Social Studies

Grade: 12
Semester: 0.5 Social Studies credit

This course is designed to teach United States history through the lens of power and oppression. The primary areas of focus are race, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexual orientation. The content in this class is meant to get students thinking critically about the myths and legends related to the history of the United States. The curriculum will be focused on primary sources allowing students to engage with stories of people whose voices have been historically silenced. In this class, students will be expected to think critically, engage in productive conversations, read, and analyze various texts, and create both expository and persuasive writing.

Grade: 11, 12
Year: 1.0 Social Studies credit

AP African American Studies is an interdisciplinary course that examines the diversity of African Ameri- can experiences through direct encounters with authentic and varied sources. Students explore key topics that extend from early African kingdoms to ongoing challenges and achievements of the contemporary movement. Given the interdisciplinary character of African American Studies, students in the course will develop skills across multiple fields, with an emphasis on developing historical, literacy, visual, and data analysis skills. The course foregrounds a study of diversity of Black communities in the United States within the broader context of African and African diaspora.

Grade: 9
Year: 1.0 Social Studies credit
Recommended: Concurrent enrollment in Pre-AP English 9 or Pre-IB English 9

This class is a systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of the earth’s surface. Students study the nature and perspective of geography, population factors, cultural patterns and processes, the political organization of states, rural and agricultural land use, industrialization and economic development, and urbanization. They employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to study human organization and its environmental consequences. They also learn about the methods and tools geographers use in their science and practice. Students are expected to take the AP Geography examination in the spring. This course includes Holocaust and Genocide Studies (HB-1336).

Grade: 12
Year: 1.0 Social Studies credit

AP Macroeconomics is an introductory college-level course that focuses on the principles that apply to an economic system. The course places emphasis on the study of national income and price-level determination; it also develops students’ familiarity with economic performance measures, the financial sector, stabilization policies, economic growth, and international economics. Students learn to use graphs, charts, and data to analyze, describe, and explain economic concepts. Students are expected to take the AP Macroeconomics examination in the spring. Exam fees apply.

Grade: 12
Year: 1.0 Social Studies credit

This college-level course is designed to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals. Students are exposed to the psycho- logical facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major sub-fields within psychology. They also learn about the methods psychologists use in their science and practice. The structure of the course is designed to prepare students for the Advanced Placement test in Psychology. Success on this test may entitle a student to college credit, advanced placement, or both. The course requires excellent reading and writing skills, well-developed organizational skills, as well as a high degree of self-motivation. It is expected that all students enrolled in this class will sit for the May exam. Exam fees apply. Students should expect 1.5 hours of homework per class session and teacher-led, outside-of-class AP study sessions.

Grades: 11, 12
Year: 1.0 Social Studies credit
Prerequisite: AP Seminar and a passing score (3 or higher) on at least two AP exams

AP Research allows students to deeply explore an academic topic, problem, issue, or idea of individual interest. Students design, plan, and implement a yearlong investigation to address a research question. Through this inquiry, they further the skills they acquired in the AP Seminar course by learning research methodology, employing ethical research practices, and accessing, analyzing, and synthesizing information. Students reflect on their skill development, document their processes, and curate artifacts of their scholarly work through a process and reflection portfolio. The course culminates in an academic paper of 4,000-5,000 words (accompanied by a performance, exhibit, or product where applicable) and a presentation with an oral defense.

Grades: 10, 11
Year: 1.0 Social Studies credit
Prerequisite: Passing score (3 or higher) on at least one AP exam

AP Seminar is a foundational course that engages students in cross-curricular conversations that explore the complexities of academic and real-world topics and issues by analyzing divergent perspectives. Using an inquiry framework, students practice reading and analyzing articles, research studies, and foundational, literary, and philosophical texts; listening to and viewing speeches, broadcasts, and personal accounts; and experiencing artistic works and performances. Students learn to synthesize information from multiple sources, develop their own perspectives in written essays, and design and deliver oral and visual presentations, both individually and as part of a team. Ultimately, the course aims to equip students with the power to analyze and evaluate information with accuracy and precision to craft and communicate evidence-based arguments.

Grade: 10
Year: 1.0 Social Studies credit
Recommended: Concurrent enrollment in Pre-AP English 10 or Pre-IB English 10

This interpretive college-level course requires excellent reading and writing skills, well-developed organizational skills, as well as a high degree of self-motivation. Students will receive a weighted grade for the AP course. AP Government gives students an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States. This course involves both the study of general concepts used to interpret U.S. politics and the analysis of specific case studies. It also requires familiarity with the various institutions, groups, beliefs, and ideas that constitute U.S. political reality. The structure of the course is designed to prepare students for the Advanced Placement test in U.S. Government and Politics. Success on this test may entitle a student to college credit, advanced placement, or both. This course fulfills the graduation requirement of one semester of government as established by the State of Colorado. It is expected that all students enrolled in this class will sit for the May exam. Exam fees apply. Students should expect 1.5 hours of homework per class session and teacher-led, outside-of-class AP study sessions.

Grade: 11
Year: 1.0 Social Studies credit
Recommended: Concurrent enrollment in CE English or AP English

This interpretive college-level course considers the American experience from colonial times to the present. The course requires excellent reading and writing skills, well-developed organizational skills, as well as a high degree of self- motivation. Students will receive a weighted grade for the course. The structure of the course is designed to prepare students for the Advanced Placement test in US History. Success on this test may entitle a student to college credit, advanced placement, or both. This course fulfills the requirement of one year of U.S. History as established by the State of Colorado. It is expected that all students enrolled in this class will sit for the May exam. Exam fees apply. Students should expect 1.5 hours of homework per class session and teacher-led, outside-of-class AP study sessions.

Grade: 12
Year: 1.0 Social Studies credit
Recommended: Concurrent enrollment in CE English or AP English

This college level course is designed to allow students to explore societies of the past and present. The purposes of the AP World History course are to understand the evolution of global processes and contacts; to study the interactions of the many societies and cultures throughout the history of the world; to appreciate both the diversity and commonalities of humanity; to allow students to make comparisons among many different societies; as well as view the contributions made. The structure of the course is designed to prepare students for the Advanced Placement test in World History. Superior reading, writing, and organizational skills are recommended. Success on the AP test may entitle a student to college credit, advanced placement, or both. It is expected that all students enrolled in this class will sit for the May exam. Exam fees apply. Students should expect 1.5 hours of homework per class session and teacher-led, outside-of-class AP study sessions.

Grade: 11
Semester: 0.5 Social Studies credit

*To receive CE credit, student must have grade waiver or qualifying score (Accuplacer, ACT, AP, SAT).
This course aligns with the Colorado Community College course. These course surveys events, trends, people, groups, cultures, ideas, and institutions in North American and United States history, including the multiple perspectives of gender, class, and ethnicity, between the period when Native American Indians were the sole inhabitants of North America and the American Civil War. A principal focus of this course is on developing, practicing, and strengthening the skills historians use while constructing knowledge in the discipline. This course is one of the Statewide Guaranteed Transfer courses: GT-HI1. Students taking CE US History to Reconst must also enroll in CE US History since Civil War.

Grade: 11
Semester: 0.5 Social Studies credit

*To receive CE credit, student must have grade waiver or qualifying score (Accuplacer, ACT, AP, SAT).
This course aligns with the Colorado Community College course. This class explores events, trends, people, groups, cultures, ideas, and institutions in United States History, including the multiple perspectives of gender, class, and ethnicity, between the period of the American Civil War and the present. It focuses on developing, practicing, and strengthening the skills historians use while constructing knowledge in the discipline. This course is one of the Statewide Guaranteed Transfer courses: GT-HI1. Students are required by CCA to write a research paper worth 20% of their final grade for both CE courses. Resources and rigor are equivalent to a community college history survey course.

Grade: 12
Semester: 0.5 Social Studies credit

Colorado History is a comprehensive study of the state of Colorado. Topics covered will include geographic underpinnings, exploration and conquest, mountain men, settlement and pioneer life, native populations, mining, economic and political developments, urbanization, civil rights and social movements, exploitation and preservation of the environment, and recent trends of the 21st century. This course is designed to fit the academic needs and backgrounds of students with a variety of learning styles. Resources such as primary source readings, fieldwork, GIS, and other technical data will be used. Students will gain insights into the diversity and continual development of Colorado, realizing their relation to Colorado’s history.

Grade: 12
Semester: 0.5 Social Studies credit

Contemporary Issues will give students the opportunity to become aware of and then scrutinize current and unfolding developments in our world. Current news events will be woven into themes of politics, economics, sociology, foreign affairs, technology, and culture. There will be special attention paid to the skills of nonfiction reading, expository writing, speaking, and oral presentation.

Grade: 10
Semester: 0.5 Social Studies credit

This course is an introductory-level survey class on economics teaching students to acquire an economic way of thinking. The underlying concepts include scarcity, choice, opportunity cost, marginalism, incentives, voluntary exchange, production, and its relation to wealth. Along with a emphasis on Micro-economics, focusing on the three foundational questions of what to produce, how to produce, and for whom to produce and Macroeconomics covers concepts such as GDP, circular flow of economic activity, money, banking, the FED, fiscal and monetary policy, and international trade. In addition to the basic economic units, students will engage in the study of personal financial literacy, better preparing them for life as they get older and engage in the financial world.

Grade: 10
Semester: 0.5 Social Studies credit

*This course fulfills the requirement of one semester of government as established by the State of Colorado.
This course is intended to provide lessons that make the learner familiar with the organizing concepts of American government while imparting the basics of how government works and why it works as it does. Important political functions that are undertaken by non-governmental actors will be identified, as well as the how-to to access and influence government at the national, state, and local levels. Practice with governmental processes and problem-solving mechanisms will be built in. This course should educate learners to appropriately monitor the system and provide guidelines for what to do when action is needed. This course will provide the background information necessary to create and recognize important questions regarding government and politics. It will help young citizens know how to think critically about these questions. Students will be provided with opportunities to apply political concepts and tools to current case studies, draw historical information for causational reasoning, and seek answers to contemporary issues. This course should provide the necessary tools to help students make informed choices.

Grade: 11
Year: 1.0 Social Studies credit
Prerequisite: Acceptance to the IB Diploma Program

The IB History of the Americas course is a comparative study of the Western Hemisphere with primary emphasis on the United States. Canadian and Latin American history will also be integrated throughout the course. The themes of geographic context, political evolution and foreign policies, economic progress and development, and social dimensions including civil rights will be emphasized. The aims of this course are: 1) to allow students to understand the parallel developments of political, social, and economic systems in each region as well as the cultures in which they are embedded; 2) to expose students to the theories, concepts, and arguments that have emerged from various political, socio-economic systems over time; 3) to enable students to use various source materials to analyze and interpret historical events from multiple perspectives; and 4) to inculcate in students an awareness of, and appreciation for, the diversity of human attitudes and opinions.

Grade: 12
Year: 1.0 Social Studies credit
Prerequisite: IB History of the Americas

The Twentieth Century is the second year of the two-year IB Higher Level (HL) History Program at CTHS. Complementing the History of the Americas in the junior year, this senior-level class will focus on the IB Prescribed Subject (3) of the Cold War. Within that context, two twentieth-century world topics will be the causes, practices, and effects of war (topic 1) and the rise and fall of single-party states (topic 3). Students will complete an internal assessment project during their first semester and prepare for the end-of-the-year IB external assessments.

Grades: 11, 12
Year: 1.0 Social Studies credit
Prerequisite: Acceptance to the IB Diploma Program

IB Psychology is designed to fulfill the requirements for the Standard Level (SL)/Sixth Subject of the IB Program in Psychology. Students will complete the compulsory study of three psychological perspectives: biological, cognitive, and learning. In addition, students will study one of the following option areas: dysfunctional, social, or psychodynamic psychology. Subtopics include nervous system functions, sensation, and perception, learning and memory, language, stress, and intelligence. For their internal assessment, students will undertake a partial replication of and report on one simple experiment of their choice.

Grade: 9
Year: 1.0 Social Studies credit
Recommended: Concurrent enrollment in Pre-AP English 9 or Pre-IB English 10

Pre-AP World History and Geography is designed to be a disciplinary apprenticeship in which students participate in the process of discovery. The course explores the invisible structures and forces that shape and reflect the regions, communities, governments, economies, and cultures of humanity. These big ideas help students develop an organized and meaningful understanding of time and space. Pre-AP World History and Geography will have seven units: four geography units during first semester and three world history units that cover historical eras (1750 to 2005 during second semester). This course includes Holocaust and Genocide Studies (HB-1336).

Grade: 12
Semester: 0.5 Social Studies credit

Psychology is the study of human behavior. In this semester course, students will learn about the basic principles of psychology including the following topics: history of psychology, biological bases of behavior, sensation, perception, consciousness, learning, memory, language and thought, intelligence, motivation, emotion, human development, personality, stress and coping, psychological disorders, and social behavior. In addition to being applicable in their everyday lives, Psychology will provide students with a foundation for further study in the field. Note: Sensitive subject matter will be covered in this class.

Grade: 12
Semester: 0.5 Social Studies credit

This is a practical law class that emphasizes the law and the legal system that will be of use to students in their everyday lives. Topics covered include constitutional law, criminal law and juvenile justice, torts, consumer and housing law, family law, and issues in the community such as hate speech, obscenity, search and seizure, and students’ rights. The curriculum includes case studies, moot court, role plays, and scored discussions.

Grade: 11
Year: 1.0 Social Studies credit

*This course fulfills the requirement of one year of U.S. History as established by the State of Colorado.
Students can expect to read a high school U.S. History textbook (grade 11 reading level) and to hone their analytical writing skills. With an emphasis on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the overriding goal of this course is to help students understand how the current domestic and international status of the U.S. developed. It is designed to help students acquire a sense of chronology, to identify causes and effects, to recognize the events, individuals, and philosophies that helped shape our contemporary society, and to use historical inquiry to evaluate prominent episodes in U.S. history.

Grade: 9
Year: 1.0 Social Studies credit

This class is a systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use and alteration of the earth’s surface. Students study the nature and perspective of geography, population factors, cultural patterns and processes, the political organization of states, rural and agricultural land use, industrialization and economic development and urbanization. They employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to study human organization and its environmental consequences in the world. They also learn about the methods and tools geographers use in their science and practice. This course includes Holocaust and Genocide Studies (HB-1336).