by wareagle » Tue Sep 06, 2011 11:16 am
This will be my third year teaching a 12 week elective class, open to 9th-12th graders, called Interdisciplinary Academic Studies. At first, I used it to recruit students for the team. Now I am finally able to fill it (all seven of them this year!) with students already on the team. So, starting this year, I am able to provide material (e.g. question sets) and have students write questions, all within a "major" (the arts, social studies, science, or PRM). Most of the class time is spent on independent research in that major as they develop a filter for what academically minded individuals should know about a particular topic.
The purpose of the class is larger than just quiz bowl prep, though, in that their midterm and finals have the students choose a concept or idea that has been expressed across the disciplines and attempt to answer the question, What is it about this concept that has so grasped the human imagination that we have expressed it in the arts, in our actions, and in how we percieve, and relate to, the natural world? It is based on primary source materials.
Marist also has an Activity Period every Thursday for an hour, which is designated time for clubs to meet.
These options are especially helpful for those students involved in 28 other activities and sports and student gov...
Kevin Mullally
Marist School
Academic Team Head Coach