Social Studies

REQUIRED COURSES

Grade 9 – WORLD HISTORY 3202/3203 OR AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY 3216/3217

(Two Terms) (Two Terms) See Below

Grade 10 – US HISTORY 3200/3201 OR AP US HISTORY 3275/3276/3277

(Two Terms) (Three Terms) See Below

Grade 11 – ECONOMICS 3208 AND GOVERNMENT 3209 (One Term)

Grade 11 - ECONOMICS 3208 AND AP Government 3279/3280/3281

(One Term) (Three Terms) See Below

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

GEOGRAPHY - 3204 (One Term)

Grades 9, 10, 11, 12

Course Description: This course is a geographic survey of the entire world. Each continent or region will be studied through maps and map data. Each region’s culture will also be studied as it relates to geography.

CURRENT WORLD ISSUES - 3210 (One Term)

Grades 10, 11, 12

Course Description: This course will cover a variety of current world issues. Students in this class will look at each individual issue from a variety of global perspectives. The class will be largely based on participation, presentations, group activities and written responses. The purpose of this course is to make students more aware of situations going on around the world and how it has or will affect their lives.

AMERICAN SOCIETY - 3212 (One Term)

Grades 10, 11, 12

Course Description: This course will cover approximately nine topics. It will use Sociology to look at different problems within American society. The purpose of this class is to get students thinking about the larger society outside of high school and become aware of issues the country will be facing in the near future.

CONSUMER LAW/CRIMINAL JUSTICE - 3234 (One Term)

Grades 10, 11, 12

Course Description: This is an introductory law course that will provide a basic understanding of the legal system as well as rights and responsibilities of citizens. The basis of the information will be revolved around practical situations students have and/or will encounter as they move forward into college, adulthood and the Workforce. This course will be useful to all students as all of them either have or will encounter a number of these topics in their everyday lives.

AP GOVERNMENT - 3279/3280/3281 (Three Terms)

Prerequisite: Grade of B or better in World History required

Grades 11, 12

Course Description: Following the College Board’s suggested curriculum designed to parallel college- level U.S. Government and Politics courses, this course provides students with an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States, involving both the study of general concepts used to interpret U.S. politics and the analysis of specific case studies. The first term of this course fulfills the government requirement in Social Studies. Students will have the option of taking the AP Exam for potential college credit in May. Grade Weighted Class

AP US HISTORY - 3275/3276/3277 (Three Terms)

Prerequisite: Grade of B or better in AP Human Geography OR grade of A in World History

*Due to the advanced reading and writing skills required, this course is highly recommended for students in Accelerated English*

Grades 10, 11, 12 (Fulfills US History Requirement)

Course Description: This is a college level history course, with the objective of preparing students for success on the AP US History exam in May. With a passing score on the AP US History exam, students can earn up to 6 college credits. The course will be arranged chronologically and will focus on the political, economic, social, and cultural history of the United States, from the colonial era to the present. Students will learn to interpret and analyze historical materials, as well as secondary sources of historical scholarship and develop the skills needed to assess information, arrive at informed conclusions, and present their reasoning clearly and effectively in essay format. Grade Weighted Class

AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY - 3216/3217 (Two Terms)

Grades 9, 10, 11, 12 (Fulfills World History Requirement)

Prerequisite: 8th Grade Social Studies teacher recommendation and Lexile score of 1151 or higher (Incoming Freshmen); B or better in World Hist (non-Freshmen)

Course Description: AP Human Geography focuses on the distribution, processes, and effects of human population on the planet. Topics such as ethnic and language groups, religious practices, locations of cities, patterns of industry and agriculture, and population trends will be studied. The focus of the course will be to prepare students to successfully complete the AP Exam in May for college credit. Grade Weighted Class