take three survey courses in the four-year sequence; World History I, World History II, and U. S. History on the junior level. Students in the Honors program take a three-year sequence: Honors level World History 1, Advanced Placement Modern European History, and Advanced Placement U.S. History. It should be noted that the Social Studies Department offers a curriculum which is more comprehensive than the traditional history offerings. Course electives arc offered in geography, college-level economics, an introduction to government and political science, and Russian/Soviet History. Being a college preparatory school, Saint John's offers these courses as a preparation for a college major in political science, classics, history, government, and oceanography, and others. The Advanced Placement curriculum offers the student the opportunity to receive college credits while in high school and is part of the College Board Program.
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The Advanced Placement offering in the History of Art is designed to provide the same benefits to secondary school students as those provided by an introductory college course in art history: an understanding and appreciation of architecture, sculpture, painting and other art forms within
historical and cultural contexts. Students examine major forms of artistic expression from the past as well as the present and from a variety of cultures. They learn to look at works of art critically, with intelligence and sensitivity, and to articulate what they see and experience. Students take the A.P. examination at the conclusion of the course and may earn college placement and/or credit.
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This course provides students with the conceptual tools to develop an understanding of some of the world's diverse political structures and practices. The course encompasses the study of specific countries and their governments, which in turn can be used to interpret the political relationships and institutions found in virtually all national policies. Five countries form the core of AP Comparative
Government and Politics - Great Britain, France, China, Russia, and India. Topics include the sources of public authority and political power, the relationship between state and society, the relationship between citizens and states, political institutions and frameworks, political change and
comparative methodology.
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This course is designed to introduce the student to the forces, events, and people that have shaped and altered American society and our relations with nations large and small in our ever shrinking world. Through the use of relevant paperbacks, periodicals, films and videocassettes, the student will have the opportunity to experience post World
War II America and therefore relate to present day
conditions and events.
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Contemporary United States History is designed to introduce students to the forces, events, and people that have shaped and altered American society and our relations with nations large and small in our ever-shrinking world. Through the use of relevant paperbacks, periodicals, films, and videocassettes, the student will have the opportunity to experience America through World War II and into the Modern Era.
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Contemporary United States History is designed to introduce students to the forces, events, and people that have shaped and altered American society and our relations with nations large and small in our ever-shrinking world. Through the use of relevant paperbacks, periodicals, films, and videocassettes, the student will have the opportunity to experience America through World War II and into the Modern Era.
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Economics is an elective survey course for students
interested in college majors, such as business management, taxation, law, accounting, or urban economics. The course uses a standard college text, McConnell's Economics: Principles, Problems, Policies, for both the Level 1 and Honors
courses. The course is divided into the following sections: Macroeconomics, 1\licroeconomics, Taxation, Money and Banking, and Comparative Economics Systems. The basic methodology is one of inquiry. Students learn to analyze problems which employ the skills of memorization, translation, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. The course emphasizes practical application of the principles of Economics through the intensive use of newspaper and magazine articles and other reference materials.
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This course will combine the study of the whole economy, both on a micro and macro level, within the process of starting a business. The class will begin with a historical approach to economics and entrepreneurship. In particular, the course will examine how great entrepreneurs and business owners shaped our economy in the 19th and 20th centuries, and can help us understand entrepreneurship and economics today. From the study of entrepreneurs, the class will access economic concepts such as supply and demand, elasticity, markets, monopolies, monetary and fiscal policy, gross domestic product, depressions as well as many others. In addition to the background on entrepreneurship, current entrepreneurs from many different fields will be guest speakers in the class. Students will also write a complete business plan.
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This course will teach the basics of starting a business. Topics will include idea generation, market validation, risk analysis and intellectual property laws. Students will build business plans and analyze competition, determine financing and labor needs for their company, and study the workings of social and non-profit entrepreneurship. Topics such as sales and selling, communication, accounting and money management, and growing the business will be included. The course will invite graduates of SJ who are successful entrepreneurs to speak about their experiences. In Honors, the pace will be faster and amount of material covered will be greater. An additional text will be used in the honors course. Students are expected to build a business plan from their own idea and present the idea in the Business Plan Competition.
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This course will teach the basics of starting a business. Topics will include idea generation, market validation, risk analysis and intellectual property laws. Students will build business plans and analyze competition, determine financing and labor needs for their company, and study the workings of social and non-profit entrepreneurship. Topics such as sales and selling, communication, accounting and money management, and growing the business will be included. The course will invite graduates of SJ who are successful entrepreneurs to speak about their experiences. In Honors, the pace will be faster and amount of material covered will be greater. An additional text will be used in the honors course. Students are expected to build a business plan from their own idea and present the idea in the Business Plan Competition.
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APEH is a college level offering meant to approximate a university-level survey course and prepare selected students for national A.P. Exam where they could earn college credits for their sophomore year. The history covered will start with the Renaissance and end in the late 20th century with special (but not exclusive) focus on European
history. It is a wonderful opportunity for talented sophomores, but the Social Studies Department insists on certain prerequisites to ensure that students are placed at a level commensurate with their skills. Grades in all 4 quarters of
World History I, appropriate PSAT scores in Writing and Critical Reading, and teacher recommendation based on work ethic, consistency, writing ability, and skills interpreting documents will be required of admission.
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This course provides basic literacy in the fundamentals of economic principles. Its major focus is to provide students with a basic application of practical economics. The course will concentrate on such topics as personal finance, the burying selling of residential and commercial real estate, maintaining savings and checking accounts, starting and operating a small business, business law and ethics, personal investment strategies both in the stock market and mutual funds, personal taxes, and basic accounting methods. The semester projects are based on the application of basic economic principles to current economic issues and problems in the aforementioned areas. Technology is utilized in the course to further student comprehension and practical application of the principles addressed.
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This course provides basic literacy in the fundamentals of economic principles. Its major focus is to provide students with a basic application of practical economics. The course will concentrate on such topics as personal finance, the burying selling of residential and commercial real estate, maintaining savings and checking accounts, starting and operating a small business, business law and ethics, personal investment strategies both in the stock market and mutual funds, personal taxes, and basic accounting methods. The semester projects are based on the application of basic economic principles to current economic issues and problems in the aforementioned areas. Technology is utilized in the course to further student comprehension and practical application of the principles addressed.
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The purpose of an AP course in microeconomics is to give students a thorough understanding of the principles of economics that apply to the functions of individual decision makers, both consumers and producers, with the larger economic system. It places primary emphasis on the nature and functions of product markets, and includes the study of factor markets and of the role of government in promoting greater efficiency and equity in the economy.
Topics considered include basic economic principles, the nature and functions of product markets, factor markets, and efficiency, equity, and the role of government.
The purpose of an AP course in macroeconomics is to give students a thorough understanding of the principles of economics that apply to an economic system as a whole. Such a course places particular emphasis on the study of national income and price determination, and also develops students' familiarity with economic performance measures, economic growth, and international economics.
Topics considered include basic economic concepts, measurement of economic performance, national income and price determination, economic growth and international finance, exchange rates, and balance of payments.
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U.S. Government is designed to introduce the
student to the basic principles on which American Constitutional Government is based and the political system that developed from the Constitution of 1787. The emphasis is on National Government, its role in the Federal system, and the importance and effect of politics on its efficiency and effectiveness. Contemporary national and international problems are studied to observe the political system in operation.
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United States History is a descriptive course from the founding of the original colonies to the present day. The student is acquainted with the major political, constitutional, intellectual, and social movements of this country, as well as diplomatic and military interaction with foreign powers. Bailey's American Pageant is the basic text for
the course. The course attempts to develop the student's historical perspective and his ability to pose historical questions and express his ideas orally and in writing. Considerable attention will be devoted to training in the use of historical skills: gathering informacion, formulating generalizations,
using library resources, and writing and speaking
with clarity. This course examines the achievements of the American people, their ideas, their institutions, national goals, and public policies. The Honors course covers the same topics but in greater depth and a research paper is required.
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Advanced Placement U.S. History is a survey of the major events of America's history from the origins of discovery to the present. This course will seek to explore the following significant areas: politics, economics, society, diplomacy, culture, and historiography. This study will place
emphasis upon the major factors, forces and personalities which have made their own very special contributions to American History. This course's goals are to give the student greater awareness of the history of the U.S., to develop student abilities in dealing with historical documents, to improve the student's historical writing abilities and skills, to prepare the students for the A.P. Exam in U.S. History, and to improve the student's note-taking skills. American History: A Survey, by Current and Williams, is the primary text. Students must formally apply for thls course by completing an application form available
from History Department members.
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United States History is a descriptive course from the founding of the original colonies to the present day. The student is acquainted with the major political, constitutional, intellectual, and social movements of this country, as well as diplomatic and military interaction with foreign powers. Bailey's American Pageant is the basic text for
the course. The course attempts to develop the student's historical perspective and his ability to pose historical questions and express his ideas orally and in writing. Considerable attention will be devoted to training in the use of historical skills: gathering informacion, formulating generalizations,
using library resources, and writing and speaking
with clarity. This course examines the achievements of the American people, their ideas, their institutions, national goals, and public policies. The Honors course covers the same topics but in greater depth and a research paper is required.
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This course is an examination of our national government and political institutions. It will provide a detailed study of the executive, legislative and judicial branches. There will also be a thorough study of other important areas such as: constitutional law, federalism, American foreign policy, political parties and state government. Special emphasis will be placed on contemporary political trends.
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The AP World History course develops greater understanding of the evolution of global processes and contacts, in interaction with different types of human societies. This understanding is advanced through a combination of selective factual knowledge and appropriate analytical skills. The course highlights the nature of changes in international frameworks and their causes and consequences, as well as comparisons among major societies. It emphasizes relevant factual knowledge with leading interpretive issues and types of historical evidence. The course builds an
understanding of cultural, institutional, and technological precedents that, along with geography, set the human stage.
The AP World History is a college level course that will have as its chronological frame the period from approximately 8000 B.C.E. to the present, with the period from 8000 B.C.E. to 600 C.E. serving as the foundation for the balance of the course.
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World History I is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the fascinating history of the world between c. 3000 B.C. - 1500 A.D. We will discuss topics such as the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, Mesopotamia, Ancient China, India, Egypt, Greece, and the Middle Ages. The course will not only give students the factual knowledge of these time periods, but help them obtain the necessary skills to become analytical, intellectual, and critical historians.
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World History I is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the fascinating history of the world between c. 3000 B.C. - 1500 A.D. We will discuss topics such as the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, Mesopotamia, Ancient China, India, Egypt, Greece, and the Middle Ages. The course will not only give students the factual knowledge of these time periods, but help them obtain the necessary skills to become analytical, intellectual, and critical historians.
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World History I is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the fascinating history of the world between c. 3000 B.C. - 1500 A.D. We will discuss topics such as the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, Mesopotamia, Ancient China, India, Egypt, Greece, and the Middle Ages. The course will not only give students the factual knowledge of these time periods, but help them obtain the necessary skills to become analytical, intellectual, and critical historians.
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World History II is designed to be a continuation of the World History I course. The course will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the fascinating history of the world between c. 1500 – 2000. We will discuss topics such as the Renaissance, Reformation, French Revolution, various Latin American Revolutions, World War 1, and World War 2. The course will not only give its students the factual knowledge of these time periods, but help them obtain the necessary skills to become analytical, intellectual, and critical historians.
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World History II is designed to be a continuation of the World History I course. The course will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the fascinating history of the world between c. 1500 – 2000. We will discuss topics such as the Renaissance, Reformation, French Revolution, various Latin American Revolutions, World War 1, and World War 2. The course will not only give its students the factual knowledge of these time periods, but help them obtain the necessary skills to become analytical, intellectual, and critical historians.
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World History II is designed to be a continuation of the World History I course. The course will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the fascinating history of the world between c. 1500 – 2000. We will discuss topics such as the Renaissance, Reformation, French Revolution, various Latin American Revolutions, World War 1, and World War 2. The course will not only give its students the factual knowledge of these time periods, but help them obtain the necessary skills to become analytical, intellectual, and critical historians.
