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Social Studies Department
CURRICULUM: HIGH SCHOOL
Three years of social studies courses are required.
Click here for some frequently asked questions.
9th GRADE: World Cultures
- Survey of Ancient and Medieval Cultures
- Ancient River Valley Civilizations, Greece, Rome, China, India
- Medieval Europe and Africa, Renaissance and Reformation
- Summer Reading: Figs and Fate Stories about Growing Up in the Arab World Today by Elsa Marston
- In Class Reading: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
- Current Events: CNN Student News and The New York Times Upfront magazine
10th GRADE: AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
- Optional year
- Three Branches of Government, Institutions, Political Parties, Public Policy, Civil and Criminal Rights, Immigration
topics
- Current Events: Periodicals, CNN News
- Summer Reading: Women in Politics
- Role Play: Constitution Works, Student led debates (Grade
10 Role Play)
- Writing across the curriculum (1776)Ethnic studies and the Presidency
- Guest Speakers - click here to see pictures
10th GRADE: Advanced Placement American Government
- Optional year
- Qualifications: A- in World Cultures, 90% Reading Comprehension,teacher
recommendation
11th GRADE
- Recent American History
- Mandatory in the state of PA.
- Advanced Placement United States History
- College level course: 6 credits
12th GRADE
- Global Issues (one semester)
- Supreme Court Cases (one semester)
- Economics (one semester)
- Anthropology (one semester)
- Advanced Placement Comparative Government (full year)
FIELD TRIPS
9th grade
- University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology - studying the ancient world as well as other cultures of today
- Franklin Institute Science Museum in Philadelphia - Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibit
10th Grade
- Washington, D.C.: National Reconnaissance Organization,
visit with women who work in the Department
of Justice, Curt Weldon, Janet Rehnquist, counsel to President Bush.
Social Studies Requirements at ND
- 9th grade World Cultures
- 11th grade United States History
- 12th grade: Choice of 2 semesters from Modern European, Supreme
Court Decisions for lst semester or Economics, Anthropology for 2nd
semester or AP Comparative Government all year.
- 10th grade optional year American Government or AP American Government
Advanced Placement Programs
- AP American Government-grade 10
- AP American History-grade 11
- AP Comparative Government-grade 12
Advanced Placement Scores
- AP COGO - 90% over a 3
- AP USH - 91% over 3
- AP.U.S.Gov't. - 82 % over 3
- 35% of the sophomore class participated
in AP U.S. Government program.
- A.P.U.S Government course and the AP COGO course, both cited as "best in the world"
by the A.P.board
CURRICULUM: JUNIOR SCHOOL
6th GRADE: GEOGRAPHY
- Survey of Western Europe,Canada and Latin America
- Cultural Awareness: "Holidays around the World"
- Use of technology for geography search, and internet research
- Development of geography skills
- Introduction to Social Studies skills: research, outlining and
writing essays
- Current Events:Junior Scholastic- international and national events
- National Geographic Geography Bee
7th GRADE: AMERICAN HISTORY
- Colonialism to Civil War
- Research-primary source documents with creative writing assignments
- Current Events: Junior Scholastic,CNN news
- Research: Short research papers on influential women
- Role Play, Debate, Discussion
- Colonial Christmas
- Interdisciplinary Field trip to Colonial Philadelphia
8th GRADE
- First Semester: Recent American History
- Second Semester: Civics
- Oral History on selected time periods in the 20th century
- Use of Junior Scholastic magazine, CNN news
- Field trip to the Constitution Center
- Role Play Constitution Works (Judicial branch) (Grade
8 Role Play)
- Oral History on selected time periods in the 20th century
Social Studies Department Faculty
- Sister Nancy Bonshock,
B.A., M.A.
- Doug Cooper, B.A.
- Barbara Gallagher, B.A.
- Sally Gallagher, B.A., M.A., M.S.
- Laura McMahon, B.A., M.A.
- Theresa McCoy, B.A. M.A.
- Joan Turner, B.A. J.D.
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