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Ninth Grade |
Tenth Grade |
Eleventh Grade |
Twelfth Grade |
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Required: |
Required: |
Required: |
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World History & Geography |
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AP United States History or |
Trimester 1: Economics |
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United States History |
Trimester II: AP US Government & Politics (Two Trimesters) or US Government |
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Trimester III: AP US Government & Politics or Sociology or Contemporary World Affairs |
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Electives: |
20th Century World Studies |
20th Century World Studies |
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AP Psychology (Two Trimesters) |
AP Psychology (Two Trimesters) |
AP Psychology (Two Trimesters) |
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Sociology |
Sociology |
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Contemporary World Affairs |
Contemporary World Affairs |
The Holy Angels Social Studies Department offers a wide selection of academic courses and experiences designed to help students acquire the knowledge and skills demanded by an increasingly interdependent world. Students are challenged to analyze, evaluate, and fully comprehend the many complicated factors that shape individuals and the larger communities to which they belong. We encourage our students to both respect tradition and continually seek opportunities to inspire positive changes locally and globally.
Within the Social Studies Department, students will be able to:
3 credits
Grade Level: 9
A required course for 9th grade
World History is a year-long course that studies the emergence and development of eastern and western cultures. In the first trimester students will study the 5 Themes of Geography, ancient river civilizations, and the classical civilizations. During the second trimester students will examine developments in the Muslim, Byzantine, and East Asian Empires before investigating European societies from the Middle Ages to the rise of absolute monarchs. In the third trimester students will trace the impact of social and industrial revolutions on developing and non-developing nations. The course concludes with the study of the causes and impacts of World War I on the twentieth century.
1 credit
Grade Level: 10, 11
An elective for all sophomores or juniors who enjoy and appreciate the study of history.
This course has been designed to provide practicing historians with a provocative and engaging study of the people, places, events, and movements that shaped the Twentieth Century. Topics include the world at war, imperialism, independence movements, the influence of political ideologies ranging from communism to fascism, totalitarian regimes, the expansion of civil and human rights, religious fundamentalism, and the triumph of the individual. Students enhance their understanding of this tumultuous century by reading short novels and viewing feature films related to the course’s major themes. This elective class is offered to sophomores and juniors who have a particular interest in history and who are willing to take a non-traditional approach to learning about the past and present. This course is offered first trimester only.
3 credits
Grade Level: 11
Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor; recommendations from two teachers (forms available in the Social Studies Department)
For college-bound, self-motivated juniors who have good reading and writing skills.
Students enrolled in AP classes will prepare for and take the AP exam in May. Any waivers must be approved by the instructor and the principal.
This is a rigorous college-level course. It uses a college textbook, which focuses on the issues and themes of the United States from the era of discovery and exploration to the present. The course follows the AP curriculum and emphasizes historical research and essay tests. Summer reading assignment to be completed prior to the start of the course. In the first two weeks of school, tests will be given on the first three chapters of the text.
3 credits
Grade Level: 11
Prerequisite: None
U.S. History is a three-trimester survey course taught chronologically from Columbus to the present. Important historical themes and their impact on history will highlight areas such as racism, technology, economics, war and peace, culture, and political theory. Testing, essays, projects, individual and group presentation, and discussion are part of course expectations.
1 credit
Grade Level: 11, 12
Prerequisite: None
This course enables students to read, discuss and analyze the issues and problems of the contemporary world. The topics include poverty and disease in Africa; peace in the Middle East; China’s role in the world as the number-one producer and consumer of goods. These three areas will be researched from an American foreign-policy perspective using news articles and the Internet. The assignments for the class include weekly news articles and a final project.
Grades are based on these assignments as well as oral and visual presentations, essay and objective tests.
2 credits
Grade: 10, 11, 12
Prerequisites: Permission from the instructor; recommendations from two teachers (forms available in the Social Studies Department)
This is a course for qualified students who wish to complete studies in high school equivalent to an introductory college course in psychology. The AP exam presumes at least one semester of college-level preparation, and the course will cover two trimesters at Academy of Holy Angels. The 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 the ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice.
1 credit
Grade: 11, 12
Prerequisite: None
Sociology studies human social behavior. It assumes a group and global perspective rather than an individual view. It studies norms, values, and interactions between groups. Sociological methods of inquiry will be used to examine: culture, social structure, socialization, deviant behavior, racial and ethnic relations, gender and age issues and social change.
1 credit
Grade: 12
A required course for 12th grade
This course examines the principles and practices of economics, a way of viewing the world in terms of scarcity and the distribution of resources. Both microeconomic and macroeconomic topics will be covered. Students will learn supply and demand, market structures, and other micro approaches. They will apply their learning to macro topics by studying both Austrian and Keynesian models, and then using these approaches to examine current challenges in global economics.
1 credit
Grade Level: 12
Required for Seniors (except those taking AP Government) U.S. Government offered during Trimester 2 only.
American government and politics will be explored using contemporary information and events to better understand the United States government, politics and their impact. This course examines the three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial, as well as the impact of political parties, interest groups, and political participation.
2 credits
Grade Level: 12
Prerequisite: Permission from the instructor; recommendations from two teachers (forms available in the Social Studies Department)
AP United States Government and Politics is a college-level nonpartisan introduction to key political concepts, ideas, institutions, policies, interactions, roles, and behaviors that characterize the constitutional system and political culture of the United States. Students will study U.S. foundational documents, Supreme Court decisions, and other texts and visuals to gain an understanding of the relationships and interactions between political institutions, processes and behavior. They also engage in disciplinary practices that require them to read and interpret data, make comparisons and application, and develop evidence-based arguments. In addition, they will complete an applied civics project.
The course assumes students wish to be challenged and exposed to the rigor of a college-level course. It is the expectation that each student enrolled will take the Advanced Placement exam in May. Grades for this course are weighted as an Advanced course.
