St. John’s Social Studies Department, through a wide variety of academic disciplines, strengthens students’ knowledge of the past and their understanding of their place in the world today. Whether studying human behavior through psychology and economics, gaining an appreciation for art and music, or studying the history of the world from the earliest civilizations to current political debates, students observe, analyze, and evaluate the many connections across time, place, and subject matter, both in and outside of the classroom.
Students develop strong critical-thinking skills and the ability to express their ideas in a variety of ways. Through informal class discussions to individual and group presentations, essay writing, and research papers, students are expected to articulate their interpretations of the historical past and the modern world around them.