Social Studies Electives

Students will use inquiry skills to examine the issues that impact the contemporary world. Included in the course will be analysis of the historical, cultural, economic, and geographic factors that have raised certain issues to levels of concern in our nation and around the globe. Students will engage in research and problem solving in order to better understand and assess significant current issues.

Available: MHS, UHS

This course provides the student with a chronological survey of western man’s exploration of his nature through the arts, philosophy, history, and literature. Emphasis is placed on developing skills in critical thinking, recognition of varying styles in the arts, comparison of philosophies, and successful essay testing.

It is designed for the most serious student and careful consideration should be made before reserving a seat in this class. The student must be willing to devote extra time to complete the course work. Humanities is suggested for students planning to take AP European History.

Available: CHS, MHS

Students will study the development of scientific attitudes and skills, including critical thinking, problem solving, and scientific methodology. Students will also examine the structure and function of the nervous system in human and non-human animals, the processes of sensation and perception, and life span development. Students will study social cognition, influence, and relations. Students will examine social and cultural diversity and diversity among individuals. Students will study memory, including encoding, storage, and retrieval of memory. Students will also study perspectives of abnormal behavior and categories of psychological disorders, including treatment thereof. Students will elaborate on the importance of drawing evidence-based conclusions about psychological phenomena and gain knowledge on a wide array of issues on both individual and global levels. Throughout the course, students will examine connections between content areas within psychology and relate psychological knowledge to everyday life. Students will explore the variety of careers available to those who study psychology.

Available: CHS, UHS

Students will explore the ways sociologists view society, and also how they study the social world. In addition, students will examine culture, socialization, deviance and the structure and impact of institutions and organizations. Also, students will study selected social problems and how change impacts individuals and societies.

Available: CHS, UHS

Advanced Placement Human Geography is an introductory college level course focusing on the study of human geography. This course will have content that is typical to a semester-length undergraduate college level course, but have that content spread out over the full high school year. Passing the final AP exam at the end of the year with a “3” or higher awards you a semester’s worth of college credit in geography at many colleges and universities.

AP Human Geography’s purpose is to introduce students to a systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped mankind’s understanding, use, and alteration of Earth’s surface. Students will learn to use spatial concepts when analyzing human’s organization of space, landscapes, and the environmental consequences of their decisions from the local to global level. Students will also be looking for patterns across the cultural landscape, trying to identify trends, and anticipate future phenomena using the scientific methods, research, and tools of geographers.

At its core, Human Geography teaches students how to interpret maps, select the correct maps to obtain information, interpret sets of data, and analyze geographic models to effectively evaluate the world we live in.

Available: CHS

Prerequisite: AP World History (with B or higher)

Exam Fee: $95.00 (approximately)

The AP European History program reflects a commitment to what teachers, professors, and researchers of history teaching and learning have agreed is the main goal of a college-level survey course in European history: students should learn to analyze and interpret historical facts and evidence in order to achieve understanding of major developments in European history.

To accomplish this goal, the AP European History Curriculum defines concepts, skills, and understandings required by representative colleges and universities for granting college credit and placement. With the goal of practicing the kinds of thinking skills used by historians, students must engage in study of primary and secondary source evidence, analyze a wide array of historical facts and perspectives, and express historical arguments in writing.

Available: CHS, UHS