Social Science
Courses:
Courses:
20th Century History and Film: This course provides an opportunity for students to study the history of film and American history through movies improving their analytical, writing, presentation, and evaluation skills.This course is a survey course of the history of American films from their inception in the late 19th century to today. Students will learn to critically evaluate the medium of film as an art form and understand its significance as an instrument of cultural diffusion in American history. Students will also analyze film as a reflection of the larger trends in popular culture, with an emphasis on how film reflects the issues of gender, race, and class in American society.
American Mosaic: This course is an elective course that aims to enhance students’ understanding of themselves and others by exploring the diverse experiences, cultures, and contributions that have shaped American history and society. It is designed to build knowledge, promote mutual respect, and foster informed dialogue. The course provides an opportunity for students to deepen their appreciation of their own cultural heritage while fostering empathy and understanding for people whose experiences may differ from their own.
World History: World History is a required year-long course that surveys Modern World History from the Enlightenment era up through present times. In addition to mastering the California History-Social Science Standards, students also practice historical thinking skills such as cause and effect, comparison, and close reading of primary and secondary sources. Additionally, this course emphasizes the development of literacy skills based on the Common Core Standards. Through various research projects, students will learn how to use academic databases, evaluate online sources for reliability, and carefully select evidence to deepen their understanding of selected inquiry-based topics. Students will also demonstrate their mastery of assigned historical topics through argumentative and informative writing as well as oral presentations. This course is designed to give students a robust learning experience that will leave them with an appreciation and understanding of how more recent events in the history of mankind continue to impact our world today.
Advanced Placement World History: This is a college-level course that examines the cultural, economic, political, and social developments that have shaped the world from 1200 CE to the present. The course emphasizes advanced reading comprehension and expository writing skills, using world history as the content for practicing analysis of primary and secondary sources, evaluating claims and evidence, and crafting historically defensible arguments. As such, advanced reading and writing skills are required. Students explore major global themes, including the rise and fall of civilizations, political revolutions, economic systems, cultural change, and globalization, while learning to place historical developments in context and to make meaningful connections across regions. Those who complete the course will be well prepared for the AP World History Exam in May and for future college-level humanities coursework. Prerequisites: B or higher in English 1, C or higher in Advanced English 1.
US History/Geography: U.S. History is a year-long course that examines major political, social, economic, and cultural developments in the United States from the late 19th century to the early 21st century. Aligned with the California History–Social Science Standards, the course emphasizes critical thinking, primary and secondary source analysis, civil discourse, and clear expository writing as students explore key eras such as industrialization, the Progressive Era, the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the War on Terror. Students learn to evaluate historical arguments, engage respectfully with multiple perspectives, and connect past events to contemporary issues as they develop the skills necessary for active, informed citizenship.
Advanced Placement US History: AP United States History is a rigorous, college-level course that explores the political, economic, social, and cultural development of the United States from pre-Columbian societies to the present. Students engage in the analysis of primary and secondary sources, develop historical arguments, and practice critical thinking skills through various forms of writing. The course emphasizes historical reasoning processes such as comparison, causation, and continuity and change over time. In addition to preparing students for success on the AP Exam, the course fosters a deeper understanding of how events and ideas have shaped the nation and encourages students to make connections between past and present issues. AP U.S. History requires strong reading, writing, and study skills, and is best for highly motivated students interested in history and civic understanding. While AP World History is not a prerequisite for success in AP U.S. History, the course’s writing structures and analytical skills build upon the foundations developed in AP World History and Advanced English classes. Prerequisites: B or higher in English 2, C or higher in Advanced English 2, B or higher in World History, C or higher in AP World History
American Government: A semester course required for graduation taken Senior year with Economics. This course requires students to examine the structures, principles, and processes that shape political life in the United States. Students explore the foundations of American democracy, including the Constitution, federalism, and civil liberties, as well as the roles citizens play in influencing government through political parties, interest groups, public opinion, and elections. The course emphasizes close reading, critical thinking, and public discourse, using government and civic content for evaluating institutional powers and explaining how government policies are created and implemented. Students investigate the functions of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches; analyze how laws are made and enforced; and consider the role of the United States in global affairs.
Advanced Placement American Government: This course meets the graduation requirement as well as prepares students for the AP exam. This course 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. They will also engage in disciplinary practices that require them to read and interpret data, make comparisons and applications, and develop evidence-based arguments. The fundamental goal of this class is to ensure that students are educated, engaged and active citizens of the United States.Prerequisites: B or higher in English 3, C or higher in AP English Language , B or higher in US History, C or higher in AP US History
Economics: A semester course required for graduation taken Senior year with Government. This introductory course gives an overview of Economics that covers basic economic concepts and vocabulary; the development and operation of the U.S. market economy; microeconomic principles; study of the macroeconomy including the study of U.S. government monetary, taxation, and regulatory policies as they affect the economy; globalization and international trade. The course also incorporates some personal finance and other interdisciplinary concepts.
Advanced Placement Microeconomics: This course is a college-level course in the economic principles that govern the decisions of individuals and businesses. The course explores concepts such as factor and product markets, supply and demand, price elasticity, perfect competition, monopoly and oligopoly to gain a deeper understanding of how economic decisions shape our world. The course emphasizes building abstract economic models in order to make predictions about the likely outcomes of decisions of both individuals and business, as well as providing a framework for analyzing government policies and interventions. The course may be more abstract and analytical than other social studies courses as it requires students to integrate quantitative and graphical analysis with conceptual understanding and application. The more challenging analytical topics include modeling the short and long-run equilibria of perfectly competitive markets. More sophisticated conceptual applications include debating which government interventions into the free market are likely to be socially optimal and which are likely to be inefficient. Prerequisites: B or higher in English 3, C or higher in AP English Language, B or higher in US History, C or higher in AP US History
Psychology/Sociology: This course is an introductory survey course on psychology and sociology. Each subject is taught over the course of a semester and is designed to introduce high school students to these social science fields. In the psychology course students will explore the teenage brain, the science of learning, human behavior, adolescent development, social psychology, and mental and physical health. Students will apply these topics to help them understand themselves and the people around them. The sociology class explores how groups, institutions, and cultures shape human interactions and social structures. Topics include culture, socialization, social stratification, and how societies organize and change over time. Throughout the year, students will explore these social science topics by completing creative projects, engaging in labs/demonstrations, participating in discussions and seminars, and completing personal growth activities/projects.
The AP Psychology framework is aligned with content and skills used in college-level courses and recommended by the American Psychological Association (APA) Introductory Psychology Initiative. The framework is organized into five units that mirror the content organization recommended by the APA. The five units include the biological bases of behavior, cognition, developmental psychology and learning, social psychology and personality, and mental and physical health. Science practices and skills are central to the study and practice of psychology. Students will develop and apply these skills over the span of the course. Central to the development of scientific practices and skills is critical thinking. As students learn the core content of this introductory psychology course, they will regularly develop and justify psychological claims based on empirical evidence. Finally, the course will apply the science of psychology to develop and strengthen student study skills for all of their classes. Prerequisites: B or higher in Biology
Teachers:
Teachers:
