By Bradley Dick ’16, Perspectives Editor
You have finally made it, senior year: the year of senior privileges, senior surprises and college decisions. Although oftentimes forgotten about, class selection is also one of the perks of senior year. With a plethora of choices for first semester and two quarters of history electives and second semester English electives, seniors are given the opportunity to hone in on their interest before heading off to college. But, history and English are not the only great classes offered senior year: Physics with Mr. Brock Miller, Calculus with Mr. Bob Plummer, and the ability to further your language skills with several levels of courses also make senior year one of the most memorable in regards to academic rigor and interesting topics. For time purposes, I am just going to focus on, and offer recommendations for, the first semester history electives.
Honors American Government, taught by Mr. Fossett, offers students with an interest in history and politics the opportunity to combine the two through learning about the structure of the three branches of our government. The course introduces you to ideas regarding different governments and to the design and operation of the United States’ government. The course begins with a look into the philosophy of government, answering questions such as “What is the purpose of government?” Then, the course shifts focus to examining the structure and functions of the United States’ government in particular. Further discussion delves into the political behavior and participation of the American people, examining the two major political parties of the U.S. as well as some major third parties. Ultimately, the goal of the class is to leave students with the basic knowledge of American government and hopefully to inspire students to become active participants in their government. As a former student of this class, I can promise you that the course is both interesting and informative for anyone that has a love for American history and politics.
Honors Modern Cities, taught by Mr. Black, offers students with an interest in architecture, art and civil engineering the opportunity to delve into the basic structures of cities around the world. The course introduces you to the history of cities and development of cities as we know them today. Analyzing the populations of cities, the course explains the significance of architecture and the introduction of technology over the ages, including the internet, cell phones, and cars, in developing the unique culture and atmosphere found in cities today. The class’s objectives are to gain a clearer picture of how urban culture has evolved over the past century and to understand what we have become and where we are heading—and to show that the city is the key to our future. The course is conducted as a seminar with an emphasis on student participation. As it has always been, the class is an interesting course that allows students to return back into Mr. Black’s classroom one last time before heading off to college.
Honors Roman Republic, taught by Dr. McCall, offers students with a love of ancient Rome a chance to expand upon their lessons from freshman year. In Roman Republic, students analyze the evidence left by the Romans in an attempt to gain a better understanding of Roman culture, laws, government, military and society. Most classes are spent discussing ancient sources and interpreting what these teach us about the Ancient Romans. As with most history electives, the majority of the class is reliant on the participation of the students in and out of class. The class truly offers students another opportunity to be taught about ancient civilizations by the expert Dr. McCall.
Honors Economics and Current Events, taught by Dr. Tyrell, offers students with a passion in economics and business an opportunity to learn the basics. The course highlights economic laws as relevant factors in choice, decision-making and consequences. Students who take the class work on group projects, hear from guest speakers, analyze current events and watch documentaries to hone their analytical skills in order to think critically about the ramifications of their choices for their own lives, and society as a whole. The class is dependent on student participation and offers students who want to major in business the introduction needed to succeed in college.
The second semester elective choices include Constitutional Issues and Introduction to Humanitarian Law both taught by Mr. Fossett, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin and Modern China both taught by Mr. Black, Introduction to Philosophy and Solving Global Problems with the use of games both taught by Dr. McCall and finally two new electives: Modern Caribbean and Modern South Asian History both taught by Dr. Tyrell. There is also going to be a new science elective that offers students an introduction to Environmental Science.
When you are choosing electives in the coming days, remember to choose a topic that you are generally interested in—this is one of the most important parts of making your senior year great. Regardless of what elective you end up choosing, it is sure to be an interesting and informative course taught by a passionate teacher.
Sources:
Syllabus: Honors American Government, Honors Economics, Honors Roman Republic and Honors Modern Cities
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