Social Studies (SOC)

All freshmen take this course. 

This is a one-semester social science course for 9th-grade students.  Freshman Seminar explores a range of histories and experiences through an Ignatian lens to help students forge connections between diverse communities and identities outside of their own culture. In the Society of Jesus tradition, this course employs a blend of historical, thematic, and interdisciplinary approaches. It enables students to comprehend how ideas, beliefs, and religions shape the perspectives of various social groups.

All sophomores take this course unless enrolled in AP World History: Modern.

Pre-AP World History and Geography is a course in World History from the Early Modern Period (c. 1450 to c. 1750) to the Contemporary Period (c. 1914 to the Present). The course builds students’ essential skills and helps to prepare them for a range of social science coursework during high school. Primary and secondary sources take center stage in the classroom, and students use the tools of the historian and geographer to examine questions and build arguments. The learning model is that of an apprenticeship where we focus around three enduring ideas that are engaging and relevant:  1) History is an interrelated story of the world. The course explores the invisible structures and forces that shape and reflect the regions, communities, governments, economies, and cultures of humanity. These big ideas help students develop an organized and meaningful understanding of time and space.  2) History and geography are inherently dynamic. As historians and geographers uncover new evidence, current assumptions are challenged and previous arguments and narratives gain complexity, nuance, and context. This course teaches students how to examine sources and data, establish inferences, and ultimately build and critique arguments.  3)  Historians and geographers are investigators.  

This course is open to sophomores.

The AP World History course focuses on developing students' understanding of world history from approximately 1200 C.E. to the present. The course has students investigate the content of world history for significant events, individuals, developments, and processes in nine units, and develop and use the same thinking skills and methods (analyzing primary and secondary sources, making historical comparisons, chronological reasoning, and argumentation) employed by historians when they study the past. The course also provides six themes (interaction between humans and the environment; development and interaction of cultures; state-building, expansion, and conflict; creation, expansion, and interaction of economic systems; technology and innovation; and development and transformation of social structures) that students explore throughout the course in order to make connections among historical developments in different times and places encompassing the five major geographical regions of the globe: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Students of this course will take the AP World History exam at the end of the school year. Throughout the school year, students will develop writing skills by completing Short-Answer Questions, Document-Based Questions, and Long Essay Questions. 

All juniors take this course unless they are enrolled in AP US History.

Students in grade eleven study the major turning points in American history in the twentieth century. Students build upon the tenth-grade study of global industrialization to understand the emergence and impact of new technology and a corporate economy, including the social and cultural effects. They trace the change in the ethnic composition of American society; the movement toward equal rights for racial minorities and women; and the role of the United States as a major world power. An emphasis is placed on the expanding role of the federal government and federal courts as well as the continuing tension between the individual and the state. Students learn that the United States has served as a model for other nations and that the rights and freedoms we enjoy are not accidents, but the results of a defined set of political principles that are not always basic to citizens of other countries. 

This course is open to juniors.

This course is a college-level survey of the history of the United States from pre-Columbian times to the modern era.  The AP United States History course is designed to provide students with the analytic skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in U.S. 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 interpretive problem, reliability, and 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.  Students will conclude the year with a National Exam from College Board in May.

All seniors take this course unless they are enrolled in AP Microeconomics.

Prerequisite:  concurrent enrollment in CP Government.

This course offers a survey of economics with a focus on the American capitalist, free-market approach. It teaches the skills necessary to analyze broad trends in the economy and consider solutions to such problems as unemployment, inflation, deflation, budget deficits, trade deficits, and recessions. Students will learn about the Federal Reserve System, monetary and fiscal policy, gross domestic product, the laws of supply and demand, and international trade. 

This course is open to seniors.

Prerequisite:  concurrent enrollment in AP United States Government & Politics or in AP Comparative Government & Politics.

AP Microeconomics is a college-level course that introduces students to the principles of economics that apply to the functions of individual economic decision-makers.  The course also develops students’ familiarity with the operation of product and factor markets, distributions of income, market failure, and the role of government in promoting greater efficiency and equity in the economy.  Students learn to use graphs, charts, and data to analyze, describe, and explain economic concepts.

All seniors take this course unless they are enrolled in Honors Constitutional Law or AP Government and Politics.

Prerequisite:  concurrent enrollment in CP Economics.

This course offers an analysis of the major concepts and issues of the American republican experiment. It includes a discussion of both ideology and institutions; including constitutional foundations, civil rights, political parties, and interest groups, Congress, the President and the Supreme Court. Governmental institutions and procedure may be explored through role-playing exercises, including mock elections, a simulated Congress, and mock trials.

This course is open to seniors.

Prerequisite:  concurrent enrollment in CP Economics.

This honors course will study the fundamental basis of the American legal system: the United States Constitution. In the first quarter of the class, we will study the tenets, doctrines, and beliefs of the American Constitution. The rest of the class will concern itself with Constitutional law as well as the historical and current debates about the scope and meaning of the Constitution in relation to the Supreme Court's role in the governing of the United States. Supreme Court decisions will be analyzed with consideration for the historic context, past interpretation, and the court’s overall consistency in following prior precedent. Students will be able to look at current Supreme Court cases from an analytical standpoint and formulate reasoned hypotheses on how the court will rule in current cases while considering its ideological makeup.  Constitutional Law will be the cornerstone of this class. The first half of this course will examine the Constitution. Students will look at the foundations and origins of both the Constitution and the American Government. This part of the course will also study the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of government. As a prelude to the second half of the class students will examine both citizens' civil liberties and rights.  The second half of this course will study the fundamental basis of the American legal system. We will study the tenets of American constitutional law as well as the historical and current debates about the scope and meaning of the Constitution in relation to the Supreme Court's role in the governing of the United States. Supreme Court Landmark decisions throughout history will be analyzed with consideration for the historic context, past interpretation, and the court’s overall consistency in following prior precedent. Students will learn to write briefs and analyze cases, an essential skill for anyone interested in the legal profession. Finally, students will be able to look at current Supreme Court cases from an analytical standpoint and formulate reasoned hypotheses on how the court will rule in current cases.  One long annotated research paper will be required as part of this honors course.  The final exam is cumulative of the entire course.

This course is open to seniors.

Prerequisite:  concurrent enrollment in AP Microeconomics.

This course offers a college-level introduction to the American political system. It covers a wide range of topics in this far-reaching subject. The course begins by addressing the fundamental questions of politics and government along with the ideological underpinnings of the American system. These goals are explored through founding documents and excerpts from numerous primary source documents. The course then transitions from ends to means, looking at such things as the role of the media, political parties, and interest groups. Next, the course moves to the apparatus of American political institutions including the Congress, Presidency, and Courts; whenever possible, primary sources such as US Supreme Court decisions are used to shed light on American political institutions. Finally, students are invited to assess how well America has implemented the goals and principles laid down by the founders as we look at issues in public policy and political administration such as civil rights, foreign policy, and economic policy. This course replaces the regular section of the US Government and helps to prepare students for the Advanced Placement examination in US Government.

This course is open to seniors.

Prerequisite:  concurrent enrollment in AP Microeconomics.

This course is eligible for Dual Enrollment credit with Saint Louis University.

AP Comparative Government and Politics is an introductory college-level course in comparative government and politics. The course uses a comparative approach to examine the political structures; policies; and political, economic, and social challenges of six selected countries: China, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Students cultivate their understanding of comparative government and politics through analysis of data and text-based sources as they explore topics like power and authority, legitimacy and stability, democratization, internal and external forces, and methods of political analysis.​​​​​​ This course helps to prepare students for the Advanced Placement examination in Compartive Governments.

This course is open to juniors and seniors.

Co-requisite (juniors):  concurrent enrollment in United States History (CP/AP).

Co-requisite (seniors):  concurrent enrollment in an Economics option and in a Government option.

AP African American Studies is an interdisciplinary course that examines the diversity of African American experiences through direct encounters with varied sources. Students explore key topics that extend from early African kingdoms to the ongoing challenges and achievements of the contemporary moment. Given the interdisciplinary character of African American Studies, students in the course will develop skills across multiple fields, with an emphasis on developing historical, literary, visual, and data analysis skills. 

The course content is organized into thematic units that have been arranged in a chronological sequence frequently found in college courses. These units comprise the content and conceptual understandings that colleges and universities typically expect students to master to qualify for college credit and/or placement.

■ Unit 1: Origins of the African Diaspora

■ Unit 2: Freedom, Enslavement, and Resistance

■ Unit 3: The Practice of Freedom

■ Unit 4: Movements and Debates

This course is open to juniors and seniors.

Co-requisite (juniors):  concurrent enrollment in United States History (CP/AP).

Co-requisite (seniors):  concurrent enrollment in an Economics option and in a Government option.

This course is eligible for Dual Enrollment credit with Saint Louis University.

Advanced Placement Psychology will introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other organisms. Students are exposed to psychological facts, principles, and major subfields within psychology. AP Psychology is intended to provide the scope and level of academic accomplishment expected in a college introductory course. In addition, the course aims to instill knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values to apply to our own lives. AP exam must be taken.

This course is open to seniors.

Co-requisite (seniors):  concurrent enrollment in an Economics option and in a Government option; concurrent enrollment in Chicano Studies (Spring)

This course explores the rich history, diverse cultures, and significant contributions of Latinos in the United States. Students will delve into the historical events that have shaped Latino experiences, examine the social, political, and economic challenges faced by Latino communities, and analyze the unique identities within the Latino population, including Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, Central Americans, and others. Through discussions, readings, and multimedia, we will celebrate the vibrant tapestry of Latino heritage and reflect on its profound impact on contemporary American society.

This course is open to seniors.

Co-requisite (seniors):  concurrent enrollment in an Economics option and in a Government option; concurrent enrollment in Latino History (Fall)

This course examines the history and experiences of Chicano communities in the United States, focusing on identity, resistance, and cultural contributions. Students will explore key events such as the Mexican-American War, the Chicano Movement of the 1960s and 70s, and ongoing struggles for civil rights and social justice. Through primary sources, discussions, the course will analyze issues like immigration, labor rights, education, and political activism. By studying the historical roots and contemporary realities of Chicano identity, students will gain a deeper understanding of its impact on American society.