Social Studies
Year-Long Courses
World History
In World History, students learn to see the world today as a product of a process that began thousands of years ago when humans became a speaking, travelling, and trading species. Through historical analysis grounded in primary sources, case studies, and research, students investigate the continuity and change of human culture, governments, economic systems, and social structures.
U.S. History
U.S. History traces the nation's history from the pre-colonial period to the present. Students learn about the Native American, European, and African people who lived in America before it became the United States. They examine the beliefs and philosophies that informed the American Revolution and the subsequent formation of the government and political system.
U.S. Government and Politics
In U.S. Government and Politics, students examine the history, principles, and function of the political system established by the U.S. Constitution. Starting with a basic introduction to the role of government in society and the philosophies at the heart of American democracy, this course provides students with the knowledge needed to be informed and empowered participants in the U.S. political system.
AP® U.S. History
In AP U.S. History, students investigate the development of American economics, politics, and culture through historical analysis grounded in primary sources, research, and writing. The equivalent of an introductory college-level course, AP U.S. History prepares students for the AP exam and for further study in history, political science, economics, sociology, and law.
AP® U.S. Government and Politics
AP U.S. Government and Politics studies the operations and structure of the U.S. government and the behavior of the electorate and politicians. Students will gain the analytic perspective necessary to critically evaluate political data, hypotheses, concepts, opinions, and processes.
AP® Macroeconomics
AP Macroeconomics students learn why and how the world economy can change from month to month, how to identify trends in our economy, and how to use those trends to develop performance measures and predictors of economic growth or decline. They'll also examine how individuals, institutions, and influences affect people, and how those factors can impact everyone's life through employment rates, government spending, inflation, taxes, and production.
AP® Microeconomics
Advanced Placement Microeconomics studies the behavior of individuals and businesses as they exchange goods and services in the marketplace. Microeconomics studies the economic way of thinking, understanding the nature and function of markets, the role of scarcity and competition, the influence of factors such as interest rates on business decisions, and the role of government in promoting a healthy economy.
AP® Psychology
AP Psychology provides an overview of current psychological research methods and theories. Students will explore the therapies used by professional counselors and clinical psychologists and examine the reasons for normal human reactions: how people learn and think, the process of human development and human aggression, altruism, intimacy, and self-reflection.
Semester Electives
Geography and World Cultures
Geography and World Cultures offers a tightly focused and scaffolded curriculum that enables students to explore how geographic features, human relationships, political and social structures, economics, science and technology, and the arts have developed and influenced life in countries around the world. Students are given rigorous instruction on how to read and create maps, charts, and graphs.
Economics
Economics is designed to fall in the fourth year of social studies instruction. Students establish mastery of key economic principles through a scaffolded series of analytic written assignments and lesson tests. They also apply basic mathematics to economic concepts.
Multicultural Studies
Multicultural Studies is a one-semester elective history and sociology course that examines the United States as a multicultural nation. The course emphasizes the perspectives of minority groups while allowing students from all backgrounds to better understand and appreciate how race, culture and ethnicity, and identity contribute to their experiences.
Sociology
Sociology examines why people think and behave as they do in relationships, groups, institutions, and societies. Major course topics include individual and group identity, social structures and institutions, social change, social stratification, social dynamics in recent and current events, the effects of social change on individuals, and the research methods used by social scientists.