social studies

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The social studies program is designed to provide students with a description of the development and organization of human society through the acquisition of knowledge and the use of critical thinking skills. Instruction embraces the concepts of human freedom, human dignity, citizenship, and interdependence; discusses them openly; and relates them to history and contemporary affairs. Through this process, students will become more informed, will learn to more fully use analytical skills, and will become more empathetic toward other human beings.

Three units of credit in social studies are required for graduation. The prescribed social studies course sequence includes United States History, American Government, and Modern World History.

Courses

UNITED STATES HISTORY – 023323

This course presents a comprehensive study of United States History from 1877 to the present. Students examine major themes and concepts, with a strong emphasis on disciplinary-literacy and interpretation of primary and secondary source documents, and on the application of knowledge through argument and informative writing using multiple sources. Students will be exposed to many seminal documents in American History and will be expected to closely read and analyze complex text. Students will learn skills and content that will help prepare them for future coursework in secondary social studies. Furthermore, this course embeds student service-learning into the course. This course fulfills the United States History graduation requirement. 

UNITED STATES HISTORY (HONORS) - 023353

This course presents a comprehensive study of United States History from 1877 to the present. Students will learn major concepts and themes in United States History, with a strong emphasis on the reading and interpretation of primary and secondary source documents, and on the application of knowledge through argument and informative writing using multiple sources. Students will be exposed to many seminal documents in American History, and will be expected to closely read and analyze complex text. Honors United States History is an enriched course with more challenging expectations than United States History. This course requires students to have a commitment to academic pursuits, while demonstrating self- motivation and independency. Students will learn skills and content that will help prepare them for future coursework in secondary social studies, especially AP level coursework. Furthermore, this course embeds student service-learning into the course. This course fulfills the United States History graduation requirement.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT HUMAN GEOGRAPHY – 029253

Advanced Placement Human Geography introduces students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of the Earth’s surface. Students will make use of spatial concepts and landscape analysis to examine the human social organization and its environmental consequences. While studying methods and tools geographers use, this course allows students to learn about world population issues, border disputes, and international conflicts. Students examine economic theories, models, religions, and languages. Students will study urban development, industrialization, and city planning.

INDEPENDENT STUDY SOCIAL STUDIES – 022093

Independent Study Social Studies is designed for advanced students who wish to pursue individualized course work beyond the school day. All work is supervised by a member of the social studies department. Students must complete a minimum of 132 hours of supervised activities for each 1 unit of credit and submit a minimum of two projects as determined by the student and the instructor. (A maximum of six units of elective credit may be earned through independent study and/or work-study programs while in high school.) COURSE NOTE: This unit of credit may not count as a required course. 

INDEPENDENT STUDY STUDENT SERVICE-LEARNING – 555593 

Independent Study Student Service-Learning is designed to give students the opportunity to assist others in their community. Students must complete a minimum of 150 hours of supervised engineering activities for each 1 unit of credit. Students and members of the school staff will determine acceptable Student Service-Learning activities and will maintain a record of the service. COURSE NOTE: This unit may be used to fulfill the Student Service-Learning requirement. 

MULTICULTURAL HERITAGE – 022523

This course is designed to assist students in understanding and valuing the diverse cultures present in the United States. Students will demonstrate attainment of a positive self-concept and empathy toward others in order to improve interaction among individuals and groups in our democratic society. Students will demonstrate the application of knowledge and skills through historical perspectives, case studies, role-playing, conflict resolution, problem-solving techniques, and simulation activities. COURSE NOTE: This course does not count toward the three-year social studies credit requirement for graduation. 

SCHOOL STUDENT SERVICE-LEARNING – 555693

The School Student Service-Learning course is designed to give students the opportunity to assist others within the community. This course will focus on reasons to be involved in student service as well as present ideas for procuring service positions. Student preparation, service, and reflection will be provided during the class period and will be extended beyond the school day. Students and members of the school staff will determine acceptable school student service activities and will maintain a record of the service. Students must complete a minimum of 75 hours of student service activities in this course. COURSE NOTE: This unit may be used to fulfill the Student Service-Learning requirement.

GLOBAL DIPLOMACY 10 (HONORS) – 022633

Global Diplomacy will include the study of the history, diversity, and commonalities of the peoples of the world and will develop an awareness of the reality of human interdependence and the need for global cooperation. Students will examine historical and current attempts and international diplomatic efforts to solve problems. Students will demonstrate attainment of understandings and attitudes permeating the globe through the use of case studies, role playing, conflict resolution, problem-solving techniques, and simulation activities. The following topics are included in the course of study: world geography and its impact on global relationships, current global issues and their foundations, previous and current attempts at global diplomacy, regional studies with a current emphasis on multicultural perspectives, background and structure of the United Nations, and Model United Nations simulations. This course requires students to have a commitment to academic pursuits, while demonstrating self-motivation and independency. Students will learn skills and content that will help prepare them for future coursework in secondary social studies. Final opportunities are provided for students to complete their student service-learning requirements. COURSE NOTE: This course does not count toward the three-year social studies credit requirement for graduation.

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT – 021123

This course presents a comprehensive study of national, state, and local government. Additional topics of study include law, economics, financial literacy, and current issues. Students will learn and apply content and skills through reading complex primary and secondary source text for comprehension and interpretation, written and oral expression, study skills, problem solving, and critical thinking skills. Students will be expected to closely read and analyze many seminal documents in American history, important Supreme Court cases, laws and statutes, graphs and charts, as well as news articles and political cartoons. Students will learn skills and content that will help prepare them for future coursework in secondary social studies, furthermore, this course embeds student service-learning into the course and fulfills the Government graduation requirement and prepares students for the High School Assessment in Government. This course may not be scheduled in all high schools.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS – 024533

The course is designed to give students a critical perspective on government and politics in the United States. This course involves both the study of general concepts used to interpret American politics and the analysis of specific case studies. It also requires familiarity with the various institutions, groups, beliefs, and ideas that make up the American political scene. The following topics are included in this course of study: constitutional underpinnings of American government, political beliefs and behaviors, political parties and interest groups, institutions and policy processes of national government, and civil rights and civil liberties. Students should be aware that not all colleges grant credit for qualifying grades on the Advanced Placement examination, although over 400 institutions do grant credit. This course may be substituted for Government (Certificate of Merit Course) and will prepare students for the High School Assessment in Government. This course also includes student service-learning.

GEOGRAPHY – 029203

This course stresses the study of the physical features of the world through the use of geographic skills. The study continues with the development of relationships between the earth’s physical features and the cultures of various populations around the world. COURSE NOTE: This course does not count toward the three-year social studies credit requirement for graduation.

GLOBAL DIPLOMACY 11 – 023633

Global Diplomacy will include the study of the history, diversity, and commonalities of the peoples of the world and will develop an awareness of the reality of human interdependence and the need for global cooperation. Students will examine historical and current attempts and international diplomatic efforts to solve problems. Students will demonstrate attainment of understandings and attitudes permeating the globe through the use of case studies, role playing, conflict resolution, problem-solving techniques, and simulation activities. The following topics are included in the course of study: world geography and its impact on global relationships, current global issues and their foundations, previous and current attempts at global diplomacy, regional studies with a current emphasis on multicultural perspectives, background and structure of the United Nations, and Model United Nations simulations. This course requires students to have a commitment to academic pursuits, while demonstrating self-motivation and independency. Students will learn skills and content that will help prepare them for future coursework in secondary social studies. Final opportunities are provided for students to complete their student service-learning requirements. COURSE NOTE: This course does not count toward the three-year social studies credit requirement for graduation. 

ADVANCED PLACEMENT ECONOMICS - 024303

Advanced Placement Economics includes both Macro and Micro Economics. Macroeconomics is designed to give students an understanding of the principles of economics that apply to an economic system as a whole. Emphasis is placed on the study of national income and price determination and develops familiarity with economic performance measures, economic growth, and international economics. Microeconomics provides an understanding of the principles of economics that apply to the functions of individual decision-makers, both consumers and producers, within the larger economic system. The course emphasizes the nature and functions of product markets and includes the study of factor markets and the role of government in promoting greater efficiency and equity in the economy. Students should be aware that not all colleges grant credit for qualifying grades on the Advanced Placement examination, although over 400 institutions do grant credit. COURSE NOTE: This course does not count toward the social studies credit requirement for graduation. 

ADVANCED PLACEMENT MICROECONOMICS – 024323

This course provides a thorough understanding of the principles of economics that apply to the functions of individual decision-makers, both consumers and producers, within the economic system. It places primary emphasis on the nature and functions of product markets and includes the study of factor markets and of the role of government in promoting greater efficiency and equity in the economy. 

ADVANCED PLACEMENT MACROECONOMICS – 024333

This course provides a thorough understanding of the principles of economics that apply to an economic system as a whole. The course places particular emphasis on the study of national income and price-level determination, and also develops students’ familiarity with economic performance measures, the financial sector, stabilization policies, economic growth, and international economics. 

MODERN WORLD HISTORY – 022223, 162213

Modern World History will examine major civilizations from Asia, Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the Americas with the emphasis on the era from 1450 A.D. to the present. Strong emphasis is placed on developing disciplinary-literacy skills while focusing on primary and secondary source documents, maps, and data, and on the application of knowledge through argument and informative writing using multiple sources. Students will be exposed to many seminal documents in world history and will be expected to closely read and analyze complex text. This course is recommended for students who have demonstrated a need for skill improvement as indicated by previous social studies coursework. Students will learn skills and content that will help prepare them for future coursework in secondary social studies. This course fulfills the Modern World History graduation requirement. This course may not be scheduled in all high schools. 

AP European History - 022273

The Advanced Placement (AP) European History elective course has students investigate significant events, individuals, developments, and processes from approximately 1450 to the present.  Students develop and use the same skills, practices, and methods historians employ; analyzing primary and secondary sources; developing historical arguments; making historical connections; and utilizing reasoning about comparison, causation, and continuity and change over time.  The course also provides seven themes that students explore throughout the course in order to make connections among historical developments in different times and places; interaction of Europe and the world, economic and commercial development, cultural and intellectual development, states and other institutions of power, social organization and development, national and European identity, and technological and scientific innovations.

COURSE NOTE: This unit(s) may not count as a required course.


AP African American Studies - 022283


The Advanced Placement (AP) African American Studies is an elective interdisciplinary course that examines the diversity of African American experiences through direct encounters with authentic and varied sources.  The course focuses on four thematic units that move across the instructional year chronologically, providing students with opportunities to examine key topics that extend from the medieval kingdoms of West Africa to the ongoing challenges and achievements of the contemporary moment.  Given the interdisciplinary character of African American studies, students in the course will develop skills across multiple fields, emphasizing historical, literary, visual, and data analysis skills.  The new course foregrounds a study of the diversity of Black communities in the United States within the broader context of Africa and the African diaspora.

COURSE NOTE:  This unit(s) may not count as a required course.


ADVANCED PLACEMENT WORLD HISTORY – 022243

AP World History course is to develop a greater understanding of the evolution of different types of human societies. The study will focus upon the time period from approximately 6000 B.C.E. to the present. Students will examine a truly global history by identifying global patterns and processes that have affected human history throughout time through a combination of factual knowledge and appropriate analytical skills. The course will stress six themes: the impact of interaction, change and continuity, the impact of technology and demography, social structure and gender, cultural and intellectual developments, and politics. Students should be aware that not all colleges grant credit for qualifying grades on the Advanced Placement examination, although over 400 institutions do grant credit. 

PSYCHOLOGY– 025303

This course is a study of the complexities of human behavior and the problems of adjustment to the environment. Individual and group applications of psychological principles are examined to provide a further understanding of human behavior. 

COURSE NOTE: This course does not count toward the three-year social studies credit requirement for graduation. 

ADVANCED PLACEMENT PSYCHOLOGY – 025503

The core curriculum introduces the methods of inquiry and evaluation used by psychologists. The course contains information relating to issues that all individuals encounter, not only in themselves but in their relationships with friends and families; its study leads to an appreciation of a tolerance for individual differences. All students should acquire insight into the complex determinants of behavior and prepare to be intelligent consumers of psychological services. Topics in the course may include but are not limited to scientific methods of psychology, growth and development, learning, personality, mental health and behavioral disorders, and social psychology. Students should be aware that not all colleges grant credit for qualifying grades on the Advanced Placement examination, although over 400 institutions do grant credit. 

COURSE NOTE: This course does not count toward the three-year social studies credit requirement for graduation. 

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES – 024423

Contemporary Issues will provide the students the opportunity to study and examine some of the major issues facing the United States and the world today for the twenty-first century. The course will emphasize government and economic systems, regional cooperation, and world interdependence. Through this process, students will develop the understanding and skills, which are necessary for citizens to influence the American political and economic system and global community. This course is recommended for students who have demonstrated a need for skill improvement as indicated by previous social studies coursework. Final opportunities are provided for students to complete their student service-learning requirements. 

COURSE NOTE: This course does not count toward the three-year social studies credit requirement for graduation.

GLOBAL DIPLOMACY 12 - 022643

Global Diplomacy will include the study of the history, diversity, and commonalities of the peoples of the world and will develop an awareness of the reality of human interdependence and the need for global cooperation. Students will examine historical and current attempts and international diplomatic efforts to solve problems. Students will demonstrate attainment of understandings and attitudes permeating the globe through the use of case studies, role playing, conflict resolution, problem-solving techniques, and simulation activities. The following topics are included in this course of study: world geography and its impact on global relationships, current global issues and their foundations, previous and current attempts at global diplomacy, regional studies with an emphasis on multicultural perspectives, background and structure of the United Nations. This course is recommended for students who have demonstrated a need for skill improvement as indicated by previous social studies coursework. Final opportunities are provided for students to complete their student service-learning requirements. COURSE NOTE: This course does not count toward the three-year social studies credit requirement for graduation.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT UNITED STATES HISTORY – 023433

The course is designed to provide students with the analytic skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the issues in American history. Students will learn to assess historical materials - their relevance to a given interpretive problem, their reliability, and their importance - and to weigh the evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship. Topics included in this course begin with the discovery and settlement of the New World, 1492-1650, and conclude with a study of America since 1974. Students should be aware that not all colleges grant credit for qualifying grades on the Advanced Placement examination, although over 400 institutions do grant credit. 

American Government Seminar Review - 021163

This course is designed to assist students who passed the American government course but need assistance with passing the American Government High School Assessment and/or completing H.S.A Bridge Projects. The four content standards assessed on the Government High School Assessment will be emphasized: Political Science, Peoples of the Nations and World, Geography, and Economics. 

COURSE NOTE: The 1.0 credit is awarded when the student successfully passes the Government High School Assessment and/or successfully meets the H.S.A. Bridge requirements. The course does not count toward the three credits of social studies required for high school graduation. 

American Government Seminar Review - 021163

This course is designed to assist students who passed the American government course but need assistance with passing the American Government High School Assessment and/or completing H.S.A Bridge Projects. The four content standards assessed on the Government High School Assessment will be emphasized: Political Science, Peoples of the Nations and World, Geography, and Economics. 

COURSE NOTE: The 1.0 credit is awarded when the student successfully passes the Government High School Assessment and/or successfully meets the H.S.A. Bridge requirements. The course does not count toward the three credits of social studies required for high school graduation. 

Advanced Placement Comparative Government and Politics - 023483


This course uses a comparative approach to examine the political structures; policies; and political, economic, and social challenges of six selected countries:  China, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, and the United Kingdom.  Students cultivate their understanding of comparative government and politics through analysis of data and text-based sources as they explore topics like power and authority, legitimacy and stability, democratization, internal and external forces, and methods of political analysis.