Social Studies

SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT

Social Studies Department Mission Statement

The mission of the Canton High School Social Studies Department is to provide a safe, positive, encouraging learning environment in order to foster students’ development as active participants in a democratic society. Social Studies courses will draw upon the Guiding Principles of the Massachusetts State Frameworks, including examining the legacy of democratic government, learning to think critically and historically about the past, considering diverse perspectives, and building a capacity for research and reasoning, 

Social Studies Department Goals

Teachers in the Social Studies department design curriculum with an Understanding By Design model, wherein units and lessons are driven by Essential Questions.

• Students will write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.

• Students will argue or explain conclusions, using valid reasoning and evidence. 

• Students will conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem.

• Students will analyze the purpose and point of view sources; distinguish opinion from fact.

• Students will evaluate the credibility, accuracy, and relevance of sources. 

• Students will demonstrate civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions.

GRADE 9 PROGRAM

Course Name: World History

Course # 111/112

Level: CP/H

Grade Level: 9   

Credits: 6

World History: This course examines the complex history and cultures of many regions of the world in order to provide students with a global perspective. Students will examine societies of both the western and non-western world since around 1000 AD and the way they interact. Through instruction and collaboration, students will develop effective note-taking, summarizing, and critical-thinking skills. The course will address grade-level literacy and writing standards, including persuasive essays and the development of research skills. Students also will apply their world history content knowledge and skills to analyze cause and effect relationships, compare and contrast decisions, and make connections between specific events, contemporary issues, and larger historical themes.

GRADE 10 PROGRAM

Course Name: US History 1

Course # 121/122

Level: CP/H

Credits: 6

US History 1: This course examines the formative events in US history, starting with the founding of the republic and the Constitution. The course curriculum moves on through the 19th and early 20th centuries, highlighting topics such as the Civil War and Reconstruction. There will be a civics lens on the role of government and a lens on the human struggles to be free. Students will continue to develop skills in research, including research skills, persuasive writing, and grade-level literacy and writing standards. There will also be an added emphasis on primary source analysis and the importance of perspectives in history. Note: the Honors level of this course involves heightened expectations from 9th grade, including timed writing without notes and more independent preparation.

GRADE 11 PROGRAM

Course Name: AP US History

Course # 130

Level: AP

Grade Level: 11

Credits: 6

This course, conducted as a seminar, surveys the major themes of United States History from colonial times to the present and is designed to be the equivalent of a freshman college course in a high school setting.  Students will regularly engage in writing that applies the various question formats of the AP exam as well as independent, reflective writing on larger historical issues. A summer assignment is required. The summer assignment typically consists of a book to read, some open response questions related to the book, and analysis of some primary documents. In alignment with the state frameworks requirements, all students will be offered the opportunity to engage in a civics project.

Course Name: US History 2

Course # 131/132

Level: CP/H

Grade Level: 11

Credits: 6

US History 2: This course examines the major themes in American history since the Civil War. Topics include Reconstruction, industrialization, the world wars, the 1920s, the Great Depression, the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, and other great social changes of the late twentieth century. Students will continue to develop skills in research, including a research paper, persuasive writing, and grade-level literacy standards. Major projects may include presentations, debates, video analysis, and document-based questions. Historical skills addressed include those from 9th and 10th grade, to be developed to a more proficient level. In alignment with the state frameworks requirements, all students will be offered the opportunity to engage in a civics project.

SOCIAL STUDIES ELECTIVE PROGRAM 

Course Name: AP European History

Course # 140

Level: AP

Grade Level: 11-12

Credits: 6

This AP European History course is designed as the equivalent of a college introductory class in European history. Students will take the advanced placement examination in the spring of their senior year. The class is conducted in a seminar format and surveys European history from 1450 (the High Renaissance) to the present. Students who enroll in Advanced Placement European History should have excellent reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. Students should expect a minimum of one hour of homework each night.  A summer assignment is required.  The summer assignment typically consists of a book to read and open response questions related to the book.  In addition, students will analyze a number of primary and secondary sources.

Course Name: AP Government

Course # 134

Level: AP

Grade Level: 11-12

Credits: 6

This course gives students an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States. It studies both the general concepts used to interpret US politics as well as analysis of specific examples. It also requires familiarity with the various institutions, groups, beliefs, and ideas that constitute US politics. The course covers: constitutional underpinnings of the US government, political beliefs and behaviors, political parties, interest groups, mass media, institutions of national government and public policy. Requirements: Textbook and outside readings, tests, quizzes, research projects, oral presentations, written reports, and commitment to the work associated with an AP course. A summer assignment is required. The summer work will include a deep dive into the US Constitution. 

Course Name: AP Psychology

Course # 145

Level: AP

Grade Level: 11-12

Credits: 6

The AP Psychology course is designed for highly motivated and qualified students who wish to complete classes in secondary school equivalent to college introductory classes in psychology. Students will take the advanced placement examination in the spring. Topics include history and approaches, research methods, biological bases of behavior, sensation, and perception, states of consciousness, learning, cognition, motivation, and emotion, developmental psychology, personality, testing, and individual differences, abnormal behavior, treatment of abnormal behavior, and social psychology. Students should have excellent reading, writing, and critical thinking skills and will be responsible for a significant level of outside work.  Students should expect a minimum of one hour of homework each night.  A summer assignment is required.  Students will research and apply multiple psychological perspectives.  Students will also read a book that surveys classic psychological studies, answer open response questions about the book, and be assessed on the book in the fall.

Course Name: Psychology

Course # 144/143

Level: CP/H

Grade Level: 11-12

Credits: 3

The Psychology course is a half-year elective with the purpose of introducing students to the field of psychology, with a focus on what is psychology and the origin of human behavior. This course is a project-based class, applying concepts from psychology to hands-on learning experiences. Topics will include what is psychology, research in psychology, personality, psychology and crime, human development, and abnormal psychology. Students will have hands-on experience and engage with children in their developmental stages, connect films to content in class in the form of detailed analysis, deliver a letter to Congress advocating for PTSD treatment for veterans, and hear from a Canton psychologist about the many career paths connecting to psychology. Students will develop critical-thinking skills as they connect content to real-world situations such as planning as a professional psychologist would when assisting a patient.

Honors: The honors course will be included in the CP level course and be assigned a detailed final project.

Course Name: Sociology

Course # 147/146

Level: CP/H

Grade Level: 11/12

Credits: 3

This Sociology course will introduce students to the engaging and dynamic discipline of sociology, which will help them to better understand social patterns, human interactions, and the influence of social factors on people’s behavior and attitudes. Students will engage in thinking critically about the major concepts, theories, scholars, subfields, and research of sociology. Additionally, they will practice using “Sociological Imagination” and gain the ability to “think sociologically.”

Topics of study include “The World of Sociology,” culture, socialization, and social structure/group behavior, as well as sociological connections to current events and popular culture. Other high-interest topics, which vary from semester to semester, may include deviance and crime; crime, race and ethnicity, social stratification and class, social problems, sports, the environment, etc. In addition to the content presented in this course, emphasis will be placed on reading, writing, critical thinking skills, and civil discourse to help students gain a deeper understanding of this diverse social science discipline.

Honors: This elective may be taken at the Honors level. In order to receive Honors credit, students must complete an independent research paper, as well as any other periodic “honors” assignments.

Course Name: International Business Economics

Course # 456/455  

Level: CP/H

Grade Level: 11-12

Credits: 3

In a global economy, our choices as consumers, producers, savers, and investors affect markets and economies in our country and abroad.  The International Business Economics course explores the various factors that influence the economic decisions we make.  We will learn how trade and globalization affect standards of living and economic growth.  International economic organizations, like the World Bank and the World Trade Organization (WTO), also play a role in a global business economy. Students will explore real-life problems and economic concerns that stem from globalization to offer possible solutions.    Emphasis will be on current issues in international business economics.  The course explores the overarching questions:  What is globalization?  What challenges do we face when we try to allocate scarce resources?  How do international organizations affect trade?  What does win-win mean in a global economy? (This cross-disciplinary course is also listed in the World Language Department)

Honors: The honors course will be included in the CP level course and will require additional outside readings, research, and more in-depth projects.  

Course Name: Introduction to Philosophy

Course # 168/169

Level: CP/H

Grade Level: 11-12

Credits: 3

Introduction to Philosophy is intended to introduce you to philosophical questions, to make you aware of how some of history's greatest philosophers have approached those questions and what they have said about them, to help you articulate philosophical concerns of your own and, most importantly, to learn how to address them. Among the areas of philosophy that students will explore this semester are ethics, political philosophy, metaphysics, and theory of knowledge.

Honors: The honors course will be included in the CP level course and will require more detailed term projects. 

Course Name: Street Law

Course # 158/159

Level: CP/H

Grade Level: 11-12

Credits: 3

This course introduces students to the world of law. Students will explore topics such as the definition of law, citizen rights, and dispute resolution, and will actively engage in practical applications of law, such as mock trials, moot courts, and role-plays of cases. There will be a strong emphasis on writing, reading, oral presentations, and research.

Course Name: History and Film/Reel versus Real

Course # 150/149

Level: CP/H

Grade Level: 11-12

Credits: 3

What constitutes a hero? In American culture, we raise individuals to hero status through our interpretation and remembrance of historical events, but whose story are we telling? The History through Film course is broken down thematically and into modules. In each module, students receive a day of background on the specific event (reading and/or lecture), then are given questions to comparatively analyze the historical record versus the portrayal of the historical event, as they watch a movie that relates to the specific event(s). Each unit is accompanied by a reflection piece (writing, individual) based on the comparative analysis questions as well as a scored discussion after watching the film. Topics include historic events from 1945-present day and take a thematic, perspective-based approach. At the end of the semester, students will complete a final project, in the form of a presentation in which students choose an individual or instance in history and argue why that person or event should or should not be considered heroic based on the historical record versus the film record.

Course Name: Entrepreneurship

Course #: 507/508

Level: CP/H

Grade Level: 10-12

Credits: 3

Do you want to start your own business? Do you have creative ideas for marketing and products? This one-semester introductory course is designed to provide students with a basic understanding of personal finances, business objectives, and the basic principles of entrepreneurship. This course is designed to enhance collaboration, creativity, and strategic thinking through authentic experiences.  There will be guest speakers that will share their experiences in entrepreneurship and in the business world. This course will encourage students to examine all the major steps involved in:

• Personal Financial Literacy: budgeting (as a young adult), college and career Readiness, salaries/compensation, cost associated with - homes, rent, cars, insurance, etc.

• Personal Investing: stocks, bonds, mutual funds, savings accounts, investment in real estate, and retirement.

This course will encourage students to examine all the major steps involved in starting a new business: ownership, strategy, finance, and sales /marketing. Market research, budgeting, selecting a business location, logos, and financing the business are covered using real-life examples that students can connect to their learning. As students complete the course, they will develop a business plan for a personalized entrepreneurial venture and make a professional “pitch”, as one does on Shark Tank.