The Honors Program at Bishop George Ahr High School is a uniquely formulated series of accelerated courses, designed to encourage the development of the full academic potential of each student and to serve the scholastic needs of our intellectually talented students. Bishop George Ahr High School provides special offerings and opportunities in a humanities based honors curriculum.
This "humanities orientation" is attained through courses that are interconnected, so that students can see parallel relationships between concepts. The academic experience of students in the program is centered in a curricular sequence of special courses in English, history, language, mathematics, religion, science, philosophy, and fine arts which are accelerated in terms of the depth and scope of the coverage of material. The individual integrity of each course is maintained so that a basic fundamental core of knowledge is not sacrificed. Each course provides the educational foundation of both oral and written communication skills, emphasizing content and style.
In science and math courses, students are exposed to analytical and problem solving techniques and applications to provide a solid background needed to successfully compete on the college level. Courses are enriched and intensified in order to be highly competitive and challenging not only in terms of intellectual interest and curiosity, but also by means of thorough teacher evaluation and a rigorous grading system.
EXAMPLE OF PROGRAM CONTENT:
Course: WESTERN CIVILIZATION
"Core" of Humanities/Honors curriculum for freshmen and sophomore students. (2-year sequence)
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is a study of the historical and cultural evolution of Western society from its beginning to the twentieth century. Institutions and ideas are examined not only as social phenomena, but also as expressions of the human encounter with the world. Thus, students are acquainted with basic social studies concepts and introduced to the richness of Western culture.
STUDENT TEXTS:
- Sophocles. "Antigone" in The Theban Plays.
- Eisen and Filler, eds. The Human Adventure: Readings in World. Vols. I and II.
- Plutarch. "Caesar." The Lives.
- Mazour and Peoples. People and Nations, 3rd ed.
- Voltaire. Candide.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Regular quizzes (on People and Nations, etc.).
- Objective reading tests on related readings.
- Comprehensive tests--two per quarter.
- Essays or special projects.
- Semester examinations.
ENRICHMENT:
- Museum tours: Metropolitan Museum of Art; The Cloisters; Museum of Modern Art.
- Video presentations by David MacCaughly
- Special lectures by instructor of English, art and music.
- Educational travel to Europe (Optional)
- A student in an Honors Program must maintain a "B" or better average in order to remain in the course during a subsequent school year.
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