This course prepares students with the knowledge and skills needed to make informed financial decisions in college, career, and adult life. Students develop practical financial literacy through real-world applications involving banking, budgeting, employment, credit, borrowing, insurance, taxes, saving, investing, and financial planning.

Students will learn how to manage checking and savings accounts, create and maintain a personal budget, understand earnings and deductions, read pay stubs and tax forms, evaluate credit and loans, understand interest and debt, and compare the costs and benefits of financial products and services. The course also introduces students to insurance, financial markets, saving and investing, major financial decisions such as renting or purchasing a home or vehicle, and responsible use of digital financial tools.

Through projects, simulations, problem-solving, and analysis of real-world financial situations, students will apply mathematical reasoning and critical-thinking skills to make and evaluate personal financial decisions. Emphasis is placed on developing financial responsibility, economic empowerment, and lifelong financial decision-making skills.

This course examines the histories, cultures, experiences, and contributions of diverse peoples in the United States and California. Students explore how identity, culture, race, ethnicity, migration, geography, economics, and historical events have shaped individuals, communities, and society.

Through the study of primary and secondary sources, students investigate the experiences and contributions of Native American, African American, Chicana/o/x and Latina/o/x, Asian American, and other historically underrepresented communities. Students analyze multiple perspectives, examine how historical events and social systems have influenced communities, and explore the ways individuals and groups have responded to challenges and contributed to the development of California and the United States.

The course emphasizes inquiry, critical thinking, historical reasoning, cultural understanding, civic engagement, and evidence-based communication. Students will connect historical experiences to contemporary issues and consider how individuals and communities have worked together to create change and shape the future. Through projects, discussion, research, and analysis of diverse sources, students develop a deeper understanding of the complexity of American history and the diverse experiences that have contributed to the nation's story.