Social Studies Classes

World History                                                                                          0.50 Credit                                                                                                1 SEMESTER

• Grade Level(s): 9

• PREREQUISITES: None

• MAJOR REQUIREMENTS OR PROJECTS: Hands-on projects, unit tests, and semester exam.

• DESCRIPTION: World History is a chronological survey from the age of exploration to the end of the First World War. Students trace the social, geographic, economic, and political developments and influences that have shaped the modern world.

American Government                                                                      1.00 Credit                                                                                             2 SEMESTERS

• Grade Level(s): 10

• PREREQUISITES: None

• MAJOR REQUIREMENTS OR PROJECTS: Unit tests, semester/benchmark exams and must pass Missouri Constitution, US Constitution, and Citizenship tests to graduate.

• DESCRIPTION: American Government introduces the student to the origins of the U.S. Government. Students will analyze differences in governments around the world and leadership styles. Students will also analyze the Missouri and United States Constitutions.  Students will examine the structure, function, and purpose of local, state, and federal governments and explore the application of modern political ideologies within those systems.

CP American Government                                                               1.00 Credit                                                                                             2 SEMESTERS

• Grade Level(s): 10

• PREREQUISITES: Recommendation of World History instructor.

• MAJOR REQUIREMENTS OR PROJECTS: Unit tests, semester/benchmark exams and must pass Missouri Constitution, US Constitution, and Citizenship tests to graduate.

• DESCRIPTION: American Government introduces the student to the origins of the U.S. Government. Students will analyze differences in governments around the world and leadership styles. Students will also analyze the Missouri and United States Constitutions.  Students will examine the structure, function, and purpose of local, state, and federal governments and explore the application of modern political ideologies within those systems. This is a weighted course that will require comprehensive finals and completion of projects or research papers throughout the year.

American History                                                                                  1.00 Credit                                                                                             2 SEMESTERS

• Grade Level(s): 11

• PREREQUISITES: None

• MAJOR REQUIREMENTS OR PROJECTS: Unit tests, semester exams, projects, readings and map assignments.

• DESCRIPTION: American History is the study of significant national events from the American Civil War to the present. This course emphasizes the impact of historical events on contemporary America. All aspects of social studies (history, geography, political science, economics, psychology, and sociology) are incorporated to better understand history and its impact on contemporary America.

CP American History                                                                          1.00 Credit                                                                                             2 SEMESTERS

• Grade Level(s): 11

• PREREQUISITES: None

• MAJOR REQUIREMENTS OR PROJECTS: Multiple research projects each semester, reading assignments and ALL tests require essay writing and comprehensive semester exams.

• DESCRIPTION: American History introduces the student to the history of the United States by tracing its social, geographic, economic and political developments from the Age of Exploration to the present. This course emphasizes college-level skills to earn credit through Southeast Missouri State University. This is a weighted course that will require comprehensive finals and completion of a course project or research paper. This class may be eligible for college credit - Click here to learn more.

Western Civilizations to 1500                                                                       0.50 Credit                                                                              1 SEMESTER

• Grade Level(s): 12

• PREREQUISITES: CP American History

• MAJOR REQUIREMENTS OR PROJECTS: Essay writings, midterm tests, and semester tests.

• DESCRIPTION: An historical approach to understanding the development of the modern world. This course will examine ancient civilizations of the Ancient Near East, the Hebrews, Greece, Rome, Christianity, Islam, Byzantium, and the Middle Ages. The students will study the political, economic, social, religious, military, cultural, and intellectual traditions that have influenced the development of Western Civilization in the Ancient Near East. This course emphasizes college-level skills to earn credit though Southeast Missouri State University. This is a weighted course that will require comprehensive finals and completion of a course project or research paper. This class may be eligible for college credit - Click here to learn more.

Western Civilizations 1500 to Present                                                        0.50 Credit                                                                      1 SEMESTER

• Grade Level(s): 12

• PREREQUISITES: CP American History

• MAJOR REQUIREMENTS OR PROJECTS: Essay writings, mid term tests, and semester tests.

• DESCRIPTION: An historical approach to understanding the development of the modern world. This course will examine the Renaissance, the Protestant and Catholic Reformations, the Scientific Revolution, Absolutism, the Enlightenment, the French and Industrial revolutions, nineteenth and twentieth century revolution, thought and culture, the World Wars, totalitarian and liberation movements, and the challenges of the new global age. Students will examine the political, economic, social, military, religious, cultural and intellectual traditions that have influenced the development of western Civilization since the appearance of the first civilizations in the Ancient Near East. This course will use narrative history as a tool to transmit the past, while balancing that narrative with historical analysis that makes the students aware that historians often disagree on the interpretations of the past. This course emphasizes college-level skills to earn credit through Southeast Missouri State University. This is a weighted course that will require comprehensive finals and completion of a course project or research paper. This class may be eligible for college credit - Click here to learn more.

Contemporary Issues                                                                           0.50 Credit                                                                                               1 SEMESTER

• Grade Level(s): 10, 11, 12

• PREREQUISITES: Teacher recommendation for additional credits

• MAJOR REQUIREMENTS OR PROJECTS: Media sources, projects, debates, forum discussions, article readings and summaries, weekly podcasts, documentaries, and a final podcast project.

• DESCRIPTION: Contemporary Issues is a semester course designed to survey modern-day issues in our world, nation, state and local community. The course format will cover a wide range of topics and will focus on active, participative learning through the use of media sources, internet websites, and current publications. Through the study of current events and issues, students will become more informed citizens who are better able to use information and non-fiction materials to expand their knowledge base, identify false information and fake news, and use critical thinking skills to solve problems and make decisions. Contemporary Issues is a repeatable course for up to 1.00 Social Studies credit. Any credits earned beyond 1.00 credit for this course will be considered a general elective. Teacher recommendation is required to take this class more than once.

Economics                                                                                                   0.50 Credit                                                                                               1 SEMESTER

• Grade Level(s): 10, 11, 12

• PREREQUISITES: None

• MAJOR REQUIREMENTS OR PROJECTS: Chapter tests, semester exam, hands-on simulations,  various projects, and a major semester research project

• DESCRIPTION: This course will analyze major topics including entrepreneurship, supply and demand, market structures, business structures, labor, money and banking.

Psychology                                                                                                 0.50 Credit                                                                                               1 SEMESTER

• Grade Level(s): 10, 11, 12

• PREREQUISITES: None

• MAJOR REQUIREMENTS OR PROJECTS: Project, chapter tests, semester exam and research paper

• DESCRIPTION: Psychology is the study of the behavior and mental processes of humans and animals. Students will analyze psychology disorders, compare and contrast operant and classical conditioning and assess multiple theories of developmental psychology, study and analyze altered states of consciousness, and determine how the sensation, perception and the memory process works in humans. Students will also examine personality structures and assessments used to measure personality. This is a weighted course that will require comprehensive finals and completion of a course projects or research papers throughout the semester.

Advanced Psychology                                                                         0.50 Credit                                                                                               1 SEMESTER

• Grade Level(s): 12

• PREREQUISITES: C or better in Psychology and enrollment through MAC.

• MAJOR REQUIREMENTS OR PROJECTS: Research papers, mid-term and semester exams online through MAC.

• DESCRIPTION: This semester long course through Mineral Area College (MAC) requires enrollment and will examine the behavior and mental processes of humans. It is conducted as an Independent Study course that also will examine psychological disorders, developmental psychology, personality, classical and operant conditioning, memory processes, sensation and perception, stress, psychological tests, memory, and altered states and conditions. This class must be taken for college credit - Click here to learn more.

Sociology                                                                                                     0.50 Credit                                                                                               1 SEMESTER

• Grade Level(s): 10, 11, 12

• PREREQUISITES: None

• MAJOR REQUIREMENTS OR PROJECTS: Unit tests, Semester Exams, projects.

• DESCRIPTION: Sociology is the study of social structure. The class investigates human social behavior from a group rather than individual perspective. Topics will include comparing and contrasting our society and culture to others around the world. This class will also investigate and analyze the inequalities of race and ethnicity as well as age and gender in our society. Students will also explore social classes and examine deviance and social control in our society.

Modern America                                                                                     0.50 Credit                                                                                               1 SEMESTER

• Grade Level(s): 11, 12

• PREREQUISITES: None.

• MAJOR REQUIREMENTS OR PROJECTS: Projects, major semester research project, primary source documents and readings, comprehensive semester exam.

• DESCRIPTION: Modern America is a semester course which examines significant national events from 1900-2000, which have contributed toward the development of contemporary America. All aspects of social studies (history, geography, political science, economics, psychology, and sociology) are incorporated to better understand the impact of history on contemporary America, including investigation of foreign, social, and political affairs, as well as specific movements within the United States. Modern America is designed to give students an appreciation and understanding for the social, geographical, political, and economic factors that continue to affect them in today's society.  This is a weighted course that will require comprehensive finals and the completion of a course project or research paper.  This class may be eligible for elective college credit through Mineral Area College.