SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
There is a three year LHS graduation requirement in History/Social Studies. All courses integrate multicultural perspectives and activities into the curriculum and pedagogy and will include perspectives from historically marginalized people. All 9th graders will take United States History I. All 10th grade students will take Modern World History. All 11th grade students will take United States History II or AP United States History II. In addition to the three-year requirement, it is strongly recommended that students choose a variety of Social Studies electives as listed. The LHS Social Studies program is aligned with the 2018 Massachusetts History and Social Science Framework.
Grade 9
All 9th grade students are required to take United States History I. This course will survey United States history from 1763 through the end of World War I. Students begin their study of United States history with a review of the origins and main events of the American Revolution, Constitutional principles, and events of the early Republic. They examine the causes and consequences of the Civil War, Industrialization, Immigration, Progressivism, and the role of the United States in World War I.
Grade 10
All 10th grade students are required to take Modern World History. The course will survey World History from the French Revolution to the present day. Some topics will include new economic theories, European imperialism, World War I and II, genocide in the 20th Century, global interdependence and the developing world. Attention will focus on the history, culture, geography, economic systems and civic life of main societies and eras of world history. In their study of Modern World History, students will extend their knowledge of the achievements of world cultures they have studied in the past.
Grade 11
Most 11th grade students continue their study of United States history of the 20th and 21st centuries. They learn about the economic history of the Great Depression, New Deal, World War II, and the Cold War, concluding with an examination of domestic and global policies and politics in the 21st century. However, to adequately prepare students for the Advanced Placement Exam, the AP course will cover United States History from European Discovery to the present. In all grade 11 history courses, the focus is on the development of critical thinking, writing and research skills as well as the completion of a student led civic action project.
Electives
Electives in Social Studies are designed to give students a sense of college level work and an opportunity to study the various disciplines of the social studies in an introductory format.
EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENT LEARNING
Across all required courses, our students should be able to:
Expand their capacity for historic, economic, and political reasoning
Decipher reliable vs. unreliable sources
Strengthen their ability to develop research questions and conduct inquiries by interpreting primary and secondary sources
Establish foundational knowledge about significant recurring questions in United States and modern World History
Make national and global connections in preparation for citizenship, college, and careers
Develop an appreciation of the cultural diversity of our society including historically marginalized people, while recognizing the strengths and challenges of our diversity
Social Studies Course Levels
Honors and Advanced Placement are the most accelerated courses, requiring for success, a demonstrated
mastery of content, critical thinking, document analysis and superior writing skills. Students enrolled in these classes
must be able to independently read and comprehend material that is well above grade level. Additionally, students
must have the proven ability to think critically and conceptualize at an abstract and advanced level. Honors courses
prepare students for Advanced Placement classes, which in turn prepare students for the Advanced Placement
Examination. The Advanced Placement classes operate at a level equivalent to a college course.
511, 514, 524 level classes are college preparatory courses that emphasize the development of critical thinking
skills, document analysis and writing skills. The pace and reading levels of materials in these classes are grade
appropriate. Students must have a basic understanding of historic methodology and proficient social studies skill
development. Students will develop and build research and writing skills that will prepare them for social studies
classes at the college level.
512, 515, 525 level classes are designed to provide students with reinforcement in basic historical methodology and
social studies skill development. Additionally, students in these classes will spend time developing appropriate study
skills and strengthen their reading comprehension and writing skills.
AP Summer Reading.docAPUSH Summer Reading and Course Textbook
