Social Studies Course Offerings 2018-2019
Course # |
Course Name |
Grades |
Prereq. # |
Prereq. Name |
Credits |
Course Description |
H1653 / H2653 |
Modern World History A/B |
9 |
|
|
1 |
This course studies Modern World history from the 500s CE through late 1900s. We will examine the relationships between people and societies through the lens of history, economics, politics and social structure. Highlighted themes will include the five major world religions, the world during the middle ages (and the Byzantine Enlightenment), Europe's enlightened period, global imperialism, growing nationalism and the World Wars and the world leading up to the cold war. Emphasis will be placed on critical historical reading, writing, thinking and creating using primary and secondary sources. |
H1680 / H2680 |
CIS United States History A/B * (U of MN) |
11-12 |
|
|
1 |
Are you up to the challenge? College in the Schools (CIS) U.S. History is a rigorous course designed to make you think. Students will survey American History from pre-Columbus North America all the way up to 9/11. Vigorous attention will be paid to great trends which define our society. Document analysis and writing will be paramount.
This course is a University of Minnesota (U of M) course being offered at Somerset High School. The students will become a U of M student, get a U of M transcript, and U of M credit. The curriculum and exams are developed by the U of M professors and graded per U of M criteria. The students will get both U of M and Somerset High School grades and credits. |
H1610 / H2610 |
American History A/B |
10 |
|
|
1 |
This course is a study American History from colonization through the contemporary era. We will examine the people, ideas and events that have shaped present day America from historic, economic, geographic, political, and social lenses. Emphasis will be placed on critical historical reading, writing, thinking and creating using primary and secondary sources. |
H1600 |
Civics |
11 |
|
|
0.5 |
The purpose of civic education is to assist in developing educated, informed and participating citizens. Effective democracy necessitates citizens who understand their rights and assume the responsibilities of citizenship. The course focuses on individual political behavior and attitudes, emphasizing the importance of civic awareness and personal involvement in a democratic society. We will examine the basic ideas and principles that shaped our system of government, our Constitution, the major policy making bodies of our political system, factors that influence our leaders and political institutions, fundamentals of our market economy and the impact of state and local government. The course will also spend significant time investigating the major foreign and domestic issues facing our government. We will explore opportunities that exist for individual involvement and influence in our political systems. Emphasis will be placed on gathering and evaluating information through critical reading, writing and thinking. |
H665 |
History of the Holocaust and Genocide |
10-12 |
|
|
0.5 |
This course explores in depth what happened in Europe to the Jews and select other groups during the 1930’s and 1940’s. We will explore the roots of anti-Semitism and the states of prejudice/hate that were used to carry out state sanctioned mass murder on a scale never before seen or experienced since. We will look at the perpetrators, victims and bystanders and examine the role each played in this event in history. We will also examine Jewish and non-Jewish resistance and rescuers as well as the struggles faced by those who survived. We will end the course by investigating the long-term impact this event had on the world and other genocides. |
H683 |
Advanced Placement Microeconomics * |
10-12 |
|
|
0.5 |
This one semester course (typically taught during the fall semester) covers the material found in beginning-level college microeconomics courses. Students taking this course are encouraged to also take the spring semester AP Macroeconomics course, but it is not required. Microeconomics deals with supply, demand, elasticity, and the theory of the firm. The focus of the course is how people and businesses make decisions. Current events, especially topics in economics, will be discussed in class. This course is highly recommended for college bound students. Students will have the opportunity to take the Advanced Placement Exam at the end of the school year. |
H684 |
Advanced Placement Macroeconomics * |
10-12 |
|
|
0.5 |
This one semester course (typically taught during the spring semester) covers material found in beginning-level college macroeconomics courses. Students taking this course are encouraged to also take the fall semester AP Micro-Economics course, but it is not required. With the use of supply, demand, and other macro-economic models, the course analyzes major contemporary economic issues such as the budget and trade deficits, inflation, and unemployment. The focus of the course is on the economy as a whole. Current events will be discussed in class. This course is highly recommended for college bound students. Students will have the opportunity to take the Advanced Placement Exam at the end of the school year. |
H630 |
Sociology |
10-12 |
|
|
0.5 |
Imagine Earth is a village of only 1000 people, rather than a planet of 6.6 billion. What would you see?
• 280 people are under age 15
• 604 are Asian; 53 are North American
• 477 live on less than $2 a day
• 170 have no access to fresh water; 430 have no access to sanitation; 240 have no access to electrical power
• 124 are illiterate
• 1 is a doctor; there are 4 hospital beds
• 134 speak Mandarin; 48 speak English
• 332 are Christians; 204 are Muslim
• there are 180 cell phones, 342 cellular phones, 130 personal computers
• 70 people own cars
• and if you came back in a year, there would be 1011 people in the village.
This village called Earth has many challenges facing it. Is the Media fair and unbiased? Why do people commit crimes? Should capital punishment be legal? Why is there so much racism in the world? Why does poverty devastate parts of the world? Why do people of different religions think so differently from each other? What role should the government play in our society?
These questions and more are dealt with in a class called Sociology. In this course, students will develop informed opinions about issues which our country and world face. It is a class which will require students to think about various divisive topics; but these topics will be discussed and thought about in a constructive environment where divergent thinking is welcomed. |
H1686 / H2686 |
Advanced Placement Psychology A/B * |
10-12 |
|
|
1 |
This course is designed to introduce the students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals. Students will be exposed to the psychological theories, facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. The course will cover the following areas: 1) history and approaches; 2) research methods; 3) biological bases of behavior; 4) sensation and perception; 5) states of consciousness; 6) learning; 7) cognition; 8) motivation and emotion; 9) developmental psychology; 10) personality; 11) testing and individual differences; 12) abnormal psychology; 13) treatment of psychological disorders; and 14) social psychology. The students will explore this field through lectures, videos, readings, varied group activities, and experiments. This course is highly recommended for college bound students. Students will have the opportunity to take the Advanced Placement Exam at the end of the school year. |
H638 |
World in Conflict |
10-12 |
|
|
0.5 |
Students will study the political and military history of the late twentieth century and beyond. Topics include: The Cold War, the Middle East, current conflicts worldwide, and the War on Terrorism. Why did people crash planes into the Twin Towers? Why did the U. S. invade Iraq? These questions and more will be explored in this class. This course is open to all juniors and seniors who are genuinely interested in studying the nature of past and current conflicts in depth. |
H669 |
Sports and Society |
10-12 |
|
|
0.5 |
This course will examine the core disciplines of social studies through the lens of sports in America. The goals of this course are to examine:
• How sports from each historical era reflect the political, social and economic events of that era.
• The role sports played in shaping the various political, social and economic events of historical eras.
• A variety of economic issues facing the sports industry/culture, such as ticket pricing, luxury taxes, competitive balance, retail strategies, revenue sharing, impact and rationale of government subsidies (i.e. taxpayer funded
• stadiums), salaries/contracts, salary caps, strikes, apparel/retail income, major market competition and advertising.
• Sports popularity, accessibility and participation in specific geographic locations within the country and how this impacts and/or reflects American values, economics and history.
• Positive and negative sociological aspects of sports, such as sports as a means of social mobility and character building, local sports and their impact on their communities, athletes giving back to their communities, problems associated with sports and athletes such as drug usage, pressure, scandals within sports (like doping, gambling, point shaving, cheating, bounties, paying college players), Title IX, race/class/gender struggles, consumerism and the media (coverage, advertising, literature, documentaries, feature films). |
* Weighted Courses and Weighted Grading |
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