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listed in red represents the A- G UC requirement the course meets. Geography and World History I, are paired and scheduled together, though they are separate courses which are worth five credits each. Geography / World History I - A Ten Credits (Five Geography and Five World History I) Open to Grade 10 PREREQUISITES: None GEOGRAPHY DESCRIPTION: This course is a study of the physical and cultural world and the reciprocal effects humans and the land have on each other. The history, human traits and culture of each region, plus the physical and political geography of each is explored. Also included is material dealing with the earth itself. Topics such as the environment, ecosystems, landforms, climate, and minerals are also covered. Economic patterns and world wide economic relationships are also examined. WORLD HISTORY I DESCRIPTION: This course focuses on recorded world history from pre-history through approximately 1400 A.D. The course examines the civilizations of Egypt, China, Mesopotamia, and Africa to the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome and through the European Middle Ages. Building upon the lessons taught in its tandem course Geography, World History I examines the social, cultural, economic, religious and political developments that have shaped recorded human history. A.P. World History - A or G Ten Credits Open to Grade 10 PREREQUISITES: Honors Grades in both Introduction to Composition and Literature, Department Recommendation DESCRIPTION: This course will examine the last thousand years of world history. It will stress six overarching themes: the interaction among major societies, change and continuity, the impact of technology and demography, the development of social structures, cultural and intellectual developments, and the emergence of nation-states. The course will begin with an extensive foundations section, stressing the study of geography and history prior to 1000 A.D. Unlike regular World History, this course will devote more the 70% to non-European history and culture. In addition, stress will also be placed on the study and examination of primary sources. The course will be taught within an Advanced Preparation (A.P.) framework. World History II, 1400-present - A Ten Credits Open to Grade 10 PREREQUISITES: None DESCRIPTION: World History II presents a chronological narrative of world history from 1400 A.D. to the present. Cultural, religious, economic, political, and social development of various world civilizations are examined, as are the causes and consequences of their interaction. Students will study the political, social, economic, cultural, and religious histories of the world since 1400.
A.P. European History - A or G Ten Credits Open to Grades 11 and 12 PREREQUISITES: Honors grades in Geography/World History I or AP World History and World Literature; teacher and department chairperson recommendation DESCRIPTION: This course follows the curriculum recommended by the College Board in preparing students to pass the Advanced Placement European History exam offered in May. The course begins with an examination of the Renaissance and the Reformation and covers the emergence of Europe as the dominant political and cultural force in the last 500 years. Topics such as social and cultural developments, science and art, politics and government, exploration and expansion, trade and commerce will be investigated and discussed in depth. Emphasis will be placed on writing skills, critical thinking, class discussions and presentations, and the use of primary source documents. United States History - A Ten Credits Open to Grade 12 PREREQUISITES: None DESCRIPTION: This course is a survey of the history of the United States, beginning with Pre-Columbian America and concluding with an examination of the United States as the twenty-first century dawns. Students will examine the American experience from political, diplomatic, cultural, and economic perspectives, acquiring analytical skills in the course of identifying the experiences and ideals that bring Americans together as well as the tensions that fragment them. Emphasizing critical thinking, extensive reading, and formal analytical writing, this course aims to create amateur historians, not merely students reading history. A.P. United States History - A Ten Credits Open to Grade 12 PREREQUISITES: Honors grades in AP European History or World History I and II and American Literature; teacher and department chairperson approval. DESCRIPTION: This is a rigorous course analyzing events, places, people and themes in American History from colonization and settlement to the present. This is a college-level course that stresses critical thinking and analytical writing. Various teaching methods are utilized: simulation games, speeches, panel presentations, discussion, and lecture, Reading and writing are integral parts of the course. Students must be willing to devote extra time to the coursework. In May, the AP examination is given; successful completion of the examination earns a student college credit.
Economics - G Ten Credits Open to Grades 11 and 12 PREREQUISITES: None DESCRIPTION: This course will provide a thorough study of both microeconomics and macroeconomics by examining the principles of production, distribution, and consumption of wealth in both the American and world economic systems. Marketplace competition, government regulation, consumer demand, stock and bond market investment, and wages and prices will be examined. The law of supply and demand will be the basis of the course, and the factors determining economic policy, including inflation, productivity, deficit spending, unemployment, taxation, international interdependence, will be analyzed. Four major economic systems governments employ will be analyzed: monetarism, Keynesianism, economic planning, and supply-side economics. Role-playing, critical thinking and writing, individual and group projects will be among the methods employed. Current world and national events will be examined through an economic lens. A.P. Psychology - G Ten Credits Open to Grades 10, 11 and 12 (11th graders have priority in registering for this class) PREREQUISITES: B+ or higher in English and Social Science courses and department chairperson’s approval. DESCRIPTION: This course follows the College Board’s guidelines for preparation to take the A.P. Psychology examination. The course will examine the principles of modern psychology. Major areas examined include history and approaches to psychology; research methods and use of statistics in psychology; biological bases of behavior; sensation and perception; states of consciousness; learning; cognition; motivation and emotion; developmental psychology; theories of personality development; testing and individual differences; abnormal psychology; treatment of psychological disorders; and social psychology. Freud, Jung, Skinner, Rogers and the other major founders of Psychology will be examined in great detail. Quizzes and tests will be supplemented by frequent formal writing assignments. Three formal research projects, including first-hand observation of subjects and presentations of clinical findings, as well as other informal written projects will be assigned. In addition, students will regularly make oral presentations and engage in formal debates. Students enrolled in this course will be expected to take the A.P. Psychology exam administered by the College Board in May. Five-Credit Requirements American Social History and U.S. Government/A.P. U.S. Government are paired and scheduled together, though they are separate courses each of which earns five credits Modern American Social History / U.S. Government - A Ten Credits (Five Modern Am. Social History, Five U.S. Government) Open to Grade 12 PREREQUISITES: U.S. History MODERN AMERICAN SOCIAL HISTORY DESCRIPTION: This course examines twentieth century America “from the ground up,” focusing on cultural, economic, religious, and social qualities of the American nation and its peoples. The course continues the Social Science department’s emphasis on developing students’ critical thinking through extensive reading and formal analytical writing. U.S. GOVERNMENT DESCRIPTION: This course examines the system of government established by the Constitution of the United States, the intellectual and political influences--both European and American--which contributed to its content, and studies how that system has evolved to meet the demands of contemporary American society. The concept of federalism will be examined, as will the form and functions of executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. The role and purpose of the media will be analyzed. Terms and labels commonly used but frequently misunderstood in American political discourse will be studied. Students will be expected to read political critiques and to write analytically of the topics they study.
Modern American Social History Honrs/A.P. U.S. Government - A Five Credits (Nine-Week Course) Open to Grade 12 PREREQUISITES: This course is taught in combination with AP U.S. History AP U.S. GOVERNMENT DESCRIPTION: This Advanced
Placement course examines the system of government established by the
Constitution of the United States, the intellectual and political influences--both
European and American--which contributed to its content, and evaluates
the changes time has wrought in this remarkable political document. The
concept of federalism will be examined, as will the form and functions
of executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. The influence
of the media and major financial institutions will be analyzed. Students
will gain an understanding of macro- and micro-economics. The law of supply
and demand will be one basis, and the factors determining economic policy,
including inflation, productivity, deficit spending, unemployment, taxation,
international interdependence, will be analyzed. A.P. students will be
expected to read sophisticated, detailed political critiques and to speak
and write analytically of the topics they study. Passage of the A.P. exam
in May will result in college course credit. Psychology - A Five Credits (Nine-Week Course) Open to Grades 10, 11 and 12 PREREQUISITES: Social Science teacher recommendation. DESCRIPTION: This course will examine the principles of modern psychoanalysis. Major areas examined include methods, approaches, and the history of psychoanalysis; sensation and perception; states of consciousness; learning; cognition; motivation and emotion; developmental psychology; personality testing and individual differences; abnormal psychology; treatment of psychological disorders; and social psychology. Freud, Jung, Skinner, and the other major founders of Psychology will be examined. Quizzes and tests will be supplemented by frequent formal writing assignments. Two formal research projects, including first-hand observation of subjects, will be assigned. In addition, students will regularly make oral presentations and engage in formal debates. | |
