Social Studies

The focus of this course is the study of the world’s people, places, and environments, with an emphasis on world regions. The knowledge, skills, and perspectives of the course are centered on the world’s peoples and their cultural characteristics, landforms and climates, economic development, and migration and settlement patterns. Spatial concepts of geography will be used as a framework for studying interactions between people and their environments. Using geographic resources, students will employ inquiry, research, and technology skills to ask and answer geographic questions. Emphasis will be placed on students understanding and applying geographic concepts and skills to their daily lives. Students who have not earned a verified credit in social studies must take the SOL test for World Geography and pass it to earn a verified credit towards graduation.

This course will enable students to explore the historic development of people, places, and patterns of life from ancient times until 1500 A.D. in terms of the impact on Western civilization. The study of history rests on knowledge of dates, names, places, events, and ideas. Historical understanding, however, requires students to engage in historical thinking, raise questions, and marshal evidence in support of their answers. Students engaged in historical thinking draw upon chronological thinking, historical comprehension, historical analysis and interpretation, historical research, and decision making. These skills are developed through the study of significant historical substance from the era or society being studied. Students who have not earned a verified credit in social studies must take the SOL test for World History and Geography to 1500 AD and pass it to earn a verified credit towards graduation.

This course will enable students to examine history and geography from 1500 A.D. to the present, with emphasis on the development of the modern world. The study of history rests on knowledge of dates, names, places, events, and ideas. Historical understanding, however, requires students to engage in historical thinking, raise questions, and marshal evidence in support of their answers. Students engaged in historical thinking draw upon chronological thinking, historical comprehension, historical analysis and interpretation, historical research, and decision making. These skills are developed through the study of significant historical substance. Students who have not earned a verified credit in social studies must take the SOL test for World History and Geography from 1500 AD to the Present and pass it to earn a verified credit towards graduation.

AP World History: Modern is an introductory college-level modern world history course. Students cultivate their understanding of world history from c. 1200 CE to the present through analyzing historical sources and learning to make connections and craft historical arguments as they explore concepts like humans and the environment, cultural developments and interactions, governance, economic systems, social interactions and organization, and technology and innovation. All students must take the College Board’s Advanced Placement Exam and based on their score, may earn college credit and/or advanced standing in college. Students who have not earned a verified credit in social studies must take the SOL test for World History and Geography from 1500 AD to the Present and pass it to earn a verified credit towards graduation. The course may be taken in place of World History or as an elective credit.

AP Human Geography is an introductory college-level human geography course. Students cultivate their understanding of human geography through data and geographic analyses as they explore topics like patterns and spatial organization, human impacts and interactions with their environment, and spatial processes and societal changes. All students must take the College Board’s Advanced Placement Exam and based on their score, may earn college credit and/or advanced standing in college. Students who have not earned a verified credit in social studies must take the SOL test for World Geography and pass it to earn a verified credit towards graduation. The course may be taken in place of World Geography or as an elective credit.

The Virginia and United States History course expands upon the foundational knowledge and skills previously introduced to include the historical development of American ideas and institutions from the Age of Exploration to the present. While continuing to focus on political, geographic, and economic history, the standards provide students with a basic knowledge of American culture through a chronological survey of major issues, movements, people, and events in Virginia and United States history. As a foundation to develop historical thinking skills, students will apply social science skills to understand the challenges facing the development of the United States. These skills will support the investigation and evaluation of the fundamental political principles, events, people, and ideas that developed and fostered our American identity and led to our country’s prominence in world affairs. Students who have not earned a verified credit in social studies must take the SOL test for Virginia and United States History and pass it to earn a verified credit towards graduation.

AP U.S. History is an introductory college-level U.S. history course. Students cultivate their understanding of U.S. history from c. 1491 CE to the present through analyzing historical sources and learning to make connections and craft historical arguments as they explore concepts like American and national identity; work, exchange, and technology; geography and the environment; migration and settlement; politics and power; America in the world; American and regional culture; and social structures. All students must take the College Board’s Advanced Placement Exam and based on their score, may earn college credit and/or advanced standing in college. ​​​​​​ Students who have not earned a verified credit in social studies must take the SOL test for Virginia and United States History and pass it to earn a verified credit towards graduation. This course will satisfy the Virginia and US History credit requirement for graduation.

This course focuses on selected topics in history using the medium of film. Students will use historical thinking skills and primary source analysis to understand how history impacts the film industry and how the film industry impacts history. This is an elective course.

The Virginia and United States Government course defines the knowledge that enables citizens to participate effectively in civic and economic life. Students will apply social science skills as a foundation to examine fundamental constitutional principles, the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, political trends and movements, the policy-making process at each level of government, and the characteristics of the United States economy. The standards emphasize an understanding of the duties and responsibilities that facilitate thoughtful and effective participation in the civic life of an increasingly diverse democratic society. The standards also reflect the evolving political and economic roles of Virginia and the United States in the global community.

AP U.S. Government and Politics is an introductory college-level course in U.S. government and politics. Students cultivate their understanding of U.S. government and politics through analysis of data and text-based sources as they explore topics like constitutionalism, liberty and order, civic participation in a representative democracy, competing policy-making interests, and methods of political analysis. All students must take the College Board’s Advanced Placement Exam and based on their score, may earn college credit and/or advanced standing in college. ​​​​​​ This course will satisfy the Virginia and US Government credit requirement for graduation.

Introductory Psychology is a beginning study of the subject of psychology. Students are introduced to the scientific method and the core ideas and theories of psychology. Students explore and gain an understanding of the complexities and diversity of human thought and behavior. This is an elective course.

AP Psychology introduces students to the systematic and scientific study of human behavior and mental processes. While considering the studies that have shaped the field, students explore and apply psychological theories, key concepts, and phenomena associated with major units of study, including biological bases of behavior, cognition, development, learning, social psychology, personality, and mental and physical health. Throughout the course, students apply psychological concepts and employ psychological research methods and data interpretation to evaluate claims, consider evidence, and effectively communicate ideas. All students must take the College Board’s Advanced Placement Exam and based on their score, may earn college credit and/or advanced standing in college. This is an elective course.

Sociology is the study of group behavior and interactions between people. Student engagement is emphasized through the examination of social problems, case studies, role-plays, cooperative learning activities, simulations, debates, online research, and a variety of activities that will help students develop the skills that they will need to become active citizens. Topics include social structure, deviance, race and ethnicity, gender and age, family, religion, and social change. This is an elective course.

This course is designed to foster an interest in the field of social work and introduce students to the history of social work and increase knowledge of the human mind and behaviors. The goal is to increase the pipeline of students interested in pursuing fields related to social work and mental health services in school settings.

American Foreign Policy provides students with the opportunity to gain insight into the complexities of American foreign policy, the roles of various groups in formulating policy and the major developments in American foreign policy from the end of World War II to the present. This is an elective course. This is a one semester course.

Practical Law is designed to provide students with a basic knowledge of the law as it applies to citizens of the United States and Virginia. Student engagement is emphasized through the use of problems, case studies, role-plays, cooperative learning activities, simulations, debates, online research, and a variety of activities that will help students develop the knowledge and skills that they will need to make sound decisions and become active and law-abiding citizens in their schools and communities. Topics include criminal law, the legal system, juvenile justice, consumer law, family law, and individual rights and liberties. Students will also study contemporary issues in law related to immigration, intellectual property, terrorism, and the workplace. This is an elective course.

This course is a survey of African American history from the origins of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade to modern day. Students will analyze the social, economic, and political effects of key persons and events, as well as refine skills in research, analysis, and historical interpretation. This is an elective course.

AP African American Studies is an interdisciplinary course that examines the diversity of African American experiences through direct encounters with rich and varied sources. Students explore key topics that extend from early African kingdoms to the ongoing challenges and achievements of the contemporary moment. All students must take the College Board’s Advanced Placement Exam and based on their score, may earn college credit and/or advanced standing in college. This is an elective course.

International Relations includes the study of the nation, state, and international law. Areas studied include Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. Students also study the history and development of the United Nations, including its structure and problems. This is an elective course. This is a one semester course.

Students will use skills for historical and geographical analysis to explore the early history of the United States and understand ideas and events that strengthened the Union. The standards for this course relate to the history of the United States from pre-colonial times until 1865. Students will continue to learn fundamental concepts in civics, economics, and geography as they study United States history in chronological sequence and learn about change and continuity in our history. They also will study documents and speeches that laid the foundation for American ideals and institutions and will examine the everyday life of people at different times in the country’s history through the use of primary and secondary sources.

Students will continue to use skills for historical and geographical analysis as they examine United States history since 1865. The standards for this course relate to the history of the United States from the Reconstruction era to the present. Students will continue to develop and build upon the fundamental concepts and skills in civics, economics, and geography within the context of United States history. Students will use investigation as a foundation to delve into the political, economic, and social challenges facing the nation once it reunited after the Civil War. This foundation provides a pathway to develop an understanding of how the American experience shaped the world’s political and economic landscapes.

Civics and Economics is the foundational course for Virginia and United States Government. It examines the roles citizens play in the political, governmental, and economic systems in the United States. Students will examine the foundational documents and principles around which the constitutions of Virginia and the United States were established; identify the rights, duties, and responsibilities of citizens; and describe the structure and operation of government at the local, state, and national levels. Through the economics standards, students will compare the United States economy to other types of economies and consider the government’s role in the U.S. economy. Students will investigate the process by which decisions are made in the U.S. market economy and explain the government’s role in it. The standards identify personal character traits, such as patriotism, respect for the law, willingness to perform public service, and a sense of civic duty, that facilitate thoughtful and effective active participation in the civic life of an increasingly diverse democratic society. All students take the SOL test for Civics and Economics.