Global History and Geography I 9R
1 credit
Prerequisite: Completion of Grade 8
The first five Global History eras that comprise the two-year course established by the New York State Education Department will be examined in grade 9. The eras include: I. Introduction to Global History; II. The Ancient World: Civilizations and Religions (4000 BC-500 AD); III. Expanding Zones of Exchange: (500-1200); IV. Global Interactions: (1200-1650) and V. The First Global Age: (1450-1770). Class procedures include lecture, discussion, films and student prepared papers and projects. NCAA approved course.
Evaluation: Departmental Examination with credit earned toward a Regents diploma.
World History 9H
1 credit
Prerequisite: Maintain an 85% grade for quarters two, three, and four of Social Studies 8, satisfactorily complete entrance assignments (distributed in February) by April 10, and satisfactorily complete summer work (distributed during the first week of June)
Highly-motivated social studies students with superior analytical and writing skills can begin this two-year Advanced Placement World History curriculum in 9th grade. This course is designed to prepare students for the rigorous Advanced Placement exam in World History that will be administered after completion of the second year of the course. The World History AP curriculum focuses on three major historical eras from prehistory to 1750 C.E. The purpose of the course is to develop a greater understanding of the evolution of global processes and contacts over time. The course requires students to develop the habits of mind of the analytical historian in making connections between broad, sweeping patterns in history and the particular events that occur in specific cultures. NCAA approved course.
Evaluation: Departmental Examination
Global History and Geography II 10R
1 credit
Prerequisite: Completion of Social Studies 9
In grade 10, students will continue their chronological study of the world to include: I. An Age of Revolutions (1750-1914); II. Nationalism and a Century of Crisis and Achievement (1900-1945), III. The Non-Western World since 1945, and IV. Global Connections and Interactions. An intensive review of the entire course will prepare students for the Regents Examination, which is based on material covered in grades 9 and 10. Class procedures will include lecture, discussion, films and student prepared papers and projects. NCAA approved course.
Evaluation: Regents Examination
AP Modern World History
1 credit
Prerequisite: Completion of 9 Honors World History with 85% average, summer work portfolio
Highly-motivated social studies students who have successfully completed World History 9 Honors may continue their advanced study of world history in this second half of the two-year program. The course is designed to prepare students for the rigorous Advanced Placement exam scheduled for May. The 10 AP World History curriculum emphasizes the time periods of 1200-present and focuses on the same themes and habits of mind that the student was introduced to in 9 Honors. Students who successfully complete this course will also be well prepared for the NYS Regents exam in Global History and Geography. NCAA approved course.
Evaluation: AP Exam (May), Global and Geography Regents exam (June)
Social Studies 11R
(United States History and Government)
1 credit
Prerequisite: Completion of Social Studies 10
This course in American History and Government will emphasize the circumstances surrounding the development of our nation, the evolution of our culture and the formation and historical practice of our government. It begins with the early cultural roots of the American people, summarizes colonial political events and builds to a comprehensive understanding of the United States Constitution. Eighteenth and nineteenth century political and social events are surveyed as the course emphasizes economic developments in the post-Civil War era, meshing economic, political and social issues. The course proceeds into the history of the twentieth century and, increasingly, global concerns are explored. The course assumes a competent level of basic social studies skills, which are carried further towards the goal of enlightened citizenship and cultural awareness.
Evaluation: Regents Examination
Social Studies 12
1 credit
Prerequisite: Completion of Social Studies 11R
The nine standards — five for Government and four for Economics — will be reflected in the instruction provided by the classroom teachers and demonstrated through the projects assigned and completed by the students. There will be a total of eight projects that will correspond with the five-week reporting periods with the eighth project reflected as the final exam for the course. The course will focus on constitutional foundations and civic participation, personal financial literacy and national and international economic issues, the legislative process and the environmental economy and environmental entrepreneurship. NCAA approved course.
Social Studies Electives
The Long Civil Rights Movement
½ credit
Grade 12 Participation in Government
Prerequisite: Completion of Social Studies 11R
An exploration of the “Long Civil Rights Movement” as shaped by the evolution of the foundational rights established in the Constitution. The course develops understanding of the roots of issues as they developed in the 17th-19th centuries while applying much attention to the period of 1950-modern times. Students will study the leaders, movements, and government actions taken to build equality. This course meets NYSED Core Framework requirements for Participation in Government.
Students who enroll in this course will enroll in a ½ credit Economics course as well to meet NYS graduation requirements.
The Vietnam War
½ credit
Grade 12 Participation in Government
Prerequisite: Completion of Social Studies 11R
This course examines the US war in Vietnam from the 1950s through the fall of Saigon and its legacies up to the present. Considering a range of texts by and about soldiers and veterans, policy makers and protesters, reporters and refugees, the course covers key events in the war, as well as representations and reinterpretations of these events in later years. Materials produced during the war are paired with those produced after the war in order to explore Americans’ contested and changing understandings of the experiences and meanings of the Vietnam War. Texts include popular films, documentaries, journalism, fiction, letters, diaries, government documents, and war memorials. The course includes conducting oral history interviews in order to collect and utilize primary source information. NCAA approved course.
Psychology
½ credit
Open to students in grades 11-12
This course will focus on developmental (lifespan) psychology, personality development and application of theories to everyday life. Students will explore issues pertaining to mental health, as well as the causes and treatments of mental disorders. Students will gain a better understanding of their behavior, knowledge about how psychologists study human and animal behavior and practical applications for enriching their lives. NCAA approved course.
Sociology
½ credit
Open to juniors and seniors
Sociology focuses on many different aspects of human behavior and life. The class covers how ethics vary in different cultures, groups and societies, the cultural trends that affect how society operates, and how to work well with people from different backgrounds. Students will also learn about the political and economic aspects of sociology in cultures around the world, what stereotypes and prejudices people from other cultures endure, and give students a clear understanding of how people interact as individuals and in groups on an everyday basis. Students will be able to compare and contrast their daily lives, cultural norms, and their relationship with family and friends with that of other people from around the globe. NCAA approved course.
College Credit Bearing Courses:
All courses below have a course FEE (if indicated) that is paid for by student’s family to SUNY Adirondack and/or Syracuse University.
Syracuse University Project Advance (SUPA) US History
American History to 1865 (HST 101)
& American History Since 1865 (HST 102)
1 credit; 6 college credit hours
Prerequisite: AP Modern World History or maintain 85% in Global 10
If you want to get the roots of the “American Experiment,” HST 101 provides the framework, examining the incubation of our current political and societal values. You’ll be presented with complex historical issues and asked to analyze all the ramifications of their resolution. You may be asked questions such as: How did Europeans from the medieval culture influence and adapt to the American experience of citizenship? What was the political, social, and economic impact of the struggle for American independence? How and why did America “sectionalize”? From the Civil War to the present (HST 102), you’ll trace the impact of the social movements engendered by pivotal American events. You’ll read diverse texts, including first-hand reactions to everything from the end of slavery and the struggle for equal rights to the “war at home” fueled by Vietnam and Watergate. Best of all, you’ll own critical perspectives and construct arguments to support your historical analysis. NCAA approved course.
Evaluation: Final in each course & Regents Examination.
Public Policy
3 college credit hours
Prerequisite: SUPA US History or maintain 85% in US History 11
The overall goal of this course is to provide the two most important goals of all undergraduate programs—to give the students the skills and perspectives to do well and do good or to be more formal, to prepare for careers and to be effective citizens. It provides students with basic research, communication, and decision-making skills used in public policy analysis. In addition, students are required to read and analyze newspaper articles on local, state, and federal public policies. Students chose a public policy topic of interest to them and come up with a policy they would support. The content coverage of the course, while important, is secondary to the development of a range of applied social science skills that will help the student make more informed choices as a citizen, worker, and consumer. These include the ability to: define and identify the components of public policy issues; communicate ideas and findings with respect to public policy issues; collect information on public policy issues, use graphs, tables and statistics to analyze public policy, examine the use of surveys and informal interviewing procedures; identify a social problem and come up with a proposed public policy to deal with it; list the benefits and costs of a proposed public policy; forecast the impact of the policy on societal conditions; analyze the political factors and develop strategies to implement a proposed public policy; identify essential features of major current public policy issues; and work in teams effectively.
Evaluation: Final Exam
Economics 203
3 credits
Prerequisite: SUPA US History or maintain 85% in Global 11
Economic Ideas and Issues, is an introduction to mainstream economic thought designed for students with a liberal arts interest. The goals of this course are to introduce students to the ideas that form the foundation of modern Western (neoclassical) economic thought, to examine the basic framework (the model) that economists have built on this foundation, and to show how this model is applied to current issues facing individuals and society.
Evaluation: Final Exam