26-27 BPS Course Catalog - Flipbook - Page 80
221120 Modern Philosophy - Honors (Groves)
This class will continue to analyze Western philosophy through Kant, Hegel, Kierkegaard, and Nietzsche as well as the
Naturalists (Marx, Darwin, Freud). There will be an in-depth look at utilitarianism (the greatest good for the greatest
number), as well as existentialism and philosophy’s response to the horrors of the 20th Century. The big topics that we
will tackle will include a further exploration of ethics with Kant and Michael Sandel, the Trolley Problem, the problems
with language, and modern takes on utilitarianism as exemplified by the philosophy of Peter Singer.
Prerequisites: None
Grades Taught: 10, 11, 12
Credit: .25
210831/210832 AP African American Studies (Groves)
AP African American Studies is a year-long interdisciplinary course that examines the diversity of African American
experiences through direct encounters with authentic and 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. This course foregrounds a study of the
diversity of Black communities in the United States within the broader context of Africa and the African diaspora. At the
end of the class, students will be able to:
• Use a variety of lenses to evaluate historical developments and processes that
have shaped Black experiences and debates;
• Compare and analyze a range of perspectives about the freedom movements, approaches,
organizations, and key figures involved in these movements;
• Identify major themes that inform literary and artistic traditions of the African diaspora;
• Demonstrate understanding of the diversity and complexity of African societies and their global
connections before the emergence of transatlantic slavery;
• Identify connections between Black communities in the United States and the broader African
diaspora in the past and present;
• Evaluate the political, historical, aesthetic, and transnational contexts of major
social movements;
• Develop a broad understanding of the many strategies African American communities have employed
to represent themselves authentically, promote advancement, and combat the effects of inequality.
Prerequisites: None
Grades Taught: 12
Credit: 1
22222 Family History (Seaholm)
Genealogy is the study and tracing of family histories. It involves collecting the names of living and dead relatives,
connecting and compiling names and other vital statistics, and telling one family’s story. Compiling one’s pedigree is
important because it answers the age-old question “Why am I here?” Of course, some families are quite difficult to
research. Some families came from areas where records are scarce, written in obscure languages, or even destroyed by
fire, earthquake, or war. Others are difficult because of secrets. Also, as families come in all different shapes, sizes, and
other arrangements, some people have adoptions, stepparents, half-siblings, honorary aunts and uncles, and a great
number of other special circumstances that make every family unique. In Family History class, we will examine all types of
families throughout United States history from the Native Americans through Leave It to Beaver to modern day, focusing
on how our own families fit into the patterns and trends of families in United States history.
Prerequisites: None
Grades Taught: 11, 12
Credit: .5
NCAA Approved
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