Social Studies

Grade 9
1 Credit 

Throughout the course, students will practice and master a set of skills that are critical for understanding the world around them, past and present. Different subject areas and content, will be used as examples to practice these skills. Skills and associated standards are listed as the last item in the syllabus. Essentially, students will be “doing” history. Doing history, broadly defined, means identifying a problem or topic, finding information, deciding what sources are credible for what pieces of information, coming to conclusions about the topic, developing a storyline, and driving the information on behalf of that storyline, while giving attention to information that may seem to contradict the argument.

Grade 10
1 Credit 

This is a required 10th grade course that involves the study of the developments of the past and how these developments helped to shape our world today. Units in this course will cover the areas of Prehistory, Africa, Asia, Middle East, Far East, and Western Civilizations. The study of world history will provide students with an understanding of the development of cultures and nations over the expanse of time.

Grade 11
1 Credit 

This required 11th grade course will cover American Government with the emphasis on the US Constitution, Wisconsin and local government/history. Students will gain an understanding of how the United States, Wisconsin and local governments work, who’s involved and how they can participate in government. Students will have the opportunity to take the Citizenship exam that is required before graduation in this course.

Grades 11 and 12
½ Credit 

Students will explore different cultures and their people from around the world while looking at how the climate they live in affects them. Areas such as Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas will be studied with an emphasis placed on current physical issues, such as tsunamis, volcanoes, hurricanes, etc., that are reshaping our world and society. 

Grades 11 and 12
½ Credit 

Journey with the outlaws, cowboys, lawmen and women who shaped the untamed West. Come to a time when those who wore the tin star weren’t always on the right side of the law, the bravery and strength of women began to shine, and the Native American way of life would be changed forever. 

Formerly Contemporary Issues
Grades 11 and 12
½ Credit 

Modern events and issues have dramatic effect on our world and the people living in this modern time. The focus of the course will be those issues that affect the student as a resident the World, U.S., Wisconsin, and North Fond du Lac. Daily news events will be followed and students will be expected to understand the social, political, and economic issues on a daily basis. An emphasis will be placed on examining and analyzing major contemporary issues and issues affecting society within recent history, the historical development of a contemporary issue so a connection can be made between contemporary issues and history, and analyzing and discussing the effects modern events have on individuals and groups. Students will be challenged to defend their opinions on many different issues.

Grades 11 and 12
½ Credit 

This college prep course will provide an introduction to the science of group behavior; and will focus on the study of the interaction that takes place between the individual and society. Students will learn what makes each of us unique and will explore how people interact and change in certain situations. Topics of study will be the Sociological Perspective, Sociological Research, Sociology of Culture, and Socialization. A goal of this course will be to prepare the student for the further study of sociology. 

Grades 11 and 12
½ Credit
Prerequisite: Sociology 

This is a college prep course which continues sociological theory. In this 1/2 year course the topics include Social Organization, Social Deviance and Conformity, Social Institutions, and Social Change. A trip to the Illinois Holocaust Museum will be a highlight.

Grades 11 and 12
½ Credit 

This is a college prep introduction to psychology course. Topics covered in this course include: the nature and history of psychology, famous psychologists and their theories, emotions, stress and health, motivation, psychological disorders and treatment, and human relations and research in psychology. 

Grades 11 and 12
½ Credit
Prerequisite: Psychology 

This is a college prep class continuing and building on the knowledge gained in the Psychology class. Topics covered in this course include: developmental psychology from infancy through old age, personality theory, learning and cognitive processes, the working of the mind and body, memory, states of consciousness, and social psychology. 

Grades 11 and 12
½ Credit 

Criminal Justice is a semester long course that explains why criminals behave the way they do by applying different theories to the actions of serial killers. The course also looks at the three main sections of the criminal justice system; Police, Courts and Corrections. We will look at the structure and progression of each division as well as explore career options within Criminal Justice. The class may include a variety of expert guest speakers. Field trips to correctional institutes and/or police departments will be scheduled when available. There will be a small fee to pay for field trips.

Grade 11
1 Credit
This class can be taken as the American Government graduation requirement. Student will have the opportunity to take the State Citizenship exam that is required before graduation in this course. 

This will be a one year course focusing on United States Government and Politics, state and local government. Students will have the opportunity to study college level material as they work through this course. This course will require students to complete numerous readings and assignments outside of class in preparation for discussion of material in class. Following the College Board guidelines for an AP United States Government and Politics course, students will be studying the following units in class: 

1. Foundations of American Democracy 

2. Interactions Among Branches of Government 

3. Civil Liberties and Civil Rights 

4. American Political Ideologies and Beliefs 

5. Political Participation 

In the weeks following the A.P. United States Government and Politics exam date, students will learn about Wisconsin government, focusing on government at the state level as well as county and other types of local government. In the spring of the school year students will be able to take the AP United States Government and Politics exam (for an additional fee). If a student earns a certain score on their exam they may be eligible to earn college credit once they go to college.

Grade 11&12
1 Credit 

The AP Psychology course is designed to introduce students to 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. They also learn about the ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice. The course is designed to prepare students to be successful (earning a 3, 4 or 5) on the National AP Psychology Examination in May. It is assumed that if the student signed up for the class that they will take the exam in May.