9th-12th Grade Curriculum

  • Social Studies

    Course Title: US History

    Department: Social Studies 
    Grade Level: 9 
    Time Per Day/Week: 42 minutes a day, 5 days a week    
    Length of Course: Year 
    Primary Resources: Appleby, Joyce, Alan Brinkley, Albert S. Broussard, James M. McPherson, and Donald A. Ritchie. United States: History & Geography. Columbus, OH: McGraw-Hill Education, 2016. Print.

    Units of Study:

      • Uni1: The Gilded Age & Progressive Era
      • Unit 2: Imperialism & WWI
      • Unit 3: The Jazz Age & The Great Depression
      • Unit 4: WWII & the 1950s
      • Unit 5: The Cold War
      • Unit 6: The Civil Rights Movement
      • Unit 7: New Technology & New Problems

    Curriculum-Based Assessments: Periodic summative assessments based on assigned readings; summative and formative units assessments, project based assessments throughout the course.

    Standardized Assessments: None 
    Description of Course: The aim of this course is to provide students with a better understanding of basic American freedoms, general good citizenship and the development of America as a world power when it comes in the social, political and economic arena. An additional purpose of the course is to stimulate an appreciation of American heritage and to foster a sense of patriotism by the study of the development and growth of the United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This course equips students with the skills needed to succeed in college and the habits of mind necessary to foster a higher level of learning. This course integrates the study of history, government, geography and economics.
     

    Course Title: Honors Prep 19th Century U.S. History

    Department: Social Studies
    Grade Level: 9  
    Time Per Day/Week: 42 minutes / 5 days per week  
    Length of Course: Year 
    Primary Resources: United States History & Geography; McGraw-Hill

    Units of Study: 
      • Unit 1: The Monroe Era
      • Unit 2: The Age of Jackson
      • Unit 3: Westward Expansion
      • Unit 4: Prelude to the Civil War
      • Unit 5: The Civil War
      • Unit 6: Reconstruction
      • Unit 7: Industrialization, Immigration & Urbanization
      • Unit 8: U.S. Imperialism
      • Unit 9: The Progressive Era

    Curriculum Based Assessments: Chapter quizzes, unit tests, and research papers 

    Standardized Assessments: N/A

    Description of Course: In this class, while studying United States History, students participate in authentic historical work. Class time is spent reading primary documents, formulating historical questions, proposing critical arguments, discussing controversial issues, researching original inquiries, and writing scholarly papers. Learning the process of historical analysis is emphasized in class. This course integrates the study of history, government, geography, and economics and is designed to be academically challenging to students. 

    Course Title: World History

    Department: Social Studies 
    Grade Level: 10  
    Time Per Day/Week: 42 minutes/5 days  
    Length of Course: Year
    Primary Resources: Spielvogel, Jackson J., editor. World History & Geography. McGraw-Hill, 2014.
     
    Units of Study:
      • Unit 1: The Ancient World
      • Unit 2: The Middle Ages
      • Unit 3: The Early Modern Era
      • Unit 4: The Late Modern Era
    Curriculum Based Assessments: Periodic summative assessments based on assigned readings; summative and formative units assessments, project based assessments throughout the course. 
     
    Standardized Assessments: None
     
    Description of Course: This course is designed to introduce students to a thematic approach to the study of World History. Unlike many World History survey level courses, the depth and scope of the course is both thematic and chronological. This thematic approach is designed to help students understand and analyze the interconnectedness of historical events, people, places and ideas. Each of the major themes covered in the course will include an analysis of significant contributors and their impact on various regions and the world as a whole. Major themes included in the course will be: Principles of Geography and Culture, Principles of World Religions, Political Systems and Structure, Global Conflict, Modernization and its Impact and Global Economies and Resources. This course integrates the study of history, government, geography and economics. The World History course will also require a project-based culminating assessment.  

     

    Course Title: Honors Themes in World History

    Department: Social Studies
    Grade Level: 10  
    Time Per Day/Week: 42 Minutes/5 Times Per Week  
    Length of Course: Year
    Primary Resources: World History & Geography; McGraw-Hill 
     
    Units of Study:
    • Unit 1: Principles of Geography and Culture
    • Unit 2: Political Systems and Structure
    • Unit 3: Principles of World Religions
    • Unit 4: Global Conflict and Cooperation
    • Unit 5: Modernization and its Impact
    • Unit 6: Global Economies and Resources 
    Curriculum Based Assessments: Unit quizzes, unit exams, common course assessments, document assessments, group projects 
     
    Standardized Assessments: None 
     
    Description of Course: This course is designed to introduce students to a thematic approach to the study of world history. Unlike many world history survey level courses, the depth and scope of the course are both thematic and chronological. This thematic approach is designed to help students understand and analyze the interconnectedness of historical events, people, places and ideas. To this end, we will employ extensive use of primary and secondary source materials, implement numerous objective and written assessments, and complete some project-based and authentic/simulated learning experiences. Each of the major themes covered in the course will include regional analysis, significant contributors and the impact on regions and the world as a whole. Major themes included in the course will be Principles of Geography and Culture, Principles of World Religions, Political Systems and Structure, Global Conflict and Cooperation, Modernization and its Impact, and Global Economies and Resources. The variety of core themes, historical time periods, and regions of the world should provide the students with a broader understanding of the world around them and the impact that it has had on our society.

     

    Course Title: AP European History

    Department: Social Studies
    Grade Level: 10  
    Time Per Day/Week: 42 minutes/daily   
    Length of Course: Year
    Primary Resources: Spielvogel, Jackson J., ed. Western Civilization, 3rd edition. N.p.: Wadsworth Publishing, 2003. Print.
     
    Units of Study:
      • Unit 1: Renaissance and Reformation
      • Unit 2: Exploration and Absolutism
      • Unit 3: French Revolution and a New Europe
      • Unit 4: Imperialism and WWI
      • Unit 5: WWII and the Cold War
    Curriculum-Based Assessments: Chapter reading quizzes, graded discussions, short-answer questions, document-based question essays, long essay questions, mid-term exam, practice AP exam (multiple choice)
     
    Standardized Assessments: AP Modern European History Exam
     
    Description of Course: This course will use the teaching and application of various critical thinking skills in line with a college-level curriculum to prepare students for the AP Modern European History examination. The thematic learning objectives used will follow those listed by The College Board and the syllabus created by Jackson Spielvogel and approved by TCB. The College Board uses four specific historical reasoning skills in its exam, and these will represent the lenses through which the class views European History from 1450 through the present:  Contextualization, Comparison, Causation, and Continuity and Change over Time. These four reasoning skills will be taught through 6 thematic learning objectives:  1. Interaction of Europe and the World, 2. Poverty and Prosperity, 3. Objective Knowledge and Subjective Visions, 4. States and Other Institutions of Power, 5. Individual and Society, 6. National and European Identity. There is a focus on primary source documents, analysis of decision-making, and visual artwork in order to develop a full understanding of societies and interactions. The development of historical arguments and evidence will be paramount for this course and the AP exam. In conjunction with the AP examination, the curriculum and skills within this course will prepare students for future AP courses in addition to any other higher education.

     
     

    Course Title: AP US History

    Department: Social Studies 
    Grade Level: 11  
    Time Per Day/Week: 42 minutes/5X a week  
    Length of Course: Year 
    Primary Resources: Brinkley, Alan. American History: Connecting With the Past, Volume 15. McGraw-Hill, 2015. 

    Units of Study: Units are separated by AP Central into 9 periods:
      • Period 1: 1491-1607 Columbian Exchange, impact
      • Period 2: 1607-1754 Colonial economy and institutions
      • Period 3: 1754-1800 Revolution, new government
      • Period 4: 1800-1848 Economic/demographic changes
      • Period 5: 1844-77 Civil War and Reconstruction
      • Period 6: 1865-1900 Gilded Age economics, politics
      • Period 7: 1890-1945 Foreign Policy Imperialism through WWII
      • Period 8: 1945-1980 Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
      • Period 9: 1980-2000 movements, politics, economics 
    Curriculum-Based Assessments: Unit assessments in the style of AP exam, quarter dbqs, short answer essay, long essay, problem based simulations 

    Standardized Assessments: AP US History Exam 
     
    Description of Course: AP US History is a year-long high school course which is designed to be an equivalent to a freshman college survey course in American History. Students are asked to analyze historical developments within specific frameworks such as continuity and change, causation, and periodization. Topics of study range from pre-Columbian American societies to the role of the US in the post 9/11 world. Class time is spent examining evidence, through various methods, essential questions and the frameworks in the study of American History. All seven themes of history including Identity, Work/Exchange/Technology, Peopling, Politics and Power, Americans in the World, Environment and Geography, and Ideas, Beliefs, and Culture are addressed throughout the course. Students are expected to read the course textbook, interpret primary source readings, and examine the interpretations of scholars on specific events and trends. College level writing is considered a high priority in this class. Writing at this level includes detailed note-taking, position papers, and research papers. Assessing student learning is accomplished through College Board style multiple choice tests, Document Based Questions (DBQs) and Long and short essay Response Questions  along with in-class discussions and homework assignments used to measure success in the interpretation of primary and secondary sources. The goal of the course is to foster a broad knowledge of American History within a critical, evidence based framework, increase interest in further study of history, and prepare students for the College Board Exam.
     

    Course Title: United States History Twentieth Century to the Present

    Department: Social Studies 
    Grade Level: 11  
    Time Per Day/Week: 42 minutes/5 days of week  
    Length of Course: Year 
    Primary Resources: United States: History & Geography; McGraw-Hill 

    Units of Study: 
    • Unit 1: World War I 1914-1918 From the U.S. Perspective
    • Unit 2: The Roaring Twenties & The Great Depression & New Deal 1920-1941
    • Unit 3: World War II 1941-1945, The Cold War 1945-1989
    • Unit 4: Civil Rights to Watergate 1950-1975
    • Unit 5: The Reagan Era to 9/11 1980-2001
    • Unit 6: The Post 9/11 World 2001-Present
    Curriculum Based Assessments: Quizzes, papers, projects, unit tests, midterm, final

    Standardized Assessments: None

    Description of Course: This course is intended to provide the student with the information and skills that are essential for a better understanding of 20th Century American History. US History: Twentieth Century to the Present is a comprehensive history course that provides students with an appreciation of American cultural, economic, political, and social history. This course equips students with the skills needed to succeed in college and the habits of mind necessary to foster a higher level of learning. Strategies include reading comprehension, analysis of historical artwork, improving student writing, and using primary and secondary supplemental source materials for critical analysis. Some of the major themes and units of study include: World War I, The Arrival of Reform, The Roaring Twenties, The Great Depression, and New Deal, Isolation to World War, Reshaping the Post War World, The Vietnam and Watergate Era, and The Reagan & Clinton Revolutions up through the present day. This course integrates the study of history, government, geography, and economics. 

     

     
    Course Title: Honors U.S. History: Twentieth Century to Present  
     
    Department: Social Studies 
    Grade Level: 11  
    Time Per Day/Week: 42 minutes/5 days a week  
    Length of Course: Year 
    Primary Resources:  American History: Connecting with the Past: A Survey, AP Edition; McGraw Hill 
     
    Units of Study:
    • Unit 1: World War I 1914-1918 From the U.S. Perspective
    • Unit 2: The Roaring Twenties & The Depression & New Deal 1920-1941
    • Unit 3: World War II 1941-1945
    • Unit 4: The Cold War 1945-1989
    • Unit 5: Civil Rights to Watergate 1950-1975
    • Unit 6: The Reagan Era To 9/11 1980-2001
    • Unit 7: The Post 9/11 World 2001-Present
    Curriculum Based Assessments: Quizzes, papers, projects, unit tests, midterm, final  

    Standardized Assessments: None

    Description of Course: This course is intended to provide the student with the information and skills that are essential for a better understanding of 20th Century American History. US History: Twentieth Century to the Present is a comprehensive history course that provides students with an appreciation of American cultural, economic, political, and social history. This course equips students with the skills needed to succeed in college and the habits of mind necessary to foster a higher level of learning. Strategies include reading comprehension, analysis of historical artwork, improving student writing, and using primary and secondary supplemental source materials for critical analysis. Some of the major themes and units of study include: World War I, The Arrival of Reform, The Roaring Twenties, The Great Depression, and New Deal, Isolation to World War, Reshaping the Post War World, The Vietnam and Watergate Era, and The Reagan & Clinton Revolutions up through the present day. This course integrates the study of history, government, geography, and economicsCourse website (with examples of course materials):  https://sites.google.com/pinerichland.org/bdevinneyhush/home

     

    Course Title: Asian Studies

     
    Department: Social Studies 
    Grade Level: 11, 12  
    Time Per Day/Week: 42 Minutes/ 5 Days  
    Length of Course: Year 
    Primary Resources: A History of Asia; Pearson 

    Units of Study:

    • Unit 1: Technological and Environmental Transformations to c. 600 B.C.E.
    • Unit 2: Organization and Reorganization of Human Societies, c. 600 B.C.E. to C. 600 C.E.
    • Unit 3: Regional and Transregional Interactions, c. 600 C.E. to c. 1450
    • Unit 4: Global Interactions
    • Unit 5: Industrialization and Global Integration, c. 1750 to c. 1900
    • Unit 6: Accelerating Global Change and Realignments, c.1900 to Present 
    Curriculum Based Assessments: Chapter quizzes, unit tests, project and problem-based assessments 
     
    Standardized Assessments: None

    Description of Course: This course examines the cultures of Asia through a sociological lens. The course focuses on Southwest, South, and East Asia. Analysis and evaluation of primary and secondary source documents, including scholarly research and publications for mass media, are an integral part of this course. Students are required to complete a research project demonstrating a deep understanding of a given culture within the region. Students are expected to complete a variety of readings and conduct individual and group research projects. 

     

    Course Title: AP Microeconomics


    Department: Social Studies
    Grade Level: 11-12 
    Time Per Day/Week: 42 minutes/5 Days  
    Length of Course: Year
    Primary Resources: Principles of Economics, 6th Edition, N Gregory Mankiw, 2012, Cengage Learning New York
     
    Units of Study: 
      • Unit 1: Thinking Like an Economist
      • Unit 2: Interdependence and the Gains from Trade
      • Unit 3: The Market Forces of Supply and Demand
      • Unit 4: Elasticity and Its Application
      • Unit 5: Supply, Demand, and Government Policies
      • Unit 6: Consumers, Producers, and the Efficiency of Markets
      • Unit 7: Application: The Costs of Taxation
      • Unit 8: Externalities
      • Unit 9: Public Goods and Common Resources
      • Unit 10: The Costs of Production
      • Unit 11: Firms in Competitive Markets
      • Unit 12: Monopoly
      • Unit 13: Monopolistic Competition
      • Unit 14: Oligopoly
      • Unit 15: The Markets for the Factors of Production
      • Unit 16: Earnings and Discrimination 
    Curriculum Based Assessments: Quizzes, unit tests, unit projects, mid-term exam, final exam

    Standardized Assessments: College Board AP Exam

    Description of Course: Microeconomics is the study of individuals', households' and firms' behavior in decision making and allocation of scarce resources. It generally applies to markets of goods and services and deals with individual and economic issues. 

    Course Title: Advanced Placement American Government & Politics

    Department: Social Studies 
    Grade Level: 12  
    Time Per Day/Week: 42 Minutes/ 5 Days a Week  
    Length of Course: Year 
    Primary Resource(s):     Harrison, B. C., Harris, J., & Deardorff, M. D. (2024). American Democracy Now. McGraw Hill LLC.
     
    Units of Study:
    • Unit One: Foundations of Government
    • Unit Two: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
    • Unit Three:  Political Beliefs and Political Participation
    • Unit Four: Branches of Government, Policy making, Social Welfare, Economic Policy, Foreign and Environmental Policy 
    Curriculum-Based Assessments: Chapter-based quizzes and exams, college board required documents readings, frq and quantitative based analysis, project based and problem based assessments, quarterly unit based exams (based on released College Board Exam questioning)

    Standardized Assessments: College Board Advanced Placement Exam 

    Description of Course: AP Government is a one-year political science course that prepares students for the College Board Advanced Placement U.S. Government & Politics exam given in May each year. This course is designed to give students a critical perspective on government and politics in the United States. This course involves the study of general concepts used to interpret American politics and the analysis of specific case studies. It requires familiarity with the interaction among institutions, groups, beliefs, and ideas that make up the American political reality. Although no single approach to this study is used, the general units of study include Constitutional Underpinnings of American Government, Political Beliefs and Behaviors, Political Parties and Interest Groups, Institutions and Policy Processes of National Government, and Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. Students in this course should be highly motivated and expect weekly readings as well as frequent writing assignments, debates and discussions.


    Course Title: Psychology  

    Department: Social Studies
    Grade Level: 12  
    Time Per Day/Week: 42 minutes/ 5 days per week  
    Length of Course: Semester
    Primary Resources: Essentials of Psychology;  Psychology: Themes and Variations; Thinking about Psychology 
     
    Units of Study: 
      • Unit 1: History and Science of Psychology
      • Unit 2: Neuroscience and Behavior
      • Unit 3: Learning
      • Unit 4: Memory
      • Unit 5: Personality
      • Unit 6: Disorders
      • Unit 7: Treatment
      • Unit 8: Stress
    Curriculum-Based Assessments: N/A 
     
    Standardized Assessments: N/A 
     
    Description of Course: A rigorous and fast-paced introduction to the scientific study of behavior, this course helps students understand the foundations of psychological theories. Typical topics surveyed include current and past psychological theories, the study of the brain, learning, thinking, memory, emotion, motivation, stress, psychological disorders, and psychotherapy. Additionally, this course will enhance critical thinking skills through the study of research techniques and the interpretation and evaluation of current research. Students are required to conduct research projects, computer lab projects, demonstrations, and simple experiments to help reinforce concepts covered in the text. These classroom activities enhance the meaning of the concepts contained in the psychology curriculum.  

     

    Course Title: AP Psychology

    Department: Social Studies 
    Grade Level: 12  
    Time Per Day/Week: 42 minutes/5 days per week      
    Length of Course: Year 
    Primary Resources: The Science of Psychology: An Appreciative View; 4E, AP Edition; Laura A. King, McGraw Hill Education, 2017

    Units of Study:

      • Unit 1: The Science of Psychology 
      • Unit 2: Biopsychology 
      • Unit 3: Learning, Memory, & Cognition 
      • Unit 4: Personal Development 
      • Unit 5: Social and Organizational Psychology 
      • Unit 6: Disorders and Therapy   
    Curriculum-Based Assessments: Chapter Quizzes, unit tests, midterm project, final project 
     
    Standardized Assessments: AP Exam 
     
    Description of Course: The AP Psychology course is designed to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals. Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. They also learn about ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice. Course work includes lecture, class discussion, debate, research and position papers, chapter quizzes and unit tests.

     

    Course Title: Principles of Economics  

    Department: Social Studies 
    Grade Level: 12  
    Time Per Day/Week    : 45 Minutes, 5 Times/Week  
    Length of Course: Semester 
    Primary Resources: Miller, Roger LeRoy. Economics Today & Tomorrow. Glencoe McGraw-Hill. 1999 
     
    Units of Study:
      • Unit 1: What is economics?  Economic subjects include; scarcity, factors of production, wants v. needs and choices.  (Chapter 1) 
      • Unit 2:  Comparative Economic Systems.  Includes the study of traditional system, command system, market system, and the mixed economy.(Chapter 2)
      • Unit 3: Supply and demand.  Includes study of the PPC (production possibilities curve), opportunity cost, and an analysis of the causal effect between supply and demand.  (Chapter 7)
      • Unit 4: Investments.  The stock market.  Securities, bonds, stocks, and the market.  (Outside Sources)
      • Unit 5: Types of Competition.  Includes the study of perfect competition, monopoly, oligopoly, monopolistic competition, and government policies towards competition.  (Chapter 9)
      • Unit 6: Marketing and Distribution.  Includes the changing role of marketing, the marketing mix, areas and types of distribution.  (Chapter 11)
    Curriculum-Based Assessments: Chapter- and unit-based exams, project-based assessments, participatory activities and simulations 

    Standardized Assessments: N/A 

    Description of Course: This course involves a study of the American economy.  The course content includes an introduction to the study of economics, comparative analysis of world economies, in-depth study of the operation of a market economy, and microeconomics (business organizations, supply/demand, financial investments, monetary policy).  This course equips students with the skills needed to succeed in college and the habits of mind necessary to foster a higher level of learning. Two formal writing assignments are required; a marketing plan and portfolio report as well as a field study. 

     

    Course Title: Principles of Law  

    Department: Social Studies 
    Grade Level: 12  
    Time Per Day/Week: 42 Minutes per Day/5 Times per Week  
    Length of Course: Semester 
    Primary Resource(s): Arbetman, Lee, and Edward L. O'Brien. Street Law: A Course in Practical Law; 7th ed. Columbus, OH: McGraw-Hill Education, 2007. Print.
     
    Units of Study:
      • Unit 1: Jurisprudence: How Law Reflect’s Societal Values
      • Unit 2: Adversary System of Justice of the United States
      • Unit 3: Trial Process of the Adversarial System
      • Unit 4: Crimes and Juvenile Law
      • Unit 5: Tort Law and Negligence 
    Curriculum-Based Assessments: Chapter-based quizzes, unit exams, project/student-centered assessments
     
    Standardized Assessments: None

    Description of Course: This course focuses on the study of those principles considered necessary for the responsible citizen. Course content includes the history of written law, criminal law and TORT law. The course includes guest speakers from the legal profession as well as  a search and seizure discussion from the Northern Regional Police Departments K9 officer Michael Dorsch. The course is geared to serve the everyday needs of students in dealing with legal responsibilities. Students gain an understanding of the “spirit” of the law as well as the “letter” of the law. A great deal of reading is necessary in the use of case studies as tools to analyze the use of law. Students are required to conduct research projects, computer lab projects, demonstrations, and simulations to help reinforce concepts covered in the text.
     

    Course Title: History through Music

    Department: Social Studies 
    Grade Level: 12 
    Time Per Day/Week: 45 minutes, 5 days a week   
    Length of Course: Semester
    Primary Resources: TBD

    Units of Study:

      • Introduction to musicology
      • Unit 1: Worlds Meeting, through 1760
      • Unit 2: A New Nation, 1760 through 1820
      • Unit 3: Expansion and Reform, 1800 through 1860
      • Unit 4: Civil War & Reconstruction, 1860 through 1876
      • Unit 5: Development of the Industrial US, 1870 through 1900
      • Unit 6: Emergence of Modern America, 1900 through 1929
      • Unit 7: The Great Depression & WWII
      • Unit 8: Post WWII US, 1946 through 1973
      • Unit 9: Changing America, 1974 through 2000
      • Unit 10: THe New Millenium 2000 - 2023

    Curriculum-Based Assessments: Classroom Discussion, Student Presentation, Culminating Project

    Standardized Assessments: None 
     
    Description of Course: This is a new elective course for the 2023-2024 school year. The course emerged out of the in-depth program review process that was completed during the 2018-2019 school year. Students will examine American History from colonialism to the present through the lens of music. Students will investigate how music reflects human geography, the environment and historical events. Any student interested in pursuing a career in the performing arts, entertainment industry, history, or education will find this course beneficial.

     

    Course Title: Sports and Culture   

    Department: Social Studies 
    Grade Level: 12 
    Time Per Day/Week: 45 minutes, 5 days a week   
    Length of Course: Semester
    Primary Resources: TBD

    Units of Study:

      • Unit 1: Sports Around the World
      • Unit 2: Sports and Nationalism
      • Unit 3: Sports and Colonialism
      • Unit 4: Sports and Money

    Curriculum-Based Assessments: In-class discussions, written response papers, culminating research paper

    Standardized Assessments: None 
     
    Description of Course: This is a new elective course for the 2023-2024 school year. The course emerged out of the in-depth program review process that was completed during the 2018-2019 school year. Each unit will examine a particular sport or sports from a region/nation around the world. The students will examine the sports' influence on the cultures that popularize them and each unit culminates with practicing/playing/watching an example of the sport and its skills to develop an appreciation for cultures other than our own. Knowledge of geography and history as well as current events will be included in these units.
     
     

    Course Title: Honors Philosophy through Media

    Department: Social Studies 
    Grade Level: 12 
    Time Per Day/Week: 45 minutes, 5 days a week   
    Length of Course: Semester
    Primary Resources: TBD

    Units of Study:

      • Unit 1: Logic and Reason
      • Unit 2: Epistemology
      • Unit 3: Aesthetics
      • Unit 4: Ethics
      • Unit 5: Metaphysics
      • Unit 6: Existentialism

    Curriculum-Based Assessments: In-class discussions, written response papers, culminating research paper

    Standardized Assessments: None 
     
    Description of Course: This is a new elective course for the 2023-2024 school year. The honors weight is pending an evaluation based on Pine-Richland High School’s honor criteria review. The course emerged out of the in-depth program review process that was completed during the 2018-2019 school year. Students will utilize popular media (movies, television, music, literature) to explore historical and contemporary arguments and come to their own conclusions about logic and reason, truth and knowledge, principles of beauty and artistic taste, good and evil, right and wrong, the nature of the universe, and the meaning of life. This course is designed to be an introduction to philosophical arguments from an academic perspective. Students will learn to apply critical thinking skills to big questions.

     

    Course Title: Honors Research in Global Issues

    Department: Social Studies 
    Grade Level: 12 
    Time Per Day/Week: 45 minutes, 5 days a week   
    Length of Course: Semester
    Primary Resources: TBD

    Units of Study:

      • Unit 1: Introduction to Social Problems
      • Unit 2: Research in the Social Sciences
      • Unit 3: Program Design for Change

    Curriculum-Based Assessments: In-class discussions, written response papers, culminating research paper

    Standardized Assessments: None 
     
    Description of Course: This is a new elective course for the 2023-2024 school year. The honors weight is pending an evaluation based on Pine-Richland High School’s honor criteria review. The course emerged out of the in-depth program review process that was completed during the 2018-2019 school year. Students will conduct a problem based research study on a current global or regional issue based on student interest (for example, students who are interested in Asian Studies can focus on this region of the world). Research projects will utilize a combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis of primary sources and secondary sources. Students will present their findings at the end of the semester. Research projects are designed to augment students' Senior Portfolios for college application. The research focus of this class makes it perfect for any student interested in pursuing a degree in the Social Sciences (Anthropology, Sociology, Economics, Political Science and Social Psychology).