Interdisciplinary Classes
Area II and Area III are the classes that differentiate Governor’s School from subject-specific summer enrichment programs and help make it a unique and memorable experience. Every student attending Governor’s School, regardless of Area I discipline, is assigned to both an Area II and Area III class, each of which meets three times per week. Each Area II and Area III class comprises a diverse group of students from nearly every Area I discipline, promoting a richness of perspectives that helps in collaborative topic exploration.
See below for descriptions of Areas II and III.
Area II and Area III
Area II is an ‘Applied Philosophy’ course that asks students to apply critical, creative, and philosophical thinking and concepts as they explore current issues and events. Students are asked to reflect and pursue their own learning and investigate the very nature of thought and of the mind. Ultimately, Area II provides the students with a set of intellectual tools with which they may consider their academic and artistic endeavors, as well as their personal ideas, in a more thoughtful light. Area II accounts for 15% of a student's instructional week.
Area III, often referred to as 'Self and Society,' is a course where students learn to examine and articulate their opinions and listen to the perspectives of others. Through this exchange, students become aware of a wide range of differing viewpoints and explore their own perspectives with new insights. The tools that Area III provides are a more thoughtful consideration of others’ experiences and a deeper understanding of their own. Area III discussions add to the Governor's School learning process by relating the overall curriculum to students' lives. Area III also accounts for 15% of a student's instructional week.