Social Sciences
WORLD HISTORY
9, 10, 11, 12
1.0 credit
Get ready for an adventure that starts with the formation of the Universe and makes historians of us all. Exploring historical evidence and diverse narratives, students connect the people, places, and events of history to understand the problems of today and ready themselves for the future. World History features skills and approaches that prepare students to become the next generation of great thinkers and problem solvers. Critical thinking: Students consider important questions, gather and analyze evidence, and build informed arguments in a way that is applicable across all disciplines. Reading: Students use a structured reading approach called Three Close Reads against a variety of primary and secondary sources to build close reading skills which will help in the classroom and beyond. Writing: Clear expectations, regular feedback, and plenty of writing. It’s our not-so-secret formula to improve student writing. World History emphasizes the importance of usable history. Connecting the dots of history—people, places, and events— into coherent narratives that help students make sense of, and prepare for, the world they live in today.
AP WORLD HISTORY: MODERN
9, 10, 11, 12
1.0 credit
AP World History will develop students’ understanding of the evolution of global processes in interaction between different types of human societies. This understanding is advanced through a combination of factual knowledge and appropriate analytical skills. The course highlights the nature of changes in international frameworks, their causes and consequences, as well as comparisons among major societies. The course emphasizes factual knowledge in conjunction with leading historical interpretations and evaluation of the types of historical evidence. European history will comprise a maximum of 20% of the course. Analytical essay writing, along with analysis of secondary and primary documents, will be major components of the course. Given that the course is an introductory college course, there is a significant amount of reading. The course will prepare students to take the AP World History exam offered in May.
UNITED STATES HISTORY
10, 11, 12
1.0 credit
United States History is a required course that combines history, geography, and civic standards. The course covers the history of the U.S. from the Reconstruction Era to the modern day. Topics of study include a review from colonial times through the American Revolution to the Civil War; Reconstruction; Agrarian Dissent; Native Americans; industrialization and labor; the rise of the City and Progressivism; the growing role of the U.S. in world affairs; the 1920s; the Great Depression; WWII; the Cold War; Civil Rights; Changes of the 1950s and 1960s, and Nixon and 1976-present. Primary and secondary sources will be used. Critical thinking and analytical skills will be emphasized throughout the course including a required essay using Chicago Manual Style parenthetical reference.
AP U.S. HISTORY
10, 11, 12
1.0 credit
This course is designed to provide students with the analytical skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in U.S. History, and prepare students to take the Advanced Placement examination in May. Social changes, economic development and upheavals, political transitions, and military activities of the United States from the Native American cultures and European exploration to the present day will be covered in the course. Material will be studied chronologically and thematically with an emphasis on particular events, documents, and people and understanding of their importance in the development of the United States. Secondary and primary documents are incorporated into the course with an emphasis on analytical essay writing. The class will help strengthen students’ ability to assess historical materials, their relevance to a given interpretive problem, their reliability, and their importance, and to weight the evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship.
IB HISTORY OF THE AMERICAS
11 and 12
1.0 credit per year
This course can be taken on its own to fulfill the US History graduation requirement OR as an elective after taking US history to build interest in the content OR can be taken as Year 1 of the IB History HL course. Please note, only students who take this course as part of the IB History HL option have the opportunity to take an IB test (possible college credit earned) that covers content from this course. If this is the case, to meet the two year requirements for IB History HL, this course must be taken junior year, and then senior year the student must take IB World History.
The course requires a research paper (called the internal assessment historical investigation) and will cover three units of study. These include: The Development of Modern Nations (1867-1929), which takes a regional look at the Americas and what is happening within the hemisphere during this time period, with an emphasis on the United States; The Second World War (1933-1945), which emphasizes the United States, but also examines the hemispheric involvement in the conflict; and Civil Rights and Social Movements (post-1945), which examines Native Americans, Hispanic-Americans, African Americans, women, and the youth movements of the era.
IB WORLD HISTORY
11, 12
1.0 credit per year
This course can be taken to fulfill the World History requirement OR as an elective after taking World History, to build interest in the content OR can be taken as Year 2 of the IB History HL course (see History of the Americas description) OR can be taken as IB History SL (both the HL and SL courses have tests where college credit can be earned). The course requires a research paper (called the internal assessment historical investigation) and will cover three units of study. The three units of study include: Rights and Protest, which examines the African-American Civil Rights Movement and Apartheid in South Africa; the Cold War, including two case studies; and the Industrial Revolution in the United States and Great Britain.
GOVERNMENT
10* 11, 12
.5 credit
This is a senior level course that covers the fundamental ideas, functions and processes which form the basis of the American political system. The topics to be studied include the principles of democracy and government, civil rights, the Constitution, civil liberties, the Supreme Court, the party system, the electoral process and voting, special interest groups and the media, national security and foreign affairs, state and local government, the bureaucracy, Congress, and the Presidency. An integral part of the course will be on the importance of the citizen in action with its corresponding rights and responsibilities. An essay using APA parenthetical reference is required. *Open to 10th grade students with intent to enroll or considering the IB Program.
AP GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
10* 11, 12
.5 credit
The A.P. U.S. Government and Politics course emphasizes an introduction to the key political concepts, ideas, institutions, policies, interactions, roles and behaviors that characterize the constitutional system and political culture of the United States. This course includes the study of U.S. foundational documents, Supreme Court decisions, and other texts and visuals to gain an understanding of the relationships and interactions among political institutions, processes, and behaviors. The disciplinary practices will require students to read and interpret data, makes comparison and applications, and develop evidence-based arguments. In addition, students will complete a political science research essay using APA parenthetical references. The course will prepare students to take the A.P. U.S. Government and Politics exam in May. An integral part of the course will be on the importance of the citizen in action with its corresponding rights and responsibilities. A summer reading assignment with the foundational documents is required to complete before the class. *Open to 10th grade students with intent to enroll or considering the IB Program.
CONSTITUTIONAL STUDIES HONORS (WE THE PEOPLE)
10*, 11, 12
.5 credit
The Constitutional Studies program studies the history and origin of Constitutional principles as well as current day application of such. This course incorporates the “We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution” program that places students in simulated congressional hearings where students’ knowledge of the Constitution is tested. As a final experience, students in this class will enter a formal competition, advancing from congressional district and state competitions potentially to the national finals. Completion of this course will fulfill the government requirement. Commitment of students to the program includes outside meeting times for competition practice sessions and competitions. *Open to 10th grade students by application, with intent to enroll in IBDP. U.S. History is highly recommended for the Constitutional Studies course.
ECONOMICS
10* 11, 12
.5 credit
The Economics course, which is aligned with the Michigan Merit Curriculum, enables students to understand and consider potential implications of the basic scarcity problem faced by individuals, businesses and societies; unlimited wants in pursuit of limited resources. From personal decisions to global concerns, economics teaches how to successfully evaluate the concept of “choice”. Through weighing both short and long term costs and benefits, examining alternatives and anticipating both intended and unintended consequences, students will be prepared as citizens able to make personal and societal decisions regarding the market economy, the national economy, the international economy and personal finance. *Open to 10th grade students with intent to enroll or considering the IB Program.
AP MACROECONOMICS
10*, 11, 12
.5 credit
The Advanced Placement Macroeconomics course gives students a thorough understanding of the principles of economics that apply to the economy as a whole and is comparable to a college level course. The purpose of this course is to give students a thorough understanding of the principles of economics that apply to the economy as a whole. The course places primary emphasis on basic economic concepts, measurements of economic performance, national income and price determination, the financial sector, inflation, unemployment and stabilization policies, economic growth and productivity and international trade and finance. The course will prepare students to take the AP Macroeconomics exam offered in May. *Open to 10th grade students with intent to enroll or considering the IB Program.
AP MICROECONOMICS
10*, 11, 12
.5 credit
The Advanced Placement Microeconomics course gives students a thorough understanding of the principles of economics that apply to the functions of individual decision makers, both consumers and producers, within the larger economic system. The course places primary emphasis on the nature and functions of product markets, and includes the study of factor markets and the role of government in promoting greater efficiency and equity in the economy. The course will prepare students to take the AP Microeconomics exam offered in May. *Open to 10th grade students with intent to enroll or considering the IB Program.
AP PSYCHOLOGY
11, 12
1.0 credit
AP Psychology is a two-semester (full year) college-level class that challenges students academically and socially. It builds on the foundations of psychology communicated in Basic Psychology, going far deeper into relevant yet challenging topics. Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields in psychology. Concepts such as cognitive dissonance, psychological abnormalities, social psychology, psychological therapy, sensation and perception, and sleep and consciousness are covered and related to students’ personal experiences.
IB PSYCHOLOGY SL
11, 12
1.0 credit
Psychology is the systematic study of behavior and mental processes. Psychology has its roots in both the natural and social sciences, leading to a variety of research designs and applications, and providing a unique approach to understanding modern society. IB psychology, a one year course, examines the interaction of biological, cognitive and sociocultural influences on human behavior, thereby adopting an integrative approach. Understanding how psychological knowledge is generated, developed and applied enables students to achieve a greater understanding of themselves and appreciate the diversity of human behavior. The ethical concerns raised by the methodology and application of psychological research are key considerations in IB psychology. IB psychology takes a holistic approach that fosters intercultural understanding and respect. In the core of the IB psychology course, the biological level of analysis demonstrates what all humans share, whereas the cognitive and sociocultural levels of analysis reveal the immense diversity of influences that produce human behavior and mental processes. Cultural diversity is explored and students are encouraged to develop empathy for the feelings, needs and lives of others within and outside their own culture. This empathy contributes to an international understanding.