Social Studies Electives

0.5 credit, Grade 10-12, Weight 1.0, Offered 2025-26
This course focuses on the issues, challenges, and opportunities presented by America’s growing diverse population. The goal of the class is to encourage students to think in more informed ways through increased understanding, appreciation, and discuss about kinds of difference – racial, ethnic, age, religious, social class, gender, physical ability, and sexual preference/orientation– and for students to become more sophisticated in examining the way race and culture are used as terms in everyday speech. Students will gain insight as to their own attitudes and develop a greater awareness and curiosity about the many cultural worlds in the U.S. Students will be required to participate in role–playing activities, research information, and be open–minded.

0.5 credit, Grade 11-12, Weight 1.0, Offered 2026-27
This course is designed for high school students who want to explore becoming a future educator. Students will examine the career field of K-12 education, general educational theory and practices, and develop practical skills to train and teach others.

0.5 credit, Grade 10-12, Weight 1.0, Offered 2025-26
This course is designed to be an in–depth study of the complex factors contributing to the Holocaust, and the events of 1933–1945. The goal of this course is to explore, analyze and evaluate the impact of the genocide on post–war Europe and generations to come. We will look at the Holocaust both chronologically and thematically. Students will understand the nature of human prejudices, study the rise of Nazi Germany, analyze the complexity of choice and individual responsibility, and examine relevance to contemporary society. Major topics include anti–Semitism, Nazi ideology, ghettos, the “Final Solution”, and resistance.

0.5 credit, Grade 11-12, Weight 1.0, Offered Every Year
This Psychology course provides students with an approach to the study of human behavior and mental processes. The content will explore various aspects of human behavior including theories of personality, aspects of thought processes, states of consciousness, motivation and emotion, and basic areas of mental illnesses. This elective course will increase students’ awareness of how the science of psychology can be applied to better understand their own everyday environment.

1.0 credit, Grade 10, Weight 1.2, Offered 2025-26
The AP U.S. History course is designed to provide students with the analytic skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in U.S. history. The program prepares students for intermediate and advanced college courses by making demands upon them equivalent to those made by full–year introductory college courses. Students should learn to assess historical materials—their relevance to a given interpretive problem, reliability, and importance—and to weigh the evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship. This course will develop the skills necessary to arrive at conclusions based on an informed judgment and to present reasons and evidence clearly and persuasively in essay format. Prerequisite: Teacher Recommendation from Honors Global Studies

1.0 credit, Grade 11-12, Weight 1.2, Offered Every Year
At the core of the IB psychology course is an introduction to three different approaches to understanding behavior: the biological, cognitive and sociocultural approaches. Students study and critically evaluate the knowledge, concepts, theories and research that have developed the understanding in these fields. IB psychology promotes an understanding of the various approaches to research and how they are used to critically reflect on the evidence as well as assist in the design, implementation, analysis and evaluation of the students’ own investigations. Surrounding the approaches and the options are the overarching themes of research and ethics. A consideration of both is paramount to the nature of the subject. This allows students to appreciate the diversity as well as the commonality between their own behavior and that of others. Prerequisite: Teacher Recommendation. Students do not need to be enrolled in the IB CP Program to take the course.

0.5 credit, Grade 10-12, Weight 1.0, Offered 2026-27
Students will become better critical thinkers, problem solvers, decision–makers, and team players by analyzing the motivations for and the impact of warfare on society. The course will cover the history of war starting with the first documented conflict (Peloponnesian War and then shift focus to U.S. Military encounters. Students will be expected to use 21st Century skills to complete the largely student–centered curriculum that was created to give learners from all backgrounds an opportunity for interest and engagement. Class members will have the ability to choose a “lens” through which to look at each time period we cover in class. The lenses include but are not limited to Patriotism/Nationalism, Inhumanity, Power, Justice, Morality, Identity, Place/Homeland, and Gender. They will use these “lenses” to study the following aspects of war: Politics, Leaders, Weaponry/Technology, Resources, Art/Poetry, Geography, Strategy/Tactics, and Culture. The course is designed to engage students and develop skills necessary to find success in our modern world.

0.5 credit, Grade 10-12, Weight 1.0, Offered 2025-26
Contemporary U.S. History and Popular Culture provides students with the opportunity to analyze modern 20th and 21st century history and the diversity of American culture. Within this course, students will explore how popular culture has influenced Americans economically, politically, socially and historically. The goal of the class is to gain an appreciation for American culture and history by examining the values and experiences of Americans in the 1980’s through early 2000’s. To accomplish this goal, students will evaluate the cultural and social significance of popular culture elements that influenced attitudes and behaviors of American society as a whole.

0.5 credit, Grade 10-12, Weight 1.0, Offered 2026-27
This course provides a broad historical survey of the African-American experience in the United States, designed to introduce students to the major themes, issues, and debates in African American history from its African origins until today. Some of the specific topics covered include African antecedents, colonial and antebellum slavery, the abolition movement, the free black experience, the Civil War, emancipation, Jim Crow segregation, racial violence, black culture, the modern freedom struggle, popular culture, political movements, and the contemporary experience. Ultimately, students should gain an understanding of how enslaved and free African Americans have and continue to live, work, socialize, and define themselves in American society.

0.5 credit, Grade 10-12, Weight 1.0, Offered 2025-26
This elective course will provide students with the opportunity to explore the extensive and diverse history of York County. We will learn about York County’s geography and history from pre-colonial times until the present day. Key moments covered include the Articles of Confederation and founding of the United States, the Gettysburg Campaign and Civil War, the York Plan and World War II, and the Civil Rights era. We will gain skills and insights through a series of real-world learning experiences including field trips, projects, presentations on key figures, and exploration of our own connections to York County’s History.