Geography - 9th grade

This course explores the 5 themes of Geography, Place, Region, Location, Human-Environment Interaction, and Movement. We examine how these themes affect and interact with each other. Students will learn about basic concepts of geography such as typography, longitude and latitude, map reading skills, geo-literacy, the oceans, continents, regional climate zones, seasons, weather patterns, and human culture and impacts on the environment. Students will leave the classroom with the understanding of how these topics affect the way humans live and interact with the planet as well as the geographical factors that shape history and the human experience. 

Ethnic Studies - 9th grade

This course examines, analyzes, and explores themes of personal identity, ethnicity/race, intersectionality,  indigeneity, colonialism, systems of power and oppression, and resistance/social movements. Students will gain insights into how their personal identity, lived experiences and intersectionality shapes how they see the world and how the world sees them. Students will study groups such as Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, the LatinX community, as well as various subgroups. We examine the history of colonialism and its impact on these groups both inside and outside the United States. They will garner an understanding of how systems of power and oppression have shaped the modern world and the various social movements that have resisted and affected change throughout history. Students will leave the classroom with knowledge of how these groups fought for equal rights and treatment as well as contributed to the betterment of society. 

World History - 10th grade

The goal of this course is to teach students to become thoughtful interpreters of World History.  Students who complete this course will be able to relate past events to current events.  Students will recognize that the solutions to the problems of the past have ramifications for the future, and therefore, it is valuable to learn history to understand the world we live in today.  Finally, students should see the human side of history, that is, the people who have acted in the past have faced similar issues and situations that we face today.  Students in grade ten begin the year examining the question “Why and how should we study history?” continuing from there to study major turning points that shaped the modern world, from the late eighteenth century through the present, including the cause and course of the two world wars. They develop an understanding of current world issues and relate them to their historical, geographic, political, economic, and cultural contexts. Students consider multiple accounts of events in order to understand international relations from a

variety of perspectives.

AP World History - 10th grade
Modern is an introductory college-level modern world history course. Students cultivate their understanding of world history from c. 1200 CE to the present through analyzing historical sources and learning to make connections and craft historical arguments as they explore concepts like humans and the environment, cultural developments and interactions, governance, economic systems, social interactions, and organization, and technology and innovation. College Board’s Advanced Placement Program enables willing and academically prepared students to pursue college-level studies—with the opportunity to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both—while still in high school. Skills you will learn include:

• Evaluating primary and secondary sources

• Analyzing the claims, evidence, and reasoning you find in sources

• Putting historical developments in context and making connections between them

• Coming up with a claim or thesis and explaining and supporting it in writing

U.S. History - 11th grade

Students in grade eleven study the major turning points in American history in the twentieth century. Following a review of the nation’s beginnings and the impact of the Enlightenment on U.S. democratic ideals, students build upon the tenth-grade study of global industrialization to understand the emergence and impact of new technology and a corporate economy, including the social and cultural effects. They trace the change in the ethnic composition of American society; the movement toward equal rights for racial minorities and women; and the role of the United States as a major world power. An emphasis is placed on the expanding role of the federal government and federal courts as well as the continuing tension between the individual and the state. Students consider the major social problems of our time and trace their causes to historical events. They learn that the United States has served as a model for other nations and that the rights and freedoms we enjoy are not accidents, but the results of a defined set of political principles that are not always basic to citizens of other countries. Students understand that our rights under the U.S. Constitution are a precious inheritance that depends on an educated citizenry for their preservation and protection. 

AP U.S. History - 11th grade
Study the key concepts and institutions of the political system and culture of the United States. You'll read, analyze, and discuss the U.S. Constitution and other documents as well as complete a research or applied civics project. Skills you will learn include:

• Connecting political concepts to real-life situations

• Explaining the impact and implications of certain U.S. Supreme Court decisions

• Analyzing data to find patterns and trends and draw conclusions

• Reading and analyzing text and visual sources

• Developing a claim or thesis and supporting it in an essay

African American Studies - 11th grade (12th elective)
This course offers a rich, source-based encounter with African American experiences. You’ll explore key topics that extend from early African kingdoms to contemporary challenges and achievements. Drawing from disciplines including history, literature, the arts, geography, science, and law, you’ll study the vital contributions and experiences of African Americans and members of Black communities within the broader context of the African diaspora.  Throughout the course, you’ll examine different themes from a variety of perspectives, ultimately choosing a topic of focus for your individual student project, where you’ll define a research topic and present your argument. 

AP African American Studies - 11th grade (12th elective)
This course offers a rich, source-based encounter with African American experiences. You’ll explore key topics that extend from early African kingdoms to contemporary challenges and achievements. Drawing from disciplines including history, literature, the arts, geography, science, and law, you’ll study the vital contributions and experiences of African Americans and members of Black communities within the broader context of the African diaspora.  Throughout the course, you’ll examine different themes from a variety of perspectives, ultimately choosing a topic of focus for your individual student project, where you’ll define a research topic and present your argument. Skills you will learn include:

• Applying disciplinary knowledge of course concepts, developments, patterns, and processes

• Evaluating written and visual sources and data

• Developing an argument using a line of reasoning to connect claims and evidence

ELD World History -
Course Description: World History (ELD) is a course designed to help English Learners understand and meet the standards adopted by the State of California.  Vocabulary is made more concrete and concepts more understandable through the use of specific teaching strategies and techniques. The course content relates the contributions of Greece, Rome, Judaism, and Christianity to the development of democratic traditions and Western thought. Students compare and contrast the effects of political and ideological revolutions on self-government, individual liberty, and the development of the modern nation-state. The course covers the effects of Imperialism throughout the world, analyzes the causes and effects of the Great Wars of the twentieth century, and analyzes the development and integration of modern nations and economies. This course is aligned with the Common Core State Standards for Literacy in History/Social Science. These courses are designed for orally fluent English Learners

Syllabus: N/A

Psychology -
Psychology is a two semester A-G elective class.  Psychology uses the brain and the mind to the study of behavior and mental processes.  In a broad sense the course tries to explain how biology, society, culture and psychological processes influence behavior and thoughts.  More specifically, topics such as the biological basis of behavior, sleep and dreams, learning and memory, state of consciousness with an emphasis on psychoactive drugs and lastly mental disorders and treatments.  This class seeks to allow students to take the concepts and relate them to themselves to help create a more self aware person.  The students can better create a more successful life for themselves.  

Homework: 0-30 min/day for projects

Grading: Teacher discretion

Difficulty: Moderate

G category an elective

AP Psychology -
AP Weighted GPA

Prerequisite: Regular Psychology

AP Psychology is an introductory college-level psychology course. Students cultivate their understanding of the systematic and scientific study of human behavior and mental processes through inquiry-based investigations as they explore concepts like psychological scientific practices, the biological basis of behavior, cognition, human development learning and memory, social psychology and personality, and mental and physical health.  This class also tries to take all of these concepts and apply them to the student's personal life, so the student can become self-aware and can create the best choices for themselves.  

Homework: 30 min-1hr /day

Grading: Grades are determined by various teachers

Difficulty: Difficult

A-G Category: G Elective