BARBERS HILL HIGH SCHOOL
REQUIRED COURSES
2008 - 2009

Social Studies

World Geography
 World Geo  PAP
 World History
 AP World History
 U.S. History
 U.S. History  AP/GT
 Government
 Government AP
 Economics - Free Enterprise
 Dual Credit World History
Dual Credit U.S. History
 

Course Credits
Index
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Counseling Center
 Barbers Hill HS
 Barbers Hill ISD

 

WORLD GEOGRAPHY (W GEOG)
GRADE LEVEL:  9
One Year
Prerequisite:  None

In World Geography Studies, students examine people, places, and environments at local, regional, national, and international scales from the spatial and ecological perspectives of geography.  Students describe the influence of geography on events of the past and present.  A significant portion of the course centers around the physical processes that shape patterns in the physical environment; the characteristics of major land forms, climates, and ecosystems and their interrelationships; the political, economic, and social processes that shape cultural patterns of regions; types and patterns of settlement; the distribution and movement of world population; relationships among people, places, and environments; and the concept of region.  Students analyze how location affects economic activities in different economic systems throughout the world.  Students identify the processes that influence political divisions of the planet and analyze how different points of view affect the development of public policies.  Students compare how components of culture shape the characteristics of regions and analyze the impact of technology and human modifications on the physical environment.  Students use problem-solving and decision-making skills to ask and answer geographic questions.  [top]

PRE-AP WORLD GEOGRAPHY (PAP W GEOG)
GRADE LEVEL:  9
One Year
Prerequisite:  None 

The purpose of this Pre-AP course is to prepare our highly motivated students for the rigorous and fast-paced Advance Placement classes at the 10th, 11th, and 12th grade levels.  This course provides a study of world geography, with emphasis on skills necessary for success in the advanced placement social studies program.  In World Geography Studies students examine people, places, and environments at local, regional, national, and international scales from the spatial and ecological perspectives of geography.  Students describe the influence of geography on events of the past and present.  A significant portion of the course centers around the physical processes that shape patterns in the physical environment:  the characteristics of major land forms, climates, and ecosystems and their interrelationships; the political, economic, and social processes that shape cultural patterns of regions; types and patterns of settlement; the distribution and movement of world population; relationships among people, places, and environments; and the concept of region.  Students analyze how location affects economic activities in different economic systems throughout the world and identify the processes that influence political divisions of the planet and analyze how different points of view affect the development of public policies.  Students compare how components of culture shape the characteristics of regions and analyze the impact of technology and human modifications on the physical environment.  They also use problem-solving and decision-making skills to ask and answer geographic questions.   [top]

WORLD HISTORY (W HIST)
GRADE LEVEL:  10
One Year
Prerequisite:  None

This class will study the development of civilization from the Paleolithic period to present.  This is a fast- moving course that covers all the major events that have affected the progress of the world.  [top]

AP WORLD HISTORY (AP W HIST)
Grade Level:  10
One Year
Prerequisite:  None

The purpose of AP World History is to develop greater understanding of the evolution of global processes and contacts, in interaction with different types of human societies.  This understanding is advanced through a combination of selective factual knowledge and appropriate analytical skills.  The course highlights the nature of change in international frameworks and their causes and consequences, as well as comparisons among major societies.  It emphasizes relevant factual knowledge used in conjunction with leading interpretive issues and types of historical evidence.  The course builds on an understanding of cultural, institutional, and technological precedents that, along with geography, set the human stage.  Periodization, explicitly discussed, forms and organizing principle for dealing with change and continuity throughout the course.  Specific themes provide further organization to the course, along with consistent attention to contacts among societies that form the core of world history as a field of study.   [top]

U.S. HISTORY (US HIST)
GRADE LEVEL:   11
One Year
Prerequisite:  None

In this course, which is the second part of a two-year study of American history that begins in Grade 8, students study the history of the United States from Reconstruction to the present.  Historical content focuses on the political, economic, and social events and issues related to industrialization and urbanization, major wars, domestic and foreign policies of the Cold War and post-Cold War eras, and reform movements, including civil rights.    [top]

AP U.S. HISTORY (AP/GT US HIST)
GRADE LEVEL:  11
One Year
Prerequisites:  Identification as gifted/talented or at least two years of advanced English with demonstrated ability in history recommended. 

Designed to provide students with the analytic skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in United States history in a manner equivalent to that obtained in most college introductory United States history courses.  The course will be conducted as a survey course in which a college textbook, with supplementary readings in the form of documents, essays, or books on special themes, provides substantive and thematic coverage in such special fields as economic history, cultural and intellectual history, social history, political-constitutional history and diplomatic history.  The course will develop the skills necessary to arrive at conclusions on the basis of an informed judgment and to present reasons and evidence clearly and persuasively in an essay format.   [top]

GOVERNMENT (GOVT)
GRADE LEVEL:  12
One Semester
Prerequisite:  None

In Government, the focus is on the principles and beliefs upon which the United States was founded and on the structure, functions, and powers of government at the national, state, and local levels.  Students learn major political ideas and forms of government in history.  A significant focus of the course is on the U.S. Constitution, its underlying principles and ideas, and the form of government it created.  Students analyze major concepts of republicanism, federalism, checks and balances, separation of powers, popular sovereignty, and individual rights and compare the U.S. system of government with other political systems.  Students identify the role of government in the U.S. free enterprise system and examine the strategic importance of places to the United States.  Students analyze the impact of individuals, political parties, interest groups, and the media on the American political system, evaluate the importance of voluntary individual participation in a democratic society, and analyze the rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.  Students examine the relationship between governmental policies and the culture of the United States.  [top]

AP GOVERNMENT (APGOVT)
Grade Level:  12
One Semester (Spring)
Prerequisite:    None 

AP Government, Government & Politics, studies the nature and function of the American national political system.  This course will give students an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States.  This course includes the study of general concepts used to interpret U.S. politics and the analysis of specific examples.  It begins with a brief study of the framework of American political values and traditions.  It also incorporates the various institutions, groups, beliefs, and ideas that constitute U.S. politics.  Most of the focus is given to the essential components, institutions, and processes through which the political system operates as well as the public policy that is adopted and implemented.  [top]

ECONOMICS-FREE ENTERPRISE (ECO-FE)
GRADE LEVEL:  12
One Semester
Prerequisite:  None

Economics involves the study of the different economic systems, with an emphasis on the free enterprise system.  The course will include the study of monetary and fiscal policy in respect to how each affects our economy.  Study of the stock market and investment strategies will also be part of the course in economics.  Entrepreneurship will be studied through the use of the Junior Achievement Program when possible and as time permits.  [top]

DUAL CREDIT WORLD HISTORY
GRADE LEVEL:  10
Two Semester
Prerequisite:  Must meet with college and career coordinator to complete paperwork.  Tuition-based course to be paid to Lee College.  Cost of Textbooks not included in tuition.  Class must meet minimum size requirements.

The course is intended for students who wish to complete studies in secondary school that also apply as two college introductory semesters in World History.  The dual credit course in World History is designed to provide students with the analytic skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in World History.  The course highlights the nature of change in international frameworks and their causes and consequences, as well as comparison among major societies.  The course will explore the understanding of culture, institutional, and technological precedents that along with geography, set the human stage.  History 2321 covers the pre-history to the early river civilizations to the classical and post classical empires through the Middle Ages to the start of the Renaissance.  History 2322, taught in the spring, covers history from the Renaissance thru the era of Revolution and imperialism, into the 20th century, the Great War, WW II, to decolonization to the 21st century.

DUAL CREDIT U.S. HISTORY
GRADE LEVEL:  11
Two Semester
Prerequisite:  Must meet with college and career coordinator to complete paperwork.  Tuition-based course to be paid to Lee College.  Cost of Textbooks not included in tuition.  Must have must meet minimum size requirements.

The course is intended for students who wish to complete studies in secondary school that also apply as two college introductory semesters in U.S. History.  The dual credit course in U.S. History is designed to provide students with the analytic skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in United States history.  The course will explores the economic, cultural and intellectual, social, political-constitutional, and diplomatic history of our nation from the pre-colonial days to the present-day.  This is primarily a lecture course supplemented by audio-visual presentations and class discussions.  A research paper/project will be required for this class.
 

Spring 2008, Barbers Hill High School, POB 1108, 9696 Eagle Drive, Mont Belvieu, TX  77580    (281) 576-2221