Social Studies Courses
GEOGRAPHY Students will
study cultures which differ from their own, the relationships of geography
to other social studies disciplines, as well as the basic principles,
concepts, and tools of geography. This is a .5 credit course. The purpose of this course is to develop greater understanding of the evolution of global processes and contacts, in interaction with different types of human societies by following the basic curriculum developed by the AP College Board. The course highlights the nature of changes in international frameworks and their causes and consequences, as well as comparisons among major societies. For success in the course, the student will have to develop the skills of analysis, syntheses, and evaluation, as well as determining cause and effect, comparison and contrast, distinguishing fact from opinion, formulating questions, recognizing ideologies, predicting consequences, among other skills. Students will also be expected to learn how to write the three different types of essays: Comparative, Change-Over-Time (Continuity and Change), and Document-Based which will be graded according to the rubrics provided by the AP College Board. WORLD
HISTORY This is the study of the development of life on the seven continents from prehistoric times to the present. The objective is to learn from events and people of the past to help gain an understanding of today in order to build a better future. AP
AMERICAN HISTORY AP U. S. History is designed to provide students with the analytic skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in United States history. Students should learn to assess historical materials and weigh the evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship. To be successful one must be prepared to spend an extensive amount of time reading, evaluating and analyzing, and writing. AMERICAN HISTORY This course is a thematic approach to American History. There are five themes covered during the course: government; immigration with social and cultural development; westward expansion; economic and industrial development; and wars and conflicts. AP
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT This course is designed to give students an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States. It involves both the study of general government concepts used to interpret U. S. politics and the analysis of specific case studies. Students are exposed to a variety of learning activities - lecture, case studies, research, and decision making. Students will be expected to provide written analysis and interpretation of subject matter on an advanced level. This class will require extensive research, analysis, evaluation, and writing. AMERICAN
GOVERNMENT This course reviews the foundations of the federal system on which law in the United States is based. SOCIOLOGY This .5 credit course offers a study of human relationships in society. It focuses upon the use of sociological point of view to examine culture, social structure, the individual in society, social institutions, and social inequality. The changing social world and its implications will be presented and analyzed. ECONOMICS Economics is a one-semester course that emphasizes economic fundamentals, microeconomics, macroeconomics, and personal financial management. Students will explore the interrelationships among the roles played by consumers, producers, capital, land, and labor as well as the interrelationships among economic, political, and social lives. Additionally, students will examine the relationship between individual choices and the direct influence of these choices on occupational goals and future earnings potential. Economics stresses application, problem-solving, higher-order thinking skills, and use of classroom performance-based, open-ended assessments with rubrics. Personal Finance The intent of the Personal Finance course is to inform students how individual choices directly influence occupational goals and future earnings potential. Real world topics covered will include income, money management, spending and credit, as well as saving and investing. Students will design personal and household budgets, utilize checking and saving accounts, gain knowledge in finance, debt, and credit management and evaluate and understand insurance and taxes. This course will provide a foundational understanding for making informed personal financial decisions. This is a 9-weeks course. |