Social Studies Department

Our Social Studies department brings history to life! Explore the world and various cultures without leaving the South Bay. Learn about the inner workings of the human brain in Psychology and study the connections between music and history in U.S. after 1945. 

 

World Geography and Cultures is a one semester elective course designed to introduce students to the fundamental concepts of geography through the effective use of maps and geographical models. The class focuses on basic map and globe skills, the study of volcanoes, earthquakes, climate patterns, ecosystems, economic and political geography and the physical and cultural characteristics of various regions of the world. A special emphasis is placed on the interactions of people and their environments and how geography is used to interpret the past, present and future.

 

World History and Cultures is a survey course designed to introduce students to the study of the past – from prehistory to the early modern period. The class focuses on the study of prehistory and the emergence of the world’s earliest civilizations in Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and China, and the important contributions of Greek and Roman civilizations. A special emphasis is placed on the world’s great religions that shaped human history. The course also studies the feudal societies of Japan and Europe; the more recent history of Africa and the Americas; Renaissance and Reformation periods and the relationships between Europe and other world cultures. Students will also be linking the past to recent history, making analogies and comparing historical experiences with those in the modern world.

 

Honors World History and Cultures is a survey course designed to introduce students to the study of the past – from prehistory to the early modern period. It focuses on the nature and development of civilized societies, and the classical civilizations associated with Asia and Europe and the more recent history of Africa and the Americas. Honors students will be expected to add depth to their study of world history by exploring specific topics within chapters through research papers, personal research projects, and group research projects. Students will also be linking the past to recent history, making analogies and comparing historical experiences with those in the modern world. Students will write critical essays exploring universal issues facing mankind.

 

US History I focuses on the events leading up to the Revolutionary War, the emergence of the United States as a new country, the growth and expansion of our nation, the Civil War, and the events responsible for our being recognized as one of the leading industrial and military powers by the end of the 19th century. The second semester of United States History focuses on events beginning with the Progressive Era, through World War I, the Roaring 20’s, the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War and Civil Rights movements during the post-war years, the counterculture movement of the 60’s, Vietnam, Watergate, the Reagan era and the current crisis in the Middle East.

 

Honors US History is a year-long course that focuses on the course of United States history from European discovery through modern times. Special emphasis is placed on the underlying causes of events in American history and how those events shaped the country as we know it today. Class activities will center on note taking and discussion, research techniques, advanced writing skills, class presentations, frequent written/oral examinations, and written/oral presentations in class. This class is designed for the honors student seeking the challenge of a college-oriented course in history. 

 

AP United States History is a year-long course that surveys US History from exploration and colonization through the Reagan era, the end of the Cold War, the Persian Gulf War, and the present day. The underlying causes of events as well as foreign policy and social history will receive significant focus. A summer reading and writing assignment is required. Extensive supplementary reading and essay writing will prepare students to take the College Board’s Advanced Placement Exam in May. Students may receive college credit for taking this course by passing this exam with a qualifying score.

 

Advanced Placement European History is a college-level, yearlong course designed to approach history from multiple perspectives and to critically analyze events, themes and change in society and governments that occur across Europe. Students are expected to demonstrate a knowledge of chronology and major thematic trends from approximately 1450 (High Renaissance) to the present. Starting with the dawn of the Renaissance, Europe is transformed economically, socially and politically, and evolves over time and conflict to a modern, democratic and increasingly global collection of nation-states with varying degrees of complexity across geopolitical and ethnic strata. These trends and developments are critical for our understanding of Western Civilization and global issues in a contemporary context. Throughout the class, the causes and effects of important historical and current events are analyzed and discussed in conjunction with the culture, individual and civic ideas of European history.

 

This course focuses on the types of governments prevalent throughout the United States, the economic and political philosophies available and the foundations and events responsible for the formation of our government. The three branches of our government, the constitution, along with all the amendments and landmark Supreme Court decisions will compose the bulk of the course. Students will be kept abreast of the major current events throughout the world on a weekly basis.

 

In AP US Government, students study the constitutional underpinnings of United States Government (the historical situation, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, Federalism); political beliefs and behaviors; political parties, interest groups and mass media; the institutions of national government (legislative, executive and judicial branches as well as the bureaucracy); public policy; and civil liberties and civil rights. Influences on and interpretations of politics are emphasized. Reading and extensive writing will prepare the student to take the College Board’s AP Exam in May. Students may receive college credit for taking this course by passing this exam.

 

This introductory course will encompass various phases of personal, commercial, and global economics. Fundamentals of supply and demand, tax systems, governmental budgeting, stock market and business structure, comparison of economic systems and other aspects of this discipline will be presented to the students in order to familiarize them with the workings of our economic system.

 

This is a college level course designed for student understanding of Macroeconomics. The study of aggregate supply/demand/pricing on a micro level will be transferred to the conceptualization of macro issues. There is an emphasis on fiscal, monetary policy, and international trade. Coursework including numerous objective and free response exams will prepare students to take the College Board Advanced Placement exam in May. Students may receive college credit for taking this course by passing this exam.

 

This is a survey course covering the basic theories of psychology. Students will discuss topics such as psychological research, learning theories, personality theories, human development, intelligence and creativity, mental illness, therapy and psychological testing, and current issues in psychology. Students will conduct their own psychological research as part of this course.

 

This course will focus on issues confronting the United States in the post World War II era such as the Baby Boom, the Nuclear Arms Race, the Cold War, McCarthyism, the Korean and Vietnam Conflicts, the Counterculture movement during the 60’s, Civil Rights movements, Watergate, collapse of Communism in Europe, and the current situation in the Middle East. In addition, the course will trace the history of popular music during the past five decades and study how the lyrics of the music reflected the domestic events and national issues of the time.