Port Allegany Jr/Sr High School Counselor

Social Studies Electives

The American Civil War (158)                                                                   semester          .5 credit

     This course is designed to cover the history of events leading up to and through the American Civil War.  Topics we will examine throughout the course will include, but not be limited to:  the causes of the war, including slavery, trade and cultural differences, the battles, leaders, politics, slavery, food, geography, and people of that period of time.  Finally, we will look at the results of the war, and the long-term effects of those results.  We will also take time to examine the impact of the war on today’s America.  (Grades 10-12)

 

Contemporary American History (162)                                                    semester          .5 credit

     The student will study the social and cultural history of the Rock and Roll Age, American History from the end of World War II to the present.  The course will attempt to show how the decades that followed the end of World War II impacted the present.  The course will also look at the changing values and culture of the United States over the past 60 years, with an emphasis on the impact of social media, and it’s use to tell the story or point of view of an issue in American History.  (Grades 10-12)

 

Cultural Anthropology (160)                                                                       semester           .5 credit

     Anthropology is designed to give us a better understanding of basic human behaviors using other cultures ranging from the animal kingdom, ancient caveman, various historical societies and tribes on all the major continents, and contemporary subcultures.  Included in the major concepts and themes are:

  • Language and communication of people

  • Food production & labor

  • Social stratification & social order

  • Marriage & family life

  • Religion

  • Art

(Grade 10-12)

 

Physical & Cultural Geography (163)                                                          semester            .5 credit

     The major purpose of this course is to provide students with an overview of physical and cultural geography and to emphasize the relationship between the people and the land.  (Grades 10-12)

 

Psychology I* (164)                                                                                        semester           .5 credit

     This course is designed to cover the issues and topics of psychology, the science of behavior, and mental processes.  We will look at the behavior of people, even ourselves, throughout this course.  The course will cover methods of research, behavior, senses, consciousness, learning, memory, motivation, and intelligence.  College Preparatory  (Grades 11-12)  

* Students can also obtain college credit through the dual enrollment program.  Students must complete BOTH Psychology I & Psychology II in the same year in order to receive credit.  Enrollment packet is available in the Principal’s office.

 

Psychology II* (166)                                                                                       semester           .5 credit

     This course is designed to cover the issues and topics of psychology that were not included in Psychology I.  We will continue to look at the behavior of people, including ourselves, throughout this course.  The course will cover methods of motivation, child development, adolescence, sexuality, psychological disorders, and personality.  College Preparatory. Prerequisite:  Psychology I  (Grades 11-12)

* Students can also obtain college credit through the dual enrollment program.  Students must complete BOTH Psychology I & Psychology II in the same year in order to receive credit.  Enrollment packet is available in the Principal’s office.

 

Sociology I (165)                                                                                               semester          .5 credit

     This is a course that looks at the interaction of groups of people; not just how different groups interact, but also the interaction of the group. The course includes the basics of sociology, such as, culture, social interaction, adolescence and adults and their roles in society, and social stratification.  If you are interested in people, you are in the right place. This course will not make you a sociologist, but I hope you will gain from it, a new understanding of human behavior that you can use in your life every day.  (Grades 10-12)

 

Sociology II (167)                                                                                                semester         .5 credit

     This course is designed to cover the issues and topics within society.  As a prerequisite, you must have taken and passed Sociology I, which provides you with the background to discuss the issues covered in this course.  Issues we will examine throughout Sociology II will include, but not be limited to:  Deviance and Social Control, Racial Issues in America, Politics, Education, Religion, Mass Media, Urbanization, Collective Behavior, Terrorism, and Death and Dying.  Prerequisite: Sociology I  (Grades 10-12)

 

Women in American History (161)                                                                     semester         .5 credits

     This course is designed to introduce and broaden understanding of the role of women in our American past.  The course will attempt to strike a balance between describing the lives of average women and the lives of extraordinary women.  The lives of individual women and the social movements emphasized (abolition, suffrage, labor, and others) will highlight for students the issues, conflicts, and historical times of the mass of women.  Women living in all types of conditions and in all times have created meaning, purpose, beauty, and dignity in their lives despite the limitations placed upon them by the larger society. This course will explore those limitations and more importantly the accomplishments of the American woman.  (Grades 10-12)

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