Annual Course – Grade 9
Prerequisite: None
370205 AP HUMAN GEO A
370206 AP HUMAN GEO B
Course Description: The major purpose of this course is to introduce students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of the Earth’s surface. Students employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to examine human social organization and its environmental consequences. They also learn about the methods and tools geographers use in their science and practice. If a student passes the CEEB Advanced Placement Exam, this course may be accepted by colleges for course credit.
Annual Course – Grade 10
Prerequisite: None
370127 WHG: MOD WLD A
370128 WHG: MOD WLD B
Course Description: The purpose of this course is to examine major turning points in the shaping of the modern world, from the late eighteenth century to the present. The course begins with an introduction to current world issues and then continues with a focus on the expansion of the West and the growing interdependence of people and cultures throughout the world. This course meets the graduation and “A-G” requirements.
Annual Course – Grade 10
Prerequisite: None
370133 AP WLD HIS A
370134 AP WLD HIS B
Course Description: The major purpose of this course is to develop greater understanding of the evolution of global processes and contacts, in interaction with different types of human societies. This understanding is advanced through a combination of selective factual knowledge and appropriate analytical skills. The course highlights the nature of changes in international frameworks and their causes and consequences, as well as comparisons among major societies. It emphasizes relevant factual knowledge used in conjunction with leading interpretive issues and types of historical evidence. The course builds on understanding of cultural, institutional, and technological precedents that, along with geography, set the human stage. Periodization, explicitly discussed, forms an organizing principle for dealing with change and continuity throughout the course. Specific themes provide further organization to the course, along with consistent attention to contacts among societies that form the core of world history as field of study. If a student passes the CEEB Advanced Placement Exam, this course may be accepted by colleges for course credit.
Annual Course – Grade 11
Prerequisite: None
370129 US HIST 20TH A
370130 US HIST 20TH B
Course Description: This Grade eleven course surveys the major turning points in American history in the twentieth century. The course begins with a selective review emphasizing two major themes: the nation’s beginnings and the industrial transformation of the new nation. Throughout the course the application of constitutional principles to contemporary issues is addressed. Topics covered are the expanding role of the federal government and the federal courts, the continuing tensions between the individual and the state and between minority rights and majority power, the emergence of a modern corporate economy, the impact of technology on American society; culture change in the ethnic composition of American society, the movements toward equal rights for diverse groups such as racial minorities, gays and lesbians, people with disabilities, and women; and the role of the United States as a major world power. The course investigates the diversity of American culture, including religion, literature, art, drama, architecture, education, and the mass media. This course meets the graduation and the "A-G" requirements.
Semester Course – Grade 12
Prerequisite: None
370603 PRIN AM DEMOCR
Course Description: The major purpose of this course is to analyze United States’ system of government and the historical background, fundamental concepts and principles that underlie American democracy. The course covers the development of the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Federalism. It also includes a study of political parties, voting and voting behavior, and elections at the national, state, and local levels. The course will analyze the influence of special interest groups and the role of the media in shaping public opinion. Additional emphasis is placed on the role and the responsibilities of the three branches of government at the national, state, and local levels. This course will summarize landmark court decisions in terms of civil rights and civil liberties and will also study complex contemporary issues that confront national, state, and local governments such as immigration, race, abortion, gender, sexual orientation, and disabilities. The content included in this course should be viewed as the culmination of the civics literacy strand of the California History-Social Science Framework. This course meets the graduation and "A-G" requirements.
Semester Course – Grade 12
Prerequisite: None
370605 AP GOVT & POL
Course Description: This course provides an intensive study of how the various elements of government and politics in the United States work together to produce public policy. It examines the critical relationship among the various institutions, government, groups, and ideas that make up the political scene. This course helps the student become familiar with the various ideas and theories used to analyze and predict political behavior and the terminology useful in describing politics. The activities include essays, tests, note taking, debates, research projects, and use of with primary and secondary sources. It emphasizes the analysis and interpretation of factual information as it pertains to U.S. government. This course is designed for students eligible for Honors Social Science and gives them an opportunity to interact with college-level material. If a student passes the CEEB Advanced Placement Exam, this course may be accepted by colleges for course credit.
*Honors sections are available.