Social Studies Department

 Dept Chair: Daniel Meier

The Social Studies Department will promote learning of the Common Core Standards for Social Studies which have been established “to ensure that all students graduate from high school with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in college, career, and life” (CCSS Initiative).

Goals: 

Proficiency in reading, understanding, and responding to informational text in Social Studies – with an emphasis on comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and making connections among ideas and between texts with a focus on textual evidence such as;

  • Key Ideas and Details
  • Craft and Structure
  • Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
  • Range and Level of Complex Text
  • Students write for different purposes and audiences. Students write clear and focused text to convey a well-defined perspective and appropriate content. Focus includes;
    • Different Text Types and Purposes
    • Production and Distribution of Writing
    • Research to Build and Present Knowledge
    • Range of Writing
  • Provide professional development opportunities for teachers.
  • Encourage student responsibility and parent involvement.
  • Recruit qualified English teachers and develop new classes.
  • Support new ideas for learning.

Dept Courses

  • WORLD HISTORY: A survey course allowing students to examine the major political, social, economic, scientific and cultural developments from the beginning of the 14th century to contemporary times.
  • AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY: United States Government, Politics, History, Culture and Geography specific to the African-American Experience; Research Methods.
  • AMERICAN HISTORY: United States Government, Politics, History, Culture and Geography specific to our nation spanning the pre-colonial era through modern times.
  • SOCIAL SCIENCE: Part I of the course focuses upon the US political system by integrating civics, government, law, and US History. Part II of the course focuses upon economics and personal finance.
  • PSYCHOLOGY: An in depth study of the structure and function of the human brain, research methods and cultural dimensions that influence human behavior.

Honors/AP/IB guidelines (requirements & procedures), articulations & dual enrollments

  • All of the above listed courses (with the exception of Psychology) have honors sections open to all students who wish to enroll.
  • AP courses (listed below) are open to all who wish to enroll.
  • AP World
  • AP United States History
  • AP Government
  • AP Economics
  • AP Psychology

Students who wish to take IB Courses (listed below) must apply to the IB Diploma Program. Under certain circumstances, students may take individual IB courses as a certificate student.

  • IB Anthropology
  • IB History of the Americas
  • IB Psychology