This course will examine the principles and beliefs upon which the United States was founded as well as the structure, functions and powers of government at multiple levels. Students will analyze major political ideologies and examine the role of political institutions in influencing public opinion and ensuring civil rights. Finally, students will evaluate the interdependent relationship of U.S. politics and government with world affairs. Students will engage in critical reading, analytical writing, inquiry-based investigations and informed debates on a variety of issues in order to develop skills for long-term success in the classroom. MYP Government will also focus on developing essential research skills – forming significant questions, identifying and evaluating high quality sources, and organizing ideas into a coherent argument with evidence that supports a relevant conclusion. Finally, test-taking skills will be mastered in this course in order to be successful on the Government HSA Exam in May 2018, which is a Maryland graduation requirement.

This course prepares students for intermediate and advanced college courses by making demands upon them equivalent to those made by full-year introductory college courses. Students learn to assess historical materials—their relevance to a given interpretive problem, their reliability, and their importance—thus developing the skills necessary to arrive at conclusions on the basis of informed judgments and to present reasons and evidence clearly and persuasively in an essay format.

This is a survey course of U.S. History from Reconstruction to the present. There is an emphasis on acquisition and development of analytical and writing skills. Primary and secondary sources are used extensively.

This is the first course in a two-course sequence that allows students to prepare for the higher level International Baccalaureate examination in the spring of their senior year. This course will examine selected issues in the latter part of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century in detail. The senior course will cover the latter part of the 20th century, and it will feature a much more topical approach. Both courses will require students to master a body of content and skills that students will need in college. An emphasis will be placed on higher-level critical thinking and writing skills. Students are required to comprehend and analyze source material as well as explain the causes and effects of historical continuity and change.

This course covers major developments in the region from around 1760 to 2000; independence movements, the challenges of nation-building; the emergence of Africa in global affairs; as well as the transition into the 21st century. This course requires in-depth study and reading, intense essay writing of document-based questions, and an independent paper.

This course is one where students and their teachers reflect critically on diverse ways of knowing and areas of knowledge, and to consider the role which knowledge plays in global society. It encourages students to become aware of themselves as thinkers, to become aware of the complexity of knowledge, and to recognize the need to act responsibly in an increasingly interconnected world. Students are required to write a 1200–1600-word essay and to create a ten-minute presentation for assessment. (NOTE: non-full Diploma students need only complete TOK I)

AP African American Studies is an interdisciplinary course that examines the diversity of African American experiences through direct encounters with rich and varied sources. Students explore key topics that extend from early African kingdoms to the ongoing challenges and achievements of the contemporary moment. AP African American Studies is organized by four thematic units that follow a chronological flow across the course. Throughout each unit, students build interdisciplinary analytical skills through deep encounters with a wide range of texts and sources. All students in this course must take the AP exam.

The AP Psychology course introduces students to the study of human behaviors. Students will explore and apply psychological theories, key concepts, and phenomena associated with major units of study, including biological bases of behavior, cognition, development, learning, social psychology, personality, and mental and physical health. All students in this course must take the AP exam.

This course is designed to introduce students to law in America, with a particular emphasis on its practical application. As such, the law of Maryland will be emphasized whenever possible. We will start by examining fundamental concepts of law and justice and the various components of legal systems that exist, both within our country and, to a lesser extent, internationally. We will then proceed to explore criminal law and juvenile justice, followed by an investigation of civil law, with specific units covering torts, consumer and housing law, and family law. The course finishes with a unit on individual rights and liberties. Students will develop their understanding of the law through a variety of methods, including, but not limited to, case studies, analysis of legal scenarios, evaluation of media coverage of legal issues, role-plays and simulations, and independent research.

SL- This is a one-year course. It is an African American Studies course using IB Anthropology rubrics. All students are welcome to take this course, but full IB students should be sure that they have three other higher level courses before signing up for this as an elective. Social and Cultural Anthropology HL- This is a two-year course. It is a general Anthropology course covering a variety of content from around the world (including some from the African American Studies course). All students are welcome to take this course, and it is recommended for full IB students who are looking for an IB social studies elective

This is a thematically linked course surrounding the themes of Coming of Age and Justice. Through a survey of literature students are provided opportunities to explore fictional and nonfictional texts of various cultures and through various time periods. At this level, students are required to read, discuss, and write about themes and values common to different literary genres and eras. Students will encounter characters of different races and ethnicities as well as explore the experience of transitioning from childhood to adulthood in societies that may not always appear fair and just.