Courses Grade 9 - Global History and Geography 9
This course is the first year of a two-year sequence terminating with a Regents exam. It includes an overview of the following topics:
1. Early Civilizations
2. Empires of the Ancient World (400 B.C. - 500 A.D.)
3. Regional Civilizations (500 A.D. - 1200 A.D.)
4. Early Modern Times (1300 A.D. - 1750 A.D.)
Themes such as Turning Points, Economic Systems, Golden Age, Belief Systems, Political Systems, and Nationalism will be explored in the curriculum. Students who achieve a 90 or above in the first marking period will have the option of earning an honors designation for the course by completing honors level tasks in the second, third, and fourth marking periods.
Grade 10 - Global History and Geography 10
This course is the second year of the two-year sequence begun in grade 9. It concludes with a Regents Exam in Global History and Geography. It includes an overview of the following topics:
- Enlightenment and Revolution
- Industrialism and a New Global Age
- World Wars and Revolutions
- The World Today
Themes such as Turning Points, Economic Systems Golden Age, Belief Systems, Political Systems, and Nationalism will be explored in the curriculum. (Global 10 Honors or Advanced Placement World History may be substituted in place of Global History and Geography 10.)
Grade 11 - United States History and Government
This course is a survey of the American Experience with emphasis on the following topics:
- The Constitution
- Industrialization and Urbanization
- Foreign Relations
- The Modern Age
Themes such as Government, Geography, Diversity, Economics, and Science and Technology will be explored in the curriculum and this course concludes with a Regents Exam. (US History and Government Honors or Advanced Placement may be substituted in place of US History and Government 11.)
Grade 12 - Economics
This is an introductory course in economic theory. Basic economic problems such as scarcity, choice, supply and demand, and utility are initially presented in order to relate theory to American capitalism. In particular, the dynamics of the market, personal finance, and factors of production (land, labor, and capital), and banking are explored in detail. The students will then employ this basic knowledge to study specific American economic problems such as: inflation, unemployment, energy, pollution and conservation, taxation, and the national debt. (Advanced Placement Economics may be taken in place of Economics.)
The Grade 12 Participation in Government requirement can be met by any of the following courses:
Participation in Government III - Senior Seminar
This course is an alternative method of satisfying the graduation requirements of the Regents Action Plan and is offered in conjunction with English 12 R (Senior Seminar). Working with a member of the community, students will develop projects to explore a career opportunity and/or personal interest. In addition, students will be required to give presentations, keep a journal, and produce a research paper reflecting their program experiences.
Law and Literature
This course is designed to help students
understand the government process as it relates primarily to the legal
system. This is a one-credit course, which is offered for ½ credit for
English and a ½ credit for Social Studies. Students in Law and
Literature will explore legal issues through a variety of methods such
as: plays, novels, short stories, mock trials, and Supreme Court cases.
Law and Literature students are accepting responsibility to help run the
Student Court and participate in the State-wide Mock Trial competition.
Issues in American Society
This course will investigate major political, social, and economic issues. Students will be expected to research current topics of concern to American society using a variety of sources including: newspapers, journals, magazines, books, television, and the Internet, and must present their findings in written and oral form, both individually and as part of a panel discussion. A major part of the grade for this course will depend on daily preparation in class activities and discussions. The topics to be considered each semester will be selected jointly by the students and instructor.
Electives
Global History and Geography 10 Honors
In addition to the Global History 10 curriculum, the Global 10H course emphasizes examination and analysis of primary sources documents, independent research, and a more in-depth look at the historical periods of study through writing across the curriculum.
Advanced Placement World History
The purpose of the AP World History course is to develop greater understanding of the evolution of the global processes and contacts, in interaction with different types of human societies. This understanding is advanced through a combination of selective factual knowledge and appropriate analytical skills. The course highlights the nature of changes in international frameworks and their causes and consequences, as well as comparisons among major societies. Focused primarily on the last thousand years of the global experience, the course builds on an understanding of cultural, institutional, and technological precedents that, along with geography, set the human stage prior to 1000 C.E. Students are expected to take the AP World History exam in May for possible college credit.
Advanced Placement Psychology
This course introduces students to the systemic 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; and they also learn about the methods psychologists use in their science and practice. The aim of this course is to provide the student with a learning experience equivalent to that obtained in most college introductory psychology courses. Topics covered include the following: biological bases of behavior, sensation and perception, states of consciousness, learning, cognition, motivation, emotion, developmental psychology, personality, abnormal psychology, treatment of psychology disorders, and social psychology. Each student is expected to take the AP Psychology exam in May for possible college credit.
United States History and Government 11 Honors
In addition to the United States History 11 curriculum, the U.S. 11H course provides a more in-depth approach to the study of U.S. History supplemented by several research projects.
Advanced Placement United States History
AP is a very challenging, demanding and comprehensive course that places attention upon understandings equivalent to those gained in a college-level introductory course. This course, which emphasizes the analytical skill of the social scientist, examines major interpretations of American History. Students will develop the knowledge, as well as the keen critical reading and writing skills necessary for success on both the Advanced Placement Exam in May and the U.S. History and Government Regents exam in June. Each student is expected to take the AP U.S. History exam in May for possible college credit.
Advanced Placement Economics
The purpose of an AP course in Economics is to give students a thorough understanding of the principles of economics that apply to the functions of individual decision makers, both consumers and producers, within the larger economic system. It places primary emphasis on the nature and functions of product markets; and includes the study of factor markets and of the role of government in promoting greater efficiency and equity in the economy. Students are expected to take the AP Microeconomics exam in May for possible college credit.
Criminal Justice
This course is designed to enable students to develop concepts and attitudes, which give them a better understanding of our criminal justice system. This course integrates many social studies disciplines such as history, political science, sociology, psychology, and economics. It is also designed to give students an awareness of career possibilities in the criminal justice field. Police officers, attorneys, and other practitioners in the field bring their expertise to the classroom. In addition, field trips, case studies, audio-visual material, simulations, debates and reports are employed in the course. Current criminal justice news stories and issues are also emphasized in the course. This course can be taken for college credit through St. Thomas Aquinas College.
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