REQUIRED COURSES
Civics: Required Course (9th grade)
½ Credit – 1 Term Course
Civics is a one-term course that explores the foundations of government and the development of democracy in America from the colonial times through the establishment of the Constitution. The student will be introduced to the basic principles and structure of American government including State and Local government.
Geography w/ Global Connections: Required Course (9th grade)
½ Credit – 1 Term Course
Geography is the study of people and places stressing the relationship of the earth to the people who inhabit it. The student will develop knowledge of place geography emphasizing local, state, national, and global connections, and learn about people and places through a study of political, cultural, economic, population, and urban geography.
U.S. History I: Required Course (10th grade)
½ Credit – 1 Term Course
U.S. History I is a chronological study of the United States from the Exploration through Reconstruction period and is designed to help students understand their heritage with emphasis on key events, issues, and personalities from the past.
U.S. History II: Required Course (11th grade)
½ Credit – 1 Term Course
U.S. History II is a chronological study of the United States from post-Reconstruction (1877) through the New Deal (1930’s) period and is designed to help students understand their heritage with an emphasis on key events, issues, and personalities of the past. Units in this class will include: Closing the Frontier, Industrialization, Imperialism, Progressivism, World War I, 1920’s, Great Depression, and the New Deal.
U.S. History III: Required Course (11th grade)
½ Credit – 1 Term Course
U.S. History III is a chronological study of the United State from Pre-World War II (1930’s) through the present and is designed to help students understand their heritage with emphasis on key events, issues, and personalities from the past. Units in this class will include: Road to War, World War II, Cold War, Civil Rights, Vietnam War, 1970’s, Reagan Years, 1990’s, and Preparing for the 21st Century.
Global Issues: Required Course (12th grade)
½ Credit – 1 Term Course
Global Issues is designed to give the student an understanding of the interdependence of people and nations throughout the world. A special emphasis will be placed on the major issues facing mankind: peace and security, the environment, human rights, and the development of nations.
Economics: Required Course (12th grade)
½ Credit – 1 Term Course
Economics is the study of how an individual satisfies material wants with limited resources. Economics is a course designed to give the student knowledge as a consumer, worker, investor, or entrepreneur, and a political decision maker in the American Free Enterprise System. The course presents Fundamental Economic Concepts, Microeconomic Concepts, International Economic Concepts, and Measurement Concepts and Methods.
ELECTIVE COURSES
Western Civilizations: Elective Course (9th -10th - 11th grades)
½ Credit – 1 Term Course
Western Civilization covers topics from prehistory through the classical period of Rome and Greece concluding with the Renaissance. Group and Individual research projects are encouraged for those wishing to explore the world of the ancient.
World History (1500-Present): Elective Course (10th -11th - 12th grades)
½ Credit – 1 Term Course
World history is the study of the modern global history of humankind, focusing on the growth of international commerce, the rise and fall of empires, industrialization and deindustrialization, and changes in types of governance, belief systems, gender structures, and the environment.
Community Service Learning: Elective Course (11th – 12th grades)
½ Credit – 1 Term Course
The course allows students to share their expertise and interest in volunteerism in a supervised setting within the community. Each student is introduced to the major service clubs and opportunities in the community. Daily reflective journals are required with personal growth an expected outcome. In addition, the class selects a group project to share with the entire community. Note: The Community Service Learning course can only be taken once for credit.
Advanced Placement U.S. History: Elective Course (11th – 12th grades)
1 ½ Credits – 3 Term Course
Advanced Placement U.S. History surveys the period beginning with the first European exploration of the Americas and ending with the period from the Second World War to the present. Providing a comprehensive overview of U.S. History, students will use analytical skills and factual knowledge to deal critically with the problems and material in U.S. history.
This course is designed to prepare students to take the national college-level Advanced Placement Examination. Students successfully completing the exam may receive advanced placement and/or credit at many colleges and universities.
This class is offered to juniors in lieu of U.S. History II and III with department approval, or seniors after completion of U.S. History II and III with department approval.
Sociology: Elective Course (11th – 12th grades)
½ Credit – 1 Term Course
Sociology is the scientific study of human behavior in groups. Through the study of sociology, a student will be able to observe and understand people on a more objective basis.
Psychology: Elective Course (11th – 12th grades)
½ Credit – 1 Term Course
Psychology is a scientific study of human behavior. Through the study of psychology one gains a basic understanding of what motivates and/or causes individuals to behave as they do.
Advanced Placement Psychology: Elective Course (11th – 12th grades)
1 ½ Credits – 3 Term Course
The Advanced Placement Psychology course will introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of humans and other animals. Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. Students will also learn about the methods psychologists use to explore the processes involved in normal and abnormal perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and actions.
This course is designed to prepare students to take the national college-level Advanced Placement (AP) Examination. Students successfully completing the exam may receive advanced placement and/or credit at many colleges and universities.
Independent Study: Elective Course (11th – 12th grades)
½ Credit per Term
Independent Study is designed for the student who wishes to pursue the study of social studies BEYOND that which is offered in the social science curriculum. The student, with the aide of an instructor, will need to design appropriate objectives and outcomes for the Independent Study experience prior to being accepted into this program.
Modern U.S. Military History: Elective Course (11th – 12th grades)
½ Credit - 1 Term Course
This elective course is designed to give students an overview of American involvement in specific military engagements and surveys American military history chronologically and thematically from WWI through the Vietnam War. It traces the development of a modern American military and focuses not only on wars, professional leaders, citizen soldiers and strategy, but also on topics such as civilian attitudes toward a standing army, soldier motivation, defense funding, anti-war movements, and minority and women's wartime roles. This course will stress critical thinking skills and research methods.