Social Studies
Social Studies in Anne Arundel County Public Schools builds empowered citizens who are educated consumers of information that can think critically, advocate locally, and strive to impact globally.
Social Studies Requirements
Three Social Studies credits are required for graduation: US History, US Government, and World History. Each course is offered at Standard, Honors, and AP levels.
Each student's current teacher will make a recommendation for the level of course they should take. If you have questions about that recommendation, please reach out to your child's current teacher.
Electives
We offer a variety of electives in the Social Studies department. Students can explore everything from Psychology to Law to History. Academic electives offer students a chance to explore their interests, and in many cases, earn Honors and AP credit along the way. Please note that AP and IB courses are all full-year courses. All other social studies elective courses are 1 semester in length.
Explore our AP offerings and some of our electives below!
Copy of APUSH Recruitment Video.mp4AP US History
Students will study United States history from the pre-colonial period to the present. Students will be expected to analyze issues in class and to be able to express their thoughts in a logical manner both orally and in writing. The successful completion of this course will meet the graduation requirement for United States History. This course will prepare students for the Advanced Placement exam in U.S. History and the opportunity to earn college credits. This course is open to rising 9th graders recommended for AP by their teachers. Students who take AP US History will also take Honors Historical Inquiry all year.
AP HUG Promo.mp4AP Human Geography
Students investigate the nature, perspective and methods of geography, population, cultural patterns and processes, use maps and spatial data sets; define regions and evaluate the regionalization process; and characterize and analyze changing interconnections among places. This course will prepare students for the Advanced Placement exam in Human Geography and the opportunity to earn college credits. This course is recommended for students interested in exploring global studies in detail. This elective course is open to rising 9th graders recommended for AP by their teachers as well as upperclassmen.
AP Government & Politics
This course provides students with an analytical perspective on government and politics the United States. This course will prepare students for the Advanced Placement exam in U.S. Government and Politics. Students may take this course to meet the graduation requirement in U.S. Government and the opportunity to earn college credits. This course is recommended for students interested in exploring government, law, and leadership and American studies in detail
Why AP World_.mp4AP World History
Students will develop greater understanding of the evolution of global processes and interaction through their study of world history from circa 1200 CE to the present. The course highlights the nature of changes in international frameworks and their causes and consequences, as well as comparisons among major societies. This course prepares students for the Advanced Placement exam in World History: Modern. The successful completion of this course will meet the graduation requirement for world history.
AP Psych Elective Video (1).mp4AP Psychology
Students will study the behavior and mental processes of human beings. This includes the facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields in psychology. Students are expected to analyze issues in class and to be able to express their thoughts in a logical manner, both orally and in writing. This course will prepare students for the Advanced Placement exam in Psychology and the opportunity to earn college credits
Why AP Euro_.mp4AP European History
Students will study the achievements and accomplishments of European civilization from 1450 to the present. Students will be expected to analyze issues in class and to be able to express their thoughts in a logical manner, both orally and in writing. This course will prepare students for the Advanced Placement exam in European History and the opportunity to earn college credits. This course is recommended for students interested in exploring global studies in detail.
Honors African American History
Students will examine the achievements of African Americans in their struggle for political, economic, and social equality throughout American history. Students will also examine the achievements of African Americans in their struggle for political, economic, and social equality. Students will also investigate the causes of issues that continue to face African Americans in society today. Throughout the course students will read and analyze primary sources.
Honors Women's History
Students will examine the changing roles of women in United States history. They will analyze the social, economic, and legal-political status of women in different eras in U.S. history. Students will also investigate the causes and consequences of issues that affect women in contemporary American society (e.g. violence, poverty, education, equal opportunity). In this course, students will be expected to be able to read and analyze primary source documents, including works of art, literature and music.
Maryland History
Students will examine political, economic and social events of Maryland from the colonial period to the present. This course is recommended for students interested in exploring American studies in detail.
General Psychology
Students will learn the research methods in psychology used to understand human behavior and development. They will learn about the physical systems of the body and how they affect emotions and behaviors as well as learning theories and social interaction.
Psychology of the Individual
Students will study people and their interactions with others. They will discuss self-concept, develop an understanding of how people function as individuals and as members of groups, and understand the impact of social institutions.
Criminal Justice
In this course, students will investigate issues of crime and justice, the police, the courts, corrections, and juvenile justice. This course is recommended for students interested in exploring government, law, and leadership in detail.
Sociology
In this course, students investigate the field of Sociology: the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. Students will use a social science research model to investigate contemporary American issues of social inequality, patterns of behavior, forces for social change and resistance, and how social systems work.
Honors Social Issues
Students will identify, analyze, and articulate an informed response to 21st century issues and problems that impact global societies, and are “shared” by groups of people. In order to use academic and civic dialogue to respond, students will need to locate and examine the current events, news media publications, and data sets related to a variety of contemporary topics and social issues.
IB Social Studies Courses
Several of the International Baccalaureate Programme offerings are available to all students in 11th and 12th grades. Students who successfully complete the courses may earn college credit. For more information on these courses, please see Ms. Virginia Sutherin, IB Coordinator.
Nelson IB Psychology Elective.mp4IB Psychology is a two-year IB class open to Juniors as an elective. This course is open to NON-IB students
We study 5 topics:
how the brain works
how humans think
how society impacts us
how we develop/grow
relationships
*There is an IB exam that students are expected to take for college credit, and there is a fee associated with this course. See Ms. Sutherin for more info.
IB History
In IB History students learn to do the job of a historian by practicing thinking like a historian and considering examples from different regions of the world, helping to foster international mindedness.
IB History 1 topics include the history of the Middle East and Africa.
IB History 2 topics include 20th century wars and conflict and the rise of authoritarian dictators.
*There is an IB exam that students are expected to take for college credit, and there is a fee associated with this course. See Ms. Sutherin for more info.
IB World Religions
The Diploma Programme World Religions course is a systematic, analytical yet empathetic study of the variety of beliefs and practices encountered in nine main religions of the world. The course seeks to promote an awareness of religious issues in the contemporary world by requiring the study of a diverse range of religions.
*There is an IB exam that students are expected to take for college credit, and there is a fee associated with this course. See Ms. Sutherin for more info.
Still have questions?
Please email Ms. Brown, Social Studies Department Chair, at erbrown@aacps.org.