SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT
CURRENT EVENTS/MODERN WORLD STUDIES: This one-semester elective course would briefly take a look at historical events from the post-Vietnam era and would focus heavily on the events of today. The intent of the course is to provide students with the basic background and foundational information to help them understand the world that we live in today. It will examine various social, political, economic, religious, and cultural events in different countries and regions in order to better comprehend multiple perspectives on the world today. There will be a major focus on studying current events (their origins and causes) and trying to come up with solutions or predicting outcomes to those events. Creating such dialog among students would be extremely beneficial in helping them understand multiple perspectives, as well as help them gain an appreciation for views other than their own.
Fall or Spring Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 10-11-12
A Core 40 or AHD elective.
ECONOMICS: is offered as an option for the senior level social studies requirement and is designed to help students understand how the economy works. Students will discover that economic decisions affecting them and their lives are constantly being made by individuals, businesses and government officials. More importantly, students will learn how to judge and measure the value of these decisions.
Fall or Spring Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 12
A Core 40 and Academic Honors Course
ECONOMICS HONORS AP: This yearlong course is designed to prepare students to take the
Advanced Placement test in microeconomics and macroeconomics in May. Students may take microeconomics AP alone in the fall or the yearlong class. The course will include basic principles of opportunity cost, factors of production, supply and demand as well as the theory of the firm, role of government and other microeconomic principles as outlined in the AP course of study. Second semester will focus on macroeconomic theories and principles as outlined in the
Advanced Placement course of study. The course is aligned with College Board guidelines.
Microeconomics - Fall only Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 12
Macroeconomics - Spring only Prerequisite: Microeconomics Grade Level: 12
Core 40 and Academic Honors Courses
ETHNIC STUDIES: Ethnic Studies provides opportunities to broaden students' perspectives concerning lifestyles and cultural patterns of various ethnic groups in the United States. This course either focuses on a particular ethnic group or groups (teacher discretion), or uses a comparative approach to study patterns of cultural development, immigration, and assimilation, as well as the contributions of specific groups. Such studies might also include analysis of the political and social impact of ethnic diversity in the United States.
Fall or Spring Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 12

A Core 40 or AHD elective.
EUROPEAN HISTORY AP: The purpose of the Advanced Placement European History course is to introduce students to the history of Europe from the Renaissance to the modern age.
The course is a full year. The curriculum is aligned with the College Board guidelines and prepares the student to take the AP exam in European History in the spring.
Full Year Prerequisite: For 10 th
graders – An A or B in Hon. Eng. 9 or an A in World
History. No prerequisites for grades 11 or 12. Grade Level: 10-11-12
A Core 40 and Academic Honors Course
GEOGRAPHY: is designed primarily as an introductory social studies course at the high school level and is multi-disciplinary with a primary emphasis on geography and geographical themes.
The course will also draw from economics, political science, sociology and anthropology. Areas of study will be the Middle East, Latin America, Russian Republics, sub-Saharan Africa, U.S.,
Canada, Europe, Oceania, Australia, Asia, North Africa and Antarctica. Both cultural and physical geography will be taught. Some anthropology will be emphasized.
Full Year Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9-10-11-12
A Core 40 and Academic Honors Course
Human Geography, Advanced Placement: The purpose of the AP Human Geography course is to introduce students to the systematic study of pattern and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of Earth’s surface. Students employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to examine human social organization and its environmental consequences.
They also learn about the methods and tools geographers use in their science and practice. This is a one-semester course.
Spring Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9-10-11-12
A Core 40 and Academic Honors Elective
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: The emphasis of this course is on current issues both domestic and foreign. Students will study problems facing America and the world using textbooks and newsmagazines.
Fall or Spring Prerequisite: None A Core 40 and Academic Honors Course Grade Level: 11-12
PSYCHOLOGY: This course is designed to study the brain and human behavior. Subject areas of concentration are identity, personality, mental health and mental illness. Psychology content theory will be taught along with areas of self-development. Scientific content will also be emphasized.
Full Year Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 11-12
A Core 40 and Academic Honors Course
PSYCHOLOGY HONORS AP: The purpose of the Advanced Placement course in Psychology is to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental process

of human beings and other animals. Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major sub fields within psychology. They also learn about the methods psychologists use in their science and practice. The course would compare to an introductory college course in psychology. It would follow the college course curriculum, and most likely provide the student with a learning experience equivalent to that obtained in most college introductory psychology courses. This AP class puts more emphasis on the areas of: 1)
Biological Bases of Behavior (Physiological Techniques, Neuroanatomy, Neural Transmission, and Functional Organization of the Nervous System) and 2) Methods, (Experimental,
Correlational, and Clinical Research and Statistics). The curriculum is aligned with College
Board guidelines.
Full Year Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 11- 12
A Core 40 and Academic Honors Course
SOCIOLOGY: deals with the investigation and analysis of human relationships and seeks explanations of their causes and consequences. Areas of emphasis include culture, social stratification, the socialization process and social problems such as crime and delinquency, overpopulation, race and minority relations.
Full Year Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 11-12
A Core 40 and Academic Honors Course
US GOVERNMENT: is required for graduation and provides the student with knowledge of the structure and function of local, state, and national government. The students will become aware of how the government affects them and how they can affect the government.
Fall or Spring Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 12
A Core 40 and Academic Honors Course
US GOVERNMENT & POLITICS AP: This course is designed to give students a critical perspective on politics and government. This course involves both the study of general concepts used to interpret US 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 reality. At the conclusion of the course, students will have the opportunity to take the Advanced Placement examination in the hopes of receiving college credit.
Fall or Spring Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 12
A Core 40 and Academic Honors Course
US HISTORY: This course is taught chronologically and begins with the Reconstruction Era.
Special emphasis is given to the Twentieth century. Generally taken during the junior year, this course is required for graduation.
Full Year Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 11
A Core 40 and Academic Honors Course
US HISTORY INTERDISCIPLINARY: integrates American history and American literature as

well other aspects of the American culture. The course is taught chronologically with special emphasis given to the Twentieth century. Students taking this course must be enrolled in the
English 11 Interdisciplinary course since the class will take an integrated perspective of
American literature, history, and culture. This course emphasizes group work and group grades will be given as well. This does fulfill US History requirement for graduation
Full Year Prerequisite: Must be enrolled in Eng. 11 Int. . Grade Level: 11
A Core 40 and Academic Honors Course
US HISTORY AP: This course offers a rigorous approach to the study of American history and literature. This year-long Advanced Placement course is aligned with College Board guidelines and will prepare students to take the
AP US History exam in May. Students will explore the historical perspectives of American culture from colonization to the present, through a variety of intensive reading and writing, as well as creative and critical thinking experiences. Students should possess a strong interest in history and be willing to be academically challenged. Students will read from college level history texts and supplemental materials. This course include group work and group grades will be given as well.
Full Year Suggested Prerequisite: a minimum grade of B in English 10 Grade Level: 11
A Core 40 and Academic Honors Course
US HISTORY AP INTERDISCIPLINARY : This course offers a rigorous, unique interdisciplinary approach to the study of American history and literature. This year-long Advanced Placement course is aligned with College
Board guidelines and will prepare students to take both the AP American History and AP English Literature and
Composition exams. Students will explore the connections between the literary and historical perspectives of
American culture from colonization to the present, through a variety of intensive reading and writing, as well as creative and critical thinking experiences. Students should possess a strong interest in history and literature and be willing to be academically challenged. Students will read from college level history texts and supplemental materials and major literary works including non-fiction, novels, short stories, poems, plays and essays. Students receive two credits and two weighted grades because of the additional expectations of this rigorous course. The class meets two consecutive periods each day and is team-taught by an English teacher and a history teacher. This course emphasizes group work and group grades will be given as well.
Full Year Suggested Prerequisite: a minimum grade of B in English 10 Grade Level: 11
Prerequisite: Enrolled in English Lit & Comp AP
A Core 40 and Academic Honors Course
World History, Advanced Placement: The purpose of the AP World History course is to develop greater understanding of the evolution of global processes and contacts, in interaction with different types of human societies. This understanding is advanced through a combination of selective factual knowledge and appropriate analytical skills. The course highlights the nature of changes in international frameworks and their causes and consequences, as well as comparisons among major societies. The course emphasizes relevant factual knowledge deployed in conjunction with leading interpretive issues and types of historical evidence. The course builds on an understanding of cultural, institutional, and technological precedents that, along with geography, set the human stage. Periodization, explicitly discussed, forms an organizing principle for dealing with change and continuity throughout the course. Specific themes provide further organization to the course, along with the consistent attention to contacts among societies that form the core of world history as a field of study.

Full Year Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9-10-11-12
A Core 40 and Academic Honors Course
WORLD HISTORY & CIVILIZATIONS: is chronologically organized with emphasis placed on the history of western civilization. While this course is not required for graduation, it is required for the Academic Hon Diploma.
Full year Suggested Prerequisite: *None Grade Level: 9-10-11-12
A Core 40 and Academic Honors Course
*Freshmen must be 90th percentile on the English part of ISTEP or other comparable standardized test and a grade of B or above in both English and Social Studies to be included. A teacher recommendation is also required.
WORLD HISTORY & CIVILIZATIONS INTERDISCIPLINARY: This course is chronologically organized with emphasis placed on the history of western civilization. While this course is not required for graduation, it is required for the Academic Honors Diploma. A two-semester course that integrates world history and world literature as well as other aspect of the cultures. This course emphasizes group work and group grades will be given as we ll.
Full year Prerequisite: Must be enrolled in English. 10 Interdisciplinary Grade Level: 10
A Core 40 and Academic Honors Course