Social Studies

Map

Social Studies Graduation Requirements are listed in the tables below. HA as listed in the table refers to the Humanities Academy courses, and AP refers to Advanced Placement courses. Scroll down to see complete course descriptions.

 

Intensive College Prep Grade Recommended Course

9 Humanities Academy World Cultures & Geography

10 Humanities Academy World History

11 AP U.S. History

12 AP Gov't / AP Economics

 

College Prep Grade Recommended Course

9 World Cultures & Geography (or HA)

10 World History (or HA)

11 U.S. History (or AP)

12 Government / Economics (or AP)

 

High School Graduation Grade Recommended Course

9 Health / Elective

10 World History

11 U.S. History

12 Government / Economics


SOQUEL HIGH SCHOOL HUMANITIES ACADEMY
The Humanities Academy offers a unique opportunity for academically motivated students to experience many of the benefits of a small college preparatory high school while still taking advantage of all that a comprehensive public school has to offer. The Humanities Academy is a linked, enriched curriculum of English and Social Studies. For specific information on the Humanities Academy, click here.


Course Descriptions

WORLD CULTURES AND GEOGRAPHY

Grade Duration Credits Repeat Status
9 Semester 5 No

Fulfills Requirements: Elective for SHS
Prerequisite: None
Course Description: In this course, students will be introduced to cultural and geographical regions of the world through a study of three of the following: Latin America, East Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, or the Indian Sub-Continent. The geographical features of the selected regions will be emphasized. Additionally, students will study the cultural components and values of each region, including world religions.

HA WORLD CULTURES AND GEOGRAPHY (Humanities Academy)

Grade Duration Credits Repeat Status
9 Year 5/5 No

Fulfills Requirements: Elective for SHS; for UC/CSU: a, g
Prerequisite: Admission to the Humanities Academy
Course Description: In this course, students will be introduced to cultural and geographical regions of the world through a study of Latin America, East Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian Subcontinent. The geographical features of these regions will be emphasized. Additionally, students will learn about the religions, cultural components and values, and major regional issues. This course is designed to prepare students for higher-level social studies courses, including world history, and as such emphasizes geography, cultural studies, and religion. Students will learn and improve upon analytical and formal writing, research, oral and written presentation, and academic reading skills.

WORLD HISTORY (also SHELTERED WORLD HISTORY)

Grade Duration Credits Repeat Status
10* Year 5/5 No

Fulfills Requirements: World History for SHS; for UC/CSU, a
Prerequisite: None
Course Description: This course is required of all sophomores*. You will learn the factors that have contributed to cultural differences in our world, including the geographical and historical factors affecting the development of various civilizations. Much emphasis will be placed on skill development, including: map making, time lines, graphs, proper organization of notebooks, and reading and writing for social studies.
* Sheltered World History may be taken during another grade level.

HA WORLD HISTORY (Humanities Academy)

Grade Duration Credits Repeat Status
10 Year 5/5 No

Fulfills Requirements: World History for SHS; for UC/CSU, a
Prerequisite: Admission to the Humanities Academy
Course Description: Intensive World History is a demanding sophomore-level class. It is highly recommended for students who are academically motivated and seeking a challenging learning environment in which the great issues of our world are studied in depth. Topics to be covered include the industrial revolution, political and economic systems, colonialism and independence movements, indigenous and non-indigenous cultures from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, Australia; and world religions. Current events and geography will be taught in conjunction with the above-mentioned topics.

U.S. HISTORY (also SHELTERED U.S. HISTORY)

Grade Duration Credits Repeat Status
11* Year 5/5 No

Fulfills Requirements: U.S. History for SHS; for UC/CSU, a
Prerequisite: None
Course Description: The first semester will be a study of U.S. History from the late 19th century to 1940. The second semester will cover the period from World War II to the present. The course will be an examination of the political, economic, and social growth of the American way of life, and the relationship of America to other nations in the world.
* Sheltered U.S. History may be taken during another grade level.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT U.S. HISTORY (AP)

Grade Duration Credits Repeat Status
11 Year 5/5 No

Fulfills Requirements: U.S. History for SHS; for UC/CSU, a
Prerequisite:Recommended that student's earn a C or higher in World History
Course Description: The Advanced Placement Program in American History is designed to provide students with the analytical skills, factual and theoretical knowledge and writing skills necessary to deal with the problems and developments in U.S. history from colonial times to the modern era. The program prepares students for intermediate and advanced college-level courses by making demands upon them equivalent to those of full-year introductory college courses. Students should learn to assess historical materials, describe and define their relevance to a given problem, and judge their reliability and importance. In this process, students should become familiar with the skills and pitfalls in historical scholarship. The focus of this class will never be the "correct" interpretation of U.S. history but rather the search for the world view embedded within various interpretations. Students are expected to take the AP U.S. History Exam in May.

                                                                                                                                                                                          

ECONOMICS (also SHELTERED ECONOMICS)

Grade Duration Credits Repeat Status
12* Semester 5 No

Fulfills Requirements: Economics for SHS; for UC/CSU, g (semester)
Prerequisite: None
Course Description: Students will learn about prices, money, jobs, and the workings of the American economy. The course will provide both a basic understanding of economic concepts (e.g. supply and demand, inflation) as well as an understanding of the forces that operate in the U.S. and world economics today.
* Sheltered Economics may be taken during another grade level.

 

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT (also SHELTERED AMERICAN GOVERNMENT)

Grade Duration Credits Repeat Status
12* Semester 5 No

Fulfills Requirements: Government for SHS; for UC/CSU, g (semester)
Prerequisite: None
Course Description: This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the American system of government at the federal, state and local levels. Topics include public opinions, political parties, the American presidency, congressional decision-making, civil rights, and ethics in government. You will be expected to participate in three field trips.
* Sheltered Government may be taken during another grade level.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS (AP)

Grade Duration Credits Repeat Status
12 Semester 5 No

Fulfills Requirements: Government for SHS; for UC/CSU, g (semester)
Prerequisite: Recommended that student's earn a C or higher in U.S. History
Course Description: This course explores the political theory, policies, and institutions that direct the daily operation of the American Government. As this course is designed to prepare students for the AP Exam for US Government and Politics, it goes far beyond a basic understanding of how our government "works." Students will come away from this class with a critical understanding of our political system, its strengths and weaknesses, and their rights and responsibilities as citizens. The class will be taught at the college level and will require a substantial amount of reading, writing, and preparation outside of class time. Students are expected to take the AP Government and Politics Exam in May.