Social Studies Courses-14631

Grades 10-12 | Credits: 2.5

Economics is a social science that examines production, consumption and transfer of wealth (money and currency). This course deals primarily with economic vocabulary and answers the following questions: what is economics, what taxes go towards, what attributes to the changes in the business cycle, and how elasticity is applied to supply and demand. This course examines numerous topics such as supply & demand, investment opportunities, the relationship between price changes and the market, various market  structures, GDP, labor and economic growth/recession (business cycle) just to name a few. Students will take part in a variety of activities including the stock market game, entrepreneur project, company pitch presentation, hypothesizes of product prices and more. The course does require students to present in front of the class both individually and as a part of a group as well as exercising a basic understanding of mathematics.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grades 10-12 | Credits: 2.5

This course examines the application of law throughout American society. Students will examine topics that include: civil law, hate crimes, constitutional law, the Bill of Rights, the role of Supreme Court justices, and students’ rights.

Grades 10-12 | Credits: 2.5

This course begins with a historical overview of the origins and development of our legal system. Students will examine topics that include: preliminary crimes, corrections, police use of force, elements of crime, the arguments of self-defense and insanity, along with a look at juvenile justice.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grades 10-12 | Credits: 2.5

The Vietnam War was the most controversial and divisive American conflict of the 20th century. Unfortunately, it is often the most misunderstood. This course examines the background of Vietnamese history and culture, the political and military history of the war, and the conflicts the war created at home.  The course will investigate and analyze all the controversies associated with the war; the major personalities and policymakers, the strategies and tactics implemented, and the experiences of those who fought- both American and Vietnamese. Lastly, the course examines how the Vietnam War shaped and influenced the culture of the 1960s and beyond.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grades 10-12 | Credits: 2.5

Have you ever wished you had time to dig deep into a topic or project, learn all about it and create something awesome?  This is your chance. In this course students will discover how to find the information they need to pursue a specific interest, and use that information to create, collaborate and teach others about their passion, whether it’s knitting, anime, or molecular biology.  Don’t know what that passion is yet?  Figuring it out is part of the process. In this course students will investigate their interests and then choose a specific topic, project, or skill to learn or explore. Students will document the process of discovering, proposing and planning their project using digital tools to research, journal, collaborate, and present their work, developing real-world skills for project management, communication and presentation. Digital citizenship and trending social media dynamics will also be considered. In this hybrid course students will work independently about eighty percent of each week, with teachers available at all times to guide and support them as needed.

Grades 10-12 | Credits: 2.5

Psychology is the study of the human mind. This course examines topics such as how we perceive the world, personality development theories, self-esteem, altered states of consciousness, sleep, dreams, birth order, personalities, moral development, and other concepts. By providing insights into human behavior, the course is designed to increase understanding of why people behave as they do.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grades 10-12 | Credits: 2.5 | Prerequisite: Psychology I | Dual-Credit Option

This course provides additional knowledge of psychology through an examination of such topics as the workings of the brain and nervous system, learning and memory theories, and enhancing memory.  Stress-related topics and abnormal psychology issues like anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorders are studied. Psychology II H is currently aligned to Middlesex County College and we anticipate that students will have the opportunity to earn college credits in this course.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grades 10-12 | Credits: 2.5

Sociology is the study of human society and social behavior. This course deals primarily with culture and social values in primitive and modern societies, group behavior, social inequality, social institutions, and the individual in society. Topics covered include rites and rituals, adolescence, social deviance, sanctions, collective behavior and social movements. The course includes a variety of teaching methods: debates, socio-dramas, pantomime, popular films, music, television, surveys, and interviews. 

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grades 10-12 | Credits: 2.5 | Prerequisite: Sociology I

This course provides additional knowledge of sociology by building upon the topics covered in Sociology I. The major focus of the class will be to examine research methods, deviance, social control, collective behaviors, social change, the environment, and special career fields in sociology. The class will include research, group projects, cooperative activities, field trips and guest speakers.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grades 10-12 | Credits: 2.5

This course will examine the Nazi party in Germany and how its rise resulted in widespread discriminatory practices culminating in the largest mass murder in human history. Specifically, students will study in-depth Nazi anti-Semitic policy, life in the Jewish ghettos, the horrors of the death camps, and rescue and resistance efforts throughout the Holocaust.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grades: 10-12 | Credits: 2.5 | Dual-Credit Option

Genocide: the systematic destruction of a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.  It is the most severe and horrifying of all human crimes.  This course examines in detail the background, issues, events, and implications of some of the world’s darkest chapters. This course will investigate selected topics such as Japanese crimes against humanity in WWII, the genocidal policies of Joseph Stalin in the USSR, the Holocaust, and genocide in Rwanda, Bosnia, Cambodia, Iraq, Armenia and Darfur.  Students will analyze various ideologies and mechanisms that culminate in genocide and will examine the roles of collaborators, bystanders, rescuers, and the psychology of both perpetrators and victims.  The course will also analyze the role and effectiveness of international law and the United Nations in preventing genocide and bringing perpetrators to justice. Genocide in the Modern World H is currently aligned to Middlesex County College and we anticipate that students will have the opportunity to earn college credits in this course.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grades: 10-12 | Credits: 2.5 | Hybrid Course; Criteria: Students must audition for admittance

There will be costs associated with this course for attendance at Model United competitions. This course is an independent study program and considered a hybrid class where students will interact with the teacher in person and on an online platform. Participants must meet after school for no less than twice each week (on average) during the semester, and they must agree to prepare for and to attend Model United Nations simulation activities.  Participants accept roles as delegates to various U. N. agencies.  They represent assigned countries which are member states in the U.N.  At after school meetings they discuss strategies and coordinate research with assigned partners.  They are tested on economic, political and geographic information on their “adopted” country, its region and its impact on international diplomacy.   Model U. N. Conferences are four-day three-night total immersion/simulation activities.  At these Model United Nations Conferences, high school students spend sixty (60) hours on task in debate, caucus, and writing U. N. style resolutions.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grades: 10-12 | Credits: 2.5 | Hybrid Course; Criteria: Students must audition for admittance

There will be costs associated with this course for attendance at Model United competitions.This course is an independent study program and considered a hybrid class where students will interact with the teacher in person and on an online platform. Participants must meet after school for no less than twice each week (on average) during the semester, and they must agree to prepare for and to attend Model United Nations simulation activities.  Participants accept roles as delegates to various U. N. agencies.  They represent assigned countries which are member states in the U. N.   At after school meetings they discuss strategies and coordinate research with assigned partners.  They are tested on economic, political and geographic information on their “adopted” country, its region and its impact on international diplomacy. Model U. N. Conferences are four-day three-night total immersion/simulation activities. At these Model United Nations Conferences, high school students spend sixty (60) hours on task in debate, caucus, and writing U. N. style resolutions.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grades 10-12 | Credits: 2.5

This course is offered for students who are interested in global economics and international trade.  Among the topics covered are global trade patterns, political and cultural influences on the business climate, trading blocs, trade agreements, international finance, foreign exchanges, commodities exchanges, the geography of global resource allocation and use, and customs, tariffs and taxes. Computer research assists students in solving problems and simulations associated with the complex world of global trade and economic interdependence.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grades 10-12 | Credits: 5| Dual-Credit Option

This course is designed to provide an in-depth study of our Constitution, Bill of Rights and Federal system of government.  Students will gain practical experiences and knowledge through the study and use of the procedures and techniques of local, county, state, and federal governments and courts.  Students act as Senators and Representatives of the U. S. Congress, using parliamentary procedure and debating legislation they prepare for a three-day Model Congress.   Course requirements include research projects, outside reading assignments, and considerable practice in giving oral presentations. This course is currently aligned to Middlesex County College and we anticipate that students will have the opportunity to earn college credit.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grade 12 | Credits: 5 |  Prerequisites will determine placement into course

This course offers our students the opportunity to compete against their peers from across the state with the hopes of representing New Jersey at the prestigious “We the People” competition in the spring. If students advance in the competition, there will be costs associated with later rounds. The AP Institute for Political and Legal Education focuses on the Center for Civic Education's Competition on the Constitution. Students commit to participating in the competition, which involves learning a curriculum based on the Constitution, its creation and implementation, the importance of rights in our system of government and the future of the Constitution and its interpretation. Students will participate in extensive research and analysis as well as preparation for the oral competition. The competition is based on group presentations. Students will also follow an AP American Government curriculum with an expectation of participation in the AP American Government Examination.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grades 11-12 | Credits: 5 | Prerequisites will determine placement into course

This course is intended for students seeking an in-depth understanding of macroeconomic issues and principles usually involving large institutional players like commercial banks, the Federal Reserve, and the Federal government.  An ability to work with statistics and graphs is also critical to an in-depth understanding of topics.  It will prepare students for the spring administration of the AP Macroeconomics examination.  Topics will include measurements of economic health and performance (inflation, unemployment, GDP growth, and price indices), aggregate supply and demand, national income and wealth, monetary policy and the role of the Federal Reserve and the banking system, financial markets and exchange rates, productivity, international trade and balance of payments.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grades 11-12 | Credits: 5 | Prerequisites will determine placement into course

This course is offered to students who wish to complete an introductory level college course in psychology while still in secondary school.  AP Psychology introduces students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings. Students learn about ongoing research and the most current data in all major subfields within psychology.  The course also covers a variety of topics, such as testing methods, social psychology, abnormal psychology, the treatment of psychological disorders and many others. Students are required to enhance their writing skills by responding to free-response format questions.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grade 12 | Credits: 5 | Prerequisites will determine placement into course

This college-level course is designed to prepare students for the Advanced Placement exam. The course provides students with knowledge of major themes in European history from approximately 1450 to 2010 – from the high Renaissance to the present.   Students will develop an ability to analyze historical evidence through primary source documents, works of art, religious philosophy, and enlightenment thinking. This course is not a repeat of World History.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements