2012-2013 High School Curriculum Bulletin - McAllen ISD

Page 264352 ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) U.S. HISTORYSTUDIESPending College Board Approval for AP StatusLowest Grade Placement: 11Credit: 1Prerequisite: World Geography OR World History StudiesRank: APThis course surveys the American experience from colonialsettlement to the present. The course, which is both writing and readingintensive, is designed to provide students with the analytic skills andfactual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems andevents in United States history. Because a major goal of the class isto prepare students to successfully complete the Advanced Placementexam, students can expect demands upon them equivalent to those madeby full-year introductory college courses. The students are requiredto take the AP Exam.NOTE: This advanced course also serves the identified gifted/talentedstudent.4355 INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB)HISTORY OF THE AMERICAS HLLowest Grade Placement: 11Credit: 1Rank: IBThis course of study is designed to meet the 1 st year of the HistoryHigher Level requirement for the IB Diploma as well as the U.S.History credit for the state of Texas. Students study History of theAmericas from European settlement to the present with an emphasison Latin America and the United States, from 1875 to 1975. Studentsare required to complete a historical investigation of 1500-2000 wordswhich is internally assessed and externally moderated.NOTE: This advanced course also serves the identified gifted/talentedstudent.4411 U.S. GOVERNMENT SDLowest Grade Placement: 12Credit: 1/2Prerequisite: U.S. History StudiesRank: StandardThe course is designed to develop an understanding of thefoundation, structures and functions of the U.S. political system.Specific emphasis is placed on the study of the U.S. Constitution.Students are provided opportunities to identify executive, legislative andjudicial authority roles. They also examine the functions of politicalparties and factors that influence an individual’s political beliefs andbehavior.4421 U.S. GOVERNMENT CPLowest Grade Placement: 12Credit: 1/2Prerequisite: U.S. History StudiesRank: College PreparatoryThis course is designed to give students a more in-depthunderstanding of the foundation, structures and functions of the U.S.political system. Specific emphasis is placed on the study of the U.S.Constitution.4431 ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) U.S.GOVERNMENT AND POLITICSLowest Grade Placement: 12Credit: 1/2Prerequisite: U.S. History StudiesRank: APThis course is designed to give students a critical perspective ongovernment and politics in the United States. Course content includesthe study of general concepts used to interpret United States politicsand the analysis of specific case studies. Because a major goal ofthe class is to prepare students to successfully complete the AdvancedPlacement exam, students can expect demands upon them the impact ofreligious and physiological traditions. Projects and discussions requirestudents to interpret and analyze historical material.4455 INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB)20 TH CENTURY WORLD HISTORY HLLowest Grade Placement: 12Credit: 1Prerequisite: IB History of the Americas 4355Rank: IBThis one-year course of study is designed to meet the 2 nd year IBHistory Higher Level requirement for the IB Diploma. Students study20 th Century World History topics related to modern wars, single-partystates, and the Cold War. Students are required to complete a researchpaper which is internally assessed and externally moderated. This courseculminates with the IB History Higher Level Exam. Students may begranted college credit for scores on this exam.NOTE: This advanced course also serves the identified gifted/talentedstudent.4461 SPECIAL TOPICS IN SOCIAL STUDIES/ APLowest Grade Placement: 12Credit: 1/2 ElectiveRank: NoneThis course is designed to give students a critical perspective on generalconcepts used to interpret United States politics and the analysis ofspecific case studies. The course also requires familiarity with thevarious institutions, groups, beliefs and ideas that make up the UnitedStates political reality. Students examine current social issues and publicpolicy in the context of the United States Constitution and establisheddivisions of power within the American political structure. The focusof this course is the nature of the relationship between individualsand society and involves an in-depth study of the philosophicalunderpinnings of the founding documents. Students taking SpecialTopics in Social Studies should take the AP Government course (4431)NOTE: This advanced course also serves the identified gifted/talentedstudent.4363 Advanced Placement (AP) European HistoryLowest Grade Placement: 11Credit: 1Prerequisite: NoneRank: APThis course explores the intellectual, cultural and social-economichistory of Europe from approximately 1450- the 1980s. In addition toan exposure to the factual narrative of this period, the course attemptsto develop student understanding of the principal themes in modernEuropean history and ability to analyze historical evidence. Extensiveoutside reading is required for the course. The students arerequired to take the AP Exam.NOTE: This advanced course also serves the identified gifted/talentedstudent. Taught at McHi transportation by school bus required.4471 PSYCHOLOGYLowest Grade Placement: 11Credit: 1/2Prerequisite: NoneRank: NoneThis course deals with the science of human and animal behavior.The purpose of this course is to help students understand themselvesas individuals and their relationships with others. Topics include thenature of psychology, developmental psychology, motivation andemotion, personality theories, mental and behavioral disorder therapies,personality testing, assessment, sensation and perception, the brain andhow it works and states of consciousness. Emphasis is placed on classdiscussion of student experiences The course is strongly recommendedfor students interested in careers in the field of behavioral science.4473/4475 ADVANCED PLACEMENT PSYCHOLOGYLowest Grade Placement: 11Credit: 1/2Prerequisite: NoneRank: NoneThis course deals with the science of human and animal behavior.The purpose of this course is to help students understand themselvesas individuals and their relationships with others. Topics include thenature of psychology, learning, developmental psychology, motivationand emotion, personality theories, mental and behavioral disordertherapies, personality testing, assessment, sensation and perception,the brain and how it works and states of consciousness. Emphasis isplaced on class discussion of student experiences. The course is stronglyrecommended for students interested in careers involving the field ofbehavioral science. The Psychology AP class is reading intensive andrequires independent work and research using case studies and journals.This class is intended to prepare students for the Psychology AP examand is conducted as a college level course. The students are requiredto take the AP Exam. Students taking AP - Psychology should takethe two semester Research Methods/Psychology AP course.4474 INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB)PSYCHOLOGY SLLowest Grade Placement: 11Credit: 1Rank: NoneThis one-year course of study is designed to meet the elective standardlevel or 1 st year higher level requirement for the IB Diploma. The aimsof this program are to promote an awareness of and respect for thepsychological diversity of human beings with reference to biological,social, and cultural influences; develop an appreciation of the broadscope of psychology; develop an understanding of different theoreticalapproaches to understanding behavior: introduce diverse methods ofpsychological inquiry; promote ethical practices and responsibilities inpsychological inquiry; and explore practical applications of psychologyand demonstrate relevance of psychology to daily life. Students arerequired to replicate a psychological study which is internally assessedand externally moderated. This course will prepare students to take theIB Psychology Standard Level Exam. Students may be granted collegecredit for scores on this exam.NOTE: This advanced course serves the identified gifted/talentedstudent.4475/4473 RESEARCH METHODS / PSYCHOLOGY APLowest Grade Placement: 11Credit: 1/2Prerequisite: NoneRank: NoneThis course is a two semester course which is designed to preparethe self-motivated student for the Advanced Placement examination.Students will have the opportunity to practice with AdvancedPlacement formatted exams throughout the course in preparation for thisexamination. The course will cover the range of psychological conceptsnormally included in collegiate Introductory and General Psychologycourses. The range of topics will include: the history of psychology;research ethics; neurobiology and behavior; sensation and perception;states of consciousness; motivation and emotion; stress and health; socialpsychology; cognition; personality theory; and psychological disordersand therapy. An emphasis will be placed on research methodology andstatistics (towards the end of the course in an effort) to prepare studentsto propose and complete an independent research project which maybe submitted for publication. The students are required to take theAP Exam. NOTE: This advanced course serves the identified gifted/talented student. Students taking AP - Psychology should take thetwo semester Research Methods/Psychology AP course.4476 INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB)PSYCHOLOGY HLLowest Grade Placement: 12Credit: 1Prerequisite: IB Psychology 4474Rank: NoneThis one-year course of study is designed to meet the second year ofthe higher level elective requirement for the IB Diploma. The aimsof this program are to promote an awareness of and respect for thepsychological diversity of human beings with reference to biological,social, and cultural influences; develop an appreciation of the broadscope of psychology; develop an understanding of different theoreticalapproaches to understanding behavior; introduce diverse methods ofpsychological inquiry; promote ethical practices and responsibilities inpsychological inquiry; and explore practical applications of psychologyand demonstrate the relevance of psychology to daily life. This courserequires a more detailed knowledge of research methods, additionaloptional studies and the design, conduct, and report of one experiment