World History 1 - College Prep, Honors:
In this course students will study the history of people, places, and religions from early man to 1500. They will also survey of ancient history from the ancient Middle East, Africa, and Asia to ancient Greece, Rome, and the Middle Ages and analyze primary and secondary sources.
World History 2 - College Prep, Honors:
In this course students examine the major events, ideas, people, and cultural developments that shaped the world from 1500 to the present. Content includes the Renaissance, Reformation, global exploration, revolutions, industrialization, nationalism, imperialism, world conflicts, and modern global issues.
Students analyze primary and secondary sources to understand historical perspectives, trace cause‑and‑effect relationships, and evaluate how past events influence contemporary society.
Pre‑requisites: World History 1
Human Geography - AP:
Students will be exposed to a college-level curriculum designed to examine how human patterns and processes have impacted Earth. By investigating the human imprint on the land, students will study the depth and breadth of impact on the landscape at different scales. Students will employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to examine socioeconomic organization and its environmental consequences.
Some units are self-paced while others are instructor led. Students are always responsible for reading a chapter of the textbook per week as well as completing their notes packets
Mixed Coursework
Pre-requisites: (Recommended) A high grade in previous honors level social studies coursework
Students who have not already earned 1 verified credit in Social Studies will take the World Geography SOL assessment.
Students will prepare to take the AP Human Geography exam for potential college credit.
*The age-appropriate curriculum for this course is prescribed by College Board (Advanced Placement), International Baccalaureate (IBDP, IBCP), the Virginia Community College System (Dual Enrollment), the Virginia Department of Education Standards of Learning (SOLs), or is developed in alignment with best practices for the specialized elective course content. Instruction designed and delivered for this course is done so in alignment with standards developed by those organizations and institutions. As such, HCPS may not substitute, alter, or omit prescribed course content including that which relate(s) to human sexuality. In accordance with P7-05-008, a detailed list of assigned instructional material that contains sexually explicit content that must be taught during this course is available for parental review in advance of course enrollment. As this is an elective course and the materials may not be altered, Parents wishing to request alternative materials for their student may wish to enroll their student in a different course.
VA and US History:
Taken as an 11th grader.
We learn content from European Exploration of the Western Hemisphere up through modern 20th Century US History
Instructor Led
Mixed Coursework
College Prep, Honors, and AP sections available.
VA and US Government - AP:
Taken as an 11th grader.
he Advanced Placement course in United States History is designed to give students a deep, analytical understanding of the political, social, economic, and cultural developments that have shaped the United States from pre‑Columbian societies to the present. Students examine historical themes, interpret primary and secondary sources, and evaluate how events, ideas, and movements have influenced the nation over time.
The course emphasizes historical thinking skills, argumentation, and the use of evidence to develop and defend interpretations of the past. Students engage with college‑level texts, document‑based questions, and long‑essay writing. This class requires extensive note‑taking, writing, and out‑of‑class readings. Preparation for the AP Exam is an integral part of the course.
Instructor Led
Mixed Coursework
VA and US Government - Honors:
Taken as an 12th grader.
This class is designed to teach students about the inner workings of the federal, state, and local government. Students interact woith the material using real world examples, and current events. Students complete projects both individually and collaboratively using the content set forth by the VDOE
Instructor Led
Mixed Coursework
College Prep, Honors, and AP sections available.
VA and US Government - AP:
Taken as a 12th grader.
The Advanced Placement course in United States Government and Politics is designed to give students a critical perspective on politics and government. This course involves both the study of general concepts used to interpret United States politics and an examination of the various institutions, groups, beliefs, and ideas that make up American politics. The course is taught with college-level texts. Preparation for the AP test will be an integral part of the course.
Instructor Led
Mixed Coursework
This combined course will appeal to the most ambitious and eager seniors interested in not only American political systems but also select international systems for comparison. The entire AP US Government curriculum will be covered during the fall semester and the entire AP Comparative Government curriculum will be covered during the second semester. This means students will cover twice as fast as they would in yearlong versions of each class. Students should be extremely comfortable working independently, analyzing data, writing multi-point responses, and responding to current events with detailed understanding. This course has not yet been offered at Deep Run so students should also be eager to "build the plane mid-flight." It is an elective that compares American government to six other countries. This yearlong elective does not replace US Government. Students interested in AP Comparative Government should come see Mr. Clay Hudson in room 123 for more information.
Self-Paced and Instructor Led
Assessments and Notes Heavy
History of Latin America - College Prep:
This college-prep elective will cover the wide ranging history of the Latin America world. It will include historical narratives that cross the Atlantic world, often blending concepts covered in World and US History classes. This class has not yet been offered or taught at Deep Run so students should be eager to navigate new territory along with their teacher.
African American Studies - AP:
This interdisciplinary elective explores Black history beginning on the African continent, extending across the Atlantic, and ranging into the modern United States. Students will explore historical moments often undiscussed in other history courses as well as identify their own inquiries to research and present. Students should bring an open mind, a willingness to wrestle with difficult content, and an adventurous spirit ready to ask questions. Students should be comfortable pursuing lines of reasoning independently and completing open-ended assignments
Self-paced and Instructor Led
Project Heavy
European History - AP:
AP European History is designed to be the equivalent of an introductory college or university survey of modern European history.
Instructor Led
Reading Heavy and Periodic Projects
Pre-requisites: World History 2 helps tremendously. Can't take as a 9th grader.
Psychology 1 - College Prep:
Psychology I is an introductory high school elective that explores how people think, feel, and behave. Students learn about topics such as the brain, learning, personality, and human development while making connections to everyday life. The course builds foundational skills in understanding behavior and mental processes.
Instructor Led
Notes Heavy
Psychology - AP:
AP Psychology is a college-level course that explores how people think, feel, and behave. Students study topics such as the brain, learning, memory, development, personality, and mental health. The course emphasizes scientific research and prepares students for the AP exam and future studies in psychology.
Instructor Led
Notes Heavy & Vocabulary-intensive.
Outside reading from class expected daily.
*The age-appropriate curriculum for this course is prescribed by College Board (Advanced Placement), International Baccalaureate (IBDP, IBCP), the Virginia Community College System (Dual Enrollment), the Virginia Department of Education Standards of Learning (SOLs), or is developed in alignment with best practices for the specialized elective course content. Instruction designed and delivered for this course is done so in alignment with standards developed by those organizations and institutions. As such, HCPS may not substitute, alter, or omit prescribed course content including that which relate(s) to human sexuality. In accordance with P7-05-008, a detailed list of assigned instructional material that contains sexually explicit content that must be taught during this course is available for parental review in advance of course enrollment. As this is an elective course and the materials may not be altered, Parents wishing to request alternative materials for their student may wish to enroll their student in a different course.
Sociology: Honors-Level Course
In this course students study human social behavior, group dynamics, and the structures that shape societies. Topics include culture, socialization, institutions, inequality, deviance, and social change. Students analyze how sociologists use research methods to understand patterns in human interaction and evaluate how social forces influence individual and group behavior. Coursework emphasizes inquiry, data interpretation, and the use of primary and secondary sources to understand contemporary social issues.
This is a new course being offered at DRHS!
Micro/Macro Economics - AP:
Economics is the study of scarcity and the complex choices we make to satisfy unlimited human wants with limited resources. At its core, it is a social science that analyzes how individuals, businesses, and governments allocate assets like time, money, and labor to maximize value. By examining the mechanics of supply and demand, the impact of incentives, and the trade-offs inherent in every decision—known as opportunity cost—economics provides a framework for understanding everything from personal financial choices to the global movements of trade and national policy. In AP Economics classes, mathematics and models are the primary tools used to turn abstract theories into testable predictions. While high-level economics can involve complex calculus, introductory courses focus on algebraic models and geometric representations to simplify human behavior.
Instructor Led
Mixed Coursework with many tests and quizzes
Pre-requisites: No pre-requisites, but students in this course should be solid math students.