Introduction
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Marking System
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Student Schedules
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Program of Studies
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Graduation Requirements
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Early College Admissions
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Technical Ed.
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Additional Academic Information
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Downloads
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COURSE DESCRIPTIONS — SOCIAL STUDIES

Our mission in the Social Studies Department is to enable all students to learn the skills, acquire the knowledge, and develop the attitudes necessary for them to reach their full potential as citizens prepared to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing global society.

All students at Marple Newtown High School are expected to take and pass Social Studies each year accumulating a minimum of four credits required for graduation. Social Studies also offers elective courses which can be used to complete credit requirements for graduation or present challenging in depth studies in a variety of topics. The following courses fulfill the requirements in social studies for graduation.

This course helps students develop a more active empathy with people from different cultures. Students begin with a study of the concept of culture and then proceed to apply their new knowledge and skills to the examination to the regions of Latin America and Asia. Non-Western societies include China, Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia.

The focus during the second semester is on developing nations in South Asia, the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Along with the study of their history, culture and society is the examination of many of the complex problems facing developing nations. As a result of analyzing the progress and struggles of these cultures over the course of human history students develop more positive attitudes toward others. Performance assessments are a required component of this course.

Honors Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation and meet eligibility standards

After a brief introduction to European geography and the contributions of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, the first semester of this course focuses on the emergence of European culture from the Medieval period to the French revolution. The topics covered include medieval society, the rise of nations, Renaissance, Reformation, scientific revolution, the enlightenment and the French revolution. Emphasis is given to art, music, religion, and literature as well as political and economic events. In the second semester students will examine the major developments which have shaped European civilization from the late 19 th Century to the present. Topics covered begin with the Industrial

Revolution and move through the unification of Italy and Germany, World War I, the Russian Revolution, the rise of totalitarian states, the Holocaust, World War II, the Cold War and its aftermath. Intellectual and cultural developments throughout the period will be discussed. Computer-based activities along with analysis of charts, graphs, timelines, and other interpretive materials are an important component of this course. Major emphasis is placed on analytical and writing skills.

This survey course begins with the foreign policy events that began the 20 th century, the Spanish American War and US expansion into the Caribbean and Asia. The exciting social and cultural changes that came with the new century are examined in a study of the Progressive Era and US involvement in World War I. Our “Boom to Bust” unit looks at the contrasting decades of the Roaring Twenties and the Depression Thirties and analyzes the changing role of government with the New Deal. Finally Students will focus on World War II before ending the semester.

The second semester of the 20 th Century America course includes a detailed study of recent American history from the end of WWII to the present. Unit topics include the Cold War, domestic issues of the post war era with special focus of the Civil Rights Movement, the turbulent times of the Vietnam War Era, the movement towards conservatism in the 1980s, life after the Cold War, and an examination of foreign affairs and domestic developments at the turn of the new century.

This course examines the many forces which interact in our effort to satisfy unlimited wants with limited economic resources. We will study money, investment, taxes, credit, business enterprise, and supply and demand. How our economy is influenced by fiscal and monetary policy tools is also analyzed. Students are required to complete a stock market project.

Emphasis is then placed on the way practical politics works and the need for citizens to participate at the grass roots level. Both national and state governments are examined and discussed. Also emphasized are our systems of justice, the importance of pressure groups, and how public opinion is influenced.

This course is a chronological survey of our history from the colonial era to the present. Major emphases include: the Revolutionary period, Jeffersonian and Jacksonian democracy, Antebellum and Civil War, the impact of Industrialism, Progressivism and New Deal, our emergence from isolation to involvement in world affairs, and post-World War II America. Students are expected to engage in outside reading for the course and to complete a major research project. All students enrolled in AP courses are required to take the College Board's Advanced Placement Exam.

This course satisfies the United States History graduation requirement.

Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation and meet eligibility standards.

This course presents a detailed study of the history of Europe from 1450 to 1995 along with a brief introductory study of the Middle Ages and an epilogue from 1995 to the present. Modern European History examines historical continuity with change; integrates the history of elites with the experiences of ordinary people, and includes history both as content as well as methodology. Students will analyze the social, intellectual, and political transition of Europe to the present while tracing significant themes of modern European history. Work in this course requires a major research project and the historical analyses of supplementary readings. All students enrolled in AP courses are required to take the College Board's Advanced Placement Exam.

This course satisfies the Western Cultures graduation requirement.

Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation and meet eligibility standards.

Building on a foundation of economic concepts (scarcity, opportunity costs, supply/demand, and money) students move into the macro economic domain with special focus on aggregate demand and supply, GDP determination, inflation/recession, and international trade. Special emphasis is placed on major economic theories, the role of government as it attempts to stabilize our economy, and the analysis of charts, graphs, and tables. This course satisfies the Economics and Political Issues graduation requirements. All students enrolled in AP courses are required to take the College Board's Advanced Placement Exam.

Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation and meet eligibility standards.

This year-long advanced placement course is an in-depth examination of the American political system along with a comparative study of selected world governments. Major themes include: our constitutional foundations, political beliefs and behaviors, political parties and interest groups, institutions and policy processes of national government, civil rights and civil liberties. Successful completion of studies prepare the student for the U.S. Government and Politics AP examination. All students enrolled in AP courses are required to take the College Board's Advanced Placement Exam.

Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation and meet eligibility standards.

AP Seminar is a one-credit course designed to assist students in pursuing and achieving their academic goals.  The seminar provides the support needed to improve academic performance by focusing on reading comprehension, writing support, outlining, and study skills.  Grading is pass/fail.

This course is offered as an alternative to the required 20th Century American History and English 11: American Literature. This course combines the major epochs of our past with the classics of American Literature. A variety of instructional methods and activities will be utilized to help each student develop a better understanding of our rich cultural heritage from Puritan society to modern times.

This class will meet for two periods each day and will be taught collaboratively by a member of the English Department and a member of the Social Studies Department. In this manner more individualized attention can be provided to develop each student’s reading and writing skills, as well as his/her knowledge of the American experience. Successful completion of a major research paper is a requirement. Although this course is designed to be fast paced and challenging, it is not intended to replace an Honors course or Advanced Placement offering.

This course satisfies both the English 11 and United States History graduation requirements.

This course is offered as an alternative to the required Western Cultures and English 10: British Literature. The study of Western Cultures and the corresponding literature will be studied through and interdisciplinary approach with will extend from the Middle Ages to the Cold War. Each semester will include two major novels or dramas which are integrated into the appropriate historical settings. Field trips are an integral part of this course including a trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This course relies on performance based assessment and students will be expected to learn and use multimedia presentation skills such as Power Point.

This class will meet for two blocked periods each day and will be taught collaboratively by a member of the English Department and a member of the Social Studies Department. In this manner more individualized attention can be provided to develop each student’s reading and writing skills. Although this course is designed to be fast paced and challenging, it is not intended to replace an Honors course or Advanced Placement offering.

This course satisfies both the English 10 and the Western Cultures graduation requirements.

ELECTIVE COURSES

These courses are not required but may be selected in order to fulfill elective course requirements necessary for graduation. Many of these courses give a student background in areas in which they may have a career interest and will provide the student with many critical thinking skills that will be necessary in their future.

Sociology deals with humans and their relationships to others in society. Study is made of human cultural heritage and its effect on personality and manner of living. Among the topics covered are their social, economic and political institutions, such as marriage and the family, government, religion and education. Problems such as crime and punishment, the population explosion, minority groups and rural and urban living are included. The student may learn about different cultures and gain, through comparisons, understanding of the function of our own society, as well as a general understanding of laws that apply to the functioning of all human groups.

The goal of this course is to help students develop a better understanding of human behavior. The theories and methods of psychologists are emphasized. Topics include: psychology as a science, how we learn and become who we are, the role of the brain, sensation and perception and personality theories. Experiments will be conducted pertaining to many of our topics.

This course is offered to help students better understand the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. Topics covered will include the background and causes of each war. In studying the Revolutionary War, focus on the causes of the war will lead to the study of the Revolution in the North, then the Middle States, and finally the South. The Civil War will be studied from the point of view of both the North and the South. Battles of the Eastern Campaign and the Western Campaign will be analyzed. The course will conclude with the surrender at Appomattox Court House.

This course will cover America’s involvement in WWII starting from the bombing of Peal Harbor. The war will be studied from the viewpoint of the European theater, and the South Pacific theater. Study will be done in the area of major battles with the personalities of General Dwight D. Eisenhower and General Douglas MacArthur. The Vietnam War will be studied from the fall of Dienbienphu to the fall of Saigon. Attention will be given to “The Domino Theory” and how the war affected America at home.

The topics of study for this course are taken from international problems that currently face the United States, our diplomats and policy makers. Each topic is examined for its historical background, the national interests of the various countries involved, and subsequent actions taken by those countries in light of their interests. A major goal is to understand the national interests of other countries so that the impact of the United States policy decisions on other peoples of the world can better be evaluated.