Social Studies
|
World History: Students will participate in a survey of world history from the Black Death (1348) to the present. This history will not only include historical facts, but also social, cultural, and economic history. Learning will take place in a variety of ways and will include bit will not be limited to: lecture, reading primary source documents, individual research, and films. Students will be expected not only to complete class work assignments, but also complete individual research and group projects that incorporate their artistic majors into the academic classroom. This Course is designed in conjunction with the English 1 curriculum and will coordinate writing assignments and classroom activities.(No pre-requisite- entry level course) US History I: Students will participate in a detailed study of the pre-colonial to the Civil War periods of U.S. History. Topics will focus on the diversity of American society and the contributions each has made toward the development of current affairs. In-depth study is placed on the formulation of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and the rights and responsibilities of democratic citizens. Course topics are developed in conjunction with the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards. Student’s grades are based on traditional quizzes and tests, class work, homework, various projects, and finally written assignments including a three to five page research paper on selected topics throughout the course. (Pre-requisite - World History) US History II: Students will participate in a detailed study of United States history from the period of Reconstruction (1865) to the present. Students will focus on Reconstruction, Industrialism and the social, economic, and political development of the United States. World War II and the Civil Rights movement will be studied with a focus on America’s racially based conflicts within the country and the growth of America’s influence worldwide. Finally, an in depth study is placed on political, economic, environmental, and personal ethics as our nation progressed into the inter-dependent world community of the 21st Century. Course topics are developed in conjunction with the English Curriculum. Students are graded based on numerous writing assignments, culminating in a 10-15 page academic paper, multi-media projects, and performing arts projects that present factual information in an artistic way, participation, and unit exams. (Pre-requisite – US History I) Sociology: This class offers a study of human relationships in society. It focuses upon the use of a sociological point of view to examine culture, social structure, the individual in society, social institutions, and social inequality. The changing social world and its implications are presented and analyzed. Primary concepts, terminology and methods of investigation that are used in sociology are discussed in the class. At the completion of this class, students will understand social stratification, various types of groups, social class, social change, deviancy, population growth, and development of human resources. Throughout the class, students will learn the importance of case studies, and what is involved in one. In addition to case studies, students will be able to explore different research methods used in Sociology. Students will also be able to evaluate a piece of scientific research in order to better understand the process and the impacts of its findings. In addition, students will also learn what is necessary for a career in Sociology. Finally, the class will culminate with a paper in which the students must research their culture and then explain where their culture originated, and how it has adapted to American society. Research for the paper must be conducted using either the ERIC or Ebscohost databases. History of Film: History of Film is an introduction to the history, analytic concepts, and critical vocabulary necessary for understanding cinema as a major art form of the 20th century and also its archive. Students will be invited to see cinema as a dynamic and international art form that has evolved in response to its own history, that of the other arts, and wider historical, political, technological, and economic contexts. The class will discuss and write about those films as primary documents within a historical context, as manifestations of popular culture, as reflections of society, business and technology, and as works of art. The goal of this class is to serve as an introduction on how to think, write, and talk about films as aesthetic and historical artifacts. |
|
