Social Studies
SOCIAL STUDIES 7
This social studies course covers the history of America to 1865 with five distinct themes of American History: Geography & Native Americans, Exploration & Colonization, American Revolution, United States Constitution, and Expansion and Division. Students participate in various activities such as debates, panel discussions, group projects and hands-on activities.
SOCIAL STUDIES 8
This course completes a two-year curriculum in United States History & Government. Beginning in 1865 with Reconstruction and continuing through to the present day, students will explore key periods of American history. Throughout the year, students will engage in a variety of activities, including discussions, debates, projects and simulations.
ECONOMICS
This course is a study of economic decision-making. The course looks at factors that impact economic decisions. Students will look at several economic models and how they impact societies. Personal finance, the stock market, business cycles, international trade and the government’s regulation of the economy are addressed. Also in this course, current events are tied to the curriculum.
FMCC AMERICAN HISTORY I
This course examines the history of the United States from its origins through the Reconstruction Era. A major emphasis is placed on the development of the American constitutional system. Topics to be studied include the Colonial period, the American Revolution, the ratification of the Constitution, Jacksonian Democracy, and the various disputes, including that over slavery and states’ rights, that led to the Civil War.
FMCC AMERICAN HISTORY II
This course examines United States history from 1865 to the present. The emphasis is on the social, political and economic development of the country. Attention is also given to the relationship between the United States and the rest of the world. Topics studied will include Reconstruction, westward expansion, the Industrial Revolution, immigration, the Great Depression and the impact of the Cold War. Also crucial to understanding the United States during this time is to study the growth and effect of social movements, in particular their relationship to and conflict with government.
GLOBAL HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY 9R
From the days of nomadic roaming tribes in 10,000 BCE to the meeting of hemispheres throughout the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, Global 9 explores the impacts of civilizations gaining, consolidating and losing power in an increasingly interconnected world. These themes are supported by the emphasis on developing historical thinking skills through the use of primary documents, secondary sources, political cartoons, map reading and chart and graph interpretations, challenging students to identify and define enduring issues that society has discussed across time.
This course fulfills the first half of a two-year sequence. Students are required to take the New York State Regents Examination at the end of Global History and Geography 10.
GLOBAL HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY 9H
From the days of nomadic roaming tribes in 10,000 BCE to the meeting of hemispheres throughout the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, Global 9 explores the impacts of civilizations gaining, consolidating and losing power in an increasingly interconnected world. Students are required to take the New York State Regents
Examination is at the end of Global History and Geography 10.
The goal of the honors level course is to encourage students to forge deeper connections with the course material and its relevance to the broader world. Students will be challenged to actively engage in historical thinking skills by examining a variety of sources regarding enduring issues that society has grappled with throughout time. Students should be prepared to fully engage in classroom instruction as well as complete independent reading and writing assignments. This format promotes self-directed learning and helps students develop critical thinking and research skills. Students are expected to maintain the pacing and requirements of the course.
GLOBAL HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY 10R
Global History & Geography 10 is a discussion and analysis of world historical events beginning with the French Revolution in the late 18th century and continuing through the 21st century. The objective is for students to develop a clear understanding of the events that helped shape human history during the above time frame using reading, writing, and critical thinking techniques.
Contemporary issues relative to the global format will be incorporated to supplement the curriculum. Students will work towards preparing for the June Global History & Geography Regents Exam.
GLOBAL HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY 10H
Global History & Geography 10 is a discussion and analysis of world historical events beginning with the French Revolution in the late 18th century and continuing through the 21st century. Contemporary issues relative to the global format will be incorporated. Students will work towards preparing for the June Global History & Geography Regents exam.
The goal of the honors level course is to encourage students to forge deeper connections with the course material and its relevance to the broader world. Students should be prepared to fully engage in classroom instruction as well as complete independent reading and writing assignments. Critical thinking and problem solving are mastered through classroom discussion and deliberation. This format promotes self-directed
learning and helps students develop critical thinking and research skills. Students are expected to maintain the pacing and requirements of the course.
PARTICIPATION IN GOVERMENT
The course stresses citizenship and the participation in the electoral process; emphasizes the legal obligation of citizens; and explains how public policy is operated. The course also addresses the legal rights and responsibilities of the individual in civil life, the work place, school, and the international community. To that end, students are provided the opportunity to register to vote. Topics to be covered are, but not limited to Foundations of American Democracy, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Rights, Responsibilities and Duties of Citizenship, Political and Civic Participation, and Public Policy.
UNITED STATES HISTORY & GOVERNMENT 11R
This course provides a basic outline of the structure of our governmental system as well as incorporating relevant events in American history from the colonial period through the late 20th century. Students will develop a clear understanding of the structure of various American government systems as well as the American history that shaped them during the above time frame using reading, writing, and critical thinking techniques. Additionally, contemporary issues relative to the American perspective will be incorporated to supplement curriculum. Finally students will work towards preparing for the June U.S. History and Government Regents Exam.
Elective Courses
AMERICAN REVOLUTION
The French & Indian War has been called “The War That Made America.” The American Revolution is the war that directly leads to the creation of the United States of America. This course compares the two major conflicts from the 18th Century in an effort to determine which war was more influential in the development of America. These conflicts will be compared through political strategies, battle tactics, the roles of famous Americans like George Washington, as well as by how America views each conflict today. Documentaries, movies, literature, artwork, and trips to historical sites will be used to provide information to compare these conflicts
CIVICS LAB
Citizenship is about more than just voting. There are ways to actively participate and contribute to the community. This project-based, student-driven course will allow students to be guided through avenues to affect positive change. Students are responsible for developing and executing a semester-based Civic project in which they identify a problem in their local community, explore the issue, and then develop and take action in an attempt to address the problem they selected. Smaller, introductory examination of civic issues will also be explored. Students who are motivated and willing to place effort to assigned tasks while adhering to strict deadlines will find success in this course.
HISTORY OF NASA
This course traces the development of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration from its early days as the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) to current day Moon and Mars missions. The class begins with an analysis of World War II and the Cold War and transitions into the events that make NASA what it is today. Throughout the class, hands-on projects are used to simulate the scientific experience of what it is like to work for NASA. Interviews and virtual field trips with NASA employees will occur throughout the semester.
PEd SPORTS HISTORY
This course examines the development of sport in America. It will survey the reciprocal impact of sports on the political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of American society, as well as how historical events and circumstances have, in turn, impacted sports. Key issues affecting sport, such as gender, race, social class, and commercialization, will also be covered. The course will focus on the origins of specific American sports, with analysis conducted through readings, primary and secondary source documents, audio-visual materials, and class discussions.
SUNY PSYCHOLOGY
This is a traditional introductory course in psychology. Topics include but are not limited to, methods and experimental design, behavior, development, learning and conditioning, intelligence and memory, sensation and perception, motivation and emotion, abnormal behavior, among others.
SUNY SOCIOLOGY
This course focuses on C. Wright Mills’ sociological imagination, which describes the relationship between individual experiences and the larger societal forces that shape our actions. The sociological imagination is the ability to recognize patterns in human behavior and identify the subtle forces that influence us. By stepping back from individual events—much like a museum-goer stepping back from a painting to see the whole image—we can discover the social patterns that govern our lives.
WORLD WARS
The two biggest wars in the history of the world happen within a 25 year span of each other. One war is consistently talked about in history classes. One war is not. This course explores the connections between World War I and World War II. It begins with an analysis of artifacts from the conflicts, moves into a chronological analysis of World War I, and ends with how each conflict is viewed today. Food, film, and the fundamentals of war are used to explore “The Great War for Civilization.”