All Juniors are required to take either AP US History or US History U.S.

This is a survey course in American history that begins with a short review of key topics from the 18th and 19th centuries before focusing on the 20th century United States. Students will develop historical thinking skills emphasizing cause-and-effect, change-and-continuity, and an appreciation for the context of different groups' experiences during the same era. In addition, students will complete a research paper based upon both primary and secondary documents, which will serve both to deepen their knowledge of one particular topic as well as prepare them for college level research and writing.

This course seeks to develop a greater understanding of the evolution of global processes and contacts, as well as interactions between different societies/cultures FROM 1400 TO THE PRESENT. Primarily, the course seeks to build an understanding of the cultural, political, ideological, and economic developments that have shaped the past thousand years of the global experience. The class will identify global patterns by linking and comparing local developments and following causal and cultural connections. Special attention will be paid to assessing claims of universal standards while remaining aware of cultural diversity and historical context. The course will attempt to balance the development of analytical skills and factual knowledge through a variety of instructional techniques.

This course will be a systematic exploration of the Ignatian idea of "vocation" as the personal call from God experienced by each human person. Each thematic unit deals with one aspect of the spirituality of Ignatian decision-making, applying these tools to the real choices faced by seniors and college students. Each section of the course will consist of reading articles and excerpts from scholarly sources, watching a popular film that illustrates the articles, and writing a paper that synthesizes 1) the articles, 2) the film, and 3) the student's own life experiences. The ultimate goal of this course will be to prompt, promote, and assist personal reflection concerning one's call from God.

If you have ever experienced feelings of amazement and transcendence while walking through woods, sitting on a beach, watching a sunset, or gazing at stars, this class is for you. If you haven't had that experience this class is definitely for you. Theology, Spirituality and Nature is an elective one-semester course in religious studies for seniors. This course examines the human experience of awe and wonder when encountering the mystery of life in nature. This class focuses on Roman Catholic theological and spiritual traditions while examining other spiritual and philosophical experiences of transcendence through encounters in nature. The fundamental perspective of this course is rooted in revelation of the prophetic Word of God: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts! All the earth is filled with God's glory!(Isaiah 6:3). This course on spirituality and nature is based on biblical texts, the faith and tradition of Catholic Church, wisdom from religious traditions and philosophy, and the words and actions of saints and heroes of the environment, for example, St. Francis of Assisi, Henry David Thoreau and John Muir. Contemporary social issues relating to environmental stewardship, wilderness preservation, conservation, exploitation, pollution, and destruction will be addressed from perspectives of Catholic social teaching. A central dimension of this course depends upon student encounters with creation and nature followed by reflection on those experiences.

The historical origins, central teachings, and devotional practices of the major religious traditions--Indigenous, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—are considered in relation to common themes of human experience: the holy or sacred, evil and suffering, love and compassion, wisdom and justice, death and deliverance. Interpretive skills appropriate to religious studies will be explored through films and readings with opportunities for daily meditation, journal, discuss and write responses. The goals of the course are to impart understanding of the essential doctrines and institutions of the world's religions, stressing their founding and normative principles; to identify similarities and differences of thought and practice among the traditions; to understand a Catholic response to dialogue; and to clarify and articulate one's own religious attitudes and orientations in the context of comparative study.

The Marriage and Family course explores various aspects of marriage and family relationships. Topics include definitions and expressions of love, the principles of effective relationships, and the ways in which caregivers and the community work together to form children of conscience and compassion. Additionally, the students will consider the financial choices that couples face and investigate the ways those choices intersect with economic inequities present in our world today.

The purpose of this course is to help students explore prayer: its origins, its function, and manifestations. The study aims to help students become more aware of self, others, and God. Students will have an opportunity to experience various schools of prayer culminating in Centering Prayer (apophatic prayer) and The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius (kataphatic prayer).

Social Justice is a required one-semester course in religious studies for juniors. It should be seen in direct relation to the previous semester's required religious studies course for juniors, Christian Ethics. The fundamental perspective of this course in social justice is the recognition that the human person is made in the image of God and endowed with dignity, which is manifest in community with others. The foundation of the course is informed by faith in Jesus Christ, biblical ideals of justice and righteousness, and the Catholic moral tradition. Catholic Social Teaching - the moral teaching of the Catholic Church on social, economic, political, cultural, and religious issues - is given special consideration throughout the semester. The following contemporary issues are among those examined during the semester: ideals of justice rooted in human dignity and human rights, economic justice, racial justice, gender equity, nonviolence, and environmental and climate justice.

Christian Ethics is a required one-semester course in Religious Studies for Juniors. This course examines the human experience of the moral life. The focus of this class is the Roman Catholic moral theological tradition even while examining ethical insights from a variety of philosophical, religious, and cultural traditions. The fundamental perspective of this course is that Christian Ethics is an invitation to follow the way of Christ; that all persons fulfill their human destiny in response to the gratuitous love of God characterized by our loving one another as our neighbor. The class explores themes of truth and goodness, development of moral character, formation of personal conscience, spiritual discernment in the Ignatian tradition, criteria for judgment and action, and counter-cultural exemplars of servant and moral leadership. This course should be seen in direct relation to next semester's required Religious Studies course, Social Justice.

This course explores the human quest for purpose, transcendence and community within the context of the Catholic Christian tradition. The course explores the human movement beyond oneself toward connection with each other, God, and the global community. Students will study diverse communities and assess issues of justice and injustice from the standpoint of personal ethics and responsibility to the community. Ultimately, the course is an opportunity for students to inspect and articulate their own beliefs, then to apply those beliefs to real-world issues, locally and globally. Students will utilize philosophical inquiry, reflection on narrative, and study of the history and tradition of the Catholic Church in approaching these questions.