Social+Studies+Electives

**ELECTIVES OVERVIEW:**
Social Studies Electives are taken by students who are graduating with a concentration in social studies. Students are also enrolled in electives because they need to make up a social studies credit. Because these classes do not culminate in a Regents exam, these classes focus on project-based learning activities. Projects and portfolios allow students to improve their writing skills and their critical thinking skills.

LAW ACADEMY COURSES:
These are two of the courses in the Law Academy program. Amy Restifo has access to additional course curricula (which she is currently modifying from those developed by Jordan Haber). Similarly Adam Robertson is currently teaching and modifying curricula developed by Ian Fermaglich. Check with them for updates.

Introductory Law Course:

Legal Research and Writing - taught by Janika Doobay:

ADDITIONAL SOCIAL STUDIES ELECTIVES:
**World History through Film – qualified Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors**: This course allows students to critically explore famous events in world history from the perspective of major films about these events. Films viewed wholly or in part include: Tale of Two Cities (French Revolution); Modern Times (Industrial Revolution); All Quiet on the Western Front (WWI); Animal Farm (Marxist Revolution); Gandhi (Indian Independence); To Live (Chinese Communist Revolution); Schindler’s List (Holocaust); Cry, the Beloved Country (Apartheid); The Killing Fields (Cambodian genocide) and Sometimes in April (Rwandan genocide). Prerequisite: None. This is not a Regents prep class, but students taking the Global History and Geography Regents may benefit from the thematic review of topics in Global History. 

**Global Issues – qualified Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors**: This project-based course examines important issues facing the world today. Students research and debate possible solutions to questions involving topics such as: human rights abuses; immigration issues; world poverty; global warming; and terrorism. Students design projects to address the problems they think are most in need of immediate action. Prerequisite: Students must have passed the Global History and Geography Regents exam. This is NOT a Regents prep course.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL - HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATION
[|Amnesty International] Link to educational materials and videos on the Amnesty International website. Includes lesson plans and handouts.

**History through Sports – qualified Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors**: This project-based course examines how sports, history, and politics are intertwined. Students examine the link between nationalism and sports and the ways in which nations have attempted to use the Olympic games for propaganda purposes. Emphasis is placed on the ways in which key sports figures have influenced the history of their nations. The course celebrates athletes who changed history by leading the fight for greater equality. Prerequisite: Students must have passed the Global History and Geography Regents exam. This is NOT a Regents prep course.

**Psychology – HSP – qualified Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors**: This project-based course provides students with an introduction to basic concepts in psychology. Students are given an overview of: developmental and learning psychology; abnormal psychology; physiological psychology; and social and sports psychology. Students complete social surveys, personal dream journals, and a variety of other relevant projects in the class. Prerequisite: Students must have passed the Global History and Geography Regents exam. This is NOT a Regents prep course.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**History of New York – HRN – qualified Juniors and Seniors**: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This project-based course gives students an opportunity to explore the development of New York from its earliest beginnings as New Amsterdam to its current status as a major world metropolis. The course uses Ric Burns’ PBS series on New York, as well as the film Hester Street, and a wide variety of other books and on-line resources. Projects include researching the historical evolution of a NYC neighborhood, and “adopting” a specific New York City landmark to research. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Prerequisite: Students must have passed the Global History and Geography Regents exam. This is NOT a Regents prep course.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**US History through Film – qualified Juniors and Seniors**: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This course allows students to explore American history through the lens of famous films. Students begin by reviewing the history of an era or event and then view a related film with an eye to critiquing the film’s accuracy. Films vary but films typically seen in this course include: Glory (African Americans in the Civil War); Heartland (the pioneer experience); Shane or The Searchers (the American West); The Grapes of Wrath (the Great Depression); Matewan (striking coal miners); Letters Home from Vietnam (the Vietnam War); Malcolm X or The Long Walk Home (the civil rights movement); and Maria Full of Grace (illegal immigration). <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Prerequisite: Students must have passed the Global History and Geography Regents exam. This is NOT a Regents prep course. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">