 Social Science Department
 The Placer High Social Science Department offers courses that prepare our students for both college, career, and adult life as productive and contributing citizens. Our courses include not only the requisite social science courses necessary for graduation and college admittance but also electives that are among the most popular courses on campus, as well as numerous Advanced Placement offerings.
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Department Pages
World Studies - This course focuses on historical events from the rise of early democracy to the problems and events of the modern world. In this foundation to social sciences, students will increase their ability to read and think like historians, by analyzing several types of documents, including primary and secondary sources, as well as historical texts. With a focus on the development of reading and reasoning skills in history, students will use a variety of information to reasonably and logically back historical questions. U. S. History - This course focuses on events of the 20th and 21st centuries. Students will study major social, political and economic events that have shaped, and continue to shape, our nation's history and the lives of its people. A primary focus will be on the development of historical thinking, reading and writing skills, including sourcing, contextualization, close reading and corroboration of both primary and secondary sources. AP U.S. History- This course is designed to provide students with the analytical skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in American history. The coursework prepares students for intermediate and advanced college courses by making demands upon them equivalent to those made by full-year college courses. The Advanced Placement National Examination in U.S. History is strongly encouraged. Government - This course is designed to introduce the students to their responsibilities and privileges as citizens and voters. Students examine the structure and functions of the institutions of government in the U.S. including executive, legislative and judicial branches of the federal government, and the political system, civil rights and operation of the state and local government. This course backs up to Economics. Economics - Students are introduced to fundamental economic concepts such as a scarcity and opportunity cost. They will explore the working system of our U.S. economy. Emphasis is placed on our mixed market economy and understanding the roles played by individuals and our government. This course backs up to American Government. AP Government - This Advanced Placement course is designed to meet the requirements of the College Board curriculum, which gives students an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States. This course is presented in the same style and approach as an entry-level college Political Science course. Students must be able to read and comprehend articles and text on a college level as well as write elaborately on selected topics. The Advanced Placement National Examination in Government and Politics is strongly encouraged. Starting 2016 this course will be a 5 credit course and backed into regular Economics. AP Psychology - AP Psychology is a course dedicated to the systematic study of human behavior and mental processes. Students explore the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. Additionally, students examine and assess multiple approaches adopted by psychologists, including biological, behavioral, cognitive, humanistic, psychodynamic, and socio-cultural. The Advanced Placement Examination in Psychology is strongly encouraged. Psychology - Psychology is a general introduction to the science of behavior and mental processes. The class offers students the opportunity to begin to look at their own lives, gaining insight and understanding into their behavior (as well as that of others), with the hope of providing them with a greater degree of perspective and direction. Many of the major subfields and multiple approaches associated with psychology will be explored. AP Human Geography - AP Human Geography is a college-level course that focuses on the distribution, processes, and effects of human populations on the planet. The course uses a thematic approach to study topics such as population and migration, cultural patterns and processes, political organization, agriculture and rural land use, industrialization and economic development, and cities and urban land use. The Advanced Placement National Examination is strongly encouraged. Military History - This class will cover world military history from the beginnings: Arrows and Armor to the High Tech modern conflicts covering the battles, leaders, essential military tactics, and technology. The class will analyze how great commanders have exploited the weapons, technology, and military tactics available to them to achieve victory on the battlefield. The class will also examine the techniques and maneuvers of commanders from the past to reveal illuminating patterns and principles of war. The goals of this class include analyzing the way in which wars are fought and understanding the nature of technology in war. |
