HISTORY AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

The philosophy of Northern Valley, as stated in the introduction to this program of studies indicates that our aim for every student is an understanding of the democratic way of life. The responsibility of each citizen in our democracy becomes increasingly important when we realize the role of the United States as a world power. Therefore, students in Northern Valley are required to study World History and United States History I and I.

UNITED STATES HISTORY I 1

This course, required of all New Jersey high school students, develops chronologically, the history of our country from the time of Colonizationthrough the end of the 19th Century. The growth and development of democracy is stressed. The contributions of Americans to the social, political,and economic life of the country are presented. Document Based Questions are administered twice a year in all history courses to develop students’ability to analyze and write about historical documents. Current Events are discussed and interpreted as a link between the past and present. Emphasis is given to research and discussion skills. There is extensive use of state of the art technology

UNITED STATES HISTORY I (H.) 1

United States History I Honors, by invitation only, is the first part of a two year sequence of an in-depth approach to United Sates History from the time of Three Worlds Meeting in the 1600’s to the period of Reconstruction. The textbook used is a college level text and the support materials are written by acknowledged American Historians. The teaching and study techniques have been chosen to prepare high school students for a deep understanding of our country’s past. It includes specific emphasis on the causation of an event and the underlying philosophy of leaders of major movements. Stress is placed on the cultural aspects of America’s development. Students are required to do specific extra reading and writing assignments, including answering document based questions, in addition to the regular requirements.

UNITED STATES HISTORY II 1

This course, required of all New Jersey high school students, deals with the history of our country from the Emergence of the Modern Era of the 1870’s through the Bush Presidency and the new millennium. It is the objective of the course to develop an understanding of the nature, accomplishments and problems of the nation so that each student will recognize his/her unique heritage. It is intended that through the study of the topics presented in this course, students will develop an understanding of national and international problems and an awareness of individual responsibilities. Document Based Questions are administered twice a year in all history courses to develop students’ ability to analyze and write about historical documents Current events are discussed and interpreted as a link between the past and the present. There is extensive use of state of the art technology.

ESL HISTORY: (US I, US II & World Civilizations) 1

These full year courses have been designed to give the limited English-speaking student an overview of

United States History as well as World History in a survey program. Texts have been selected to meet the

demands of various stages of language development abilities of the students. Many brief writing assignments will be administered to meet the language needs of the individual students. Students will gain experience with skills development, book critiques, oral reports, research papers and analysis of current affairs.

AP UNITED STATES HISTORY II 1

This Advanced Placement course, by invitation only, is the second part of the two year sequence of the in depth approach to the study of United States history from the time of the Industrial Revolution through the Administration of Barack Obama. The students will study the political, economic, social and intellectual aspects of Modern America. This concentration requires the use of a college level text along with the additional books, essays, periodicals and primary documents. The student will be expected to demonstrate mastery and understanding by presenting written essays on the aspects under study. Document based questions will continue to be used to prepare the students for the Advanced Placement Exam given each May. Course requirements for all AP Courses will include participation in the AP exam published by the College Board.

World History (To be reintroduced in 2017-18)

This course, required of all New Jersey high school students, supports understanding and appreciation of the rich and diverse cultures of the world.The course will study the history and culture of different parts of the world on a regional basis. (Africa, Middle East, Asia, Europe, and SouthAmerica.) Document Based Questions are administered twice a year in all history courses to develop students’ ability to analyze and write abouthistorical documents. Current Events are discussed and interpreted as a link between past and present. Student project featuring the use of technology, are a significant aspect of the course.

WORLD HISTORY AND CULTURES (AP) to be reintroduced 2018-2019 1The purpose of this Advanced Placement course is to develop a greater understanding of the evolution of global processes and contacts, in interactionwith different types of human societies. Focused primarily on the past thousand years of the global experience, the course builds on an understanding of cultural, institutional and technological precedents that, along with geography, set the human stage prior to 1000 C.E. This course requires reading in depth from books, essays and periodicals. The student will be expected to demonstrate mastery and understanding by presenting written essays on the aspects of the period under study. Course requirements for all AP Courses will include participation in the AP exam published by the

College Board.

ELECTIVES

ECONOMICS 1

This is an elective course, which is designed to aid the pupil in interpreting current economic life, avoiding common economic fallacies, and becoming more knowledgeable about economics. Economic laws and philosophies are studied, analyzed and explained in terms of concrete happenings in each student's experience. Although some economic history of our nation will be considered, special attention will be given to post-war developments. The course is open to juniors and seniors only.

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW – STREET LAW 1/2

This semester course studies the American legal system in great depth. The course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the function of the American legal system of the late 20th into the 21st century. Special emphasis is placed on the Bill of Rights, gun control, reasonable searches, the jury system, the death penalty, and other topics critical to understanding the American courts. Students will develop comprehensive research skills with the most current technology available.

AMERICAN STUDIES 1/2

Special emphasis is placed on aspects of popular culture from the 1950's into the new millennium. This semester course involves a detailed, decade-by-decade, study of time periods closest to, and including the one, in which the student lives. Topics covered are: art, architecture, music, literature, cinema, theater, fashion, fads, follies, sports, philosophy, politics and mass media. Students will complete a series of in-depth research projects using primary and secondary sources and state-of-the-art technology.

PSYCHOLOGY 1/2

As an elective course for juniors and senior, Psychology will deal with the study of behavior. Major units of work include learning, origins, body and behavior, developmental psychology, personality, stress and conflict, disturbance and breakdown, human interaction, conditioning, emotions, personality and motivation. Opportunities will be provided for independent study, guest speakers, community learning experiences and a variety of psychological experiments. The latest psychological research will be examined.

SOCIOLOGY 1/2

This one semester course is an elective, open to juniors and seniors. The primary objective of the course is to give students an overview of the sociological perspective. Primary emphasis will be on the study of human society and social interactions. The course of study will examine major sociological theories, methods of research, culture and subcultures, the socialization process, deviant behavior, crime and punishment, fads, urban legends, mass hysteria, and race and ethnic relations. There will be extensive use of current periodicals, events in the news, and recent research. State of the art technology is used extensively.

HISTORY OF THE U.S. THROUGH FILM AND MEDIA 1/2

Hollywood’s movie makers have long looked to history for subject matter. Sometimes they stayed true to the facts, at other times they “bent” the truth a bit to fit a particular storyline and sometimes the only historically accurate truth would be the name of the film. Still, all of these serve a purpose in the overall study of history, authentic or not. This course will examine all three types of historical films with an emphasis on American history and looking at not only how accurately they represent the true facts but also how these films represent the times in which they were made and the attitudes of the people who made them. The students will also investigate the use of Bias/ Prejudice in movies and the media and the influence this has on shaping public opinion. Students will develop an understanding of the global, financial and economic issues involved in the area of the media and movies. They will utilize tools in the area of information technology and multi-media to improve communication, problem solving and critical thinking skills.

SPORT IN HISTORY 1/2

This course will examine the role that athletics have played in human history. This is not the history of sports, but rather, a study of sport as an element of society. Students will analyze and explore what sports and games say about the people who play them:

Some of the themes of the course will include:

A. Race, class, and gender issues involved in athletics (both past and present)

B. The value placed on sport in different cultures

C. The emergence of organized sports on a large scale in the late Nineteenth Century

D. The influence of industrialization and urbanization on athletics

E. The phenomenon of mass spectator sports played in front of huge crowds with extensive media attention.

Although the course will explore sport in all regions of the world, throughout history an emphasis will be placed on sport in the Twentieth Century and on the role of sport in American Culture.

AP UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS 1

This Advanced Placement course focuses on the framework and foundation of America’s political system and government. The students will actively engage in the political process and become experts on how and why our government institutions were created. The students will be asked to analyze trends in American politics and evaluate the different factions that have emerged over the last 200 years. Students will be given an opportunity to dissect the impact the media, money and interest groups have had upon the political process. Active discussion, student research and hands-on activities will play a major role in how the class will be conducted. At the end of the year, students will be able to explain the mechanisms and functions of the three branches of government and the role they play in developing domestic and foreign policy and articulate their views on issues that have shaped America. Course requirements for all AP Courses will include participation in the AP exam published by the College Board.

AP EUROPEAN HISTORY 1

Emphasis will be placed on the history of modern Europe from the Renaissance to the present. This concentration will also provide students with an opportunity to study the recent developments in world civilizations.

This Advanced Placement course for juniors and seniors requires reading in depth from a prepared list of recommended materials, which will include books, written essays and periodicals on each of the topics. The student will be expected to demonstrate mastery and understanding by presenting written essays on the aspects of the period under study. Course requirements for all AP Courses will include participation in the AP exam published by the College Board.

AP WORLD HISTORY 1

The purpose of this Advanced Placement course is to develop a greater understanding of the evolution of global processes and contacts, in interaction with different types of human societies. Focused primarily on the past thousand years of the global experience, the course builds on an understanding of cultural, institutional and technological precedents that, along with geography, set the human stage prior to 1000 C. E. This course requires reading in depth from books, essays and periodicals. The student will be expected to demonstrate mastery and understanding by presenting written essays on the aspects of the period under study. Course requirements for all AP Courses will include participation in the AP exam published by the College Board.

CRIMES OF THE CENTURY .5

This class will look back at the major crimes of the second half of the 20th Century and see what impact they had upon society. The OJ Simpson

trial, Bernie Madoff's economic scam, the Son of Sam, Charles Manson, the Enron Scandal, Jon Benet Ramsey, Casey Anthony, and Rodney King all

had a huge impact on our nation. What role did race, celebrity and society in general have upon these cases? How did they compare to the crimes of

an earlier time period?

WORLD HISTORY IN FILM .5

This course will look at Hollywood's view of World History through film, the accuracies and inaccuracies. What causes Hollywood to distort the

true story of history? Is it poetic license, an attempt to make the real story more interesting, or is there an agenda they are attempting to convey? The

course can cover a multitude of time periods but will primarily focus on the later half of the 20th Century to the present day

AP PSYCHOLOGY 1

The AP Psychology 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 psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields

within psychology. They also learn about the ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice. Course requirements for all AP

Courses will include participation in the AP exam published by the College Board.

AP MACROECONOMICS .5

The purpose of an AP course in macroeconomics is to give students a thorough understanding of the principles of economics that apply to an

economic system as a whole. Such a course places particular emphasis on the study of national income and price-level determination, and also

develops students’ familiarity with economic performance measures, the financial sector, stabilization policies, economic growth, and international

economics. Macroeconomics teaches students to have a thorough understanding of the principles of economics that apply to a total economic system.

It will place particular emphasis on national income and price determination and also cover measurement of economic performance, economic

growth, and international economics.

AP MICROECONOMICS (W/ MACRO) .5

The purpose of an AP course in microeconomics is to give students a thorough understanding of the principles of economics that apply to the

functions of individual decision makers, both consumers and producers, within the economic system. It places primary emphasis on the nature and

functions of product markets, and includes the study of factor markets and of the role of government in promoting greater efficiency and equity in the

economy. Accordingly, the course will emphasize the behavior of individual decision-makers within the economic system and the components of

rational decision-making.

HISTORY OF THE U.S. THROUGH FILM AND MEDIA .5

Hollywood’s moviemakers have long looked to history for subject matter. Sometimes they have stayed true to the facts, at other times they have

“bent” the truth a bit to fit a particular storyline and sometimes the only historically accurate truth would be the name of the film. Still, all of this

serves a purpose in the overall study of history, authentic or not. This course will examine all three types of historical films with an emphasis on

American history and looking at not only how accurate they represent the true facts but also how these films represent the times in which they were

made and the attitudes of the people who made them. Students will investigate the use of bias/ prejudice in movies and the media and the influence

this has upon shaping public opinion. We will also investigate the role of the media in shaping history, from the newspaper industry to broadcast

journalism to the ever evolving role of the Internet.

Northern Valley Regional High Schoolat Old Tappan

Social Studies