Social Studies
Students must take 3.5 credits of Social Studies to graduate.
United States History
1 Credit-Required
Grade 10
Through an understanding of American History, students are better able to understand current and future events. This course focuses on the history of the United States from Reconstruction to the present. Students will examine the following topics: successes and failures of Reconstruction; Immigration, Industrialization, and the growth of cities; the Progressive Era and Imperialism; the causes and effects of World War I; the Roaring 20s and the Great Depression; the causes and effects of World War II; the Korean War, Vietnam War, Cold War, Civil Rights, and current events.
World History/Geography
1 Credit-Required
Grade 11
The World History course enables students to unlock the past so they can better understand the future. The class is a survey of world history from the Roman Empire through the 20th century, with emphasis on Western civilization. Knowledge and implementing of geographical aspects of world history are emphasized throughout the course. Throughout the year we strive to make the students purposeful thinkers, productive group participants, self-directed learners, effective communicators and responsible world citizens.
Economics
.5 Credit-Required
Grades 11, 12
This class focuses on understanding how individuals, households, businesses and governments use scarce resources to satisfy unlimited wants and needs. Students will learn to analyze how change in the economy affects individuals, business and government. Analyze a public issue in terms of production, distribution and consumption and learn other basic microeconomic and macroeconomic concepts and global economic concepts.
United States Government
.5 Credit-Required
Grade 12
The study of American Government empowers students to become informed, responsible, active citizens of the United States. Students examine the philosophical roots of the United States government through analysis of the Foundations of American Government, the Constitution and federalism. Rights and responsibilities regarding participation in government are addressed. Students look critically at the three branches of government in individual units titled the Legislative, Executive and Judicial branch. Finally, students will assess current constitutional and political controversies while examining Civil Liberties and Criminal Law, discussing both the nature and function of these two American Court systems.
Geography
.5 Credit-Required
Grade 12
A sound geographic education provides students with skills and endows them with knowledge for the protection, improvement, and prosperity of the world. As we discover how flat the world truly is, it becomes increasingly more important that students have a strong grasp on the nature of Human Geography. Over the course of a semester, students focus on the foundations of geography, the distribution of human population, cultural aspects in geography, geopolitics and political geography, agriculture and rural geography, industrial and economic geography and urban geography.
Advanced Placement (AP) European History
1 Credit-Elective
Grades 11, 12 (with permission)
AP European History focuses on developing students’ abilities to think conceptually about European history from approximately 1450 to the present and apply historical thinking skills as they learn about the past. Five themes of equal importance—interaction of Europe and the world, poverty and prosperity, objective knowledge and subjective visions, states and other institutions of power, and individual and society—provide areas of historical inquiry for investigation throughout the course. These require students to reason historically about continuity and change over time and make comparisons among various historical developments in different times and places. AP European History is designed to be the equivalent of a two-semester introductory college or university European history course.
Sociology
1 Credit-Elective
Grades 11, 12
This course will be devoted to understanding the interactions of individuals, groups, and institutions within society. Students will examine cultures and social structures, the individual in society, social inequality, and social institutions, and day-to-day human interactions. This course is designed to prepare students for the CLEP Exam (should they choose to take it) for the college course: Introductory Sociology.
Psychology
1 Credit-Elective
Grades 11, 12
A course in psychology will greatly benefit students by enabling them to better understand themselves and others. Students will study the origins of the relatively new discipline that emerged in the late 1800s and how beneficial the field of psychology has been to society. A diverse range of topics will be covered such as the biological basis for behavior, the cognitive, biopsychological, and developmental domains, social and cultural dimensions of behavior, and psychological disorders and treatments. This course is designed to prepare students for the CLEP Exam (should they choose to take it) for the college course: Introductory Psychology.