2010- 2011 Course Description Guide - Midland Independent ...

SOCIAL STUDIES COURSESWORLD GEOGRAPHY STUDIES – (Course #5120 )Grade Level: 9; Length: YearThrough varied classroom experiences, students visit all parts of the world and study both the similarities anddifferences of settings and people. Special emphasis is placed on the five geographic themes: location, place,human/environmental interaction, movement, and regions.WORLD GEOGRAPHY STUDIES/PRE‐AP (Course #5130)Grade Level 9; Length: YearPre‐AP World Geography is a class designed to better prepare students for AP courses. Pre‐AP Geography will coverthe same regions of the world as World Geography, but will emphasize such geographic issues as population, urbangrowth and analysis, economic development, and regional differences in the way people organize their societies.Critical thinking, problem‐solving and geographic skills will be emphasized.WORLD HISTORY STUDIES – (Course #5265)Grade Level: 10; Length: YearWorld History surveys the contributions of all major cultural groups throughout history. Students will engage intraditional and cooperative activities designed to enhance content understanding.WORLD HISTORY STUDIES/PRE‐AP – (Course #5270 )Grade Level: 10; Length: YearUNITED STATES HISTORY – (Course #5220)Grade Level: 11; Length: YearStudents travel back through past decades to the present time. During each decade, contributions of all people to theAmerican scene are emphasized.UNITED STATES HISTORY/AP – (Course #5230)Grade Level: 11; Length: YearTAKS SOCIAL STUDIES ACCELERATION – LOCAL CREDIT ONLY (Course #1002)Grade level: 10, 11, 12 ; Length: SemesterStudents who are not successful on TAKS in grades 8, 10, and 11 will enroll in this test‐preparation course. Teacherswill assess students’ past performance, determine students’ weaknesses as well as strengths, customize instruction,monitor progress, focus on test‐taking strategies, and administer practice tests. Depending upon students’instructional needs, teachers may integrate both content and skills from two or more core subjects: social studies,language arts, science, and/or mathematics. Completing the course will enhance students’ confidence level, contentknowledge, skills development, and test‐taking abilities.UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT – (Course #5165)Grade Level: 11, 12; Length: SemesterStudents study past and present political systems and contemporary problems that systems seek to solve.Throughout the course, students explore trails that make good citizens in a democratic society.UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT / AP – (Course #5170)Grade Level: 11, 12; Length: SemesterAP/GT COMPARATIVE POLITICS (Spring Semester Only) / Dual Credit (Course #5182)Grade Level: 11, 12; Length: SemesterThis course in government/political science is intended to illustrate the diversity of political life in foreign nations andto provide examples of available institutional alternatives. Students will explain differences in processes and policyoutcomes, the importance of; global, political and economic changes, as well as comparatively assess theeffectiveness of policy approaches by examining different countries’ approaches to dealing with political problems.22