In this course, students will examine, through a close reading of ancient and modern sources, the lives of remarkable women from across the ancient Mediterranean. We will consider how each wielded power and influence within her world, and we will analyze the ways in which these women both conformed to and rebelled against societal constraints and expectations, hoping to discover what has made them dangerous throughout the millennia. Queens and empresses from Tomyris, Aspasia and Cleopatra to Livia Drusilla, Agrippina, and Theodora will be studied alongside legendary figures such as the revolutionary Briton Boudicca and Olympias, mother of Alexander the Great. All readings will be in English translation; no knowledge of Greek or Latin is required or presumed. Distributional credit in the Social Sciences or the Humanities. THIS COURSE WILL NOT BE OFFERED IN 2023-2024.
ECONOMICS ECONOMICS 41 - Advanced Placement Economics Year. Admission to AP Economics is based on performance in United States History (85 in AP US History or 87 in US History) and in mathematics (85 in Math 49 or 87 in Math 39). In the case of over enrollment, students will be ranked and admitted based on their performance in History and Math courses. Economics is the study of choice. At all of society we, as individuals, organizations, and governments, must make choices about how to best utilize our scarce resources. Economics develops problem solving approaches that help us to identify and value the benefits and costs of these decisions. Economics is applied to many facets of our lives, such as environmental protection and climate change, healthcare, international relations between countries, and social welfare policies. This course introduces students to the economic approach to problem solving. The course is split into two halves: macro- and microeconomics. The macroeconomics portion of the course will discuss the indicators used to judge the economic health of a nation and how policy makers use fiscal and monetary policy to target economic growth, low unemployment, and price stability. The microeconomics section of the course will analyze the behavior of individual consumers and producers in competitive and non-competitive markets and analyze the societal impact of government policies. This course prepares students to take the Advanced Placement Examinations in Microeconomics and Macroeconomics.
PSYCHOLOGY PSYCHOLOGY 50 - Psychology Fall. What does it mean to be human? Who are you and why are you the way you are? How do people suffer and how are these problems addressed in psychotherapy? These are just a few of the big questions we will explore in this introductory course to psychology. To this end, we will examine psychological theories and research in the realms of personality, developmental, social, cognitive, abnormal, and clinical psychology. We will read case studies, explore current research, and observe our own experiences in order to better understand ourselves and how we relate to the world around us. This is an activities, discussion and research-based class requiring a curious and open mind and a willingness to participate in self-reflection.
POLITICAL SCIENCE POLITICAL SCIENCE 40 - American Government Fall. Prerequisite: a grade of at least 84 in United States History or the previous year's history course and Permission of the Department. The study of political science aims to identify and understand fundamental patterns in political institutions and human behavior that explain political outcomes. How do citizens acquire partisanship? What factors influence the outcomes of elections? How do members of Congress decide how to vote on legislation? The first half of this course focuses on American citizens, their knowledge of politics, and their ability to structure and participate in a functioning democracy. Throughout the course, we pay particular attention to understanding contemporary politics through the lens of the various theories and findings we encounter.
POLITICAL SCIENCE 41 - Advanced Placement American Government and Politics Spring. Prerequisite: A grade of 84 or above in Political Science 40 and Permission of the Department. A continuation of Political Science 40, the second semester of the American Government and Politics sequence focuses on the institutions of government, including the political parties, elections, Congress, the presidency, and the Supreme Court, aiming to understand whether these institutions effectively represent the American people and how the polarization of politics has influenced the effectiveness of the American political system. As in the first semester, this material is heavily grounded in examples from contemporary politics. Together with Political Science 40, this course prepares students for the Advanced Placement Examination in American Government and Politics.
RELIGIOUS STUDIES RELIGIOUS STUDIES 48 - Western Religions Fall. Come discover what unites and separates the three, major, monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All three worship the same God and share the same Hebrew Bible as their foundational text, and yet the relationship among these three 33
