Early Global Studies focuses on developing the fundamental skill of analytical historical writing based on research and critical analysis through a curriculum that explores how geography, important historical figures, culture, religion, and literature influenced and framed historical context. Units highlight important aspects of the Islamic, West African, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, as well as European worlds from c. 600 to c. 1600 AD/CE. Cross-cultural influences are underscored through a unit on the Silk Road and a second on the Crusades. Students are introduced to sound research techniques, learning how to navigate the internet and evaluate research sources. Outcomes include recognition and critical analysis of primary and secondary sources as well as author bias, the formula of analytical writing, and a document-based research paper.

Modern World History and Geography carries on the chronological progression begun in the Early Global Studies course and aims to encourage a more comprehensive understanding of the global community. Students begin the year with a study of Absolutism and the Enlightenment and then move on to the French and Haitian Revolutions. Students then compare and contrast these revolutions with the recent Arab Spring uprisings. The long-term effects of industrialization and 19th century imperialism on Africa and Asia are emphasized, and students then delve into World War I as a precursor to their second-semester study of the rise of the Soviet Union, totalitarianism in Europe, and the causes and effects of World War II. The year concludes with a thorough study of the Cold War, specifically the social and political paranoia, the value of propaganda, and how proxy wars have replaced intercontinental world war. Analytical and conceptual skill-building is stressed throughout the year. The course aims to embrace a truly global focus and works to link past to present wherever appropriate. A culminating research paper is required for this course.

year course
open to grade 10

• prerequisites:
  • B+ Early Global Studies
  • assessment and writing category grades from previous Social Studies course are considered

Modern World History and Geography Honors carries on the chronological progression begun in the Early Global Studies course and aims to encourage a more comprehensive understanding of the global community. Students begin the year with a study of Absolutism and the Enlightenment and then move on to the French and Haitian Revolutions. Students then compare and contrast these revolutions with the Arab Spring uprisings of this past decade. The long-term effects of industrialization and 19th century imperialism on Africa and Asia are emphasized, and students then delve into World War I as a precursor to their second-semester study of the rise of the Soviet Union, totalitarianism in Europe, and the causes and effects of World War II. Next, students study the causes and effects of genocide and of decolonization in India and South Africa. The year concludes with a study of modern China and the Middle East. Analytical and conceptual skill-building is stressed throughout the year. Students will also begin the process of learning historical thinking skills featured in Advanced Placement social studies courses such as argumentation, synthesis, causation, comparison, and continuity and change over time. Students will also develop their historical writing skills, with an emphasis on evidential reasoning and addressing counter-arguments.  They will build on these skills in three major writing assignments, culminating in a substantive research paper in the second semester.

year course
open to grade 10

• prerequisites:
  • A- Early Global Studies
  • assessment and writing category grades from previous Social Studies course are considered

In AP World History: Modern, students investigate significant events, individuals, developments, and processes from 1200 to the present. Students develop and use the same skills, practices, and methods employed by historians: analyzing primary and secondary sources; developing historical arguments; making historical connections; and utilizing reasoning about comparison, causation, and continuity and change over time. The course provides six themes that students explore throughout the course in order to make connections among historical developments in different times and places: humans and the environment, cultural developments and interactions, governance, economic systems, social interactions and organization, and technology and innovation. Students are required to write frequent essays and to take part in detailed Socratic seminars in preparation for the Advanced Placement exam administered nationally in May. Students may be asked to attend extra hours of instruction during the school term.

year course
required for grade 11

• prerequisite:
  
  • Modern World History
  • Modern World History Honors
  • AP World History

This course is designed to help students develop a comprehensive understanding of United States history from the colonial era to the present. Our study will include a survey of the important political, social, cultural, and economic developments that have influenced this nation. Students will examine a broad range of individuals, classes, and social groups in order to uncover the actions and experiences of various segments of society from a myriad of perspectives. The organization of the course is based on both chronology and themes. Students explore the tension between government power and individual rights and how that was a factor that helped provoke both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. History is built on partial evidence, and the historian's job is to order the evidence and interpret it to construct a meaningful story. Therefore, history is about debate, interpretation, persuasion, and evaluation, and rarely produces a "right" answer. The goal for the course is to help students develop critical thinking skills in order to become educated, responsible citizens of America and the World.

year course
open to grade 11 (limited to 18 students)

• prerequisites:
  • A- Modern World History
  • B+ Modern World History Honors
  • B- AP World History
  • assessment and writing category grades from previous Social Studies courses are considered
  • A desire and passion for the Humanities is taken into consideration with regards to engagement and participation in previous courses.

This course exposes students to American history through a sociological lens. It is less of a survey of American history as it is a series of curated units of study which explore the changes and continuities of American history. Students are expected to regularly and actively participate in thoughtful discussion on readings, podcasts, videos, and other sources. Additionally, multiple research papers are written that connect historical occurrences to modern social-political questions such as the modern-day effects of the failure of Reconstruction, the rejection of independent farming and the rise of modern-day big agricultural companies, various political scandals, and the evolution of American jobs.

year course
open to grade 11

• prerequisites:
  • A Modern World History
  • A- Modern World History Honors
  • B AP World History
  • assessment and writing category grades from previous Social Studies courses are considered
  • A desire and passion for Social Studies is taken into consideration with regards to engagement and participation in previous courses. 

Advanced Placement United States History is a fun and challenging course that is meant to be the equivalent of a first-year college course. It is a survey of American history from pre-Columbian societies and will conclude with the War on Terror. This is an accelerated course of U.S. history which culminates with the Advanced Placement exam in the spring. Students are expected to be self-directed, take responsibility for their own learning, and to possess highly developed reading, writing, and thinking skills. The course includes nightly reading assignments, primary source analysis, and extensive writing and discussion. Students will develop historical thinking skills, such as recognizing change and continuities, causation, and comparison. They will also complete two research-based projects during this course. Students must complete a substantial assignment during the summer, prior to taking the course, and may be asked to be available for extra hours of instruction as determined by the instructor.

Students will study the structure and function of the United States Constitution and the key institutions of the federal government, such as the Presidency, the federal judiciary, and the U.S. Congress and how they interact today. In addition, students will examine political parties, elections, and the role of the media in politics. Students will be required to read current political news on a regular basis and complete a research project.

year course
open to grade 12

• prerequisites:
  • A U.S. History
  • A- U.S. History Honors
  • B AP U.S. History
  • assessment and writing category grades from previous Social Studies course are considered

This course introduces the political structures and functions of the American system, beginning with an analysis of the early attempts at self-government following the American Revolution and proceeding to such topics as the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and landmark Supreme Court decisions. Besides gaining an understanding of the operations of the U.S. Congress, the Presidency, and the federal judiciary, students will be given a solid grounding in the political life of the nation. Institutions that link citizens to government, such as political parties, interest groups, elections, and the media will be given strong emphasis. The course will examine contemporary issues and apply insights from class. In addition to substantial textbook assignments, students will be called upon to read political news as analyzed by political scientists. A research paper is required. All students are required to take the Advanced Placement exam in U.S. Government.

This course is intended to provide the basic grounding in micro and macroeconomic theory necessary for successful preparation for introductory college-level economics courses. The course exceeds the expectations for high school economics education mandated by the California State Curriculum. In addition, the economics program at Marymount is designed to develop a student's economic thinking skills applicable to other subjects as well as to situations encountered in everyday life. The course adopts the framework suggested by the Foundation for Teaching Economics, which stresses the importance of applying such concepts as relative scarcity, risk benefit analysis, and opportunity cost to common real world situations. Students will apply economic thinking as an aide to understanding current issues such as tariffs, poverty, the marginalization of groups of people and women, and the economic issues that relate to American politics. This course provides students with an introduction to investment skills through a stock market simulation, as well as a unit on personal finance literacy, which will include an understanding of the importance of maintaining good credit.

semester course
open to grade 12

• prerequisites:
  • A- U.S. History
  • B+ U.S. History Honors
  • B- AP U.S. History
  • assessment and writing category grades from previous Social Studies course are considered

This course engages in-depth examinations of gender as a social construct that is materialized through our behavior and heavily policed by societal expectations and norms. As such, gender lies at the intersection of many different questions about identity and becoming, inviting us to explore gender’s intimate connections with race, class, sexuality, culture, and religion. From the toys we play with to the way we treat our bodies, this course explores how gender is constructed, is in need of deconstruction, and might be imagined and performed in more liberating ways. Emphasizing the history of women and queer people’s intellectual, political, and artistic work on the limitations and possibilities of gender, we will examine the roots of patriarchy, learn how gender is treated across multiple Indigenous communities, and work to continually connect the personal and political as we analyze our own lived experience. A college-level research paper is required, where students find, synthesize, and use a variety of sources from reputable media to online scholarly databases, along with an Inquiry Project that allows students to ask their own question and conduct and present their own high-level research. 

year course
open to grade 12

• prerequisites: AP Psychology is a blended course with both science and social science elements taught and assessed. Therefore, there are prerequisites for both Science courses and Social Studies courses taken in the 11th grade. 
  
  • B+ most recent non-Honors/non-AP science course or B- most recent Honors/AP science course
  • A U.S. History, A- U.S. History Honors, or B- AP U.S. History
  • assessment and writing category grades from previous Social Studies course are considered

AP Psychology is a college-level course that helps students prepare for the Advanced Placement Psychology exam, administered in May. The course explores human behavior and thought processes through evolutionary, biological, cognitive, biopsychosocial, psychoanalytic, and humanistic lenses. Students are introduced to major concepts and principles of psychology, leaders and pioneers in the field, and original scientific literature. Course topics include the history and research methodologies of psychology, neurobiology, sensation and perception, consciousness, learning and memory, cognition and intelligence, human development, motivation and emotion, stress and health, social psychology, personality, and psychological disorders and therapies. A summer assignment, designed to prepare students for the rigor of the class, is required. Students are required to attend additional class meetings outside of regular school hours.

Note: This course cannot be used to fulfill the Science or Social Studies graduation requirement as it is an elective course.