American Government and Politics AP:

Grade: 11
Credit: ½
Course Length: 1
Prerequisite: World Civilization and World Civilization teacher recommendation
Note: This course must be requested with US History AP

This course includes both the study of general concepts used to interpret US government and politics and the analysis of specific examples. Upon successful completion of this course, students will know important facts, concepts and theories pertaining to US government and politics, understand typical patterns of political processes, behavior and their consequences and be able to analyze and interpret basic data relevant to US government politics.

Economics:

Grade: 9
Credit: ½
Course Length: 1

Economics is the study of production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. Students need to understand how their economic decisions affect them, others, the nation and the world. The purpose of economic education is to enable individuals to function effectively both in their own personal lives and as citizens and participants in an increasingly connected world economy. The goal of this class is to help students understand economic principles and be able to make informed economic decisions that have consequences in daily living.

European History AP:

Grade: 11, 12
Credit: 1
Course Length: 2
Prerequisites: World Civilization; teacher recommendation

Students in this course will study European history from the Renaissance to the modern era. Students will be evaluated through essay examinations and document based questions. This challenging course will require a number of outside readings from historical texts and will help prepare the student for the AP examination. It is an excellent college preparation class.

Geography:

Grade: 9
Credit: ½
Course Length: 1

Geography is the study of the five fundamental themes of location, place, regions, movement and human/ environmental interaction. Students need geographic knowledge to analyze issues and problems and to better understand how humans have interacted with their environment over time, how geography has impacted settlement and population and how geographic factors influence climate, culture, the economy and world events. A geographic perspective enables students to better understand the past and present and to prepare for the future.

Global Issues:

Grade: 10, 11, 12
Credit: ½
Course Length: 1

Global issues focuses on the current political and social issues in our present world. A general review of world situations and how they relate to the United States will occur. Special emphasis will be given to human rights, movements for independence, the September 11th attack and the war on terrorism. This course examines media, cause and effect relationships among nations and peoples, historical background and current personalities in the global news arena.

Government:

Grade: 9, 10, 11
Credit: ½
Course Length: 1

Government is the study of various forms of government and the democratic principles of justice, equality, responsibility and freedom. The course equips students to understand the nature of government and the unique characteristics of American representative democracy, including its fundamental principles, structure and the role of citizens. Understanding the historical development of structures of power, authority and governance and their evolving functions in contemporary United States society and other parts of the world is essential for developing civil competence. An understanding of civic ideals and practices of citizenship is critical to full participation in society and is a central purpose of the social studies.

Law and Justice:

Grade: 11, 12
Credit: ½
Course Length: 1

Law and Justice is a study of the legal and justice systems. Students will examine the need for rules and regulation; civil, criminal and constitutional law; Supreme Court decisions; individual rights laws and family and consumer laws. There will be mock trials, guest speakers, field trips and debates in the course.

Military History:

Grade: 11, 12
Credit: ½
Course Length: 1

This course will examine the cause and effect of human conflict. It will look at how technology influenced warfare and in turn how warfare influenced the geo-political affairs of the world- past and present.

Political Science:

Grade: 10, 11, 12
Credit: ½
Course Length: 1

This course will be an overview of politics in relation to our everyday lives. Topics of study will include: democracy in practice, political ideologies (liberal, moderate, conservative), political culture, public opinion, politics and the media, interest groups, political parties, political systems, voting, public policy, violence and revolutions and international relations. This course is one in which the students will take a proactive role in learning about politics in a “real-world” context.

Psychology:

Grade: 10, 11, 12
Credit: ½
Course Length: 1

Psychology is the study of human behavior with emphasis on identity and personality, human learning and remembering, relating to others, the life cycle, emotions, the brain, mental health and mental illness, psychological disorders and psychotherapy. 

Psychology AP:

Grade: 10, 11, 12
Credit: 1
Course Length: 2
Prerequisite: Social Studies teacher recommendation

The purpose of the Advanced Placement course in psychology is to introduce students to the systematic and scientific of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals. Students are exposed to the psychological facts and principles and phenomena associated with each other major subfields within psychology. They also learn about the methods psychologists use in their science and practice.

Sociology:

Grade: 10, 11, 12
Credit: ½
Course Length: 1

Sociology is designed for the student who is serious about looking at the world in which we live. It is constructed to help the student consider the effect of the group on the individual and the individual on the group. Students will study human group behavior using a number of different methods including: experimentation, simulations, case studies, surveys and other social scientific procedures. Emphasis will be placed on the study of modern social problems as well as learning basic sociological concepts.

US History:

Grade: 11
Credit: 1
Course Length: 2
Prerequisite: World Civilization

US History examines the American culture or “American Experience” as shaped by the events, ideas, people and movements in history. Students in this course will look at why the United States has become the place it is today. Students will have numerous opportunities to discuss, role-play, present, debate and develop many other skills. Each student will understand more about the Untied States and the role played by citizens in shaping this country. Part A will cover Civic Ideals and Economics. Part B will cover Diversity and Sense of Place.

US History AP:

Grade: 11
Credit: 1
Course Length: 2
Prerequisites: World Civilization and World Civilization teacher recommendation; US Government and Politics AP
Note: This course must be requested with American Government and Politics AP

US History examines the American culture or “American Experience” as shaped by the events, ideas, people and movements in history and literature. US History AP will involve more in-depth study and broader coverage than the US History course, requiring, in particular, more reading at home. Each student will understand more about the United States and the role played by citizens in shaping this country. Students will be enrolled in US History AP and English III the same semester to reinforce the content of both classes.

World Civilization:

Grade: 10
Credit: 1
Course Length: 2

This course is a general survey in world history beginning with the Renaissance and continuing until the present day. Students are encouraged to determine the connections between decisions made in the past, how we live our lives today and use this information to hypothesize “Is history doomed to repeat itself?” Other areas of emphasis include world geography, the evolution of governmental and economic systems and an in depth study of world conflicts and solutions.

World History AP:

Grade: 10
Credit: 1 ½
Course Length: 3
Prerequisites: Social Studies I; teacher recommendation

The purpose of the World History AP course is to use relevant factual knowledge taken from primary and secondary sources with higher order thinking skills to acquire a greater understanding of the development of global processes, from ancient times to the present day (10,000 BC to 2004 CE). Students are introduced to a framework that highlights political, economic, social, religious, intellectual and geographic characteristics in order to help them make the connections between the interchange of major societies in the global community and the results of that interplay. This course provides an introduction to the expectations of the Advanced Placement curriculum and students will take the World History AP examination.