So, you're going to be a freshman?
The PHS Social Studies Department has some great courses that will help you meet personal academic goals while meeting requirements for various career pathways and college admission. The skills that Social Studies courses focus on go beyond the hard skills of reading for understanding and analytic writing. We promote and practice highly sought after "soft skills" that any vocation or institution of higher education will demand.
With that stated, PHS offers a wide variety of courses that will encourage learning important skills for specific careers, but choosing a pathway should not discourage you from preparing for the world in which Social Studies is relevant. As matter of fact, many of the colleges you may apply to will demand 3 years of Social Studies.
Here are the course electives we currently offer to freshmen students.
World Geography (G143): World Geography helps you explore where people, places, and cultures are located. This course dives into the physical, economic, and political aspects of the world, applying key geographic principles to the major continents and their unique regions and societies. (Full Year/1 Credit)
World History (G146): World History offers a deep dive into the key people, ideas, and events that transformed societies and continue to influence the modern world. In this course, you’ll trace the rise of nations and explore humanity’s political, economic, intellectual, and social achievements, all while developing valuable skills to apply across your studies. (Full Year/1 Credit)
Advanced Placement Human Geography (G349) *: Learn about current issues facing the world today in Project-Based classroom: Climate Change, Overpopulation, Immigration, Urban Development, Religious Clashes, and Outsourcing just to name a few! Human Geography is designed to further enhance the understanding of issues and concerns that exist between human beings and their environment. (Full Year/1 Credit)
Advanced Placement AP World History (G339)* This class is now available for Freshmen. If you are leaning toward taking World History (G146) but qualify for advanced English (E108), you may find AP World History a good fit for your interests. This class curriculum, the history and the skills taught, align directly with the other History courses offered by the College Board - AP European History and AP US History. (Full Year/1 Credit)
Non-Departmentally, we offer Freshmen Leadership (R262/R263) which runs as a full year course. Please check out our Electives page to find out more information on all of our course options!