The focus of the Social Studies Department is to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to become responsible citizens in an ever-changing global community. Students are required to take three years of Social Studies in the high school.
Grades 7 – 8: U.S. History
Grade 9: World History or World History Honors
Grade 10: United States History I or United States History 1 Honors
Grade 11: United States History II or AP United States History
Electives:
AP Psychology
AP United States Government
| Middle School US HISTORY | (7&8) Required | Course Credits 5.0 |
| At the Middle School level, over the students 2 years, they will study US History beginning with the Indingenous peoples of North America and moving as far into modern times as possible. This course focuses on understanding the relationships that the citizens of the United States have developed within their own borders as well as with the rest of the world. Topics covered include the interactions between the Indigenous peoples and European colonists, the establishment of the colonies in North America, reasons for the Revolution and the colonists desire for independence, the debate over slavery, the Civil War and Reconstruction, Progressives and their fight for equality and protection for all, the World Wars, and the Civil Rights movement. The goal of this course is to give the students a broad understanding of the United States so that when they move up and revisit US History at the high school level, they will already have a good foundation with the topics and will be able to focus on more detailed and in depth studies of our country’s history. | ||
| 601 WORLD HISTORY | (9) Required | Course Credits 5.0 |
| World History is the study of eastern and western cultures from ancient times to the present. Important concepts discussed include: the ancient empires of Asia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome; the Renaissance; the Intellectual and Industrial Revolutions; nation building in the Middle East and Africa; and contemporary Latin America. The goals of this course center on providing students with a solid basis for understanding historical events that have shaped the modern world.
Students will learn to examine the circumstances, personalities and documents that have shaped our social, economic, and political past and how these also directly affect our present. Students will also study the geography of the world and how it relates to the topics covered. |
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| 621 WORLD HISTORY (Honors) | (9) Required | Course Credits 5.0 |
| Students in Honors World History will cover the topics included in the description for World History. Emphasis will be placed on the students’ doing individual and group in- depth study on these topics to increase their understanding of the cultures and the countries studied in this course. The goal of this program is to provide the students with the skills and the opportunities to become independent learners and critical thinkers.
Prerequisite: Invitation to the Honors Program |
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| 622 UNITED STATES HISTORY I | (10) Required | Course Credits 5.0 |
| This course begins with a study of the events leading up to the American Revolution and culminates with the Civil War and Reconstruction, as well as, other events of the late 19th century. U.S. History I emphasizes the development of political, economic, religious and social freedom in the New World with special attention given to the treatment of minorities. The development of the American form of government and how it works, the physical growth of the nation, and the moral and political struggles surrounding slavery are major topics. | ||
| 612 ADVANCED PLACEMENT UNITED STATES HISTORY I | (10) Required | Course Credits 6.0 |
| Students in United States History I Honors will complete the requirements for the course listed above. In addition, students in this course will be required to do more independent research and analysis of the material leading them to develop a wider view and a deeper understanding of the topics discussed in this course.
Prerequisite: Invitation to the AP Program |
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| 653 UNITED STATES HISTORY II | (11) Required | Course Credits 5.0 |
| United States History II examines our nation’s story from the years 1877 – 2022; the Gilded Age through the present time. The role of the United States in the modern world and current issues in American society will receive emphasis throughout the course and be used to comprehend our past history. Major topics include industrialization, urbanization and immigration, wealth and poverty, the United States becoming a world power, the Progressive Era, World Wars I and II, the New Deal, social history of the 1950’s and 1960’s, the Civil Rights movement and women’s struggle for equal rights. The course concludes with a look at the past 20 years – America, post 9/11/01 and how that day is an inflection point in our more recent history that helps explain many of our most pressing domestic and foreign policy issues to this day. | ||
| 654 ADVANCED PLACEMENT UNITED STATES HISTORY II | (11) Required | Course Credits 6.0 |
| Students in United States History II Honors will fulfill the requirements for the course listed above. In addition, students in this course will continue to enhance the independent research and analysis skills learned in United States History I. An important component of this class is the emphasis on critical writing skills and assessment of history.
Pre-requisites: A 3.0 GPA in AP US History I is required. |
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| 663 ADVANCED PLACEMENT U.S. GOVERNMENT | (12) Elective | Course Credits 6.0 |
| Advanced Placement United States Government has been designed as a third or fourth year Social Studies elective. AP US Government is a detailed survey of the operation and functioning of the Federal government with a balance of political and social materials. AP US Government involves both the study of general concepts used to interpret U S politics and the analysis of specific case studies. AP US Government closely follows the ETS Guidelines.
The Advanced Placement US Government course is a one year course that is designed to prepare the student to compete in the AP testing program conducted by the Educational Testing Service. Achieving sufficiently high scores on the AP test can earn the student college credit or the equivalent from a large number of colleges and universities. The course will also provide the student with a high level of background in both content and skills as a preparation for advanced study in college. Prerequisite: Successful completion of AP US History I (for 11th grade) or AP US History II (for 12th grade). |
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| 645 ADVANCED PLACEMENT PSYCHOLOGY | (12) Elective | Course Credits 6.0 |
| Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and thought. The college level Advanced Placement Psychology course presents an in-depth introduction to this vast subject that emphasized both content and the scientific method used to further psychological knowledge. Topics include the biological underpinnings of behavior, sleep and dreams, sensation and perception, learning, memory, language acquisition, intelligence and intelligence testing, the life cycle, motivation and emotion, personality, stress and coping, psychological disorders and ways to treat them, and social psychology. As students learn about psychology, they will simultaneously learn about their own behavior and the behavior of others.
Prerequisite: A 3.0 GPA for Sophomore and Junior years and departmental approval is required. |
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Update for Jan 10, 2024: Due to potential flooding & power outages, SDA will have a 90-minute delayed opening for all community members. Exercise caution for safe travel.
Building opens at 9 AM with student supervision available. Please refrain from bringing children before 9:15 AM.
SDA bus will run on a 90-minute delayed schedule.
Classes start at 10 AM following an E day schedule.
If there’s a need to close SDA tomorrow, we’ll notify the community by 6:00 AM.