Elective Offerings

 245 - European History 

Term: Full Year    -    1 Credit

• • This student-driven course will cover European History from the age of the Renaissance and Reformation to the 20th Century. Topics to be examined include: the development of conflicting political and economic philosophies, the principle wars of the last 500 years, the establishment of modern nations, European influence on American history and Europe’s relationship with the rest of the world.   

258S - Rhode Island History - Semester Class

Term: Semester    -    .5 Credit

• • Rhode Island History is a project based learning course that investigates varying local and state historical topics and relates them to current events. Rhode Island has ties to important time throughout American history.  This course also emphasizes research and student choice in the topics. Historical topics covered would include: Native American relations, Revolutionary War in RI, slavery, Industrial Revolution, Gilded Age Newport, New England mafia, and Coventry’s historical sites. Join and discover more about Rhode Island’s rich history! 

Please check out our student created Rhode Island History Archive here! 

259S - Civics and Financial Literacy

Term: Semester    -    .5 Credit

• A new course to equip students with important tools for life after high school. Topics discussed include civics, the study of government and citizenship, the origins of our government, and how students can participate in it. Learn about your rights and duties as a citizen, how to discuss politics, and how to vote. This course counts as your Financial Literacy credit as well.  We’ll talk about everything from making and saving money to saving and investing it. Checking, savings, credit cards, investing, taxes, and more!

260S - Sports and American Identity

Term: Semester    -    .5 Credit

•  As we read stories of races won, touchdowns scored, and knockout punches thrown, we will look beyond the action on the field of competition and focus, though not exclusively, on these central themes: the role of sport in the construction of the “color line” in American history; the role athletes played in the dismantling of that “color line”; the relationship between sport and the ever-evolving ideas about womanhood and sexual equality in this nation and the function of the sporting arena as a space for political protest and the assertion of individual identity.

246AP - Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics 

Term: Full Year    -    1 Credit

• AP Government and Politics allows you to get into great depth and debate over some of your favorite history topics: 

• Civil Rights (African Americans to LGBTQ rights)

• Bill of Rights Freedoms (guns, abortion, etc.)

• How media affects public opinion and public policy

• Current events in politics AND MORE

This AP Exam is one of the shortest ones offered so if you do the classwork, study, and enjoy the material, you will have an EXCELLENT shot at grabbing 3 college credits while still in high school! Ask other students what they thought about the course and Mrs. Erinakes!

250AP - Advanced Placement Psychology 

Term: Full Year    -    1 Credit

In this course you will study mental processes and human behavior.  Topics examined include:

• Methodology

• Genetics

• Theories of Personality

• Learning and Thinking

• Emotions and Motives

• Conflicts and Adjustments

• Abnormal Psych and Treatment

• Social Behavior

• Jedi mind tricks (JK - but seriously, you could figure a few out) 

AP Psychology exam consists of 100 multiple choice questions and two stimulus based FRQ’s. Psychology is a requirement at most colleges and universities to earn a bachelor degree - get it out of the way in high school. AP Psychology is the most popular AP class in the nation!

251 - Psychology 

Term: Full Year    -    1 Credit

• This course considers the nature of psychology, methodology, genetics, theories, theories of personality, learning and thinking, emotions and motives, conflicts and adjustments, and social behavior. This class includes an examination of psychological research methods, experiments and case studies.  The class is designed to offer students with interests in both the sciences and humanities the opportunity to examine psychological concepts relevant to both disciplines. 

252 - Sociology 

Term: Full Year    -    1 Credit

• Sociology is the scientific study of society.  It closely examines human interactions and cultural phenomena, including topics like deviance, serial killers, feral children, gender roles, breaking social norms, cultural universals and particulars and the effects of these on groups and individuals.  We examine human behavior by considering the impact of the group on the individual and conversely, the individual on the group.  The highlight of the course is usually the field trip to the ACI where we are able to witness and apply many of the sociological concepts and theories that we will be studying. 

254S - Social Psychology

Term: Semester   -    .5 Credit

• This course begins with an introduction to social psychological methods, principles and theories.  Students will explore how these concepts can be applied to modern day issues.  Topics of study will, when appropriate, be generated based on student interest.  Topics will include social cognition, attitudes and behaviors, interpersonal attraction, stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination.  Students will participate in a variety of activities including discussions, case studies, experiments, simulations and video analysis.

255S - Ethical Issues

Term: Semester    -    .5 Credit

• This semester course is for students who have an excellent foundation using social studies knowledge to analyze historical issues.  This course will use knowledge gained in previous social studies courses to examine current social and cultural problems in contemporary American society. Ethical concerns, morality, philosophy and problems of democracy will be addressed.  Contemporary newspaper analysis will play a central role in the course.  Students will be asked to research, develop position papers and debate ethical questions on a variety of topics.  This course is student driven and performance-based. 

257S - Youth and Law

Term: Semester    -    .5 Credit

• This course will give the student a working knowledge of the legal system.  Criminal, civil, juvenile and family law will be considered and case studies will be examined.  Students are afforded the opportunity to participate in Law Day.   Students who have a strong interest in law, current events and historical case studies are encouraged to take Youth and Law and Ethical Issues (255) in opposite semesters.