Social Studies Curriculum Something for Everyone!.

Social Studies Curriculum

Something for Everyone!

Political Action Seminar

• An elective offered to juniors and seniors who want to gain direct experience in politics active citizenship.

• Requirements: – Self-motivated – Self-directed– Able to work well with others in groups– LOVE politics– LOVE project-based learning– LOVE interacting with adults and working in the

community on a professional level

Political Action Seminar offers:

• Model United Nations

• Mock Trial

• Youth and Government

• Junior State of America

History of Western Civilization -- Elective• Open to sophomores,

juniors and seniors• Approach is

Conceptual/Thematic/Chronological

• The key question is:– How does what we study

connect to/ affect/ influence who we are as 21st century Westerners and Americans?

• What we do in class– Read and write– Primary source

analysis– Discussions and

Debates– Socratic Seminars– Role Plays– Projects

Major Concepts and Topics studied and Chronology• Civilization• Legal Codes• Power/Authority• Civilized War• World View• Forms of government:

Monarchy, Oligarchy, Tyranny, Democracy

• Feudalism• Conservative vs. Liberal• Reform and Revolution

• Absolutism• Kleptocracy• Republics and Empires• Individualism vs.

Communalism• Course begins with pre-

history, covers the Ancient Near East, Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, the European Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Reformation, and continues into the Enlightenment.

This course is for you if . . .

• You are interested in history, especially the History of Western Europe

• You would like to find out where many American ideals and values originate

• You would like to develop your own perfect civilization

• You would like to consider some of the “big questions.”– What is the best form of

government?– Is democracy real or a

façade?– Why should laws be written

down? Why should we obey them?

– Who’s more violent, the ancient Romans or modern Americans?

– What’s the role of women in _____?

– Was Alexander really great?

AP European History--Elective

• Open to sophomores, juniors and seniors

• Complete and submit an application;• This course is a college-level

examination of European History from 1450 to the present

• This course provides you with the only opportunity to study this much European history in high school –16 different countries, 550 years!

What are the benefits of taking this course?

• If you earn a 3 or better on the AP exam, you could earn college credit

• You will become a better writer and stronger reader—if you work hard!

• You’ll learn lots of history• You will be able to make sophisticated and witty conversation at

parties• You’ll get to see really cool and amazing works of European art• You will understand Ms. Paxson’s reference to the Luddites• You will finally understand what existentialism is all about• You’ll understand the international section of the newspaper better• You’ll know more about Europe than 96.8% of all Americans and

98.3% of all American politicians• You will better understand every Monty Python skit and movie• Action figures!

You should take this course if…

You love history

You really want to challenge yourself

You want to work hard and feel a sense of accomplishment come May 10, 2008

You want to better understand yourself, America and Western Europe

You want to get a head start on college credit

Special Topics in Social Studies

• The Social Studies Department offers rotating seminars on a variety of topics. Each year a new topic will be introduced. Planned courses include Men and Women in Society, African History, Latin American History, Globalization, Military History, World Politics, and the History of 20th Century Popular Music. The course is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors.

Men and Women in American Society is a social studies course open to sophomores, juniors and seniors meant to examine the social and biological construction of gender, gender differences and gender inequity. The class will approach the field of gender studies through a series of selected but interrelated topics. Each unit will present a problem or question of study to be studied through class lecture/discussion, class readings and/or original research.

Constitutional Law ISemester-long elective – Open to juniors and seniors

What is the class about?

• Learn about the Bill of Rights and debate current issues covering presidential power during wartime, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion.

• Learn about the foundations of the Constitution and the struggles to make its promises a reality.

• Play current events game!

PSYCHOLOGY“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” ~Carl Jung

Psychology is a swiftly evolving, integrated study of the mind, the brain and behavior.

Psychology is both academic and applied.

Psychology is a valuable area of study for all students, having practical applications in all careers and within our daily lives.

Whether you’re planning a career in psychology, or simply want to learn more about your behavior and that of others…then, this is one of the most enlightening and intriguing classes available.

OPEN TO JUNIORS AND

SENIORS

PSYCHOLOGY

Personality

Learning

Sensation & Perception

Thinking

Intelligence

Sleep/Dreams

Our journey will include stops at the following destinations…

Memory

Motivation & Emotion

Stress & Health

Life Development

Theories & Methods Psychological Disorders Treatments

& Therapies

"The actuality of thought is life." -- Aristotle

PSYCHOLOGYPsychology is a highly interactive course, including:

observations experiments

think tanks interviews

simulations presentations

role playing film studies

discussions debates

and more…

One of the most rewarding features of our class is the remarkable spectrum of viewpoints that students share, on a wide range of topics – all conducted within a safe, encouraging and tolerant environment.

I look forward to seeing you in class next year!

• Open to juniors and seniors• Sociology is the social

science that deals with human relationships. It is the study of how we as individuals relate to others and how our individual behavior has been influenced and shaped by the people and groups we surround ourselves with. The emphasis is on group relationships and total social environments.

Continued• The sociologist will show

us how, that like a chameleon in nature, we tend to adapt and blend into the various “societies” we inhabit and try to make sense of those surroundings. This is the introductory course into sociology and will focus on broader sociological concepts.

Cultural anthropology is the study of human beings as creatures and creators of society. This course aims to demonstrate how the basic concepts and techniques developed by cultural anthropologists help us to understand societies of various degrees of complexity, including our own. We will consider topics such as language, kinship, gender, ethnicity, economics, politics, religion and social change in a broad comparative framework.

Open to juniors and

seniors

Major goals are an increased awareness of the social and cultural dimensions of human experience; the diversity and flexibility of human cultures; and processes of intercultural communication and conflict. Emphasis will be on understanding each culture from its own point of view rather than from our own.

AP US Government

• Senior-only elective that looks at the philosophy, structure and law of the federal government.

• The class includes:– Daily current events discussions– A Supreme Court simulation– A college-level experience as part of your high-

school career– The potential for college credit

A sample of what AP Gov coversThe use of formal logic in examining modern

debates. An examination of political philosophy ranging

from Aristotle and Plato to Locke and Hobbes. The debates of the founding fathers and how

those discussions created a system that was purposely complicated and inefficient.

An analysis of civil rights and civil liberties that includes a discussion of student rights, sexual harassment law, the USA Patriot Act, and other hot-button legal issues.

How do I get into AP Government?• Take application and introductory letter

• Complete application and give it to social studies teacher by Friday, February 23.

• Forecast for the class as you would normally

Advanced Constitutional Law (We The People team)

• A semester-long course that prepares a team in the fall to compete in the annual We The People competition. The We The People competition is a guiding discussion/debate between a team of students and a panel of judges. These judges are usually attorneys, college professors, judges, elected officials, lobbyists and educators.

• The team is divided into six sub-teams that focus on some element of political philosophy, constitutional law, citizenship, American history, or international politics.

How do I get into Adv. Con Law

1. You need to apply to get into AP Government. To be on the Con Law team you must also be taking AP Government.

2. Talk to either Mr. Censoni, Ms. Wolfe-Rocca or Mr. Koepping about the expectations and workload of the team