Students must complete four credits of required Social Studies courses in order to earn their diploma.
Half credit/half year courses are denoted. Courses without parenthesis after them are full credit/full year courses.
Sequence of Study
9th grade courses
- Global History and Geography I
- Global History and Geography I Honors
10th grade courses
- AP World History *
- Global History and Geography II
- American History Through Film (1/2 credit)
- Local History (1/2 credit)
- Psychology (1/2 credit)
- Sociology (1/2 credit)
- Sports in American History (1/2 credit)
11th grade courses
- AP U.S. History and Government *
- AP Psychology
- U.S. History and Government
- American History Through Film (1/2 credit)
- History of Agriculture (1/2 credit)
- History of the 1960s (1/2 credit)
- Local History (1/2 credit)
- Psychology (1/2 credit)
- Sociology (1/2 credit)
- Sports in American History (1/2 credit)
12th grade courses
- AP Government
- AP Psychology
- Participation in Government/Economics
- American History Through Film (1/2 credit)
- History of Agriculture (1/2 credit)
- History of the 1960s (1/2 credit)
- Local History (1/2 credit)
- Psychology (1/2 credit)
- Sociology (1/2 credit)
- Sports in American History (1/2 credit)
* Prerequisites listed in the course descriptions.
Course descriptions
Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology
Grades: 12 Exam: midterm , final exam and an AP exam (May)
Prerequisite: Final grade of 85 in either Global History & Geography or United States and History and teacher recommendation strongly encouraged to ensure student success.
College Credit: Course has a fee for the AP exam. Students may earn college credit based on the AP exam grade and individual college policies for earning college credits. Course has a fee for the college credit, which may transfer to other colleges based on individual college policies for transfer of credit.
Teacher/Department Chair/ Principal approval to be excused from the AP exam.
This course is designed to study the mind and mental process of humans and other organisms scientifically. Psychological terminology, concepts and theories in the various subfields of psychology will be examined.
Advanced Placement (AP) World History (required or Global History II)
Grades: 10 Exam: midterm, final exam, AP exam (May) Regents (June)
Prerequisite: Final average of 85 in Global History and Geography and English 9 and teacher recommendation strongly encouraged to help ensure success student.
This course will cover the origins of human civilization from early times to the modern day. The six themes studied are the impact of societal interaction, change and continuity across world history periods, technology, social and gender structures, cultural and intellectual developments, and the function and structure of states. This is an intensive reading and writing course that includes a required summer assignment.
Advanced Placement (AP) United States Government and Politics (required or Participation in Government / Economics)
Grade: 12 Exam: midterm, final exam , AP exam (May)
Prerequisite: Final grade of 85 on ELA, Global History and United States History and teacher recommendation strongly encouraged to ensure student success in this class.
College Credit: Course has a fee for the AP exam. Students may earn college credit based on the AP exam grade and individual college policies for earning college credits. Course has a fee for the college credit, which may transfer to other colleges based on individual college policies for transfer of credit.
Teacher/Department Chair/ Principal approval to be excused from the AP exam.
This course is designed to promote intensive study of the governmental and political systems of the United States.
Advanced Placement (AP) United States History (required or U.S. History & Government)
Grades: 11-12 Exam: midterm, final exam, AP exam (May), Regents exam (June)
Prerequisite: Grade of 85 on the Global History Regents exam strongly encouraged to ensure student success.
College Credit: Course has a fee for the AP exam. Students may earn college credit based on the AP exam grade and individual college policies for earning college credits.
Teacher/Department Chair/ Principal approval to be excused from the AP exam.
Advanced Placement United States History is an in-depth course designed for the student with a special interest in American History and other social science disciplines. The course will provide an in-depth examination of American political institutions and behavior, public policy, social and economic change, diplomacy and international relations as well as cultural and intellectual development in American history. This is an intensive reading and writing course that includes a required summer assignment.
American History through Film
Grades: 10 – 12 Exam: Final exam
Prerequisite: Global History
This course will present various films from different time periods in US History in the use of stimulating media awareness and critical viewing skills for students. Historical films will be analyzed to determine their historical accuracy and separate fact from fiction.
Economics (required with Participation in Government)
Grades: 12 Exam: final exam
Prerequisite: U.S. History and Government
This course examines basic economic concepts: supply and demand, scarcity, productivity, inflation, profit, capital, competition, and the stock market. The purpose of the course is to prepare the student for effective and intelligent participation in the economy of the United States and the global economy.
Global History and Geography I (required or Honors)
Grades: 9 Exam: midterm, final exam
Global History I is the first course of a two-year program in Global History and Geography. It is an in-depth chronological examination of the history of the world from the prehistoric period to the Age of Revolution. Global History examines the history, geography, political, social and economic events that have shaped human history.
Global History and Geography I Honors (required or Global History I)
Grades: 9 Exam: midterm, final exam
Prerequisite: Final average of 85 in eighth grade social studies and teacher recommendation strongly encouraged to ensure student success.
This course will prepare students for the AP World History class in tenth grade and is taught to the AP standards and emphasizes analytical reading and writing skills. Topics studied will include the interaction of humans and the environment; the development and interaction of cultures; state-building, expansion, and conflict; the creation and interaction of economic systems; and the development and transformation of social structures. The course begins with the origins of humanity and moves to the development of classical civilizations and belief systems, the rise and fall of empires, interregional networks of trade, and demographic changes up to the year 1450 C.E. This is an intensive reading and writing course that includes a required summer assignment.
Global History and Geography II (required or AP World History)
Grades:10 Exam: midterm, final exam, Global History Regents (June)
Prerequisite: Global History and Geography I
Global History II is a continuation of the Global History and Geography curriculum. It continues the examination of the history, geography, political, social and economic events of human history from the Age of Revolutions to the present.
History of Agriculture
Grades: 11 – 12 Exam: Final exam or research paper
Prerequisite: US History & Government or AP US History and Government (concurrent enrollment)
Students will trace their way through the history of agriculture (starting with the Neolithic Revolution), with a focus on growth of foodstuffs, cash crops, and animal husbandry for all purposes. The spread of various technologies and methodologies over time and geography will be emphasized, as well as significant historical changes relating to, and based on agricultural events.
History of the 1960s
Grades: 11 – 12 Exam: Final exam
This course will study the turbulent and sometimes troubling history of the US and the world in the 1960s.
Local History
Grades: 10 – 12 Exam: Final exam
The local history of Albany County and the surrounding Hilltowns is rich in Native American, Dutch, English and French heritage. This course will explore life in upstate New York through the modern period and examine the economic, social and political changes of the region.
Participation in Government (required with Economics)
Grades: 12 Exam: final exam
Prerequisite: U.S. History and Government
This course emphasizes the interaction between citizens and government at all levels: local, state, and federal. Students are encouraged to understand and participate in the democratic process, examine public policy issues, and learn how political decisions are made. The purpose of the course is to prepare the student for responsible participation in the American political system.
Psychology
Grades: 10-12 Exam: Final exam
This course will include an introduction to research methods, major schools of thought and the biological basis of behavior. Students will learn about social and biological aspects of human behavior.
Sociology
Grades: 10-12 Exam: Final exam
Prerequisite: None
This course is a systematic introduction to the major sociological concepts for understanding the structure and dynamics of contemporary society. Major topics include an introduction to social methods of inquiry, major schools of thought, culture and social structure.
Sports in American History
Grades: 10 – 12 Exam: Final exam
This course will focus on history and explaining the processes by which sports and institutions have developed over the centuries, especially in the context of major social developments such as industrialization, urbanization, and immigration.
United States History and Government (required or AP US History)
Grades: 11-12 Exam: midterm, final exam, US Regents (June)
Prerequisite: Global History I and Geography II
U.S. History and Government is taught chronologically beginning with the colonial period and continuing until the present. Major topics include: the U.S. Constitution, American geography, economics system, industrial development, the rise of unions, immigrants and their contributions, and U.S. foreign policy.