Social Studies

The Social Studies Department works to develop students into responsible and well-informed citizens, able to face the challenges of college and life. Required courses include two years of study in history and one year of study in United States government and economics. These courses engage students in analysis and critical thinking of historical issues, civic responsibilities, the economy and current events. This department offers the motivated student a choice and a challenge with honors and AP courses. In addition to the required curricula, students may elect courses in geography, philosophy and ethics, and/ or psychology and sociology. All social studies course work includes reading, writing, collaboration, the use of technology and interactive student discussion.

Students will study the development of global cultures from the beginnings of civilization, with the majority of the course focused on the post-classical era (600 AD) to the present. The application of course themes will allow students to address cause and effect relationships, to identify changes and continuities in history, and compare and contrast global societies. The thematic approach will include a study of the interaction between humans and their environment, development and interaction of cultures, development of nation states, expansion and conflict among civilizations, interaction of economic systems, and the development and transformation of social structures.

WORLD HISTORY

231

WORLD HISTORY HONORS

230

PREREQUISITES: English 1 or English 1 Honors and BK honors criteria The course is designed for the student interested in the how and why of history. Beginning with the foundations of civilization, the course investigates how societies formed and changed; how nations developed; how people interacted with their natural environment; how science and technology took shape; how religious values formed and how they affected civilization; and how the arts have been an ever-changing expression of beauty. The student will develop the ability to identify the cause and effect of historical development, use and interpret maps, and learn how to produce research papers.

AP WORLD HISTORY

229

PREREQUISITES: English 1 Honors and BK honors criteria AP World History is a college-level course designed to develop a greater understanding of the global interconnectedness of the growth and development of humanity. The objective of this course is to offer students an approach that will guide them through the steps that historians would take to understand worldwide historical events. Students will study societies in Asia, the Americas, Africa, Europe and Oceania and comprehend the change and continuity of these societies over time. They will also engage in analyzing worldwide events by historical periods and analyze the processes and causes involved in these continuities and changes. Course work will include substantial reading and writing elements as well as yearlong preparation for the AP Exam. Students are required to take the Advanced Placement Exam.

UNITED STATES HISTORY

211 Students will study the history of the United States from the pre-Columbian period to present day. The first semester is dedicated to U.S. history prior to 1877 and the second semester to topics from 1877 to present. Through this course of study, students will complete reading and writing assignments, including formal writing assignments. Furthermore, students will develop the skills necessary to interpret primary and secondary source materials, understand cause and effect, interpret maps, charts and data, as well as relate current events to historical events. 14

213

PREREQUISITE: BK honors criteria Students will study the history of the United States from the pre-Columbian period to present day with a special emphasis on primary source materials. The first semester is dedicated to U.S. history prior to 1877 and the second semester to topics from 1877 to present. Course objectives are designed to provide students with cognitive and factual knowledge necessary to analyze, interpret and evaluate historical topics and themes. Through this course of study, students will complete reading and writing assignments, including several formal paper assignments. Furthermore, students will develop the skills necessary to interpret primary and secondary source materials, understand historiography, understand cause and effect, interpret maps, charts and data, as well as relate current events to historical events.

AP UNITED STATES HISTORY

212

PREREQUISITES: World History Honors or AP World History and BK honors criteria or World History and English 2 Honors and BK honors criteria This college-level course is designed as a survey of United States history from the pre-Columbian period to present day. Students will develop a cognitive and factual knowledge of history while analyzing, interpreting and evaluating topics and themes of history. Students will also develop historical thinking skills including crafting historical arguments from evidence, chronological reasoning, comparison and contextualization, and historical interpretation and synthesis. The course will focus on nine time periods of United States history and seven major themes: American and National Identity; Politics and Power; Geography and the Environment; America in the World; Culture and Society; Migration and Settlement; Work, Exchange and Technology. Course work will involve a summer assignment, substantial reading of both primary and secondary source documents, collaborative activities, routine writing assignments, formal research paper assignments and additional activities designed to foster the skills of a historian, an understanding of historiography, and an appreciation of history. Students must read for class daily, maintain a college-level work ethic, work independently and collaboratively, and utilize technology. Students must participate in a mock exam and take the AP exam in May.

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT & ECONOMICS

201 United States Government is a semester course which offers a study of the United States Constitution and the problems that develop from the application of its laws. The student develops a better understanding and appreciation of government at the national, state, and local levels. The course concentrates on an in-depth study of the three branches of the federal government. Economics is a semester study of how society, using limited resources, goes about producing, distributing, and consuming goods and services to satisfy its wants. Topics to be covered include the following: supply and demand, production of goods and services, the role of the consumer, labor and its role, public finance and the role of government, credit and banking, promotion of economic stability, persistent economic problems, and the United States and world economies. Students will participate in a stock market project.

Social Studies

Social Studies

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT & ECONOMICS HONORS

205

PREREQUISITE: BK honors criteria United States Government is a semester course which offers a study of the United States Constitution and the problems that develop from the application of its laws. The student develops a better understanding and appreciation of government at the national, state, and local levels. The course concentrates on an in-depth study of the three branches of the federal government. Assignments will be more in depth with some outside reading, research papers and decision papers. The students will also report on current events. Economics is a semester course devoted to the study of macro-economics and micro-economics. Students will study micro-economic topics, supply and demand, prices, market structures, and business organizations. The study of macro-economics includes GDP, taxes, fiscal policies, the Federal Reserve, and monetary policy. Students are required to participate in a yearlong stock project and submit detailed economic reports each quarter.

AP UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS & AP MACROECONOMICS

215

PREREQUISITES: United States History Honors or AP United States History and BK honors criteria or US History and concurrently enrolled in AP Calculus and BK honors criteria This college-level course is designed as an advanced study of American government and macroeconomics. Course objectives include constitutional underpinnings of the U.S. government, political beliefs and behaviors, political parties, interest groups and mass media, institutions of the national government, public policy, civil rights and civil liberties, basic economics concepts, measurement of economic performance, national income and price determination, the financial sector, inflation, unemployment, stabilization policies, economic growth and productivity, international trade and finance. Course work will include substantial reading, writing, and graphing elements as well as yearlong preparation for the AP Exams. Students are required to take the Advanced Placement Exams.

WORLD CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY

241 This course is open to all students and classes may contain students from all grade levels. The purpose of this social studies survey course is to provide the student with a firm foundation in geographical skills and the opportunity to acquire an understanding of the interrelationships between people and their environment. Content covered will include an understanding of the relationship between physical geography, natural resources, and the economic, political, social, religious, and historic aspects of human activity as well as a study of the various world cultures.

AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

248

PREREQUISITES: Juniors and Seniors only and AP/Honors English or AP/Honors social studies or AP Seminar and BK honors criteria The AP Human Geography course is equivalent to an introductory college-level course in human geography. The course introduces students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of Earth’s surface. Students employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to examine socioeconomic organization and its environmental consequences. They also learn about the methods and tools geographers use in their research and applications. Students must take the AP exam in May.

253

PREREQUISITE: Sophomores, juniors, and seniors only In the first semester of the course, students will examine the arts, their connections to history, literature, philosophy, and religion in order to understand and respond to creative efforts through an interdisciplinary study. In the second semester, students will build on their worldly understanding developed in humanities to further explore different faiths and cultures. In addition, students will examine in detail the manner in which the Catholic Church relates to non-Christians as well as to other religions of the world, while developing an understanding of modern issues that involve interfaith dialogue and cooperation.

PHILOSOPHY HONORS

249

PREREQUISITES: Juniors and seniors only and BK honors criteria applied to current social studies or English course This course will introduce students to the study of philosophy, its basic terminology, the objects of its study, and the contribution of Catholic philosophers to that study. Students will develop a working knowledge of philosophical reasoning and argumentation before examining issues concerning logic, the nature of reality, the human condition, and the foundations of ethics. Regular writing assignments will allow students to sharpen their ability to examine and debate philosophical questions in an organized and systematic manner.

PSYCHOLOGY/SOCIOLOGY

243

PREREQUISITE: Juniors and seniors only Psychology is studied during the first semester. Students will acquire an understanding of and an appreciation for human behavior, behavior interaction and the progressive development of individuals. The content will include, but not be limited to, human growth and development, abnormal behavior, stress/ coping strategies and psychological therapies. Sociology is studied during the second semester. Students will acquire an understanding of group interaction and its impact on individuals in order that they may have a greater awareness of the beliefs, values and behavior patterns of others. The content will include, but not be limited to, social deviation, social participation, racial and ethnic groups and the role of social organizations and institutions.

AP PSYCHOLOGY

244

PREREQUISITES: Psychology/ Sociology and BK honors criteria or AP Seminar or AP social studies /English and BK honors criteria This course is designed to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals. Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. They will also learn about the ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice. Course work will include substantial reading and writing as well as yearlong preparation for the AP Exam. Students are required to take the Advanced Placement Exam.