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American History*

The study of American History is designed to acquaint the students with those individuals, events, and ideas which have shaped our American character. The course will cover the Colonial Period, the American Revolution, the New Nation Period, Sectionalism, the Civil War, Reconstruction, Industrialization, Reforms, Imperialism, World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, and the Post-war Period. Students will develop a critical understanding of American history.

*AP U.S. History is a challenging course that is designed to be the equivalent of a survey college course and to earn college credit for the student. Its purpose is to develop student understanding and appreciation of U.S. history and the ability to perform well on the AP exam.

Western Civilization

This course will survey the history of Western Civilization from its roots in the ancient Near East through its development in medieval and modern Europe. Through lecture, readings, and discussion, students will gain a greater understanding of the major political, military, economic, social, cultural and intellectual figures, events, and movements that helped shape our world today.

World Geography

This course will focus on the geographic, historical, cultural and economic characteristics of the various regions of the world. The basics of the world’s physical geography, such as weather, climate, natural resources, bodies of water, and major land forms will also be analyzed. Additionally, students will develop important map skills that are necessary in any examination of world geography.

Civics/American Government and Politics*

This course will analyze the American system of government–how it is structured, how it operates, and how various influences act upon it. Students will develop a critical understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of our political system as well the issues that face us in the 21st century.

*American Government and Politics AP (Civics AP) is a challenging course that is designed to be the equivalent of a survey college course and to earn college credit for the student. Its purpose is to develop student understanding and appreciation of American government and the ability to perform well on the AP exam.

*Comparative Government AP is a challenging course that is designed to be the equivalent of a survey college course and to earn college credit for the student. Its purpose is to develop student understanding and appreciation of the world governments and the ability to perform well on the AP exam.

NOTE: This course is not offered every school year.

Economics

This course is designed to provide the graduating senior an overview of macroeconomic concepts. The primary focus of the course is to present the student with a practical understanding of capitalism and the modern characteristics of the American economic system. Topics considered include investments, financial planning, insurance, taxation, supply and demand factor, economic downturns and cures, monetary systems, international trade, and domestic policy.

NOTE: This course is not offered every school year.

Law Studies

The course introduces students to the American legal system in three areas: criminal law, torts, and constitutional law. Real and hypothetical cases are used to teach basic legal terms and concepts and to illustrate how law applies in practice. Socratic method is employed to stimulate critical thinking and communication about the course content and law-related current events.

Presidential Conspiracies (Elective)

This course will analyze the Lincoln, Garfield, and Kennedy presidential assassinations and will explore the social, political, and military events at the time of each incident. We will also examine the actual circumstances surrounding each assassination in an attempt to evaluate the possibility of a conspiracy in any of them.

Psychology (Elective)

This course is a senior level elective designed as an introduction to the field of psychology. The central theme of this course is psychology as the science of mental processes and behavior. The various topics covered include: the history of psychology, statistics, biological foundations of behavior, sensation and perception, cognition, learning and memory, developmental psychology, motivation and emotion, gender and sexuality, personality theories and assessment, abnormal behavior, and social psychology.

Sociology (Elective)

This course is designed to provide students with a heightened awareness of society and its cultural differences. Topics include deviant behavior, group and organizational dynamics, the life cycle and adolescence, and social conformity.

World History

The purpose of this course will be for students to focus on world events and people from the Renaissance through the Modern Era. This course is built around lectures, readings, and discussions; topics covered include the Enlightenment, development of the world’s economy and trade, colonialism, and international conflict.

World History AP

In AP World History, students focus on how our world today came to be by studying the development of major civilizations, the interactions between different peoples around the world, and the broader forces that have influenced human society, such as trade, migration, and the diffusion of technology, disease, and culture. Focusing in particular on modern history (since about 1200 A.D.), AP World History is designed to broaden students’ knowledge about the world and prepare them for the AP World History exam.