Social Studies

World History & Geography

Prerequisites: None

Students will study the rise of the nation state in Europe, the French Revolution, and the economic and political roots of the modern world. They will examine the origins and consequences of the Industrial Revolution, nineteenth century political reform in Western Europe, and imperialism in Africa, Asia, and South America. They will explain the causes and consequences of the great military and economic events of the past century, including the World Wars, the Great Depression, the Cold War, and the Russian and Chinese revolutions. Finally, students will study the rise of nationalism and the continuing persistence of political, ethnic, and religious conflict in many parts of the world. Relevant Tennessee connections will be part of the curriculum, as well as appropriate primary source documents. Students will explore geographic influences on history, with attention given to political boundaries that developed with the evolution of nations from 1750 to the present and the subsequent human geographic issues that dominate the global community. Additionally, students will study aspects of technical geography such as GPS and GIS, and how these innovations continuously impact geopolitics in the contemporary world.

U.S. Government & Civics

Prerequisites: None (Must enroll for Economics simultaneously.)

Students will study the purposes, principles, and practices of American government as established by the Constitution. Students are expected to understand their rights and responsibilities as citizens and how to exercise these rights and responsibilities in local, state, and national government. Students will learn the structure and processes of the government of the state of Tennessee and various local governments. The reading of primary source documents is a key feature of United States Government and Civics standards

Economics (Must enroll for US Government & Civics simultaneously.)

Prerequisite: None

Students will examine the allocation of scarce resources and the economic reasoning used by government agencies and by people as consumers, producers, savers, investors, workers, and voters. Key elements of the course include the study of scarcity, supply and demand, market structures, the role of government, national income determination, money and the role of financial institutions, economic stabilization, and trade.

U. S. History & Geography

Prerequisites: None

Students will examine the causes and consequences of the Industrial Revolution and America’s growing role in world diplomatic relations, including the Spanish-American War and World War I. Students will study the goals and accomplishments of the Progressive movement and the New Deal. Students will also learn about the various factors that led to America’s entry into World War II, as well as its consequences for American life. Students will explore the causes and course of the Cold War. Students will study the important social, cultural, economic, and political changes resulting from the Civil Rights Movement, the Cold War, and recent events and trends that have shaped modern-day America. Additionally, students will learn the causes and consequences of contemporary issues impacting their world today. Students will continue to use skills for historical and geographical analysis as they examine American history since Reconstruction with special attention to Tennessee connections in history, geography, politics, and people. Students will continue to learn fundamental concepts in civics, economics, and geography within the context of United States history. The reading of primary source documents is a key feature of United States history standards. Finally, students will focus on current human and physical geographic issues important in contemporary America and the global society.

Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. History

Prerequisites: U.S. History required.

This course is a survey of the history of the United States from exploration to the late 20th century. The AP level experience in the U.S. History provides students with the analytical skills, factual knowledge, and communication skills to deal effectively with the issues of American History and the challenge of college level academics. It is designed for students who desire to earn both high school and college credit by taking the AP exam in May and making a satisfactory score. This course satisfies the graduation requirement for U.S. History.

Sociology

Prerequisites: None

This course introduces the scientific study of human society, culture, and social interactions. Topics include socialization, research methods, diversity and inequality, cooperation and conflict, social change, social institutions, and organizations.

Psychology

Prerequisites: None

Students will study the development of scientific attitudes and skills, including critical thinking, problem solving, and scientific methodology. Students will also examine the structure and function of the nervous system in human and non-human animals, the processes of sensation perception and life span development. Students will study social cognition, influence, and relations. Students will examine social and cultural diversity and diversity among individuals. Students will study memory, including encoding, storage, and retrieval of memory. Students will also study perspectives of abnormal behavior and categories of psychological disorders, including treatment thereof. Students will elaborate on the importance of drawing evidence based conclusions about psychological phenomena and gain knowledge on a wide array of issues on both individual and global levels. Throughout the course, students will examine connections between content areas within psychology and relate psychological knowledge to everyday life. Students will explore the variety of careers available to those who study psychology.

Contemporary Issues

Prerequisites: None

This course acquaints the student with topics of national and international interest and equips students with the analytic skills needed to assume leadership roles as a citizen.

Dual Enrollment Psychology/Statistics

Prerequisite: Must meet admission standards to NESCC with a minimum composite of 19 on the ACT.

Psychology 1310: Introduction to the methods and theories of psychology. Behavior is examined through study of learning, thinking, motivation, emotion, maturation, perception, personality, and psychopathology. (3 hours credit toward college core requirements)

Personal Finance

Prerequisites: None

Personal Finance is designed to inform students how individual choices directly influence occupational goals, future earning potential, and long-term financial well-being. The standards in this course cover decision-making skills related to goal setting, earning potential, budgeting, saving, investing, borrowing, and managing risk.  Students enrolled in this course are eligible to join FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America). FBLA membership offers opportunities for community service activities, leadership, and multi-level competitions.

AP European History

Prerequisites: None

The AP European History course focuses on developing students' understanding of European history from approximately 1450 to the present. The course has students investigate the content of European history for significant events, individuals, developments, and processes in four historical periods, and develop and use the same thinking skills and methods (analyzing primary and secondary sources, making historical comparisons, chronological reasoning, and argumentations) employed by historians when they study the past. The course also proves five themes (interaction of Europe and the world; poverty and prosperity; objective knowledge and subjective visions; states and other institutions of power; and individual and society) that students explore throughout the course in order to make connections among historical developments in different times and places.