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Curriculum:
History / Social Science
| Complete Course Selection Guide 
In kindergarten children first begin to understand that school is a place for leaning and working. They learn to share, to take turns, to respect the rights of others and to take care of themselves and their own possessions. These are learnings that are necessary for good civic behavior in the classroom and the larger society. Children also discover how other people have learned and worked together by learning about times past through selected literature.
Children in the first grade are ready to learn more about the world they live in and about their responsibilities to other people. They begin to learn how necessary it is for people and groups to work together and how to resolve problems that get in the way of cooperation. Children develop a deeper understanding of cultural diversity and learn to appreciate the many different people and ways of life that exist in the larger world.
Children in the second grade are ready to learn about people who make a difference in their own lives and who made a difference in the past. People who make a difference in the child1s world are those who care for him or her, those who supply the goods and services necessary for daily life. and those extraordinary men and women who made a difference in our nation and in the world community.
Third graders can begin to think about continuity and change in their own locality and nation. By exploring their locality and locating some of the features that were built by people who lived long ago, children can make contact with times past and with the people whose activities have left their mark on the land. Children begin to think about chronological relationships and to analyze how some things change and others remain the same. Teachers introduce children to the legacy of local, regional and national traditions that provide common memories and a shared sense of "for all of us."
The story of California begins in pre-Columbian times, in the culture of the Native American Indians who lived here before the first Europeans arrived. The history of California becomes a story of successive waves of immigrants from the sixteenth century through modern times and the enduring marks they left on the character of the state. The children study the Spanish explorers and the Spanish-Mexican settlers of the mission and rancho period. They also learn about the Americans who established California as a state and how it developed into an agricultural and industrial economy. They study the Asian immigrants and how they supplied a new supply of labor during the building of the transcontinental railroad, agriculture and industry. Fourth grade students learn about the daily lives, adventures, and accomplishments of all its different cultures and how this energy formed the state and shaped its history.
The course for grade five presents the story of the development of the nation, with emphasis on the period up to 1850. It focuses on the creation of a new nation and how the waves of immigrants from all parts of the globe brought their traditions to this country. Students examine the major pre-Columbian settlements, the European Explorers and the early settling of the Colonies. Next, they study the causes of the Revolutionary War and the major battles, including the surrender at Yorktown. They also learn about the daily lives of those who built the young republic under the new Constitution. The year ends with students examining the beginning of the pioneer settlements.
The 6th grade year is a study of ancient world history and geography. Students study the development of world civilizations in the Eastern Hemisphere, beginning with Early Humankind and the Neolithic Revolution through the development of the first major civilizations. All units include an examination of the impact of economics, politics, and social history on the developing world. The five themes of geography (location, movement, region, place, and human-environmental interaction) are woven into all the units, with emphasis on how geography affected the development of these civilizations. Students will learn about related careers in history/social science.
The 7th grade year is a study of world history and geography during the medieval and early modern eras. Students study the development and changes of complex civilizations. They identify and explore the similarities and patterns of these civilizations. Emphasis is placed on the fact that many of the civilizations developed concurrently and impacted each other. All units include an examination of the impact of religion, economics, politics, and social history on the medieval and early modern eras. The Five Themes of Geography (location, movement, region, place, and human-environmental interaction) are woven into all the units, with emphasis on how geography affected the development of these civilizations. Students will learn about related careers in history/social science.
The 8th grade year is a study of the critical events, issues, and individuals in United States History to 1880. It begins with a selective review of the Age of Exploration, the colonial period and the American Revolution. The major focus of the year is the development of the Constitution, the impact of the Westward Movement, and the struggles of the Civil War and Reconstruction. All units include an examination of the impact of economics, politics, and social history on the development of the United States. The five themes of geography (location, movement, region, place, and human-environmental interaction) are woven into all the units, with emphasis on how geography affected the development of the growing nation. Students will learn about related careers in history/social science. They will also complete their high school program and class selections as part of this course.
This is a basic introductory course on the workings of our national economy. Emphasis will be placed on banking, trade and the government¼s role in the economy. Basic concepts such as profit and loss, risk vs. reward, assets and liabilities, taxation, and debt will be emphasized. Students will gain life-long skills to meet the challenges of a global society in which they will hold jobs, pay taxes, support families, create enterprises and uphold their civic duties.
Psychology is the study of human thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Within this course students will study such topics as influences of heredity and environment on personality, normal and abnormal behavior, principles of learning, social cognition, and adolescence. Students will become familiar with basic concepts of psychology through reading, lectures, video, small and large group discussions, individual projects and class presentations.
This history/social science course examines the major turning points of the modern world from approximately 1750 to the present. Components of this class include: Historical Linkage, the French Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, the Rise of Imperialism and Colonialism, World War I, Totalitarianism, World War II and Nationalism. Students should develop an understanding of the historic as well as the contemporary geographic, social, political and economic consequences of the various areas and problems they review.
The year begins with a review of the settlement of the colonies and the American Revolution, to westward expansion, the Civil War and Reconstruction. This should provide the students with a connection to their past learnings. Students will then examine the major turning points in American History from the Industrial Revolution through the twentieth century. Emphasis should be placed on the expanding role of the federal government and the federal courts; the balance of power between the right of the individual and states rights; and the continuing struggle between minority rights and majority power. Importance should also be placed on the emergence of a modern corporate economy, the impact of technology on American society and culture, the movements toward equal rights for racial minorities and women, and the role of the United States as a major world power.
In this course, students apply knowledge gained in previous years of study to pursue a deeper understanding of the institutions of American Government. In addition, they draw on their studies of world and American history and geography and other societies to compare differences and similarities in world governmental systems today. This course is the culmination of history/social sciences classes to prepare students to solve society1s problems, to understand and to participate in the governmental process, and to be a responsible citizen of the United States and the world.
The general objective of a high school economics course is for students to master fundamental economic concepts, appreciate how the principal concepts of economics relate to each other and understand the structure of economic systems. Students will use economic concepts in a reasoned, careful manner in dealing with personal, community, national and global economic issues. They will use measurement concepts and methods such as tables, charts, graphs, ratios, percentages and index numbers to understand and interpret relevant data. They should learn to make reasoned decisions on economics issues as citizens, workers, consumers, business owners, managers and members of civic groups.
The general theme of the course is the "Atlantic World," the region of the world connected with the Atlantic Ocean from circa AD 1400-1825. During this era, European explorers created trade networks with the peoples of West Africa and planted colonies throughout the Americas. Each semester has a different focus. The first semester deals with this four hundred-year span chronologically. It first considers each region prior to contact. Then it turns to the period of contact when Europeans, Africans, and Native Americans encountered one another, exchanged a variety of commodities, and engaged in conflict with one another. The final era is the creation and development of a range of settlements in the Americas. The second semester would focus on the entire period from a broadly thematic and comparative perspective. Units would include political, social, and cultural comparisons. The course would conclude with a comparison of various revolutions in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
