Social Studies
Social Studies Department
World History, United States History, American Government, and Economics are required courses for graduation.
7th Grade
Texas History
Two semesters; Required for 7th Grade. This course is intended to provide students with a broad understanding of the main currents of Texas history from 1500 to the present day. The expectation is that students will acquire a critical understanding for the major events and processes that influenced the state’s development and be able to place these events and processes within the broader contexts of Spanish colonial, Mexican, and American history. It is also expected to provide students with an appreciation for the ethnic and social diversity of the state’s population, and the role that interethnic relations have played in Texas’s history.
8th Grade
US History I
Two semesters; Required for 8th Grade. This course canvasses the period from the Age of Discovery to the Civil War. Designed to acquaint the student with the important processes of a democratic republic and the influence of change on the American society, the course emphasizes written rhetoric with an emphasis on advanced level compositions
Freshman US History II
Two semesters; 1 credit. This course covers the period from Reconstruction to the present. It is designed to acquaint the student with the important processes of a democratic republic and the influence of change on the American society, the course emphasizes written rhetoric with an emphasis on advanced level compositions
Sophomore Ancient World History
Two semesters; 1 credit. Required for Sophomores. The class will explore the world from the beginning of civilization to the discovery of the Western hemisphere. Included in this study will be the great ancient empires of Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, and Islam, as well as exploring the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the rise of Europe. In addition to other world civilizations, students will learn about the geography of the ancient world.
Junior Modern World History
Two semesters; 1 credit. Required for Juniors. This course will continue to study the history of the world from the discovery of the Western Hemisphere to the present. Special emphasis will be placed on the development of Europe. In addition, students will focus on the geography of the modern world.
Senior US Government
One semester; ½ credit. Required for Seniors. The primary focus of the class centers on the federal diffusion of power and the political dynamics of the three branches of government interaction. While proceeding through the primary elements and tenants of political structure and philosophy, the course continually seeks to bring the material to life by analyzing the current political climate in the country. The course emphasizes written rhetoric with an emphasis on advanced level compositions.
Senior Economics
One semester; ½ credit. Required for Seniors. The course is based upon the essential elements of the free enterprise system and its benefits. The course will also cover government in the American economic system and international economic relations, consumer economics, and the comparison of the American economic system with other world economic systems.
Student Leadership
One year; ½ credit. Required for all students in student government. Prerequisites: Election to student government. Course provides students an opportunity to study, practice, and develop group and individual leadership and organizational skills. These skills include: making strategies, problem solving techniques, communication development, and need for civic responsibility.
