Social Studies
“The Social Studies curriculum emphasizes skills and attitudes students need to develop self-esteem, moral virtue, purpose, spiritual identity, and the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions.”
WORLD CIVILIZATIONS
Grade 6
This course is designed to help the students become familiar with ancient civilizations and how they formed the world today. Students will be discussing, researching, and questioning the life of many different cultures throughout the world. This course introduces the students to the history, geography, culture, and economics of many diverse civilizations. Students also learn how to take notes, find the main idea of a paragraph, use maps, an outline.
RELIGION
Grade 6
This course is designed to help the student become familiar with the fundamental theme in Christianity, from Old and New Testament, and to become aware of these same themes in other major religions of the world. The course focuses on the major religions of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism by looking at their leaders; Moses, Jesus, Mohammad, and Buddha.
WORLD GEOGRAPHY
Grade 7
Through the study of geography, students will learn to see the world from many different perspectives. The students will learn how to incorporate the five themes of geography the study of a place’s location, it’s character, how people interact with the environment, the flow of people, goods, and ideas through it, and how it is similar to and different from other places.
UNITED STATES HISTORY
Grade 8
This course takes an in-depth look at events from the colonial period to 1860. Emphasis is on the study of the Age of Exploration, the Colonial Era, the American Revolution, and the Constitution. Student will examine the changing geography of America through the nineteenth century. Students also learn about a citizen’s civic responsibilities within the framework of a democracy.
UNITED STATES HISTORY
Grade 9
Students continue their study of United States ’ history. Beginning with the Civil War and continuing up to the present date, students will use their textbook plus primary and secondary sources to develop their understanding of the history of the United States . This course will expose the students to the major political, social, economic, cultural, and military issues and events that have defined American history. The techniques of writing and note taking are emphasized.
UNDERSTANDING WORLD RELIGIONS
Grade 9
Students survey five major world religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism and discuss the fundamental human questions about life and its meaning. Students are expected to learn vocabulary, understand concepts, and compare and contrast basic ideas from all five religions.
GOVERNMENT
Grade 10
This course will take students on a journey through the American Government Students will use the Constitution, Supreme Court decisions, articles, and current events to understand the organization of the United States Government. In addition, students will get an understanding of political beliefs, behaviors, and parties that exist in the United States. Finally, students will begin to create their own political ideologies through discussion of current events.
UNITED STATES HISTORY
Grade 11
Students use their textbook plus primary and secondary sources to develop their understanding of major political, social, economic, cultural, military, and diplomatic issues and events in American history from 1860 to the present.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT UNITED STATES HISTORY
Grade 11
Students prepare for the Advanced Placement exam in United States History by using a freshman college text and an array of primary and secondary sources to develop their understanding of major political, social, economic, cultural, military, and diplomatic issues and events in American history from 1860 to the present. In depth analytical writing is stressed.
HISTORY OF THE MODERN WORLD
Grade 11
This course reviews world history from the time of the French Revolution to the end of the Cold War. It will address political, economic, and social relationships among nations and cultures, as well as those relationships within specific countries. It does not seek to cover all events that occurred throughout the world during this period, but will focus on major themes, such as the distribution of power within countries, the development of nations and nationalism, European imperialism, and the response of local cultures to that phenomenon, and the relationship of these past developments to the current affairs of today.
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
Grade 12
Students use a freshman college text and an array of primary sources and judicial opinions to learn about the constitutional underpinnings of the United States . Political beliefs and behaviors, political parties and interests groups, institutions and processes of the national government, and civil rights and liberties are addressed.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
Grade 12
Students prepare for the Advanced Placement exam in United States Government by using a freshman college text and a variety of primary and secondary sources to study in depth about underpinnings of the United States. Political beliefs and behaviors, political parties and interest groups, institutions and processes of the national government, and civil rights and liberties are addressed.
ECONOMICS
Grades 11 and 12
This course covers the fundamental theories of Economics. The course will cover both Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. Students will also use current events to study how economics and choice affects the live of Americans everyday.
ETHICS AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY
Grade 12
In a discussion format, students develop an understanding and appreciation of various cultural groups in a global perspective. Students will be expected to keep a journal and to present an oral presentation on an ethnic group other than their own. Guest speakers will round out the students’ exposure to cultures different from their own. Students will also explore the issues that face the world today through group discussion. Students are expected to contribute to the discussion on a daily basis. The writings of the great philosophers and biblical thinkers as well as modern day thinkers are presented as springboards for group discussion.
ISSUES OF CHARACTER AND SERVICE
Grade 10
Building upon the success and base of understanding from the World Religions class in 9th grade, the goals of this class are to have the students apply the values and principles of respect, understanding, and positive action to analyze current events as they encounter them.
GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY Grades 10, 11, and 12
This class will be an introduction to psychology and will survey the field's origins and scope. Course will feature guest speakers from the field. Topics covered in the first semester will include Human Development, Physiology, Personality, States of Consciousness, Psychological Disorders, Therapy, and Social Psychology. This course also focuses upon how individuals think and learn. Topics covered in the second semester will include: Sensation and Perception, Learning, Memory, Language, Problem Solving and Decision Making, Intelligence, and Research Study.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT PSYCHOLOGY
Grades 11 and 12
This course will be comparable to that of an Introduction to Psychology course in college. We will emphasize the history of psychology as a science and the different theoretical approaches that underlie explanations of behavior. The fields covered will include Research Methods, Biological Behavior, Status of Consciousness, Learning, Cognition, Motivation and Emotion, Development, Personality, Testing and Individual Differences, Abnormal, Treatment of Disorders, and Social Psychology.
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