Interdisciplinary Studies

While many of King’s courses tackle questions from a range of disciplinary perspectives, the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies gives special prominence to interdisciplinary inquiry and exploration, recognizing that real-world problems rarely conform to comfortable disciplinary boundaries and frequently admit of multiple approaches, perspectives and solutions. Courses in this department seek to foster connections across disciplines, encourage the ability to think through questions from different perspectives and disciplinary lenses, integrate knowledge and synthesize evidence from multiple fields of inquiry (including quantitative, qualitative and interpretive evidence), and develop in students strong written, oral and presentation skills.

INT 301: Emotional Literacy

In this course, students develop an understanding of their emotions and learn how to regulate them, so that their emotions help rather than hinder their success and wellbeing. The course presents the RULER system developed by Marc Brackett to understand emotions. Students learn to investigate the roots of emotional well-being, discuss giving permission to talk about emotions, and inculcate the view that emotions are information. Students increase their emotional vocabulary, enhance their interpersonal skills, and develop the skills to regain and keep their emotional balance. They learn to acknowledge, talk about, deal with, and learn from their emotions. Ultimately, students learn how to understand what is happening to them now, and how what is happening to them now affects their capacity to learn.

Course length: One semester
Note: Open to 9^th and 10^th graders; not offered in 2022-2023

INT 502: History of Mathematics

This course is an interdisciplinary study of mathematical concepts, and how they were discovered and developed over time in different regions. Students study mathematics explored in early civilizations to mathematics studied in our modern day. The course is supported by historical and mathematical readings, and complemented with writing mathematical papers and proofs. Students develop various skills including written and oral communication of mathematical ideas, writing proofs and mathematical papers, and understanding mathematical literature and its jargon. The course aims to develop an appreciation of mathematics by deepening student understanding of the logical basis of familiar concepts and the history of modern mathematics.

Prerequisite: Algebra II
Note: Open to 11^th and 12^th graders; not offered in 2022-2023

INT 601: Jordan and the Arab World: Culture, Norms, and Traditions

الأردن والعالم العربي: قضايا معاصرة (INT 601)

تُعدّ هذه المادّة متعدّدة التخصصات، إذ تركّز على تحديد القضايا السياقيّة المتعلقة بالأردن والعالم. وتتيح المادّة للطلبة مقارنة وجهات نظر متعددة حول مجموعة متنوعة من القضايا الوطنيّة والدوليّة وتقييمها مثل: الهُويةّ العربيّة والإسلاميّة، والقوميّة مقابل القبليّة، وأزمة اللاجئين، ونظام التعليم الأردنيّ، وحقوق المرأة، وتصوير العرب في الإعلام / الصور النمطيّة، والصراع الفلسطينيّ الإسرائيليّ.

This course focuses on identifying and contextualizing issues related to Jordan and the world. It allows students to compare and evaluate multiple perspectives on a variety of national and international issues such as Arab and Muslim identity, nationalism vs. tribalism, the refugee crisis, the Jordanian education system, women’s rights, the portrayal of Arabs in the media, stereotypes and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Note: This course is conducted in Arabic and counts for credit in the Department of History, Religion and Society

Prerequisites: Successful completion of one of the following courses: Accelerated Arabic Literature and Cultural Studies, Arabic Literature and Cultural Studies, Arabic Literary Appreciation, Islamic Civilization or any of the Arabic portfolio or seminar courses.

INT 602: Digital Humanities

This course offers an introduction to the digital humanities, exploring the intersection between qualitative and quantitative worlds, and between writing and computational thinking. For centuries, scholars have analyzed texts computationally in compendiums like concordances, counting and mapping uses of words. Now the computer and easily usable programming languages supercharge our ability to think computationally about words and language. This course gives students first-hand experience primarily in text mining and but also in exploring other elements of the now rapidly growing digital humanities field. The course is meant to open students’ eyes to both the opportunities and limits of the digital humanities, providing traditionally STEM students a chance to bridge into the humanities and providing traditionally humanities students an opportunity to explore the computational element of STEM thinking.

Note: Open to 11^th and 12^th graders; 10^th graders with permission of the instructor.
Not offered in 2022-2023.

INT 603: Urban Design Patterns for a Sustainable Future

In this course, students learn design patterns to create sustainable urban spaces by using social, cultural, ecological and sustainable tools for generating wealth and well-being. Students propose their vision for a renewable and ethical safe space for humans (and for our fellow non-human beings) that harnesses energy and light, creates sustainable food patterns, catches water, and generates social equity. This course offers the opportunity for design, hands-on projects, and laboratory exploration. Each unit addresses issues and practices tailored to each individual’s background and interests. The subjects discussed are relevant to issues we face in cities and neighborhoods every day.

Note: Open to 11^th and 12^th graders, and to 10^th graders with the permission of the instructor

INT 752: Capstone Seminar: Global H2O: Focus on Jordan

Clean water is essential for the living world and the global economy, but in many areas the supply of uncontaminated water is in danger of disappearing. Jordan is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world and, according to USAID, the country’s renewable water supply currently meets around two-thirds of the population’s water demands, with groundwater being used twice as quickly as it can be replenished.

In this Capstone Seminar course students explore the environmental, social and economic issues associated with the struggle to acquire clean water in Jordan and around the world. The Capstone program was developed with input from higher education faculty seeking students with research, critical thinking, collaboration and presentation skills.

In Global H₂O: Focus on Jordan, students examine current crises in water security by means of investigative case studies and learn to evaluate multiple perspectives, synthesize ideas, collaborate effectively and craft and communicate evidence-based arguments.

Notes:

Students enrolled in this course are expected to submit a portfolio of work for College Board assessment and to sit for the AP Capstone Seminar exam in May.
The course counts for credit in the Department of History, Religion and Society.
The course is open to 11^th and 12^th graders, and 10^th graders with permission of the instructor.

INT 852: Capstone Research

In Capstone Research, the second course in the AP Capstone sequence, students deeply explore one academic topic, problem, issue or idea of individual interest. They design, plan and implement a six-month long investigation to address a research question. Through this inquiry, they further develop the skills they acquired in Capstone Seminar by learning research methodologies, employing ethical research practices, and accessing, analyzing and synthesizing information. They reflect on their skill development, document that process, and curate the artifacts of their work through a reflection portfolio. They work on one project: a 5000-word academic paper. As in Capstone Seminar, students share their work thought a multimedia presentation and an oral defense before a panel. The AP Research mentality is about developing and practicing reasoning processes that can help scholars make intentional, strategic decisions.