Social Studies

GLOBAL HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY 9

Full Year
1 Credit
Grade 9

Global History and Geography 9 is a course that allows the student the opportunity to study the cultural regions of the world within a framework that is designed to develop a global perspective. This two-year sequence is arranged chronologically, beginning with the Paleolithic Era and the development of the first civilizations, continuing with an examination of classical societies, and tracing the expansion of trade networks and their global impact through the year 1750. Emphasis is on the key themes of interactions over time, shifts in political power, and the role of belief systems. The course continues into Grade 10 with a Regents Exam in Global History and Geography.

HONORS GLOBAL HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY 9

Full Year
1 Credit
Grade 9

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Social Studies 8 and teacher recommendation.
This is a Pre-AP/IB course.

Global History and Geography 9 Honors is a course that allows the student the opportunity to study the cultural regions of the world within a framework that is designed to develop a global perspective. This two-year sequence is arranged chronologically, beginning with the Paleolithic Era and the development of the first civilizations, continuing with an examination of classical societies, and tracing the expansion of trade networks and their global impact. Emphasis is on the key themes of interactions over time, shifts in political power, and the role of belief systems. Students eligible for this course are those who are highly motivated and have demonstrated success in ELA and Social Studies. There will be intensive writing in this course. Students successful in Honors 9 may be recommended for Global History and Geography 10 Honors during their sophomore year. Students will take a Regents Examination in Global History and Geography at the end of their sophomore year. This course is encouraged for students who plan to take upper-level social studies courses, such as AP US or IB History, starting in the junior year. No college credit can be earned from this course of study.

GLOBAL HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY 10

Full Year
1 Credit
Grade 10

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Global History and Geography 9.

Global History and Geography 10 allows students the opportunity to continue to study the world within a framework that is designed to develop a global perspective. This is arranged chronologically, beginning with the year 1750 and continuing through modern times. Emphasis is on the key themes of interactions over time, shifts in political power, and the role of nationalism. The course emphasizes the student’s understanding of current world problems and issues. Document interpretation, geographic reasoning, reading comprehension, and writing are also developed. A final assessment will be a Regents Exam in Global History and Geography in June.

HONORS GLOBAL HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY 10

Full Year
1 Credit
Grade 10

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Global History and Geography 9/9H and teacher recommendation.
This is a Pre-AP/IB course.

Global History and Geography 10 Honors is intended to provide students with an academic challenge and in-depth exploration of the geography, economics, political and social histories from the year 1750 to modern times. Students eligible for this course are those who are highly motivated and have demonstrated success in Global History and Geography 9 or Honors 9. There will be intensive writing in this honors course. Students who are successful in Global History and Geography Honors 10 may be recommended for either AP United States History or IB History of the Americas. A final assessment will include a Regents Exam in June. No college credit can be earned from this course of study.

UNITED STATES HISTORY & GOVERNMENT 11

Full Year
1 Credit
Grade 11

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Global History and Geography 9 and 10.

United States History and Government presents the student with a chronological overview of the history of our nation, with an emphasis placed since 1865. The study of the U.S. Constitution and the workings of the United States government are also a major focus of the course. Requirements in this course include a Regents Exam in June.

ECONOMICS

Half Year
.5 Credit
Grade 12

Prerequisite: Successful completion of US History and Government.

Economics is a survey of basic microeconomic and macroeconomic concepts, such as the major elements of economic systems, and the roles of various components of those systems. There is an emphasis on economic decision-making at all levels throughout the course. An economics-related research project is required of each student in this course.

PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNMENT

Half Year
.5 Credit
Grade 12

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Global History and Geography 9/9H, 10/10H, and US History.

Participation in Government is a thoughtfully designed course aimed at enhancing students' understanding and active involvement in the democratic process, incorporating 21st-century skills such as media literacy, effective communication, and goal setting. The curriculum focuses on the intricate relationships between citizens and government at different levels, providing opportunities for hands-on participation in decision-making processes. Emphasizing practical application, the course encourages students to make informed judgments on societal issues and public policy, thereby ensuring students are well-equipped for active civic engagement and prepared for the challenges of the modern world.

AP WORLD HISTORY 9 & 10

Two Years
2 Credits
Grades 9–10

Possible 6 college credits
Cost: Approximately $99 (in Grade 10)
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Social Studies 8 and teacher recommendation.

AP World History is a two-year, college-level course that offers a balanced global coverage with Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Europe each represented. Chronologically, the period between 8000 B.C.E. to the present is covered. The course relies heavily on college-level texts, primary source documents, and outside readings. Students will be required to participate in class discussions and in group—as well as individual—projects. A special emphasis will be given to historical writing through essay and document-based questions. In addition, objective exams, directed research activities, and integrated computer technology assignments will be given. All students in this course may take the AP World History Exam in May of the sophomore year, and all students in the course must take the Regents Exam in Global History and Geography in June of the sophomore year. This course should be approached as a two-year commitment for incoming freshmen.

AP UNITED STATES HISTORY

Full Year
1 Credit
Grade 11

Possible 6 college credits
Cost: Approximately $99
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Global History and Geography 9, or 9 Honors and 10 or 10 Honors, a grade of 80% or higher on the Global History and Geography Regents Exam, and teacher recommendation.

AP United States History will meet for a double period every other day for a full year. The course is a chronological history of the economic, political, diplomatic, social, and cultural history of the United States from pre-colonial times to the present. Extensive reading, writing, and research are required. Seminars conducted are a regular feature of this course. All students may take the AP United States History exam in the spring, and all juniors must take the Regents exam in United States History and Geography in June. Students may earn up to six hours of college credit for this course depending on their AP Examination results.

AP MACRO ECONOMICS

Full Year
.5 Credit
Grade 12

Possible 3 college credits
Cost: Approximately $99
Prerequisite: Successful completion of US History & Government, AP US History, or IB/Gemini History of the Americas, and teacher recommendation.

Macroeconomics will meet every other day for a full year. The course content is designed to help students develop critical-thinking skills through understanding, application, analysis, and evaluation of fundamental economic concepts. Students will be expected to apply the logic of economics to a wide variety of real-world and hypothetical economic problems and propose solutions to these problems based on their knowledge of contemporary economics theory. This course prepares students for the AP Macroeconomics examination in May.

AP UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT & POLITICS

Full Year
.5 Credit
Grade 12

Possible 3 college credits
Cost: Approximately $99
Prerequisite: Successful completion of US History & Government, AP US History, IB/Gemini History of the Americas, and teacher recommendation.

AP United States Government and Politics will meet every other day for a full year. This course provides a framework for analyzing and interpreting U.S. politics through specific case studies, analysis of foundational documents, and class discussions. The course will deal with the constitutional components of the U.S. Government, political beliefs and behaviors, political parties, interests of the national government, public policy, and civil rights/liberties. All students in this course may take the AP United States Government and Politics exam in May and may earn up to three college credits for this course, depending on their results on the exam.

According to the College Board, which administers the AP Exams: “AP U.S. Government and Politics provides a college-level, nonpartisan introduction to key political concepts, ideas, institutions, policies, interactions, roles, and behaviors that characterize the constitutional system and political culture of the United States. Students will study U.S. foundational documents, Supreme Court decisions, and other texts and visuals to gain an understanding of the relationships and interactions among political institutions, processes, and behaviors. Underpinning the required content of the course are several big ideas that allow students to create meaningful connections among concepts throughout the course.

Students will also engage in skill development that requires them to read and interpret data, make comparisons and applications, and develop evidence-based arguments. In addition, they will complete a political science research or applied civics project.

Students should be able to read a college-level textbook and write grammatically correct, complete sentences.”

IB/COLLEGE HISTORY OF THE AMERICAS 11 – HL

FLCC HIS 110 & 111

Full Year
1 Credit
Grade 11

Possible 6 college credits for Gemini (FLCC) or 6 college credits at the completion of Year 2 for IB
Cost: IB Subject Fee $124
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Global History and Geography 9 or 9 Honors, and 10 or 10 Honors, a grade of 80% or higher on the Global History and Geography Regents Exam, and teacher recommendation.

The History of the Americas is the first year of a two-year sequence fulfilling the International Baccalaureate’s Individual and Society requirement. The course, which meets for a double period every other day for a full year, combines a chronological focus during a one hundred year period from approximately 1763–2001. Special attention is paid to developments in the United States, Canada, and Latin America in the areas of slavery, economic development, foreign policy, and civil rights. Students in the IB Diploma program must continue their sequence by taking 20th Century Topics during their senior year. Extensive reading, writing, and research are important components of this course. Additionally, students will be expected to contribute to class discussions and seminars. Students can also earn 6 FLCC credits with successful completion of the course. Students will take the Regents in United States History and Government exam at the end of this course and the IB assessment at the end of the second year of the sequence.

IB TWENTIETH CENTURY TOPICS 12 – HL

Full Year
1 Credit
Grade 12

Possible 6 college credits
Cost: IB Subject Fee $124
Prerequisite: Successful completion of the History of the Americas and teacher recommendation.

Twentieth Century Topics is the second year of a sequence fulfilling the International Baccalaureate’s Individual and Society requirement. This course will focus on the impact of major twentieth-century conflicts, with special attention to the World at War and the Cold War. The course will also establish clear connections between these areas of study and the 11th-grade History of the Americas course. Extensive reading, writing, and research are important components of this course, which includes completion of the IB internal assessment component. Students will be expected to contribute to class discussions and seminars. This course satisfies PIG and Economics requirements for IB diploma students only.

IB PSYCHOLOGY – SL

Full Year
1 Credit
Grades 11–12

Possible 3–6 college credits
Cost: IB Subject Fee $124
Prerequisite: Successful completion of the previous year’s social studies course and teacher recommendation.

This course will meet for one period every day for a full year. The course is a college-level survey that gives students a working knowledge of the theories and key concepts of each of the major subfields of psychology. These include: Biological Bases of Behavior, Learning, Motivation and Emotion, Developmental Psychology, Personality, Abnormal Psychology, Treatment of Psychological Disorders, and Social Psychology. Extensive reading, writing, and research are required. Seminars conducted by the teacher and students are a regular feature of this course. In addition to all the units/topics, we use original research in psychology to support our knowledge. All students in this course may take the IB SL exam for IB credit. Students taking the course for IB credit will have internal and external assessments as part of the course.

COLLEGE PSYCHOLOGY

FLCC PSY 100

Half Year
.5 Credit
Grades 11–12

Possible 3 college credits from FLCC
Prerequisite: Successful completion of the previous year’s social studies course and teacher recommendation.

College Psychology emphasizes enhanced student self-knowledge through the study of psychological theories and principles. The course provides an introduction to the scientific study of psychology, as well as a greater understanding of one’s own behavior and the behavior of those around us. Course topics include the biological basis for human behavior, sensation, perception, learning, memory, intelligence, motivation, emotion, personality, abnormal behavior, and therapies. Priority for enrollment is given to seniors.

COLLEGE SOCIOLOGY

FLCC SOC 100

Half Year
.5 Credit
Grades 11–12

Possible 3 college credits from FLCC
Prerequisite: Successful completion of the previous year’s social studies course and teacher recommendation.

College Sociology is designed to help students understand society, its parts, and the relationships of the individual to the greater society. Major topics covered include sociological methods, culture, society, social groups, social stratification, deviance, social institutions, and modern social problems. Priority for enrollment is given to seniors.