Social Studies - Glacier High School

Social Studies Department Course Offerings

SOPHOMORE COURSE OPTIONS

WESTERN CIVILIZATION
Credit 1.0; Year; Grade 10
Description: This class begins in Europe with the Medieval period to the end of World War I. Several themes such as revolution, enlightenment, imperialism, nationalism, and the rise of democracy will be emphasized.

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AP WORLD HISTORY
Credit 1.0; Year, Grade 10
Prerequisite: Recommendation from 9th grade English teacher.
Description: Focuses on developing a students’ understanding of world history from approximately 8000 B.C.E to the present. This course has students investigate the content of world history for significant events, individuals, developments and processes in six historical periods, and develop and use the same thinking skills and methods (analyzing primary and secondary sources, making historical comparisons, chronological reasoning, and argumentation) employed by historians when they study the past. The course also provides five themes (interaction between humans and the environment; development and interaction of cultures; state building; expansion; and conflict; creation expansion and interaction of economic systems; development and transformation of social structures) that students explore throughout the course in order to make connections among historical developments in different times and places encompassing the five major geographical regions of the globe: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

JUNIOR COURSE OPTIONS

UNITED STATES HISTORY
Credit 1.0; Year; Grade 11
Description: This course begins with events and conditions immediately preceding the Civil War. Civil War causation, events, outcomes, and Reconstruction form the framework for America’s emergence into the 20^th century. Students explore the role of the United States on the world stage beginning with events leading to World War I and ending with America’s role in the war on terrorism. Included in this emphasis is a constant and continuous application of current events.

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AP UNITED STATES HISTORY
Credit 1.0; Year; Grade 11
Prerequisite: Placement based on recommendation of Western Civilization/AP World History instructor.
Description: This course follows the AP curriculum and prepares students for the AP U.S. History exam in May. It provides students with the analytical skills and factual knowledge to deal critically with the problems and materials in U.S. History. Students learn to assess historical materials – their relevance to a given interpretive problem, reliability, and importance - and to weigh the evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship. The following themes are covered in AP U.S. History: American diversity and identity, culture, demographic changes, economic transformations, environment, globalization, politics and citizenship, reform, religion, slavery and its legacies in North America, and war and diplomacy.

SENIOR COURSE OPTIONS

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
Credit 0.5; Semester; Grade 12
Description: American Government is a process oriented study of our government. Primary emphasis is placed upon the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The duties and responsibilities of citizenship are also emphasized. Current events, which are integral to recognizing and understanding political action, are included as a portion of the student's daily activities.

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WE THE PEOPLE
Credit 0.5; Semester; Grade 12
Description: Using hands-on preparation for simulated congressional hearings students examine the fundamentals of the democratic process and of effective citizenship. Students will compete in the state-level “We The People” hearing competition, which is held in February. Competition winners may have the opportunity to advance to the National competition in Washington, D.C. in April.
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AP UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
Credit 0.5; Semester; Grade 12
Prerequisite: Completion of fall We The People class
Co-requisite: Must take We The People if you want to take AP U.S. Government and Politics.
Course Objectives: This course follows the AP curriculum and prepares students for the AP U.S. Government and Politics exam in May. The class will satisfy the current graduation requirement, as well as allow qualified students to complete an equivalent of a one-semester college introductory course. It will offer an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States.

SOCIAL STUDIES ELECTIVES

AMERICAN CULTURE
Credit: 0.5; Semester; Grades 9, 10, 11, 12
Description: This course will examine the impact of Popular Culture that help make up our unique American Culture. Students will analyze and predict how society affects pop culture and the way that pop culture impacts society. Each unit, beginning with Post World War II America, will include a brief overview of the significant historical developments of the time period. We will then examine the popular cultural developments that coincided with the historical events. Mass media, music, literature, film, radio, television, sports, fashion, art, and advertising will be some of the focus areas for study.

BATTLES
Credit 0.5; Semester; Grades 11, 12
Description: The objective of this course is to hone students’ analytical skills, using turning-point battles as the vehicle for the examination of leadership, government, management and organization and how these events changed the course of history.

ECONOMICS
Credit 0.5; Semester; Grades 11, 12
Description: This course will give the students a greater understanding of economics ranging from the viewpoint of the individual consumer or small business owner to the global economy. The course will study the law of supply and demand, forms of business, labor unions, government finances and influence on the economy, money and prices, inflation and deflation cycles. The course relates history and politics to the study of economics. The class will touch on the history of economic thought as well as current economic issues. The current uncertainty regarding the economy makes this an exciting and challenging course.

INTRO TO PSYCHOLOGY (PSYX_100A) (FVCC Concurrent Enrollment Course)
Credit 0.5, (4 FVCC Social Science credits); Semester; Grades 11, 12
Fees: All FVCC Dual Credit fees (First 6 credits are free)
Requirement: Concurrent enrollment as a Running Start student
Description: This course is a scientific study of behavior in human and sub-human species. Topics include learning and memory, intelligence, emotion, motivation, conflict and stress, abnormal behavior, therapies, altered states of awareness and others.

PSYCHOLOGY
Credit 0.5; Semester; Grades 11, 12
Description: This course will offer students an opportunity to learn more about themselves in areas of personality, learning, growth and development, adjustment, and mental illness. Students will have an understanding of how personality is formed and changed, understand theories of learning and methods for efficient studying, and become aware of problems and causes of mental illness.

STREET LAW
Credit 0.5; Semester; Grades 10, 11, 12
Description: This course provides practical information and problem-solving opportunities that develop in students the knowledge and skills necessary for the survival in law-saturated society. The curriculum includes case studies, mock trials, role-plays, small group exercises, and visual analysis activities. It is anticipated that students who successfully complete this course will have a willingness and capability to participate effectively in the legal and political systems.

WOMEN IN HISTORY
Credit 0.5; Semester; Grades 9, 10, 11, 12
Description: “Women hold up half the sky.” Mao Zedong. This is a course that examines the stories of women’s importance in history. It is not a class to down play the amazing accomplishment of men, but to highlight the roles played by women in Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, Native Americans and on to women in war and challenges of today. The goals of the course include: reflecting on viewpoints of current issues, encouraging students to communicate thoughts effectively, and familiarizing students with the accomplishments of influential women both past and present. All students are welcome!

HSTR 101 EARLY HISTORY OF THE WEST (FVCC CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT)
Credit: 0.5, (4 FVCC Social Science credits); Semester; Grades 10, 11, 12
Description: This course covers prehistoric days to the mid-17th century, with emphasis on the political, social, cultural, and economic aspects of the great civilizations of the earlier period, and the revolutions in politics, commerce, industry, and science which ushered in the modern era.

HSTR 102 LATE HISTORY OF THE WEST (FVCC CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT)
Credit: 0.5, (4 FVCC Social Science credits); Semester; Grades 10, 11, 12
Description: This course covers the age of reason in the mid 17th century to the present with emphasis on the rise of national systems, global conflict, industrialization, imperialism, and the on-going revolutions in Western Civilization with attendant Philosophic, economic, and political influences.

HUMANITIES DISTINCTION
The Humanities distinction acknowledges graduating seniors that complete a plan emphasizing a humanities focus in one of the two humanities pathways: International Language and Social Science. To be eligible for this distinction, the student must complete all requirements in one of the two pathways. Students earning this distinction are eligible to wear a light blue distinction cord at graduation.

SOCIAL SCIENCE PATHWAY
Social Science criteria for distinction:
► 4 credits in Social Science; 2 credits in International Language
  ► Cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher in all course work
  ► Participate in one or more of the following: Model UN, Academic WorldQuest, National History Day, and/or other project-based extracurricular activity approved by the GHS Social Studies Department.
  ► Attend at least four City Council or Kalispell Public Schools Board meetings and complete a write-up.
  ► Complete at least 10 hours of Social Science related community service