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Freshmen must enroll in one of the following two courses:
World History
Course Number(s): H405101
Length: 2 Semesters (4 Credits)
Prerequisites: None
Grade: 9
World History is a full year course that may be learned chronologically or thematically. In World History, students will use historical thinking skills to study themes, eras and societies from prehistory to modern times from a global perspective. SPPS students will meet the MN State Standards for Social Studies.
Accelerated World History (Honors)
Course Number(s): H453101
Length: 2 Semesters (4 Credits)
Prerequisites: Grade-level reading ability or above
Grade: 9
This advanced-level course applies a thematic
approach to the study of world history. Students will explore how social, political, cultural, economic, technological and environmental factors have impacted human development over the last 12,000 years. Research, analysis of historical sources and project-based learning will be the focus of this class.
Note: This course is strongly recommended for all future advanced coursework in Social Studies.
Sophomores must enroll in one of the following two courses:
Human Geography
Course Number(s): H402211
Length: 1 Semester (2 Credits)
Prerequisites: None
Grade: 10
Human Geography is a required semester-long course where students will learn about local, national and global issues from a global perspective. These themes will build geo-spatial skills and understanding of places, regions and human systems. SPPS students will meet the MN State Standards for Social Studies.
Human Geography AP (Honors)
Course Number(s): H452211
Length: 2 Semesters (4 Credits)
Prerequisites: Grade level reading ability
Grade: 10
This course is designed to have students learn and apply AP-level skills. Students who enter this course should have the critical thinking and study skills necessary to perform and succeed at an AP level. Students will learn to study efficiently, but critically, will read a large amount of written material, and will practice rigorous methods for understanding and learning facts, for creating and testing hypotheses, and for organizing, debating and evaluating concepts and theories. This course provides practice in researching and discussing global issues, helps students to recognize and understand typical patterns of processes and behaviors, helps them to understand and explain statistical data, charts, graphs, and geographical documents, and expects a high quality of written analysis and interpretation. Students will study the nature and perspectives of geography, population, migration, agriculture, economic development, cultural geography, political geography and urbanization. This course will offer the opportunity to complete the Minnesota Graduation Standard for Social Studies, Human Geography. This course also fulfills the Minnesota State University System’s entrance requirement. Finally, this course will prepare students for the AP Human Geography exam. Students are expected to take the Geography AP test in May.
Juniors must enroll in one of the following two courses:
CIS: United States History (Honors)
Course Number(s): H494101
Length: 2 Semesters (4 Credits)
Prerequisites: Top 20% of Class
Grade: 11
In this college history course, students prepare for the wide variety of writing expected at the collegiate level. This year-long course consists of two University of Minnesota classes American History 1307 and 1308. Each is a 3 credit course. The first semester surveys the political, economic, and social history of colonial America through Reconstruction. The second semester surveys two tumultuous centuries of conflict and change during the Gilded Age, the Progressive Era, American involvement in WWI, the Depression, Word War II, the Cold War, and Globalization. Unites States History: CIS is a college course taught in high school; it is not a high school class. Students have more freedom than in other courses taught in high school-but they also have more responsibility for their own progress. Upon successful completion of this course, students receive six semester credits from the University of Minnesota. Additionally, students will surpass the U.S. History high school standards of the state of Minnesota. This course covers many requirements the University of Minnesota has. If you are planning to go there for a STEM degree, this course is an excellent choice as it will cover many requirements.
U.S. History Survey
Course Number(s): H404301
Length: 2 Semesters (4 Credits)
Prerequisites: None
Grade: 11
U.S. History Survey is a full year course that may be learned chronologically or thematically. Students will use historical thinking skills and multiple perspectives to study people, events and places in U.S. History. While in this course, students can expect to participate in History Day. SPPS students will meet the MN State Standards for Social Studies.
Seniors must enroll in Economics and one of the following government courses:
Economics
Course Number(s): H406111
Length: 1 Semester (2 Credits)
Prerequisites: None
Grade: 12
Economics is a semester long course where students use economic reasoning skills and learn personal finance, fundamental economics concepts and microeconomic concepts. SPPS students will meet the MN State Standards for Social Studies.
US Government
Course Number(s): H401401
Length: 1 Semester (2 Credits)
Prerequisites: None
Grade: 12
Government is a semester-long course where students learn civic skills, civic values and principles of democracy, rights and responsibilities, governmental institutions and political processes to equip them with the knowledge and skills required for participation in civic life. SPPS students will meet the MN State Standards for Social Studies.
CIS: Challenge of Democracy (Honors)
Course Number(s): H491451
Length: 1 Semester (2 Credits)
Prerequisites: Recommended: Grade level reading ability
Grade: 12
In this college course, students will be introduced to the fundamentals of American government and the political process at the national, state, and local levels. We will examine the relationship between the American people and their political institutions with an emphasis on political culture, the electoral process, political parties, interest groups, and political communication. Students will be expected to actively participate in class discussions. This is a college course taught in high school; it is not a high school class. Students have more freedom then in other courses taught in high school – but they also have more responsibility for their own progress. Upon successful completion of this course, students receive four credits from the University of Minnesota.
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Elective Credit Classes Offered:
African American Studies
Course Number(s): H496011
Length: 1 Semester (2 Credits)
Prerequisites: None
Grade: 9-12
This course examines historical periods and events in African and African-American history from African background to Reconstruction, their role in the evolution of America’s historical development, and their impact on African-Americans in the United States. Political, social, economic, and cultural aspects will be analyzed and evaluated. Special attention will be given to the conflict between slaves and slaveholders, as well as the issues and philosophies surrounding that conflict.
CIS African American Studies
Course Number(s): H404501
Length: 1 Semester (2 Credits)
Prerequisites: None
Grade: 11-12
This semester course is an introduction to the study of people of African descent in the United States with linkages to Africa and connections to the African diaspora. Through reading, writing, discussion and presentation, we will explore why people of African descent have occupied an oppressed position in this culture and globally and how they have resisted this oppression creating social change. We will examine changes over time and employ sociological, economic, cultural, and political tools for understanding the historical and contemporary positioning of African Americans. We will be centrally concerned with how domination, race, gender, and class shape Black life in the U.S. and how resistance and change have occurred. We must be concerned with how Black people see themselves today. How social change is imagined in the 21st century informs our work.
Note: You will receive college credit for completing this course.
Law and Justice
Course Number(s): H408211
Length: 1 Semester (2 Credits)
Prerequisites: None
Grade: 11-12
Interested in a career in law? Students in this class will be introduced to the basic structure of law and the United States justice system. Students will study the main legal institutions in the United States such as the legal profession, criminal & civil law, law enforcement, and juries. Students will also consider legal policy questions, such as racial, gender and class discrimination, the death penalty, prison systems, and policing. Students will shape their personal views of what justice is as they make connections between these issues, fundamental fairness, societal costs, and freedom.
Personal Finance
Course Number(s): H403111
Length: 1 Semester (2 Credits)
Prerequisites: None
Grade: 9-12
This course is designed to prepare students to live on their own. Topics include renting, buying, and furnishing an apartment or a home, managing money, budgeting, banking services, credit, insurance, and making wise consumer decisions. Lifestyle and career investigation may also be included. This course addresses the identification and management of personal financial resources to meet the financial needs and wants of individuals and families, considering a broad range of economic, social, cultural, technological, environmental, and maintenance factors. This course helps students build skills in financial responsibility and decision making; analyze personal standards, needs, wants, and goals; identify sources of income, saving and investing; understand banking, budgeting, record-keeping and managing risk, insurance and credit card debt. A project based approach and applications through authentic settings using real life applications/simulations through financial programs such as FEFE, H&R Budget Challenge, Stock Market games, Jump$tart Coalition, and iPad applications that provide learning experiences. Direct, concrete applications of mathematics proficiencies will be incorporated into daily learning activities.
Psychology
Course Number(s): H407301
Length: 1 Semester (2 Credits)
Prerequisites: None
Grade: 9-12
This course introduces students to the study of behavior, thinking, and emotions. Topics covered include research methods (What makes psychology a science?), intuition and critical thought (Can we trust our gut? Why do we need to challenge what we see and hear?), biology (what affects us more - genetics or our environment?), sensation and perception (Why don't we all see the world in the same way?), states of consciousness (What makes us aware of our surroundings? Why do we dream?), learning and memory (Why are afraid of certain things? Where do we learn to act in certain ways? How much can we trust our memory? Why do we forget where we put things?), motivation and emotion (What drives us? Why do we experience anger and sadness?), developmental psychology (How do we change during our lifetimes?), theories of personality (What makes us who we are? Can we change who we are?), psychological disorders and therapy (What is the different between stress and anxiety? How do we know if a person needs professional help? How can we improve our daily lives?). This course connects well with many different career choices and will also offer practical mental health skills throughout the course, including mindfulness and coping skills. Students will look at their own life experiences, interact with their classmates and the instructor, try to think like a psychologist, and attempt to see the value psychology offers all of us.
Psychology AP (Honors)
Course Number(s): H457301
Length: 2 Semesters (4 Credits)
Prerequisites: Psychology
Grade: 10-12
AP Psychology introduces students to study of behavior and mental processes. It introduces the psychological facts, principles and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields. Topics covered include research methods, sensation and perception, states of consciousness, learning and memory, motivation and emotion, developmental psychology, theories of personality, and abnormal psychology. Students will use observation and theory to study human interaction, learning, or development, methods and techniques of primary research, and legal and ethical procedures related to research. Students will refine a topic into a research problem and will create a plan for data collection and for gathering and analyzing data. They will compare the findings to theories of human interaction, develop conclusions based on the findings, and identify implications for further study.
Students learn to study efficiently but critically, read a large amount of written material, practice rigorous methods for understanding and learning facts, creating and testing hypotheses, organizing, debating, and evaluating concepts and theories and explaining and using statistical data. Students will be expected to take the AP Test in Psychology.
Sociology
Course Number(s): H407101
Length: 1 Semester (2 Credits)
Prerequisites: None
Grade: 9-12
Sociology stresses the social contexts in which people live, who influences us, which social institutions shape us the most, how society is structured, what roles people play in society, how inequalities shape our world, and how gender issues impact society. Students will have opportunities to discuss current events with high relevance in their lives. This course will emphasize empowering individuals through increased awareness and understanding of how society works and how it can be improved upon. Social movements/social change will be the focus of the final summative project.
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