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Our students are citizens of the world. To educate our Jewish students to become informed, thoughtful, and active citizens, we foster an understanding of government: how it works, how one participates in that government, and how one can bring about a better world by using this knowledge. We also familiarize our students with our own economic system and the economic systems employed by other societies. Students should appreciate the legacy of Western civilization and its impact on American culture. They should be aware of different cultures within the United States and within the world at large. We hope to teach them openness to all peoples of the world through an understanding of other cultures and religions.
The History and Social Sciences Department incorporates many disciplines—history, sociology, geography, political science, economics, psychology, and the law. Classes are taught using the developmental lesson, which begins with a stated aim or topic. The latest technology is used to augment our explorations. Homework assignments are checked in various ways: class discussion, collection and grading, peer review. They are always integrated into the daily lesson.
As a department, we strive to promote critical thinking, the development of important skills and beliefs such as analytical reading and writing, and a sense of civic duty. To that end, each course will seek to integrate current events into the curriculum to encourage students to make important connections between the past and today. Students are assessed by regular testing, quizzes, graded homework and various essay assignments.
All students take a minimum of four years of history and social studies. We want to graduate students with a comprehensive knowledge base and a well-developed ability to analyze and think critically, essential skills they need to take their places in their futures.
This course is the first year of a two-year program in global history. It is a cross-cultural study of history from prehistory through the mid-18th Century. Covered topics include, but are not limited to, the history, geography, politics, economics, and societies of various regions of the globe. In addition to the history and geography curriculum, the course will develop and enhance student skills. Special focus is directed at student reading, writing, note taking, and critical thinking skills that are so vital for their success. Students may be placed in the skills-level section based on performance. This section will have a strong focus on skill development and use modified assessments and classroom material.
The advanced placement program is designed to allow students the opportunity to pursue college level courses in high school. This course focuses on the areas of European history from the Renaissance through the Cold War. Students will read text material as well as original sources. Students will also refine their skills in the process of creating a full historical research paper. Teacher recommendations are required for entry into this course. Departmental and administrative approval is required.
This is the second half of the two-year program in global history with an emphasis on European History. Students begin with the period of Enlightenment and the effect it had on the development of modern politics. They will explore how it influenced the French Revolution, sparking nationalist liberation movements throughout European nations and their colonial attachments. Next, they will examine how the Industrial Revolution had a tremendous effect on the way people within different parts of the World lived and interacted. Students will explore how such influences caused the age of imperialism eventually culminating in World War I and World War II. Students will witness the devastating, World altering effects of these conflicts resulting in a cold war between the superpowers. In addition, students will take a closer look into different areas of concentration, such as genocides and the struggle for the rights of the people. This course exposes students to a diverse array of primary source materials -- comparing these historical events to current issues to make these topics much more relatable. There are many interactive, experiential activities meant to promote thought while challenging the students to fully analyze historical incidents. Students will be better able to evaluate where they stand on issues that helped shape the World we live within today. Based on teacher and administrative input, students may be placed in sections that are specialized in order to address their needs for enrichment and/or remediation.
This is the second year of the two-year program in global history. Beginning in the period of the Enlightenment, students will consider not only important cultural developments but also the emergence of modern political thinking. They will study the impact of Enlightenment thinkers and the story of the French Revolution. They will cover the following topics in the twentieth century: the story of mass democracy, feminism, the two world wars and the cold war, and national independence movements/decolonization. In this skills-level class students will continue to develop vital skills in reading, writing, note taking, and critical thinking. Teachers will place a strong focus on skill development and use modified assessments and classroom material. The goal will be to use differentiated methods of teaching to reflect each student's needs.
Who is a Jew? What is a Jew? Why are there Jews? The Jewish History course will examine how these questions have been answered by Jews, non-Jews, rich, poor, powerful, powerless, scholars, and the unschooled from 1500 to the present. Students will learn how intellectual, economic and political shifts shaped the answers given to these questions, threatened the survival of Jewish communities, and opened new opportunities for Jews as well. Through a combination of readings, discussions, multimedia resources, and an in depth study of some of the Gedolei Yisroel and their works, students will gain a deep understanding of the trajectory of Jewish history.
A course in United States History is required for all juniors. Students may take Advanced Placement United States History. The Advanced Placement Program is designed to allow high school students the opportunity to pursue college-level studies while attending high school. While the course covers the same periods of history as the regular U.S. history course, emphasis will be placed on reading original sources and analyzing differing interpretations of historical events.
All eleventh grade students who do not take AP U.S. History are required to take this course. It covers the political, economic, and social conditions in the United States from the beginning of our history to present times. The Constitution and the historical setting in which it was written will be studied. Students will understand the great historical developments that led to the U.S. becoming the democratic super-power of the world today. They will read textbooks, original sources, and current affairs articles in order to learn how to draw conclusions and become informed citizens and voters. Based on teacher and administrative input, students may be placed in sections that are specialized in order to address their needs for enrichment and/or remediation.
Twelfth grade students will be given the option to take Advanced Placement U.S. Government. The advanced placement program is designed to allow students the opportunity to pursue college level courses in high school. This one-year course is the study of the role of the national government and its relationship to the concept of liberty in a pluralistic society. The course will cover the influence of American political culture, political parties, public opinion, the media, and interest groups on the Congress, the Presidency, and our Court System. A sophisticated understanding of majority-rule democracy, constitutionalism, and civil liberties will be stressed. The course also includes a study of economics and its interrelation with the U.S. government. Teacher recommendation and administrative approval are required for enrollment.
Seniors who do not take the AP course on this topic may elect to take this course. In the fall term, the course familiarizes students with the workings of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of our government. The basic principles of our democracy—separation of powers, federalism and checks and balances will be explored. The Constitution and its Amendments will also be examined in order to understand the principle of government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Economics is the spring term course. The course explores both microeconomics (laws of supply and demand and the resulting price structure) and macroeconomics (taxation, banking, measuring the economy, and the financial markets). Throughout the term, the course will examine the role played by the United States government in our free-enterprise system.
The goals of this course are to read and analyze the rulings of the U.S. Supreme Court, prognosticate rulings on matters currently before the Court, to evaluate the role of precedent in the American legal system and to analyze judicial personalities and their effect on jurisprudence. Emphasis will be placed on case law with respect to the establishment of religion, freedom of speech, right to privacy, the death penalty and discrimination. Additionally, we will explore the legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the role of Justice Roberts in shaping the current court. In the second semester, students will have the opportunity to study Jewish law and the legal tradition from a comparative legal perspective.
Much of the American case law studied in the first semester will be placed in conversation with the Jewish legal tradition, spanning materials from the Bible and Talmud to medieval and modern responsa. Particular attention will be placed on what this rabbinic material has to say about some of the most vexing legal questions in contemporary American society like healthcare, abortion, gun control, religion in the public square, and freedom of speech and censorship. Students will gain fluency with rabbinic texts, develop greater understanding of how Jewish law works, and appreciate the relevancy of our Jewish tradition on some of the most pressing issues of our time.
This foundational course will explore the structure of the American legal system. Core concepts of contracts, property and comparative law will be discussed. The course will explore property through the lens of Holocaust art and property restitution and delve into issues of corporate social responsibility, including product liability, emerging technologies and the use of the internet. Comparison of American law with that of other nations, with an emphasis on Israel, will be included. Should time allow, we will explore outer space in addition to cyberspace.
In the second semester students examine the rules, principles, and sources of Jewish law. What does court procedure, including the rules of evidence, testimony, and adjudication tell us about the nature of Jewish law? How is the boundary between divine and human law constructed and negotiated? While the course will survey a wide variety of rabbinic materials, specific attention will be placed on selected sugyot from Masechet Sanhedrin. Traditional commentators (Rishonim and Achronim) will be studied alongside modern scholars of law, legal theory, and the sociology of law. Among the topics to be discussed are legal fictions and loopholes, the rebellious sage, agunot, rabbinic emergency powers of uprooting Torah law, and the death penalty. The course aims to give students a greater appreciation for the sophistication and complexity of Jewish law, its role in shaping Jewish life and culture, and its primacy in our own religious practice today.
This is an elective course open to12th grade students in which they will have the opportunity to learn about the music, media and even fashion that has shaped modern history. From the impact of mass immigration at the turn of the century to the roaring 20s, impact of African American music and dance, the Hollywood industry and the Jewish immigrants who helped develop it, Elvis’s impact on cultural diffusion, the McCarthy Era, and ultimately civil rights, Woodstock and Vietnam. 12th graders will analyze to what extent pop culture shapes society. Students will be assessed using project based presentations and assignments.
This is an elective course for seniors. The United States has a rich history of filmmaking. Aside from its entertainment value, films have been employed to educate people and communicate and illuminate important ideas about the world.. Arguably one of the greatest contributions of film is its use as a vehicle to transport us to another place and time – if only for a short while. This course is a study of American History and Politics using feature films as the primary source of information and inspiration. In class, we will examine topics presented in the film through discussion and lecture as well as documentary films and clips from additional feature films.
This is an elective open to seniors. What is actually going on in the world? This curriculum will focus on current events. 12th grade students will learn about media bias, “right vs left” media platforms and the influence of social media on politics. Units will include both national and international major events and an analysis of how it may affect our lives. There will also be a unit on analyzing economic data in the news and a unit specifically studying Israeli current events and how it is portrayed in the media. Students will be assessed through written assignments and oral presentations. The final project will include a student-made documentary.
This is an elective open to juniors. The focus of this course is to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and the mental processes of both human beings and animals. Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. They also learn about the methods psychologists use in their science and practice. Among the topics studied are neurology, emotions, sensations, memory, thinking, human development, and psychological health and disorders. The students will have an opportunity to participate in experiments, research, and oral presentations. Teacher recommendation and administrative approval are required for enrollment.
This is an elective open to juniors. AP Macroeconomics is a course designed to provide students with a thorough understanding of the principles of economics by examining aggregate economic behavior. Students taking the course can expect to learn how the measures of economic performance, such as GDP, inflation and unemployment are constructed and how to apply them to evaluate the macroeconomic conditions of an economy. Students will also learn the basic analytical tools of macroeconomics, primarily the aggregate demand and aggregate supply model and its application in the analysis and determination of national income, as well as in evaluating the effectiveness of fiscal and monetary policy in promoting economic growth and stability. Recognizing the global nature of economics, students will also have ample opportunities to examine the impact of international trade and international finance on national economies. Various economic schools of thought are introduced as solutions to economic problems are considered. Teacher recommendation and administrative approval are required for enrollment.
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