Social Studies Department

2024-2025

Introduction:
Social Studies, as defined by the National Council for the Social Studies, is “the integrated study of the
social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence.” The primary purpose of the Randolph
Public Schools social studies program is to provide an academically rigorous environment that
produces active critical thinkers and productive, civically competent participants in our society. Social
studies education provides learners with the knowledge, skills, and perspectives needed to become
active, informed citizens and contributing members of local, state, national, and global communities
in the digital age. Students will study civics, government, human rights, geography, economics,
history, culture and perspectives as prescribed by the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Social
Studies. Students will explore these disciplinary concepts through diverse sources and from multiple
perspectives.

Course Recommendation Process:

Teacher recommendation, classroom performance, and diagnostic assessments are the primary criteria
for determining appropriate course levels. When making recommendations for courses, teachers
consider the following criteria:

Moving Up a Level:
• An apparent ease with assignments
• An ability to grasp concepts quickly
• A capacity for thinking at a deeper level with greater insight
• An interest in the subject matter more appropriate to a higher-level student

Moving Down a Level:

• Averaging a D or lower
• Struggling or seeming overwhelmed by the work
• An inability to grasp concepts without additional, separate, individual explanation
• Critical thinking and writing skill levels noticeably lower than those of peers
• Lack of motivation to meet the challenges of an accelerated course

***Please note that students who have an A in a class may simply be appropriately placed and are able to shine at that level.
Having an A average alone does not indicate that a student should move to a more advanced level. Regarding lack of
motivation: If students do not submit work, it is difficult to gauge ability level. Although having difficulties completing homework
assignments will naturally impact a student’s grade, homework is only a portion of the average. Therefore, it stands to reason
that if a student is appropriately placed, he/she should be able to maintain a C average based on tests, essays, and
participation.

Summer Assignments:

Advanced Placement (AP) courses may assign mandatory summer assignments to incoming students.

Sequencing:

For each year of high school, every student is required to pass a year-long social studies class. Required,
year-long social studies classes are offered at different levels. Teacher recommendation, classroom
performance, and diagnostic assessments are the primary criteria for determining appropriate course
levels. All Randolph High School social studies courses prepare students for college. In general, students
at a higher level are expected to be more independent, more self-disciplined, and more initiative-taking.

Course Title (Code) Grade Level Length

+World History (SOC110) 9 Full Year
World History – H (SOC120) 9 Full Year
AP World History (SOC550) 9, 12 Full Year
+United States History I 10 Full Year
(SOC210)
United States History I – H 10 Full Year
(SOC220)
+United States History II 11 Full Year
(SOC300)
AP United States History II 11 Full Year
(SOC500)
Holocaust & Genocide Studies – 11, 12 Full Year
H (SOC800)
AP Economics (Micro/Macro) 11, 12 Full Year
(SOC530)
AP Government and Politics 11, 12 Full Year
(SOC540)
AP European History (SOC520) 11, 12 Full Year
AP Human Geography (SOC560) 10, 11, 12 Full Year
AP Psychology (SOC510) 11, 12 Full Year
AP African American Studies 10, 11, 12 Full Year
(SOC570)
Criminal Justice (SOC930) 11, 12 Full Year
General Psychology (SOC700) 11, 12 Full Year
Gender Studies (SOC986) 9, 10, 11, 12 Semester
Sociology (SOC835) 11, 12 Semester
Economics & Investment 11, 12 Semester
(SOC975)
Contemporary Issues (SOC905) 9, 10, 11, 12 Semester
Human Behavior (SOC825) 11, 12 Semester
+ One social studies course is required at grade levels 9-11.
Course Title: World History (SOC110)
Level/Grade: 9 Length: Full Year
NCAA Approved Core Course Pre-requisites: N/A
Course Description:
World History is a required course for all grade nine students and meets the New Jersey state
graduation requirement for five credits of World History. World History is a comprehensive survey of
global history and interaction from 1300 to the modern world. This course will, where applicable,
integrate and infuse examples of cultural diffusion and global interactions. The course will include a
balance of materials from Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East. This program will
also integrate and infuse information on New Jersey history, Holocaust Studies, and Social Studies
oriented vocations into the course of study as mandated by the New Jersey Department of Education.

Course Title: World History – Honors (SOC120)

Level/Grade: 9 Length: Full Year
NCAA Approved Core Course Pre-requisites: Students will be recommended
for this course by 8th grade teachers using the
department placement matrix.
Course Description:
World History is a required course for all grade nine students and meets the New Jersey state
graduation requirement for five credits of World History. World History Honors provides for advanced
work, rigorous and systematic study of major ideas and concepts found in global history. This
challenging course requires students to engage fully in problem-seeking, problem-solving, scholarly
and creative processes, critical analysis and application, reflective thinking and historical writing.
Students are also expected to acquire knowledge of current issues and relate them to themes studied
throughout the duration of the course.

Course Title: AP World History (SOC550)

Level/Grade: 9, 12 Length: Full Year
NCAA Approved Core Course Pre-requisites: For incoming freshman, students
will be recommended for this course by 8th grade
teachers using the department placement matrix.
Students may be required to complete a summer
reading assignment.
Course Description:
Advanced Placement World History is offered as a high-level course for the World History 9th grade
graduation requirement or as an elective course for 12th graders. Students in the course will explore
10,000 years of world history (8,000 BCE to the present) in five major geographical regions: Africa, the
Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Course themes include social, political,
environmental/technological, cultural, and economic developments that played a fundamental role in
shaping the world. Students will participate in a variety of group work and independent activities that
will seek to develop their historical thinking ability and chart cultural diffusion and change over time
in the course themes and regions. Each student enrolled in this course is strongly urged to take the
Advanced Placement Examination in AP World History given by the College Board. In order to prepare
for the exam and to develop analytical skills, the course will have a strong focus on Document Based
Questions and comparative essay writing.

Course Title: United States History I (SOC210)

Level/Grade: 10 Length: Full Year
NCAA Approved Core Course Pre-requisites: N/A
Course Description:
United States History I is a required course for all grade ten students and is the first half of a two-year
United States History program that meets the New Jersey state graduation requirement for two years
of United States history. This course begins with the colonization of the Americas, moves through the
Revolutionary and Early National Period, and then traces the history of the United States through the
Gilded Age. Students will develop understanding of the geographic, economic, political, social and
cultural realities that shaped the history of the United States.

Course Title: United States History I – Honors (SOC220)

Level/Grade: 10 Length: Full Year
NCAA Approved Core Course Pre-requisites: Above average achievement in all
previous social studies courses. Students will be
required to complete a summer reading
assignment.
Course Description:
United States History I H is the first part of a two-year Advanced Placement program in United States
History. This course meets the first part of the New Jersey state graduation requirement for two years
of United States History. This course is designed to provide students with a knowledge base to deal
critically with the study of United States history. Students will learn to assess historical materials –
their relevance to a given interpretive problem, their reliability, and their importance – and to weigh
the evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship. Students will develop the skills
necessary to arrive at conclusions based on informed judgment and present reasons and evidence
clearly and persuasively in essay format. Students will develop their skills in free-response essay
writing, document-based questions, and the analysis and evaluation of historic information. This
course is taught at a level equivalent to an introductory college course in United States history. The
course begins with the pre-Columbian period and moves through United States history to the end of
Reconstruction and the election of 1876.

Course Title: United States History II (SOC300)

Level/Grade: 11 Length: Full Year
NCAA Approved Core Course Pre-requisites: Satisfactory completion of United
States History I in grade 10.
Course Description:
United States History II is a required course for all grade eleven students and is the second half of a
two-year United States History program that meets the New Jersey state graduation requirement for
United States history. This course content begins in the second half of the 19th century with the study
of Progressivism moving through the twentieth century to the present. Students will continue to
develop their ability to apply geographic, economic, political, social and cultural concepts to the study
of United States history. Students will develop their skills in analyzing and evaluating multiple sources
of information to draw conclusions.

Course Title: AP United States History II (SOC500)

Level/Grade: 11 Length: Full Year
NCAA Approved Core Course Pre-requisites: Satisfactory completion of United
States History I H in grade 10 with a grade of “B”
or higher, and teacher recommendation.
Students will be required to complete a summer
reading assignment.
Course Description:
Advanced Placement United States History II is the second part of a two-year Advanced Placement
program in United States History. This course completes the New Jersey State graduation
requirement for two years of United States history. This course is designed to provide students with
the skills necessary to deal critically with the study of United States history. Students will learn to
assess historical materials -- their relevance to a given interpretive problem, their reliability, and their
importance – and to weigh the evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship.
Students will develop the skills necessary to arrive at conclusions on the basis of an informed
judgment and present reasons and evidence clearly in essay format. Students will further develop
their skills in free-response essay writing, document-based questions and the analysis and evaluation
of historic information. This course is taught at a level equivalent to an introductory college course in
United States history. The course begins with the investigation of the Progressive Movement and
moves through the United States’ involvement in two world wars to the post-Vietnam Era of the
1970’s and 80’s and to the present. Students will analyze the social, political, and economic
components of the historical periods studied. Each student enrolled in this course is strongly urged to
take the Advanced Placement Examination in United States History and the SAT Subject Test in United
States History.

Course Title: Holocaust & Genocide Studies – Honors (SOC800)

Level/Grade: 11, 12 Length: Full Year
NCAA Approved Core Course Pre-requisites: N/A
Course Description:
The seminar in Holocaust and Genocide Studies will allow students to use the lessons of history to
reflect on the fragility of “civilization.” It will also allow students to become more reflective in their
interactions with their fellow human beings and their response to governmental policy and power.
Students will begin the course by studying the roots of human nature, personality, and the dynamics
of ethical decision-making. The Holocaust will be introduced with a study of the roots of anti-
Semitism in Europe. This will be followed by a study of the philosophy, literature, art, music, mores,
history and economic circumstances that conditioned the German populace for a mass reception of
National Socialism and the embracing of Nazi ideology. The program will then use the insights derived
from an intensive analysis of the systematic and methodological destruction of European Jewry, and
others, (1938 – 1945) to detect and attempt to understand the consequences of “prejudice in action.”
Students will evaluate the actions of the perpetrators, victims, bystanders, rescuers, resistors,
liberators and survivors. The course will conclude with students investigating the nature of genocide
and mass killings that have occurred in the years following 1945. *Priority is given to grade 12
students.

Course Title: AP Economics (Micro/Macro) (SOC530)

Level/Grade: 11, 12 Length: Full Year
NCAA Approved Core Course Pre-requisites: Students suggested to have
maintained a “B” average in an honors course or
“A” average in CP course and teacher
recommendation. Students may be required to
complete a summer reading assignment.
Advanced Placement Economics is offered as an elective course in which microeconomics and
macroeconomics are studied. Topics of study in the microeconomics portion of the course include:
learning economic reasoning through a study of markets, the theory of the firm, the factor markets
and the relationship of government to business. Topics of study in the macroeconomics portion of the
course include: the systematic analysis of the economic challenges that face our nation, the study of
measuring economic performance, aggregate supply and demand, money and monetary policy, fiscal
policy and the United States in a global economy. Students will participate in a variety of activities
designed to prepare them for the Advanced Placement Examination, which is administered by the
College Board. This course is the equivalent of introductory college courses in micro and
macroeconomics. A strong mathematical background is recommended for students interested in this
course. Each student enrolled in this course is strongly urged to take the Advanced Placement
Examination in Microeconomics and Macroeconomics.

Course Title: AP European History

Level/Grade: 11, 12 Length: Full Year
Pre-requisites: Students suggested to have
maintained a “B” average in an honors course or
“A” average in CP course and teacher
recommendation. Students may be required to
complete a summer reading assignment.
Course Description:
Advanced Placement European History is offered as an elective course. Students in the course will
explore European History since 1450 with an emphasis on the cultural, economic, political, and social
developments that played a fundamental role in shaping the world in which they currently live.
Students will engage in the study of European intellectual and cultural history. This will include
changes in religious thought and institutions, ideologies characterized as “- isms” (socialism,
liberalism, nationalism), and the diffusion of new intellectual concepts among different social groups.
The political and diplomatic history, characterized by the rise and functioning of the modern state in
its various forms, will be studied. Cultural diffusion will also form a core of student investigation. This
includes the diffusion of new intellectual concepts, colonialism, imperialism, decolonization, and the
study of social and economic history related to the growth of interdependence in national and world
markets. Students will participate in a variety of activities designed to prepare them for the Advanced
Placement Examination. Each student enrolled in this course is strongly urged to take the Advanced
Placement Examination in European History, which is given by the College Board.
Course Title: AP Government & Politics (SOC540)
Level/Grade: 11, 12 Length: Full Year
NCAA Approved Core Course Pre-requisites: Students suggested to have
maintained a “B” average in an honors course or
“A” average in CP course and teacher
recommendation. Students may be required to
complete a summer reading assignment.
Course Description:
Advanced Placement Government & Politics is offered as a rigorous elective course for juniors and
seniors. The course seeks to explore and inform on topics related to political life, behavior, and
processes in the United States and international governments. Students will know important facts and
concepts pertaining to U.S. and international government and politics; understand typical political
processes and behavior and their consequences; analyze and interpret basic data relevant to U.S. and
foreign government and politics; critically analyze relevant theories and concepts, apply them
appropriately, and develop their connections across the curriculum. The course follows a nationally
recognized curriculum, and students are strongly encouraged to take the corresponding national tests
for potential college credit in May. Students who successfully complete this course will have the
ability to take two separate Advanced Placement tests. The course emulates a college-level
introductory political science course in subject matter, rigor, and class expectations.

Course Title: AP Human Geography (SOC560)

Level/Grade: 10, 11, 12 Length: Full Year
NCAA Approved Core Course Pre-requisites: Students suggested to have
maintained a “B” average in an honors course or
“A” average in CP course and teacher
recommendation. Students may be required to
complete a summer reading assignment.
Course Description:
Advanced Placement Human Geography explores places around the world with an emphasis on the
people who live there. Students will be exposed to the study of geography as a discrete, professional
discipline, including various relevant methodologies and tools; use geography as a medium to connect
various other disciplines (anthropology, environmental science, sociology, etc.); analyze how human
beings interact with each other and the environments they inhabit; observe how human beings
organize space culturally, economically, and politically; and understand the processes and patterns
that shape and connect all of the foregoing. Each student enrolled in this course is strongly urged to
take the Advanced Placement Examination in Human Geography.
Course Title: AP Psychology (SOC510)
Level/Grade: 11, 12 Length: Full Year
NCAA Approved Core Course Pre-requisites: Students suggested to have
maintained a “B” average in an honors course or
“A” average in CP course and teacher
recommendation. Students may be required to
complete a summer reading assignment.
Course Description:
The AP Psychology course is intended to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of
human behavior and mental processes. The student’s understanding of psychological methods,
theory and practice will increase along with awareness of the many fascinating sub-fields and careers
associated with the study of psychology. Along with psychological facts, principles and phenomena,
students will also be made aware of the ethics involved in scientific design, execution of research and
practice. Diagnoses and treatment modalities associated with abnormal behavior will be focuses of
study while detail of the biological versus environmental catalysts of behavior are examined. Finally,
the AP Psychology course provides the high school student with a college course experience, as the
forms of research required are synonymous with those required in undergraduate and graduate
collegiate work. Each student enrolled in this course is strongly urged to take the Advanced
Placement Examination in Psychology. Prerequisite: Students must have maintained a “B” average in
required social studies courses. Students are required to complete a summer reading assignment.
*Students should not have previously taken college-level General Psychology (SOC700).

Course Title: AP African American Studies

Level/Grade: 10, 11, 12 Length: Full Year
NCAA Approved Core Course Pre-requisites: Students suggested to have
maintained a “B” average in an honors course or
“A” average in CP course and teacher
recommendation. Students may be required to
complete a summer reading assignment.
Course Description:
AP African American Studies is an interdisciplinary course that examines the diversity of African
American experiences through direct encounters with authentic and varied sources. Students explore
key topics that extend from early African kingdoms to the ongoing challenges and achievements of
the contemporary moment. Given the interdisciplinary nature of African American studies, students
in the course will develop skills across multiple fields, with an emphasis on developing historical,
literary, visual, and data analysis skills. This course foregrounds a study of the diversity of Black
communities in the United States within the broader context of Africa and the African diaspora.
Course Title: Criminal Justice (SOC930)
Level/Grade: 11, 12 Length: Full Year
Dual Enrollment Pre-requisites: Students suggested to have
maintained a “B” average in an honors course or
“A” average in CP course and teacher
recommendation. Students may be required to
complete a summer reading assignment.
Course Description:
Criminal Justice is a college-level course. Students have the opportunity to earn credits from The
County College of Morris (CCM), as well as high school transcript credit, after successfully completing
the course. CCM’s class syllabus serves as the curriculum outline.

Course Title: General Psychology (SOC700)

Level/Grade: 11, 12 Length: Full Year
Dual Enrollment Pre-requisites: Students suggested to have
maintained a “B” average in an honors course or
“A” average in CP course and teacher
recommendation. Students may be required to
complete a summer reading assignment.
Course Description:
General Psychology is a college-level course. Students have the opportunity to earn credits from The
County College of Morris (CCM), as well as high school transcript credit, after successfully completing
the course. CCM’s class syllabus serves as the curriculum outline.
*Students should not have previously taken AP Psychology (SOC510).

Course Title: Gender Studies (SOC986)

Level/Grade: 9, 10, 11, 12 Length: Semester
NCAA Approved Core Course Pre-requisites: N/A
Course Description:
This course will begin with a survey of basic concepts of feminist theory and the development of
gender theory. While global in nature, there will be a focus on gender studies in the United States.
Students will assess the definition of femininity, masculinity, ideas of sexuality and gender, and their
impact upon modern society. Students will also explore women’s unique participation and expression
in the advancement of society. In this course, students will be taught to critically examine effective
legal policy, the impact of social constructions and enforcement of gender norms, and the
development of activism.

Course Title: Sociology (SOC835)

Level/Grade: 11, 12 Length: Semester
NCAA Approved Core Course Pre-requisites: N/A
In this introductory course, students will study American society, socialization, social interaction,
social forces and the concept of social structure. Students will study society and the individual,
deviation from the social norm, the five social institutions (family, religion, education, work and
government), and the current changes and problems of American Society. Topics such as current
social issues, crime, race, nature vs. nurture, gender roles, elderly, work, sports, social fads,
population movement, social inequities, and social problems are all examined. Basic economic
concepts and principles are analyzed and discussed by students in this course. Students will apply
economic concepts and principles to current problems in the public and private sectors.

Course Title: Economics and Investment (SOC975)

Level/Grade: 11, 12 Length: Semester
NCAA Approved Core Course Pre-requisites: N/A
Course Description:
Basic economic concepts and principles are analyzed and discussed by students in this course.
Students will apply economic concepts and principles to current problems in the public and private
sectors.

Course Title: Contemporary Issues (SOC 905)

Level/Grade: 9, 10, 11, 12 Length: Semester
NCAA Approved Core Course Pre-requisites: N/A
Course Description:
In this one semester elective course, students will examine various dynamic issues facing today’s
world, whether as a citizen of the United States or as a member of the world community at large.
This examination will enable them to discover their values and responsibilities as citizens in that
society. The course begins with an investigation of the influence of the media on perception. The
course will focus on five thematic units: Current Problems at Home: Conditions in America, The
Global World, International Conflict and International Organizations, The Developing World, and
America’s Role in the World. Current events will be used to augment the study of these topics as well
as to enhance students’ knowledge of the world around them.

Course Title: Human Behavior (SOC825)

Level/Grade: 11, 12 Length: Semester
NCAA Approved Core Course Pre-requisites: N/A
Course Description:
This course is designed as an enrichment course in the social studies and an introduction to the
discipline of psychology. Human Behavior is centered on the thematic topics of research, biology and
behavior, human growth and development, human learning, and how humans adapt to and interact
in a variety of environments. The class will engage in an exploration of the background of the
scientific study of human behavior, the determinants of human behavior, and of the personality
characteristics of individuals. Students will examine methods used by professional psychologists in
studying human behavior and study the interaction between biology and behavior, human growth
and development, human learning, and how humans adapt and interact in a variety of environments.
*Students successfully completing Human Behavior (SOC825) may enroll in either General Psychology
(SOC700) or AP Psychology (SOC510) but should not enroll in both courses in successive years.