Social Studies Course Descriptions

WORLD HISTORY HONORS (Graduation Requirement: Typically Taken in the 9th Grade)

This course is designed to challenge students as they explore and analyze recurring themes of human experience common to civilizations around the globe from ancient to contemporary times.

AMERICAN HISTORY and AMERICAN HISTORY- HONORS (Graduation Requirement: Typically taken in the 10th grade)

This course will explore the overarching themes, trends, and concepts of our nation’s history, including the development and evolution of the American system of government, the patterns and impact of migration and immigration, cultural development through the arts and technological innovations, relationships with foreign nations, and the role of both the individual and diverse groups in building the American story. Students in this course will be asked to investigate major turning points in American History to develop an understanding of multiple causation, to determine patterns of change and continuity, and to be able to compare multiple perspectives of the past. Rooted in inquiry-based skills, students will trace American development while learning to craft compelling questions, synthesize and evaluate evidence, develop claims, communicate ideas, and take informed action.

FOUNDING PRINCIPLES OF THE UNITED STATES AND NORTH CAROLINA: CIVIC LITERACY and  FOUNDING PRINCIPLES OF THE UNITED STATES AND NORTH CAROLINA: CIVIC LITERACY- HONORS (Graduation Requirement: Typically taken in the 11th grade)

This course will allow students to examine the ways in which power and responsibility are both shared and limited by the U.S. Constitution and how the judicial, legal, and political systems of North Carolina and the United States embody the founding principles of government. Students in this course will analyze and evaluate the extent to which the American system of government guarantees, protects, and upholds the rights of citizens. Through the integration of inquiry-based learning, students will also investigate how the American system of government has evolved over time while learning how to analyze topics, issues, and claims in order to communicate ideas and take action to effect change and inform others.

ECONOMICS AND PERSONAL FINANCE and ECONOMICS AND PERSONAL FINANCE- HONORS (Graduation Requirement: Typically taken in the 12th grade) 

The Economics and Personal Finance (EPF) course is intended to be a study of economics, personal finance, income and education, money management, critical consumerism, and financial planning. This course supports the development of students who understand economic decisions, use money wisely, understand education and career choices, and understand how to be financially responsible citizens. Students will be provided with the agency, tools, and knowledge necessary to live in and contribute to a financially sound society.

PSYCHOLOGY HONORS*- (Elective)

Psychology is designed to engage students in the understanding, articulation, and dissemination of psychology as a science. Students are introduced to psychology with a focus on the scientific study of human development, learning, cognition, biology, society and culture. The course emphasizes the empirical examination of behavior and cognitive processes and offers perspectives that foster students' growth, development, and understanding of cultural diversity. Students of psychology acquire information from a variety of sources, use information as they make decisions and evaluations, solve problems and relate psychology to their personal life.

This advanced course offers an in-depth exploration of psychological concepts, emphasizing greater complexity, originality, and a more rigorous pace. The Honors designation reflects a higher standard of academic performance, focusing on the quality of analysis and critical thinking rather than an increase in workload volume.

Some AP Courses are taught in person, but are based on course requests and teacher availability. 

AP PSYCHOLOGY (NCSSM or NCVPS) (Elective)  

Students study the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals. Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. The study of psychology enables students to recognize and cope with uncertainty and ambiguity in human behavior. Substantial out-of-class reading, writing, and research are expected. Students enrolled in this course will take the College Board Advanced Placement test in the spring..

AP WORLD HISTORY* (NCVPS) (Can be taken in place of World History or additionally as an elective) 

The purpose of the AP World History course is to develop a greater understanding of the evolution of global processes and contacts in different types of human societies. This understanding is advanced through a combination of selective factual knowledge and appropriate analytical skills. The course highlights the nature of changes in global frameworks and their causes and consequences, as well as comparisons among major societies. It emphasizes relevant factual knowledge, leading interpretive issues, and skills in analyzing types of historical evidence. Specific themes provide further organization to the course, along with consistency attention to contacts among societies that form the core of world history as a field of study. Students enrolled in this course will take the College Board Advanced Placement test in the spring.

AP GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS (NCVPS) (Elective)

AP U.S. Government and Politics provides a college-level, nonpartisan introduction to key political concepts, ideas, institutions, policies, interactions, roles, and behaviors that characterize the constitutional system and political culture of the United States. Students will study 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. They will also engage in disciplinary practices that require them to read and interpret data, make comparisons and applications, and develop evidence-based arguments. In addition, they will complete a political science research or applied civics project. Students enrolled in this course will take the College Board Advanced Placement test in the spring. 

AP EUROPEAN HISTORY (NCVPS) (Elective)

In AP European History, students investigate significant events, individuals, developments, and processes from approximately 1450 to the present. Students develop and use the same skills, practices, and methods employed by historians: analyzing primary and secondary sources; developing historical arguments; making historical connections; and utilizing reasoning about comparison, causation, and continuity and change over time. The course also provides seven themes that students explore throughout the course in order to make connections among historical developments in different times and places: interaction of Europe and the world, economic and commercial development, cultural and intellectual development, states and other institutions of power, social organization and development, national and European identity, and technological and scientific innovations. Students enrolled in this course will take the College Board Advanced Placement test in the spring.

AP AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES (NCSSM)  (Elective) 

Embark on a groundbreaking journey through an interdisciplinary exploration of African American history and culture. From ancient African kingdoms to today's societal challenges and achievements, this course invites you to engage with history through diverse perspectives. Develop critical skills in history, literature, and data analysis while shaping the future of this pioneering course. This course foregrounds a study of Black communities in the United States within the broader context of Africa and the African diaspora. AP African American Studies Exam participation at your public high school is expected in the spring. Enrolling in this AP course will require great study habits and skills in time management, reading, and writing. A willingness to learn content, read and analyze sources, and write short essays quickly is essential.

*In person course offerings are dependent upon student enrollment.

More Advanced Social Studies/Humanities Options are offered through the NCSSM Connect Program, NCVPS and the CCP/Dual Enrollment Program.