The high school world history course provides students with a comprehensive, intensive study of major events and themes in world history. Students begin with a study of the earliest civilizations worldwide and continue to examine major developments and themes in all regions of the world. The course culminates in a study of change and continuity and globalization at the beginning of the 21st century. Students will be expected to explain how and why humans made the transition from small Neolithic villages to the first large scale complex societies of the twenty first century. Emphasis should be placed on how the climate and geography shaped the government, economy (including trade and agriculture), and cultural features (including religion, social class, language, and the arts). Students should be able to note similarities and differences in the development and characteristics of each civilization. Further, students are expected to explain how these societies changed over time because of interactions with neighboring civilizations.

AP World History: Modern is an introductory college-level modern world history course. Students cultivate their understanding of world history from c. 1200 CE to the present through analyzing historical sources and learning to make connections and craft historical arguments as they explore concepts like humans and the environment, cultural developments and interactions, governance, economic systems, social interactions and organization, and technology and innovation. Students must be able reason and write at a high level, writing is a key component of the course. Rigor of the course demands a great deal of self-motivation.

This two-semester course provides a comprehensive, chronological survey of the history of the United States. Students examine topics beginning with the period of exploration and colonization, and then continue through independence and revolution, constitutional debate between the Federalist and Republicans, Jeffersonian and Jacksonian democracy, sectionalism and civil war, reconstruction and industrialization, immigration and urbanization, imperialism, and the progressive era, World War I and the Great Depression, World War II and the Cold War. The course concludes with a study of the emergence of modern America. A list of specific course related skills are located in the Gwinnett County Public Schools Academic Knowledge and Skills handbook & at www.gcpsk12.org.

Almost daily, you will be reading and analyzing primary source and secondary source documents. Further, you will be taught Historical Thinking Skills on how to analyze and interpret these documents.

AP US History is not a content driven course, but a skills based course. The traditional way history classes have been taught with lecture and story-telling will not be the focus of this course. The focus is research, document analysis and writing.

This is a required course designed to provide students with a fundamental understanding of their rights and responsibilities as citizens by examining the American political structure and process. Topics of study include the origin and growth of representative democracy, the development of the U.S. Constitution founded on the concept of federalism, landmark legal decisions and their impact on constitutional government, the adaptive nature of the political process as influenced by political parties, special-interest groups and media coverage, as well as a comparison of our political system with other forms of government throughout the world.

AP U.S. Government and Politics provides a college-level, non-partisan introduction to key political concepts, ideas, institutions, policies, interactions, roles, and behaviors that characterize the constitutional system and political culture of the United States. Students will study U.S. foundational documents, Supreme Court decisions, and other texts and visuals to gain an understanding of the relationships and interactions among political institutions, processes, and behaviors. They will also engage in disciplinary practices that require them to read and interpret data, make comparisons and applications, and develop evidence-based arguments. In addition, they will complete a political science research or applied civics project.

This one semester course offers students the opportunity to study the issues of scarcity and choices related to the utilization of limited resources. Students learn how to apply the tools of economic analysis to personal, community, national, and international issues. Economic preparedness enables students to make choices relying on past historical and geographical knowledge to actively engage in our complex society.

AP Macroeconomics is a college-level course that introduces students to the principles that apply to an economic system as a whole. The course places particular emphasis on the study of national income and price-level determination. It also develops students’ familiarity with economic performance measures, the financial sector, stabilization policies, economic growth, and international economics. Students learn to use graphs, charts, and data to analyze, describe, and explain economic concepts.

This course provides the content knowledge and skills necessary to understand the roles, responsibilities, and relationships of people and places throughout the world, both past and present. The course will prepare students for the three-year required Social Studies sequence. Topics will include the themes of historical, political, and economic geography covering all sections and continents of the world. Extensive opportunities to develop and refine writing skills will prepare students for the High School Gateway Assessment. This class is a 2-semester elective class for 9th graders.

AP Human Geography is a college-level course taught to high school freshmen. The goal of the class is to pass the AP exam in May to earn college credit. Taking rigorous courses will better prepare you for college. This course allows students to gain a global perspective as to why people are the way they are around the world, focusing on topics such as population, migration, economic development, globalization, cities, sustainability, culture, language, religion, race, gender, politics, and agriculture.

Psychology is a rewarding elective that encourages students to obtain and apply the habits of mind used by psychologists in study and research. Students will explore the development of the field of psychology and apply critical thinking to the study of its perspectives and theories while examining its research.

Sociology is a wonderful elective course that encourages students to obtain and apply the habits of mind used by sociologists in study and research. Students will explore the development of the field of sociology and apply critical thinking to the study of its perspectives and theories. Students will analyze and comment on critical social issues and problems.

This course develops an understanding of the basic components of the legal and criminal justice system in the United States. Students are offered an overview of U.S. Constitution, civil and criminal law in this country as well as an examination of various legal institutions and processes, for example, the police, the courts, rehabilitation systems, etc. Extensive opportunities to develop and refine writing and speaking skills will prepare students to understand and interact with different viewpoints and ideologies. This class is a 1 semester elective class for 9th – 12th graders.

This course provides the content knowledge and skills necessary to understand current issues, roles, responsibilities, of people, governments, and groups throughout the world. Topics will include the themes of historical, political, culture and economics from grassroots to global interactions. Extensive opportunities to develop and refine writing and speaking skills will prepare students to understand and interact with different viewpoints and ideologies. This class is a 1 semester elective class for 9th – 12th graders.

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, including development, sensation and perception, and clinical psychology. They also learn about the ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice