AP U.S. Government and Politics is a college-level, year-long course that seeks not only to prepare students for success on the AP exam in May, but also to provide students with the political knowledge and reasoning processes to participate meaningfully and thoughtfully in the discussion and debates that shape American politics and society. It is important to note that this course is not a history course; it is a political science course that studies the interconnectedness of the different parts of the American political system and the behaviors and attitudes that both shape this system and are byproducts of this system. 

AP U.S. Government and Politics accomplishes these goals by framing the acquisition of political knowledge around enduring understandings and big ideas about American government and politics. Through development of political knowledge, disciplinary practices, and reasoning processes, students will be able to analyze current and historical political events like a political scientist. They will develop factually accurate, well-reasoned, thoughtful arguments and opinions that acknowledge and grapple with alternative political perspectives. 

Note: this course includes a summer assignment.

Prerequisites: 1) Cumulative 3.0 GPA 

AP Human Geography introduces students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of Earth’s surface. Students employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to examine human social, cultural, political and economic organization and its environmental consequences. Students also learn about the methods and tools geographers use in their science and practice. Topics include: population demographics, migration, folk and popular culture, languages, religions, ethnicities, political geography, economic development, food and agriculture, industry and manufacturing, services and settlements, and urban patterns.

Note: this course includes a summer assignment.

Prerequisites: 1) 1) 3.25 GPA 2) AP Potential Score 

This course is specifically designed to prepare the student with the skills necessary to pass the Advanced Placement Exam in Psychology. It will survey psychology from its earliest foundations to its most recent theories. The vocabulary level and workload will be consistent with that of an introductory college level course in psychology. Outside readings and research, in addition to term projects, are an integral part of this course.

Note: this course includes a summer assignment.

Prerequisites: 1) Cumulative 3.5 GPA 2) AP Potential Score or PSAT 8/9 Score

Study the cultural, economic, political, and social developments that have shaped the world from c. 1200 CE to the present. Students will analyze texts, visual sources, and other historical evidence and write essays expressing historical arguments while exploring the origins of modern global cultures. This course is designed as a broad introduction to the six major chronological periods of World History, from prehistory to the present, prompting students to make connections across broad historical trends and global processes. Students developing historical arguments, chronological reasoning, comparison contextualization skills, and historical interpretation and synthesis, while preparing for the Advanced Placement Exam. The course is open to 10th to 12th graders.

Note: this course includes a summer assignment.

Prerequisites: 1) Cumulative 3.25 GPA 2) AP Potential Score 

AP European History offers a yearlong survey of European history from the Renaissance to the present while developing students’ analytical, research, and study skills. It follows the events that led to the rise of this collection of small countries from relative obscurity on the world stage to imperial domination to their downfall after two world wars decimated the continent. As students learn about how these countries rose to power, they will prepare for the AP exam, get a challenging learning experience, and preview the rigors of an introductory college history course. Students learn social science concepts in history, political science, geography, and economics, as well as major interpretive trends and basic factual knowledge. The class provides a terrific platform for AP US history as students learn essential study and writing skills that will set them up for success in future AP history courses.

Note: this course includes a summer assignment.

Prerequisites: 1) Cumulative 3.5 GPA 2) Score from SHC's November 2020 practice PSAT administration.

This year-long course examines the history of California and San Francisco. We study geography, natural resources, and the impact of immigration on the state. One significant focus of the course will be the challenges and contributions of all of the people who have made California their home. We will analyze the economic, social, and cultural history of the state through primary sources, historical writing, film and personal histories. We will explore the recurring theme of San Francisco and California as unique places of escape, invention, and a counterculture to the rest of the country, looking closely at the recent past, present day issues, and the future of our state and city.

This course, formerly titled Race and Culture, will offer an in-depth look at societal issues as they affect racial and ethnic groups in the United States, a nation of many peoples. Students will study cultural differences among groups in our community in an attempt to increase awareness of and appreciation for diversity. Topics will include education, gender, media and employment as they relate to multiculturalism.

This course is for those interested in the study of human behavior and mental processes. Students will be introduced to the major approaches within Psychology, becoming familiar with concepts including learning and cognition, social and cognitive development, personality, motivation, consciousness, memory, and the connectedness and relationship between the body and mind. Students will explore research methods and design, and how psychological research and theory contribute to the study of other sciences and the humanities while improving the lives of individuals and society.

Homefront is a one semester course that examines a mid-twentieth century American society that had been transformed by the Second World War. To create a more accurate image of America and to enrich the students’ learning experience, this interdisciplinary course will incorporate components of literature, science, music and film in addition to historical developments between 1941 and 1945. Topics will include the Great Depression, FDR and the New Deal, America’s isolationism, Pearl Harbor, wartime rationing and shortages, propaganda, the relocation of Japanese-Americans, and the scientific and technological developments brought about by the war.

Modern America  is an interdisciplinary course in which we will examine the United States beginning with the post-World War II era. The focus will be on the Cold War and its impact on modern and domestic developments in the United States. Particular emphasis will be placed on the following topics: the Truman administration, the nuclear arms race, McCarthyism, the Civil Rights Movement, the emergence of television, the Eisenhower administration, the race for space, Kennedy and confrontation, and Johnson’s Great Society versus the Vietnam War.

The course is an examination of the criminal justice system, including criminal law, crime, the police and their roles, and policing topics such as profiling, use of force, police discretion, and arrests for criminal offenses. Criminal Justice will also examine the court system, differences between a felony and a misdemeanor, and how the system deals with these. Students will explore issues such as sentencing, plea bargaining, amicability of evidence, and the role of the prosecution and defense attorneys. The final portion of the Criminal Justice triangle is corrections, conventional prison and jails as well as alternatives to incarceration. Students will research the merits and shortcomings of community service, drug and alcohol diversion, domestic violence school, and probation. Lastly, the course will highlight street law particularly as it relates to teens, including an examination of the rights that teens have when dealing with the police.

This course teaches high school forensics using National Speech and Debate Association events. Students learn how to write and deliver an original oratory speech, and how to construct a case and debate in the policy format. Both events require academic rigor in research and argumentation, and creative self-expression through performance. Core skills taught include social science research, argument construction and refutation, analytical and creative writing, critical thinking, and (of course) public speaking. Conceptually, students learn to identify a social, cultural, economic, or political problem and propose a solution, either a political solution in the case of policy debate, or an individual solution in original oratory. Finally, students gain self confidence in themselves, their ideas, and their voice. 

This course is available to 9th-12th graders.  It will meet during block 7 and/or block 8.