Three credits of history and social sciences are required. Study begins in the sophomore year with World History and continues with U.S. History in the junior year and American Government/Economics in the senior year. Senior courses are each one semester in length. Advanced Placement courses in U.S. History, World History, and American Government are also offered to interested and qualified students. AP World History, AP U.S. History and AP Government are taken in place of the regular courses at each grade level. Students in the AP courses are required to take the AP exam in their subject area for college credit eligibility.

Department Members Marcy Aguilar, Department Chair Mark Albright Kellie Farrell Kathleen Fritsch Ann Melancon Rodney Miles Brigid Schiro

History and Social Sciences Courses

519 WORLD HISTORY (1 credit)
World History is the study of people coping with their environment, living together in society, and dealing with people of different cultures and the study of major events and people. The course is divided into two semesters. During the first semester the development of humanity is traced from Pre-civilization through the Age of Exploration. During the second semester humanity's development is continued from the Era of Absolutism to the present day. Throughout the course an emphasis is placed on the students' understanding of key concepts in world history and on the students' ability to research and discuss their findings in formal papers. It is hoped that this course will give the students a greater understanding of the problems facing our world today.

520 HONORS AP WORLD HISTORY (1 credit)
The purpose of the AP World History course is to develop greater understanding of the evolution of global processes and contacts, in interaction with different types of human societies. The course highlights the nature of changes in international frameworks and their causes and consequences, as well as comparisons among major societies. AP World History builds on an understanding of cultural, institutional, and technological precedents that, along with geography, set the human stage. Specific themes provide organization to the course, along with the consistent attention to contacts among societies. AP World History is offered to eligible sophomores and as an elective to juniors and seniors.
Sophomores must take a qualifying test in the spring semester of their freshman year.

500 U.S. HISTORY (1 credit)
The United States History course covers the years from 1607 to 1980 (with a concentration on the 20th century). The social, political, and economic changes which the colonies and later the nation underwent are the focus of the study. Strong emphasis is placed on critical reading and writing skills as well as on the analysis of events and people to determine their impact on our history. Analysis is conducted verbally and in written form. An overview text is used with focus on the changing role of women and minorities within the context of American history. A term paper is written in the spring semester.

503 HONORS AP U. S. HISTORY (1 credit)
AP US History is a challenging course that is meant to be the equivalent of a freshman college course. It is a survey course covering the history of the United States from its earliest settlements to the present time period. The course is intense and rapidly paced, requiring the student to be dedicated to the learning process. Students will be required to read and note-take nightly and participate in daily class discussions concerning the reading. Therefore, above average reading and oral skills are a prerequisite. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking, essay writing, interpretation of primary documents and historiography. Students must be willing and able to work independently in a less structured college-like atmosphere. A summer reading and writing assignment is given to the rising junior students enrolled in the course that is due the first day of class junior year. It is possible to earn college credit in history through performing successfully on the AP U.S. History exam.

505/506 GOVERNMENT/ECONOMICS (1 credit)
In Government the student is exposed to the structure and operations of the American political system. The course will focus on the purposes of government, the democratic model, and the American constitutional system. The course content will center around the federal branches of American government. Economics is the study of the relationship between scarce resources and unlimited human wants. The course will focus on economic theories and their practical applications. The content will cover macro-economic and micro-economic concepts as they apply to the American economic system. Students will have "hands-on" experiences with activities such as the Stock Market Game and Income Tax forms. Throughout the year, strong emphasis will be placed on the student's critical thinking skills in describing, analyzing, applying, and evaluating the course content in the form of discussions, essays, projects, and formal papers. Current events will be heavily stressed through the year.

507/508 HONORS MICROECONOMICS/AP AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS (1 credit)
Each of these courses is a sophisticated and critical analysis of the economic and political systems of the United States. We will spend a semester studying each topic. Honors Microeconomics will concentrate on the process by which economic decisions are made at the individual firm level of economic operation. Although the majority of the course has a microeconomic focus, we will study such macroeconomic topics as taxation and government spending and international trade and currency/valuation. In conjunction with the course theme material, student teams will participate in a 10-week stock market simulation via Internet. An analysis paper will be written in the second quarter. The Advanced Placement American Government and Politics course is styled to reflect a college-level introduction to the institutions of the governing structure and the political processes which make our system run. We will read and discuss text material on these topics as well as critical analysis articles and essays by leading political and social writers. The course is structured as a seminar and requires extensive participation on a daily basis from the students. This course will prepare the students to take the AP examination in American Government in the spring and students will be required to take the exam as part of the course work. This is a fast-paced course requiring very good reading and comprehension skills as well as a strong interest in politics and the government. Students enrolling in this course are required to do a summer current events project exploring national economic and political issues. Specific details concerning this project will be given out prior to the end of the junior year.

515 PSYCHOLOGY (1/2 credit)
The purpose of Psychology is to study the human mind, human behavior, and human development. The course will focus on learning and personality theories, brain functioning, development, and mental disorders. Students will share in class discussions and activities and will view topical videos throughout the course. The course material will be handled in an academic and a practical manner.
Junior and senior level elective.

545 THE 1960's (1/2 credit)
This course will be an in-depth study of the most tumultuous decade in American history.  It will address all aspects of the period including the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement and Hippie Counterculture.  The music of the decade from the British invasion to Woodstock will be studied.  Videos will be relied upon to bring the decade alive.
Senior level elective.