Program Rationale
Courses in Social Science are critical to the balanced development of high school students. History, economics, psychology, sociology, geography, and political science each provide a unique window to a deeper understanding of oneself and the world. Through these experiences, students prepare themselves more fully to become educated and active citizens in a democratic society. Social Science courses also sharpen skills necessary for success in school and in life. Through the study of challenging content, students develop their ability to think, read, write, and speak in more effective and complex ways.
 

Program Goal:
The Social Science Department offers a rich variety of required courses and electives that open windows of understanding to human behavior.  As a result of participation in these courses, students will...
Deepen self-understanding and empathy and appreciation for others;
Acquire knowledge that will strengthen their ability to make good decisions both for themselves and as active citizens of the country and world;
Strengthen their reading skills, particularly their ability to identify main ideas and supporting evidence and to analyze text;
Expand their writing skills, particularly their ability to create a thesis, organize ideas, and support arguments with evidence;
Develop their ability to think critically about human beliefs, behaviors, and institutions;
Hone their speaking skills so that they are able to articulate and defend their views clearly and civilly while maintaining an openness to listen to others;
Advance their research skills.

Curriculum (from Course Description Book)
Syllabi
     AC World History  
     CP World History    
     Honors World History    
     AP European History    
     AC US History    
     CP US History    
     Honors US History    
     AP US History    
     AC Econ    
     CP Econ    
     Honors Econ    
     AP Econ    
     CP African American History       
     Honors African American History    
     Honors Sociology    
     CP Sociology  
     AP Human Geography    
     CP Psychology    
     AP Psychology    
     CP International Relations    
     Honors International Relations   
     AP US Government & Politics    
Faculty

For more information about H-F's Social Science department, please contact Paul Kolimas at (708) 335-5654, fax: (708) 799-3142, or email pkolimas@hf233.org 

Program Learning Objectives by Core Courses

World History
students will:
  Understand forces, events and people that shaped the world we live in today;
  Develop the analytic reading, writing, thinking, and speaking skills necessary for both an educated citizenry in a democracy and for historians;
  Understand the history of countries  and cultures around the world so to more fully appreciate the human experience;
  Understand the significance of interaction among civilizations throughout history;
  Develop historical empathy;
  Develop geographic literacy.

U.S. History
students will:
  Understand the narrative of U.S. History and how studying history helps explain the world we live in today;
  Understand that the United States has always been a diverse society and that the struggle for equal rights was and continues to be central to the American story;
  Gain a wider perspective on what it has meant and what it means to be an American and to be a human being;
  Develop critical-thinking skills necessary for historians and for citizens in a democracy;
  Develop reading comprehension skills for primary and secondary sources and identify points of view;
  Learn to create a thesis and support the thesis with evidence from primary and secondary sources;
  Develop historical empathy;
  Develop geographic literacy;
  Develop historical research skills that culminate in the production of a paper.

Economics
students will:
  Interpret the effect of the price system on the production and consumption of goods and services and the allocation of resources;
  Make well-informed choices as an educated consumer in our market economy;
  Describe the vital role that government plays in the interaction of the international sector, businesses, and households;
  Apply economic reasoning to their daily lives as citizens;
  Utilize analytical tools as responsible participants in the political process in order to anticipate effects of major policy changes.