Social Studies Electives

This is a year-long course made up of two semester-long AP courses: Macroeconomics and Microeconomics. Students are strongly encouraged to take the both semester-long AP courses.

Macroeconomics is designed to give students a thorough understanding of the principles of economic analysis that apply to an economic system as a whole. Macroeconomics places particular emphasis on the study of economic institutions, issues of public policy, national income and price determination. Emphasis will be placed on the following: basic economic concepts, measurement of economic performance and national income analysis, including Classical, Keynesian and Monetarist views of the economy, including fiscal and monetary policy. International economics, trade issues and banking policies will be discussed.

Microeconomics provides a thorough understanding of the principles of economics that apply to the functions of individual decision makers, both consumers and producers, within the larger economic system. These consumers and producers include households, business firms, government and community organizations. The course places primary emphasis on the nature and functions of product markets, and includes the study of factor markets and the role of government in promoting greater efficiency and equity in the economy.

This college-level course is designed to develop greater understanding of the context of modern-day political, diplomatic, social, economic, artistic, intellectual and cultural institutions through the study of European history since 1450 B.C.E. Such understanding is advanced through a combination of selective factual knowledge and appropriate analytical and interpretative skills, focusing on primary and secondary source documents.

This course is designed to introduce students to a comprehensive and in-depth scientific study of behavioral and mental processes of human beings and other animals. Students are exposed to current trends in psychological research and the facts, principles and phenomena associated with each subfield within psychology. They also learn about the ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice. AP Psychology is a good option for students who are interested in learning about the methods psychologists use to explore the processes involved in normal and abnormal perceptions, thoughts, feelings and actions.

This African American history course is designed to provide students with a broad overview of the African American experience and explore ancient Africa moving through modern times. The course, supported by a local division curriculum and five online modules, address the introduction of Africans to the Americas and the African American experience between 1619 and the present. In addition, the course will highlight the social, cultural and political contributions of African Americans to American society.

This semester course surveys the minority experience in the United States and how it affects all citizens. Issues of race, gender and culture are discussed and analyzed for political, cultural and socioeconomic impact on American society. Strategies such as action research, Socratic seminars, data interpretation, primary and secondary source readings, oral presentations, research papers and written response are used to guide students in their study. Students participate in positive discourse in preparation for success in the 21st-century global community.

The Personal Living and Finance objectives require instruction in those skills necessary to handle personal business and finances and include, but need not be limited to, opening a bank account and judging the quality of a bank’s services; balancing a checkbook; completing a loan application; the implications of an inheritance; the basics of personal insurance policies; consumer rights and responsibilities; dealing with salesmen and merchants; debt management, including retail and credit card debt; state and federal tax computation; local tax assessments; computation of interest rates by various mechanisms; understanding simple contracts; and how to contest an incorrect bill. The course includes the 21 work readiness skills and students take the Workplace Readiness Skills for the Commonwealth Exam and/or w!se Exam. This course is only available to students with disabilities where credit accommodation is documented in the IEP.

This course introduces students to the goals and principles of psychology. Students examine the history, theorists, theoretical approaches and research methods of psychology. They learn how biological factors affect behavior, attitudes and motivation and examine types of abnormal behaviors. They discover how to better communicate with and relate to peers and how to achieve greater awareness and understanding of self, family and friends. This course also focuses on the ethical standards governing the work of psychologists.

Any student interested in social issues, such as violence, peace and war, the environment or human rights, should find this course valuable. The focus is divided between the theoretical and the practical. Students learn the history, philosophy and methods of non-violence and investigate present day applications of the non-violence philosophy. Additionally, students examine the causes of conflict in their relationships and in the larger society.

This course introduces students to the basic principles of sociology and its many related fields and careers. Students examine social problems, such as cultural and ethnic relations, delinquency, crime and community problems as presented through surveys, case histories and exam of selected current topics. Probation officers, religious leaders, social service workers and other resource persons offer a wide range of topics to examine and discuss. Students also examine the functions of social institutions, changing sex roles, changes related to education and human growth and the experiences of minorities. Students are introduced to the study of ethnography and social stratification.