Social Studies Electives (various years - see course descriptions): Psychology, Sociology, Current Political Problems, Beyond Tolerance, AP Economics, AP European History, AP US History, AP World History, IB History Year 1**, IB History Year 2***, IB LABS Year 1**, IB LABS Year 2***, IB Psychology Year 1, IB Psychology Year 2, IB World Religions

1 credit — Grade 9

1 period per day for 1 year

Prerequisites:  None

This course offers students the opportunity to study major historical events from the time period of Reconstruction to present. Course activities include class discussion, lecture, reading, improving of note-taking skills, and continued development of research skills.

1 credit — Grade 10, 11, 12

1 period per day for 1 year

Prerequisites:  None

Supplementary Materials: Approximately $40 for supplemental books 

This course surveys the microeconomic and macroeconomic theory typically delivered in an introductory economics course at the college level. While the content focuses on the United States’ economy, students will also study the implications of globalization. Students are expected to read college level texts, think and write at a critical level, and manage daily reading assignments. 

The instruction is designed to develop economically literate citizens as well as prepare students to take the Advanced Placement examination in both microeconomics and macroeconomic in the spring. 

 

1 credit — Grades 10, 11 & 12

1 period per day for 1 year

Prerequisites:  None

Fee: Supplementary Books- $40

AP European History will introduce the student to the significant people and events of Europe between the fifteenth and twenty-first centuries that have shaped the modern world.  Our current values, culture, government and economic systems are largely a product of developments in European history.  This course provides students with intensive insight into these developments of European history and their global impact. 

AP European History is a college level course that prepares the student to take the AP European History Exam.  The student will be required to read college level texts and supplemental readings. The student will learn how to read and critically analyze primary and secondary sources.  The student will also learn how to craft argumentative essays, both ‘Long Essays’ and ‘Document Based Question Essays.’  The development of critical reading and clear analytical writing skills will be a focus of this course.  

AP European History will cover the major historical developments of The Renaissance; The Reformation & Religious Wars; the rise of Constitutional and Absolute Monarchies; The Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment; The French Revolution & Napoleon; the Eighteenth Century developments of Romanticism, Liberalism, Conservatism and Nation-States; European Imperialism; The First World War and Modernism; The rise of Fascism & Communism; The Cold War; and the current issues of Modern Europe. 

To prepare students for both the rigor and content of the course, there will be a summer reading assignment. 

The purpose of an Advanced Placement course is to provide a college level classroom experience. Students who perform well  on the AP examination in May may earn college credit.

This course fulfills the state graduation requirement for global history.

 

1 credit — Grade 10 

1 period per day for 1 year

Prerequisites:  None

Fee: Supplementary Book: $15

This course is designed to give students a critical perspective on government and politics in the United States. AP Government and Politics involves both the study of general concepts used to interpret American politics and the analysis of academic writings. It also requires familiarity with the various institutions, groups, beliefs, and ideas that make up the American political reality. Major topics to be addressed will be the constitutional underpinnings of American government, political beliefs and behaviors, political parties and interest groups, institutions and policy processes of national government, public policy, and civil rights and civil liberties. Students will be required to read college level texts and supplemental materials. Writing may include free responses and essays. Students who perform well  on the AP examination in May may earn college credit.

 

1 credit — Grades 11 or 12

AP U.S. History will give students an opportunity to earn college credit while deepening their understanding of US History and society. In this course, students will investigate significant events, individuals, developments and processes in American history from 1491 to present. Through interactive activities, discussions, and primary source analysis, students will develop historical arguments while practicing critical thinking skills such as comparison and causation. Students in AP U.S. History will examine our nation’s founding moments and go beyond what they learned in earlier American History classes. As they study American History chronologically from the initial Native American settlements to the changes and challenges of the 21st century, students will also consider American History through eight themes: American and national identity; work, exchange, and technology; geography and the environment; migration and settlement; politics and power; America in the world; American and regional culture; and social structures. Through a detailed study of American History and a focus on thematic trends, AP U.S. History will allow students to develop a richer understanding of the United States and prepare them to be active community members, voters and citizens.

AP U.S. History is equivalent to a two-semester introductory college course in U.S. history.

1 credit — Grades 11 or 12 

1 period per day for 1 year

Prerequisites:  None

AP World History focuses on developing students’ abilities to think conceptually about world history from approximately 1200 CE to the present and apply historical thinking skills as they learn about the past. Five themes of equal importance — focusing on the environment, cultures, state-building, economic systems, and social structures — provide areas of historical inquiry for investigation throughout the course. AP World History encompasses the history of the five major geographical regions of the globe: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, with special focus on historical developments and processes that cross multiple regions. 

This course fulfills the state graduation requirement for global history.

 

0.5 credit Social Studies elective — Grade 10,11, 12

1 period per day for 1 semester

Prerequisites:  None

This course approaches citizenship education through studying the historical development and lessons of the Holocaust. As a result of this study, students are encouraged to make the essential connection between history and the moral choices they confront in their own lives. The course also addresses contemporary issues of social justice, stimulates students to question a society that abuses civil liberties, and aids students in gaining respect for diverse groups in our society. Through service learning, students are encouraged to investigate their own passions and act upon their own concerns within the community.

Using a variety of methods, resource books, literature, video testimony, and community service, the course explores the universal concepts of loyalty, conflict, and peer pressure through multiple perspectives: victim, perpetrator, bystander, witness, and rescuer. The message is clear: complex problems require thoughtful solutions.

This course’s intense look at human behavior and human choices helps students consider fundamental issues of citizenship, responsibility, and decision-making in a democracy. It also allows students to understand how their thinking, actions, and judgments can make a difference in opposing injustice, racism, and discrimination.

0.5 credit Social Studies Elective — Grades 10, 11, 12 

1 period per day for 1 semester

Prerequisites:  None

Political problems of contemporary importance will be researched and discussed in this course. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, economic policy (debt/ deficit, tax policy), environmental policy (climate change, fracking), foreign and defense policy, social welfare policy (healthcare, Social Security, education, welfare programs), and other public policy issues such as campaign finance, government censorship, voter identification laws, immigration, gun control, the role of religion in public life, abortion, capital punishment, affirmative action, racial profiling, hate speech, and trade policy. This course may require reading, research, class discussions, presentations, and cooperative learning. A  focus of the course will be to foster 21st century skills of collaboration, communication, complex thinking, creative thinking, global citizenship, and self-direction. 

0.5 credit each semester— Grade 12

1 period per day for each semester

Prerequisites:  None

Global History is a two semester history course for seniors. The goal is to expose students to the modern world they live in and encourage them to ask and find answers to big questions. The class is approached through a regional lens. Global History I focuses on Europe and Asia. Global History II focuses on Africa and the Middle East.  Both semesters will invest the majority of their study on the 20th century forward. 

For any student who wants to graduate with an understanding of the challenges that exist in our modern world, this in-person class is the best choice. Students will leave the class with a firmer answer to the following global questions:

This senior-only class also includes special sessions geared toward preparing seniors for college. This includes class periods with Dr. Moore on preparing applications, important deadlines, and coping skills for dealing with application stress. In the Spring, we invite UA grads to come and offer tips about transitioning to the next phase of life - whether that be college, the work force, or the armed forces. Additionally, if you’re looking for a rich service learning experience, we also offer this in our in-person Global as we engage with our community to help local groups in need; this is all part of learning how to be a global citizen.

This course will be designated as an Upper Arlington High School course on your transcript. The name of the institution through which any courses not taken at UAHS are taken will be listed on your transcript.

1 credit per year — Grades 11 & 12

1 period per day for 2 years

Prerequisites:  None

IB Higher Level History is a two-year course, taken during students’ junior and senior years, which is designed to help students understand the complexities of war and diplomacy. Over the two years, students will complete in-depth case studies of appropriate content about 20th Century African and Middle Eastern History.  Both years of the class provide students with an opportunity to examine each region.

The first year focuses on the history of South Africa from 1880-1994, then shifts to the Middle East to study from the late 1800s until World War II.  Also included in the first year of the course, students make substantial progress on the Internal Assessment, an in-depth research assignment that will cover an authoritarian leader.

The second year picks up with the history of the Middle East where the first year left off.  Students analyze the Arab-Israeli conflict between 1948 and 2000 and do case studies of both Iran and Lebanon. Then, the course pivots to examine the genocides that occurred in Kosovo (1989-2002) and Rwanda (1990-1998).

Through both years, students in IB History will also study the thematic ideas of “conflict and intervention”, “causes and effects of 20th-century wars”, and “authoritarian states”.  For the “conflict and intervention” theme students will examine case studies of the genocides that occurred in Kosovo (1989-2002) and Rwanda (1990-1998).  Students will also learn about the “causes and effects of 20th-century wars” through a careful study of a variety of wars, including but not limited to wars between Israel and its Arab neighbors, the Balkan War that produced the Kosovo genocide, and the Lebanese Civil War.  Lastly, students will learn about “authoritarian states” including, but not limited to case studies of Egypt, Iran, and Uganda.  Students will also write the Internal Assessment research paper on an authoritarian leader of their choice, as well as studying in depth at least one other.

Additional authentic learning experiences (i.e. class speakers) will be arranged to help students develop respect for themselves, others and the world around them.

Taking both years of this course fulfills the state graduation requirement for global history.

2.5 credits per year (TOTAL of 5.0 credits over 2 years)  -
Grades 11 & 12 (this is a 2-year commitment)

Prerequisites:  None

Over 2 years, students will take 3 IB courses during 2 periods. Teachers will work together to create a dynamic curriculum that maximizes connections between courses, reduces workload and redundancies, balances the timing of assessments, offers opportunities to learn collaboratively, and utilizes student voice to frame learning. As a cohort, students will examine texts through a variety of lenses to better understand the impact of circumstances, cultural practices and laws on people living around the world. At times, topics might be sensitive or controversial; however, each will be carefully chosen to facilitate the development of IB Learner Profile Traits.

Courses included in LABS (Language, Anthropology, Belonging, Service) are:
IB English Language & Literature HL  (1 credit each year)
IB Cultural Anthropology HL (1 credit each year)
Theory of Knowledge (TOK) (0.5 credit each year)

By the end of the program, students will earn 2 English credits, 1 World History credit, 1 elective social studies credit, and 1 elective credit of Theory of Knowledge.

By grouping these classes together, teachers will be able to:

Note: a student may not take this course as a stand-alone course. Taking this course requires enrollment in the LABS (Literature, Anthropology, Belonging & Service) program, which is a two-year commitment.  The student will also take IB English Language & Literature HL both junior and senior years. By the end of the program, students will earn 2 English credits, 1 World History credit, 1 elective social studies credit. (TOTAL of 5.0 credits over 2 years)

Social and cultural anthropology is the comparative study of culture and human societies and the exploration of the general principles of social and cultural life. The course places emphasis on comparative perspectives that make cultural assumptions explicit, and contributes to an understanding of contemporary real-world issues such as war and conflict, the environment, poverty, injustice, and human rights.

Social and cultural anthropology is distinct from other social sciences in its research tradition of participant observation and in-depth, empirical study of social groups. The course engages students with the concepts, methods, language and theories of the discipline. At the heart is the practice of anthropologists, and the insights they produce in the form of ethnographic material. Through authentic anthropological practice, students engage with anthropological approaches and develop critical, reflexive knowledge. It contributes a distinctive approach to intercultural awareness and understanding, which embodies the essence of an IB education, and fosters the development of globally aware, internationally minded, and ethically sensitive citizens.

The aims of the social and cultural anthropology course at HL are to enable students to:

Theory of Knowledge Year 1 & 2
Theory of Knowledge is a course taken over the junior and senior years. Sometimes called “the jewel in the crown,” the purpose of Theory of Knowledge is to engage the learner in ways of knowing while also exploring areas of knowledge. By fostering the skills of inquiry, analysis, and critical thinking. TOK aims to lead the student to processes and activities that stimulate independent thinking. The objective of including several areas of knowledge (Natural Sciences, Human Sciences, History, the Arts, Ethics, Independent Knowledge Systems, Mathematics, Religious Knowledge Systems, Indigenous Knowledge), as well as ways of knowing (Emotion, Reason, Language, Imagination, Faith, Intuition, and Sense Perception), is to guide a student to a balanced understanding of his/her world. This blended course meets, on average, once a week beginning in the second semester of a student’s junior year and ending after the first semester of senior year. TOK leads to both a formal presentation and a formal paper.

1 credit per year — Grades 11, 12

1 period per day for 2 years

Prerequisites:  None

Psychology is most appropriately defined as the systematic study of behavior and experience. In recent years great attention has been given to cultural variables to study the diversity of human behavior in a more comprehensive way. Psychology has taken a leading role in the investigation of the relationship between physiological processes and the human experience. The rapid increase in globalization and the use of technology calls for greater insights into how individuals interpret meanings, relationships, and health. Students will explore these complex issues and develop a greater understanding of themselves and others.

In the first year of the course students will study the biological, cognitive, learning and humanistic perspectives of psychology. They will also be introduced to Quantitative and Qualitative research methods as well as the Ethics of Research. The second year of study will focus on the psychology of dysfunctional behavior and social psychology. Over the course of the two years students will be required to design, undertake, and report one experimental study using both descriptive and inferential statistics. This will serve as their Internal Assessment. The course concludes with IB External Assessments, which are comprised of three written examinations in May of the student’s senior year.

 

1 credit — Grades 11 or 12

1 period per day for 1 year

Prerequisites:  None

IB World Religions is a one-year, standard level, course. It provides a systematic, analytical yet empathetic study of the variety of beliefs and practices encountered in nine main religions of the world. The course seeks to promote an awareness of religious issues in the contemporary world by requiring the study of a diverse range of religions.

The religions should be studied in such a way that students acquire a sense of what it is like to belong to a particular religion and how that influences the way in which the followers of that religion understand the world, act in it, and relate and respond to others.

The course consists of an introductory unit, exploring five of the nine living world religions that form the basis of the syllabus. This is complemented by an in-depth study of two religions chosen from six world religions. This part of the syllabus is guided by themes, key concepts and key questions. The final component is the investigative study, which provides opportunities for individual research of an aspect of the religious experience, practice or belief of a group and/or individual adherents.

Students should be introduced to a range of world religions reflecting different traditions, beliefs and practices. Five religions must be selected, at least one from each of the three columns (approximate teaching time is 50 hours, that is, 10 hours for each religion). 

 

1 credit — Grade 10

1 period per day for 1 year

Prerequisites:  None

This course covers the principles and practices of national, state, and local government and politics in the United States as well as basic economic concepts. Areas of focus include the foundations of American Government (Constitution and federalism), political behavior (political parties, voting, campaigns, elections, the mass media, and interest groups), Congress, the presidency, the federal courts, civil liberties, and civil rights. This course prepares students for the state of Ohio’s American Government end of course exam and to be educated participants in our constitutional republic. This course will also integrate the state requirements for student interactions with peace officers.

1 credit — Grades 10, 11, 12

1 period per day for 1 semester

This course introduces students to the nature, purpose and structure of the American political system. Attention is given to the institutions and processes that create public policy. The strengths and weaknesses of the American political system are discussed, along with the role of citizens in a democracy.

This course has an accelerated pace and covers a unit each week.

This course is considered for College Credit Plus.

1 credit — Grades 10, 11, 12

1 period per day for 1 semester

This course introduces the student to the nature, purpose and structure of state and local governments, especially in Ohio. Attention is given to the institutions and processes that create public policy, including fiscal policy and the court system. The strengths and weaknesses of the state and local government system are discussed along with the everyday role of citizens in a democracy - especially at these levels of government.

This course has an accelerated pace and covers a unit each week.

This course is considered for College Credit Plus.

0.5 credit — Grades 10, 11, 12

1 period per day for 1 semester

Prerequisites:  None

Psychology is the scientific study of the behavior of organisms, with the ultimate objective being to understand better why human beings behave the way they do. A main objective of the course is to introduce the student to the various areas of study in the field of psychology. Some issues covered are: What is the difference between “normal” and “abnormal” behavior? What do the terms “crazy,” “insane,” “madness” mean? How can we remember more? What techniques can improve learning and make the learning process more efficient? Is there such a thing as ESP? Does one inherit a personality? A variety of methods are used to present the material: classroom demonstrations and experiments, speakers, lectures, audiovisual materials, group activities, and class discussions. Emphasis is placed on developing reading and listening skills.

1 credit — Grades 10, 11, 12

1 period per day for 1 semester

This introductory course provides an overview of the origins, growth, content and applications of psychology, including the application of the scientific method to the following topics: research methodology; beginning statistics; theories of physical, cognitive, moral and emotional development; sensation; perception; learning; motivation; intelligence; memory; personality; coping processes; abnormality; adjustment; and the individual in small groups and a pluralistic society.

This course is considered for College Credit Plus.

0.5 credit — Grades 10, 11, 12

1 period per day for 1 semester

Prerequisites:  None

Sociology is the science that deals with the investigation and analysis of people in groups and the effects of groups on people. During this course, the student will be acquainted with the basic concepts, theories, theorists, and methods used to investigate society and social problems. Topics for examination will include culture, conformity and deviance, crime, social structure, social roles, the family and socialization, prejudice and discrimination, and poverty. In studying these topics, group activities, discussions, audiovisual materials, speakers, and individual projects will be used.

1 credit — Grades 10, 11, 12

1 period per day for 1 semester

This course introduces the basic concepts, methods and findings of sociology as a scientific discipline. The sociological perspective, emphasizing social interaction and structure, is used to explore the following topics: culture; socialization; social groups, including organizations; deviance; various types of social inequality; major social institutions; collective behavior, social movement and social change. 

This course is considered for College Credit Plus.