Social Studies

The focus of this yearlong course is the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals. It is expected that any student wishing to enroll in an AP offering will have previously taken at least one high school level social studies course.  Included is a consideration of the psychological facts, principles and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology including the biological bases of behavior, learning and cognition, motivation and emotion, personality development, abnormal behavior and treatment of psychological disorders. Advanced Placement Psychology is a more independent and rigorous experience.  Social Studies teacher recommendation is strongly encouraged for enrollment in this course; content is rigorous, and students will be required to successfully complete preparation work during the summer prior to the start of the academic year. 

The course will follow the AP curriculum for Psychology as put forth by the College Board.  Students enrolled will be required to take the AP exam in the spring, with a $99 fee. 

AP U.S. Government and Politics is an introductory college-level course. Students cultivate their understanding of U.S. government and politics through a case study approach, primary sources and structured discussions as they explore topics like constitutionalism, liberty and order, civic participation in a representative democracy, competing policy-making interests, and methods of political analysis. It is expected that any student wishing to enroll in an AP offering will have previously taken at least one high school level social studies course. This course will fulfill the Connecticut graduation requirement of civics/American government. Students are required to take the Advanced Placement Exam in the spring and review classes will be scheduled to prepare for this examination. There is a $99 fee for this test.

*Pending Board Approval

The Advanced Placement Program is a one-year course designed to prepare students for intermediate and advanced college courses by making demands upon them equivalent to those of full-year introductory college courses. It is expected that any student wishing to enroll in an AP offering will have previously taken at least one high school level social studies course.  Students will learn to assess historical materials, their relevance to a given interpretive problem, their reliability and their importance, and to weigh the evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship.  The course covers the political, social, and economic events in our nation’s history from the colonial period to the 21st century. The content of this course is rigorous, and students will be required to successfully complete preparation work during the summer prior to the start of the academic year. Advanced Placement United States History is a more independent and rigorous experience.  Completion of courses in Global Citizenship and World History along with a Social Studies teacher recommendation is strongly encouraged for enrollment in this course. Students are required to take the Advanced Placement Exam in the spring and review classes will be scheduled to prepare for this examination.  There is a $99 fee for this test.

This course is an opportunity for students to explore accomplishments, struggles, intersections, perspectives, and collaborations of American/Black and Puerto Rican/Latino people in the U.S. Students will examine how historical movements, legislation, and wars affected the citizenship rights of these groups and how they, both separately and together, worked to build U.S. cultural and economic wealth and create just societies in local, national, and international contexts. Coursework will provide students with tools to identify historic and contemporary tensions around race and difference; map economic and racial disparities over time; strengthen their own identity development; and address bias in their communities.

Transcript Abbreviation: AA/Black and PR/Latino Studies

As part of social studies education at OSHS, and according to Section 10-221a of the Connecticut General Statutes states that “no local or regional board of education shall permit any student to graduate from high school or grant a diploma to any student who has not satisfactorily completed “...at least a one-half credit course on civics and American government.” This course is a non-leveled ½ year course open to 10th through 12th grade students.

In Civics, students engage in the study of civic processes, rules, and laws; relevant historical eras/events; examine civic and political institu­tions; and apply civic virtues and democratic principles.  Students taking civics will focus on compelling questions such as:

• What are the foundations of American democracy?

• How is the American government organized and executed?

• How could I take part in civic life?

• How does the political system affect current events in society?

• In what ways does the American political system provide for choice and opportunities for participation?

• Are deliberation and compromise necessary for political decision-making?

Economics is the social science concerned with how resources are used to satisfy people’s needs and wants.  Economic literacy and proficiency have many practical applications to decisions and choices made by individuals and nations about how to use scarce resources in a complex, global economy.  This one semester course is skill-based and provides personal opportunities to apply economic principles to real-life situations.

This skill-based course is designed for first-year students to prepare them for living, working, and learning in a global society as well as future OSHS classes.  This hands-on, project-based program exposes learners to multiple world cultures, and allows them to investigate questions such as: How do I learn? What is a citizen’s role in a global society? How do other global societies/cultures work and interact? This course is strongly recommended for all incoming students.

Psychology is a social science that seeks to answer all sorts of questions about humans: how we think, how we feel, and how we act.  Topics explored during this full year course include how the body and mind connect, how a child’s mind grows, how we construct our perceptions, how we remember (and misremember) our experiences, where our emotions come from, how personality develops, and what causes psychological disorders.

This semester course concentrates on the structure and function of our state and federal court systems and analyzes civil rights and civil liberties as defined by the Constitution and interpreted by the courts.  Topics will include the system used in a civil court trial, strategies used by lawyers in civil litigation, as well as cases in business and family law.  Important cases involving civil rights and individual liberties will be analyzed.

This one semester course offers students the opportunity to develop the knowledge and necessary skills for survival in our law-saturated society.  The curriculum includes case studies in criminal law, practical advice to follow concerning legal matters, as well as information dealing with the most current law-related public issues.  In addition, community resource people such as lawyers and police officers will be used to enhance the program.

This study of world history encourages students to understand our world today and its problems by looking at the events of the past.  Students will study the early development of nations through content-based activities, projects, presentations and primary document analysis, focusing on the rise of powerful nation states, revolutions, independence movements and global conflict.  Individual areas of study will focus on skill development, culture, continuity and change, geography, and individual development. This course is strongly recommended for all students as a prerequisite for U.S. History. Modern World History Honors is a more independent and rigorous experience. The Honors level is strongly encouraged for students wishing to continue their studies at the Honors, AP and/or ECE levels.

The focus of this yearlong course is the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and processes of society.  Topics include modern society and its social organization, institutions, communities, groups, and social roles: the socialization of individuals, family, gender, race and ethnicity, religion, social class, crime and deviance, population, cities, political economy, and social change. The course follows a curriculum defined and approved by the University of Connecticut.  All students are required to follow UConn guidelines in relation to registration and associated fees in order to take this course and receive credit. UConn ECE Sociology is an independent and rigorous experience; Social Studies teacher recommendation is strongly encouraged for enrollment in this course; it is expected that any student wishing to enroll in an ECE offering will have previously taken at least one high school level social studies course. 

United States history is designed not only to familiarize students with the major events of the nation’s past from 1870 to the present, but also to develop analytical skills to enhance historical thinking and interpretation of American history. Concepts covered include but are not limited to conflict and compromise, authority and governance, expansion and reform, and the understanding of American history in the context of a global society. Students in U.S. History will be expected to make personal connections between historical and modern events. U.S. History Honors is a more independent and rigorous experience. The Honors level is strongly encouraged for students wishing to continue their studies at the AP and/or ECE levels. Students enrolled at the Honors level will be expected to present regularly in front of the class. This course is required for graduation by Old Saybrook Schools and the State of Connecticut.