Social Studies

Students will examine the historical development of American ideas and institutions from the age of exploration to the modern era. Basic knowledge of American culture through a chronological survey of major issues, movements, people, and events in the United States and Virginia history will be connected by focusing on political and economic history. Students will use social studies skills to explore the events, people, and ideas that fostered our national identity and led to our country’s prominence in world affairs. Students will continue to use their historical knowledge and skills to write essays, answer document-based questions, and conduct research. Students may be tested at the end of this course on the Virginia and United States History standards of learning.

Students will explore the American political system and the democratic values that enable citizens to participate effectively in civic and economic life. Students will examine fundamental constitutional principles, the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, the political culture, the policy-making process at local, state, and national levels of government, and the operation of the United States market economy. Students will continue to use social studies skills to explore the events, people and ideas pertinent to the study of the American government. Students will continue to use their historical knowledge and skills to write essays, answer document-based questions, and conduct research.  Personal character traits that facilitate thoughtful and effective participation in the civic life of an increasingly diverse democratic society will be emphasized throughout the course. See Guidelines for Placement of Students in Honors/AP/Dual Enrolled Classes.

The focus of this course is the study of the world’s peoples, places, and environments, with an emphasis on world regions. The knowledge, skills, and perspectives of the course are centered on the world’s peoples and their cultural characteristics, landforms and climates, economic development, and migration and settlement patterns. Spatial concepts of geography will be used as a framework for studying interactions between humans and their environments. Using geographic resources, students will employ inquiry, research, and technology skills to ask and answer geographic questions. Particular emphasis will be placed on students understanding and applying geographic concepts and skills to their daily lives.