Social Sciences
General Information
The Social Sciences Department offers courses that challenge students to think critically, read, write, and communicate clearly. Our courses allow students to see their place in the world and our smaller community. All of our courses satisfy graduation and A-G requirements including:
World History
In this course, students study major turning points that shaped the modern world, from the late 18th century to the present, including the causes of the two world wars. They trace the rise of democratic ideas and develop an understanding of the historical roots of current world issues, especially as they pertain to international relations. They extrapolate from the American experience that democratic ideals are often achieved at a high price, remain vulnerable, and are not practiced everywhere in the world. Students develop an understanding of current world issues and relate them to their historical, geographic, political, economic, and cultural contexts. Students consider multiple accounts of events in order to understand international relations from a variety of perspectives.
AP World History
From the CollegeBoard's course description: AP World History is designed to be the equivalent of a two-semester introductory college or university world history course. In AP World History students investigate significant events, individuals, developments, and processes in six historical periods from approximately 8000 B.C.E. to the present. Students develop and use the same skills, practices, and methods employed by historians: analyzing primary and secondary sources; making historical comparisons; utilizing reasoning about contextualization, causation, and continuity and change over time; and develop historical arguments. The course provides five themes that students explore throughout the course in order to make connections among historical developments in different times and places: interactions between humans and the environment; development and interaction of cultures; state building, expansion, and conflict; creation, expansion, and interaction of economic systems; and development and transformation of social structures.
U.S. History
In this course, "students study the major turning points in American history in the 20th century. Following a review of the nation's beginnings and the impact of the Enlightenment on U.S. democratic ideals, students build upon the 10th grade study of global industrialization to understand the emergence and impact of new technology and a corporate economy, including the social and cultural effects. They trace the change in the ethnic composition of American society; the movement toward equal rights fro racial minorities and women; and the role of the United States as a major world power. An emphasis is placed on the expanding role of the federal government and federal courts as well as the continuing tension between the individual and the state. Students consider the major social problems of our time and trace their causes in historical events. They learn that they United States has served as a model for other nations and that the rights and freedoms we enjoy are not accidents, but the results of a defined set of political principles that are not always basic to citizens of other countries. Students understand that our rights under the U.S. Constitution are a precious inheritance that depends on an educated citizenry for their preservation and protection." -- CA 11th Grade Social Science Standard
AP U.S. History
From the CollegeBoard's course description: AP U.S. History is designed to be the equivalent of a two-semester introductory college or university U.S. history course. In AP U.S. History students investigate significant events, individuals, developments, and processes in nine historical periods from approximately 1491 to the present. Students develop and use the same skills, practices, and methods employed by historians: analyzing primary and secondary sources; making historical comparison; utilizing reasoning about contextualization, causation, and continuity and change over time; and develop historical arguments. The course also provides seven themes that students explore throughout the course in order to make connections among historical developments in different times and places: American and national identify; migration and settlement; politics and power; work, exchange, and technology; America in the world; geography and the environment; and culture and society.
American Government
Students in grade 12 pursue a deeper understanding of the institutions of American government. They compare systems of government in the world today and analyze the history and changing interpretations of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the current state of the legislative, executive, and judiciary branches of government. An emphasis is placed on analyzing the relationship among federal, state, and local governments, with particular attention paid to important historical documents such as the Federalist Papers. These standards represent the culmination of civic literacy as students prepare to vote, participate in community activities, and assume the responsibilities of citizenship. -- CA 12th grade American Government standards
AP American Government
From the CollegeBoard's course description: AP U.S. Government and Politics provides a college-level, nonpartisan introduction to key political concepts, ideas, institutions, policies, interactions, roles, and behaviors that characterize the constitutional system and political culture of the United States. Students study U.S. foundational documents, Supreme Court decisions, and other texts and visuals to gain an understanding of the relationships and interactions among political institutions, processes, and behavior. They also engage in disciplinary practices that require them to read and interpret data, make comparisons and applications, and develop evidence-based arguments. In addition, they complete a political science research or applied civics project.
Economics
Students in grade 12 will master fundamental economic concepts, applying the tools (graphs, statistics, equations) from other subject areas to the understanding of operations and institutions of economic systems. Studies in a historical context are the basic economic principles of micro- and macroeconomics, international economics, comparative economic systems, measurement, and methods. -- CA 12th grade Economics standards
Honors Economics
This course is a hybrid of Honors Economics and AP American Government. We spend Mondays and Tuesdays on AP Government and Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays on Honors Economics. In Honors Economics, students will be introduced to concepts and practical knowledge of macroeconomics and some microeconomics. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to practice investing in the stock market, as well as practice in keeping a budget and paying household bills.
National History Day
In addition to the classes student take in Social Science, students also complete a semester long project for National History Day. Students from Daniel Pearl Magnet High School have won the National History Day competition at the county and state level. We have sent students and projects to compete at the National level for the past several years.
Service Learning Project
Another service provided by the Social Science department is the implementation of Service Learning. Los Angeles Unified requires all students to complete a Service Learning Project for graduation. Typically, students complete their Service Learning Project in the Spring Semester of their Junior year. Students who missed this opportunity will be able to complete it during their Senior year.
Resources
Some helpful links and resources for students conducting research in history or the social sciences are listed below:
National Constitution Center
At the bottom of this page, students and parents can find pdf attachments for the current History Social Science Frameworks and Standards.