2023-24 Le Mars Community High School Curriculum Guide

P a g e | 48  PSYCHOLOGY 1 (NCAA) Course Length: 1 Semester Credits: 1 Elective/Required: Elective Option Grade Level: 10, 11, 12 This junior-senior elective course will study the mind and behavior of individuals. We will explore a variety of topics, including brain function and anatomy, sensation and perception, research methods, and learning. You will gain practical, usable knowledge about your behavior that you will be able to see in action and put into practice in your own life. The coursework involves traditional classwork, free-response assessments, and a few short projects in which you apply the principles learned in class. PSYCHOLOGY 2 (NCAA) Course Length: 1 Semester Credits: 1 Prerequisite: Psychology Grade Level: 10, 11, 12 This continuation of Psychology at the junior/senior level will focus on a more in-depth look at some interesting topics. Subjects will include consciousness, memory, intelligence, sociocultural influences on psychology, personality, and abnormal psychology. This class involves several short projects in which you apply what you have learned in class. You must be a junior or senior and have already passed Psychology 1 in order to enroll in this course. SOCIOLOGY (NCAA) Course Length: 1 Semester Credits: 1 Elective/Required: Elective Option Grade Level: 10, 11, 12 Sociology is the scientific study of human interaction in group situations. You will have the opportunity to learn about many of the major topics facing society today. We will analyze the five major institutions of sociology - family, education, government, economics, and religion. The course will leave you with a better understanding of people and society. VOTING AND ELECTIONS - Offered 2024-2025 (NCAA) Course Length: 1 Semester Credits: 1 Elective/Required: Required Option Grade Level: 10, 11, 12 In this course, students will gain an understanding of the electoral process at the national, state, and local levels. They will also gain insight into the historical voting patterns within the United States. WORLD HISTORY (NCAA) Course Length: 1 Year Credits: 2 Grade Level: 10 This is a required survey course, which covers World History from the Middle Ages to the present. The primary focus is the history of the western world, with particular emphasis on Europe and the Americas. Students will complete traditional social studies assignments, such as note-taking and reading comprehension activities, both traditionally and electronically. Each unit, or combination of units, will end with a summative assessment. Students will also complete several alternate assessments, including, but not limited to, four video projects.