Contemporary Issues
Credit: 1
Open to: 9
Prerequisite: None
Maine Learning Results Assessed:
- Students apply critical thinking, a research process, and discipline-based processes and knowledge from civics/government, economics, geography, and history in authentic contexts.
- Students draw on concepts from civics and government to understand political systems, power, authority, governance, civic ideals and practices, and the role of citizens in the community, Maine, the United States, and world.
- Students draw on concepts and processes from economics to understand issues of personal finance and issues of production, distribution, and consumption in the community, Maine, the United States, and world.
- Students draw on concepts and processes from geography to understand issues involving people, places, and environments in the community, Maine, the United States, and world.
- Students draw on concepts and processes from history to develop historical perspective and understand issues of continuity and change in the community, Maine, the United States, and world.
Contemporary Issues concentrates on current local, state, national and international topics. After securing a good foundation on how our national and state governments work, including the history of the Constitution, the class will investigate such topics as health care, crime, drugs, media, budget, international relationships and global trade. After learning facts and history of a specific issue, students will investigate different sides of the issue and reach a personal opinion. Contemporary Issues is required of all 9th grade students.
World Studies
Credit: 1
Open to: 10
Prerequisite: None
Maine Learning Results Assessed:
- Students draw on concepts and processes from history to develop historical perspective and understand issues of continuity and change in the community, Maine, the United States, and world.
- Students draw on concepts and processes from economics to understand issues of personal finance and issues of production, distribution, and consumption in the community, Maine, the United States, and world.
- Students draw on concepts and processes from geography to understand issues involving people, places, and environments in the community, Maine, the United States, and world.
- Students draw on concepts and processes from history to develop historical perspective and understand issues of continuity and change in the community, Maine, the United States, and world.
This course combines the curriculum of World Geography and World History in order to complete the requirements of both courses as outlined by the Maine Learning Results. Students will learn about the 5 Themes of geography. These will be emphasized throughout the course and will be integrated into the study of major world historical events, civilizations, countries, and governments and how those themes are related to the events. A major emphasis will be placed on the understanding of relationships between history and geography by examining cultures and civilizations throughout human history.
United States History
Credit: 1
Open to: 11-12
Prerequisite: None
Maine Learning Results Assessed:
- The learner will use chronology of history and major eras to demonstrate the relationships of events and people.
- The learner will develop historical knowledge of major events, people, and enduring themes in the United States, in Maine, and throughout world history.
- The learner will learn to evaluate resource material such as documents, artifacts, maps, artworks, and literature, and to make judgments about the perspectives of the authors and their credibility when interpreting current historical events.
This course looks at American history through many different means: first hand accounts, primary documents, music, art, film and literature. The course emphasizes to varying degrees the major events and people that characterize significant eras of United States history such as: The Americas to 1600, The Colonial Era, The Revolutionary Era, Nation Building, The Expanding Nation, Civil War and Reconstruction, Development of the Industrial United States, The Progressive Era, Emergence of the United States as a World Power, The '20's, Depression and The New Deal, World War II and Post War United States, Contemporary United States. Within these eras, we may also take a closer look at related themes such as: The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution & Bill of Rights, WWI, The Cold War, The Vietnam Era, The Civil Rights Movement, Watergate. Instructional methods include discovering history chronologically through reading, lecture, writing, and through project based learning, in which students research themes and topics and present their findings to the class.
Honors United States History
Credit 1
Open to: 11 & 12
Prerequisite: None
Maine Learning Results Assessed:
- Students apply critical thinking, a research process, and discipline-based processes and knowledge from civics/government, economics, geography, and history in authentic contexts.
- Students draw on concepts from civics and government to understand political systems, power, authority, governance, civic ideals and practices, and the role of citizens in the community, Maine, the United States, and world.
- Students draw on concepts and processes from economics to understand issues of personal finance and issues of production, distribution, and consumption in the community, Maine, the United States, and world.
- Students draw on concepts and processes from geography to understand issues involving people, places, and environments in the community, Maine, the United States, and world.
- Students draw on concepts and processes from history to develop historical perspective and understand issues of continuity and change in the community, Maine, the United States, and world.
This is a great course because the students are challenged to not only know and understand the basics of United States History but also to develop understanding of historical trends and themes that are woven through our history. In addition to the regular reading, from the text, students are expected to recognize and understand the importance of primary sources in order to analyze and synthesize people, facts and events. Students
are also expected to write thesis papers expressing their opinion based on knowledge from our reading and discussions.
Citizenship Law
Credit: 1/2
Open to: 10-12
Prerequisite: Contemporary Issues
Maine Learning Results Assessed:
- Students apply critical thinking, a research process, and discipline-based processes and knowledge from civics/government, economics, geography, and history in authentic contexts.
- Students draw on concepts from civics and government to understand political systems, power, authority, governance, civic ideals and practices, and the role of citizens in the community, Maine, the United States, and world.
This course is the first half of an elective that also includes Modern U.S. History. Citizenship Law will focus on basic legal terminology and the types of law, as well as how and why laws are made. Students will become familiar with criminal law and the legal rights of adults as compared to those of juveniles. Students will also examine the court system with respect to current legal issues and Constitutional significance. Much of the course will involve classroom discussion and debate, as well as reading various outside sources to become more familiar with the legal system of the U.S.
Modern U.S. History
Credit: 1/2
Open to: 10-12
Prerequisite: Contemporary Issues
Maine Learning Results Assessed:
- Students apply critical thinking, a research process, and discipline-based processes and knowledge from civics/government, economics, geography, and history in authentic contexts.
- Students draw on concepts from civics and government to understand political systems, power, authority, governance, civic ideals and practices, and the role of citizens in the community, Maine, the United States, and world.
- Students draw on concepts and processes from history to develop historical perspective and understand issues of continuity and change in the community, Maine, the United States, and world.
This course is the second portion of Citizenship Law and examines U.S. history from the 1960s to present. Starting with the Kennedy Administration and the end of the 1950s, this course will examine the political, social, economic, and military events that have shaped our domestic and foreign policies over the last 50 years. The course will culminate in discussions and writings of our current presidential administration and students will make predictions about the future of American politics, policies, and their related events.
Psychology
Credit: 1
Open to: 11-12
Prerequisites: None
Maine Learning Results Assessed:
- Students draw on concepts and processes from history to develop historical perspective and understand issues of continuity and change in the community, Maine, the United States, and world.
This course will present an introduction of traditional psychological topics and concepts with an emphasis on specific examples, illustrations, experiments, and psychologists. The course will include the theories and experiments of many psychologists and schools of thought such as behaviorism, humanism, and Freudian. Students will also acquire an understanding of basic psychological principles as well as a working knowledge of the vocabulary and history of modern psychology. Finally, students will write in daily dream journals for their own dream analysis and interpretation.
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