social studies

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor

The Advanced Placement course in geography gives students the opportunity to earn college credit in geography while still in high school. More importantly, the content of an AP Geography course helps students develop critical thinking skills through the understanding, application and analysis of the fundamental concepts of geography. 

Through AP Geography, students are introduced to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of the Earth’s surface. Students will employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to analyze human social organization and its environmental consequences. Students will meet the five college-level goals as determined by the National Geographic Standards.  They also learn the methods and tools geographers use in their science and practice.

In preparation for the AP Geography examination, this course will be divided into eight sections: nature & perspectives, population, culture, politics, agriculture, urbanization, industrialization, and environmental/social issues. This course is available to freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors interested in potentially earning college credit during high school.

AP Human Geography will meet the Global Connections requirement for graduation.

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor

Students are strongly encouraged to take AP Language and Composition concurrently with AP United States History.

Advanced Placement US History is a challenging course that is meant to be the equivalent of a freshman college or technical school course.  The course consists of a two-semester survey of American history from the age of exploration and discovery to the present.  Good reading and writing skills and a willingness to devote time to homework and study are necessary to succeed.  The course emphasizes critical and evaluative thinking skills, essay writing, interpretation of original documents and historiography. Students taking the class will be prepared to take the Advanced Placement test in US History. It is possible for students who score well on the spring AP US History exam to earn college credit for this class.

AP US History will meet the US History requirement for graduation.

Prerequisite:  B or better in at least two credits of social studies and/or consent of instructor

AP U.S. Government and Politics provides a college-level, nonpartisan introduction to key political concepts, ideas, institutions, policies, interactions, roles, and behaviors that characterize the constitutional system and political culture of the United States. Students will study U.S. foundational documents, Supreme Court decisions, and other texts and visuals to gain an understanding of the relationships and interactions among political institutions, processes, and behaviors. They will also engage in disciplinary practices that require them to read and interpret data, make comparisons and applications, and develop evidence-based arguments. In addition, they will complete a political science research or applied civics project. College Course Equivalent AP U.S. Government and Politics is equivalent to a one-semester introductory college course in U.S. Government. 

The aim of an AP course is to provide the student with a learning experience equivalent to that obtained in most college introductory American Government and Politics courses.  Students taking the class will be prepared to take the Advanced Placement test in American Government. Colleges that participate in the Advanced Placement Program grant college credit and appropriate placement to students who do well on the AP exam.

Criminal Justice will examine the criminal justice system in the United States, with an emphasis on juvenile justice.  The course will focus on how our society balances our rights with the need and desire to maintain order.  Students will be required to examine how the criminal justice system works and propose ways to fix some of the problems within the system.

During this course students will research and discuss racism and sexism, with a focus on the following areas: Latino History in America, LGBTQ+ Rights, the Black Lives Matter movement, peaceful civil disobedience as well  as militant resistance including riots by both the oppressors (Tulsa Massacre 1921) and the oppressed (LA Riots 1992).  

Students will also examine how nations have dealt with the darkest chapters in their past, such as Germany and the Holocaust, and the United States and Slavery. Participation in class discussions is an expectation, and there is a focus on written reflection throughout the course.

Women’s History will explore the history of Women’s rights and roles in America from the colonial period to the Seneca Falls Convention, onto political activism in abolition through the 19th amendment and up to contemporary issues. The class will focus on understanding the influence and development of cultural attitudes with regards to women, the changes in legal status and statutes over the past two centuries, and issues at the forefront today for women in America. The course will emphasize understanding the opposing points of view that shaped and informed the rights of women and cultural ideals for 200 years.

This course is designed to acquaint students with the economic knowledge and decision-making skills they will need to make rational decisions as informed citizens, responsible consumers, and productive workers. Students will develop an understanding of basic economic concepts. They will understand the potential fluctuations in an economy and will be able to articulate the role of government in the U.S. economy and our role in the increasingly significant global economy.

In this course students will investigate how people behave collectively or in groups.  The class will investigate how we define these groups and their problems.  Examples of topics:  culture, values, social structure, deviance, institutions, conflict, and social movements.  A unifying concept for Sociology is understanding how individuals relate to others in society.

Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behavior. In this introductory course, students will spend time exploring and discussing the theories behind human behavior. Discussion and participation are key components of Psychology. Students will also get multiple opportunities to participate in in-class activities that demonstrate psychological concepts. Topics covered include: approaches to psychology, learning and cognition, research and ethics, motivation and emotion, sensation and perception, development and mental health.

Prerequisite:  Consent of instructor

AP Psychology is taught on the level of a college Psych 101 course, with comparable reading, writing, and critical thinking skills required. Topics include: research methods, personality, psychological disorders, the function and structure of the brain and the mind/body connections to behavior, learning and memory, mental health, motivation/emotion, and social psychology. Emphasis is placed on how psychology affects students in their own lives. Critical thinking, test-taking, and writing skills will be emphasized in order to prepare students for college as well as the rigorous College Board Advanced Placement Psychology Exam. Students who pass the AP Psych exam may qualify for college credits at most colleges.