The ongoing history of mankind, its triumphs and failures continues to be written by successive generations of peoples whose existence have left indelible imprints on the pages of time. It is for the true historian to capture the essence of what has transpired in the past, review it thoroughly, interpret it accurately, record it painstakingly and transmit it honestly to those who will follow. The Social Studies Department at Bishop Kelly High School accepts its responsibility for conveying an honest and complete rendition of history's chronicles to its students.
Bishop Kelly High School social studies instructors and students will jointly probe the subject matter before them not only with a view to learning what has taken place in the past but, also, with a desire of understanding how those events can best be interpreted so as to learn from them and be positioned to apply this knowledge to future events.
In this light, the department, in all its course offerings—history, government, and psychology—will endeavor to expose and explore the positive contributions which the Catholic Church has made to humanity over the past 2000 years. Nowhere will this be made more evident than in the study of American history where the work of the early missionaries, the presence of a vast educational system, the impact of countless hospitals and orphanages, and the labors of numerous social agencies have assisted uncountable people of all races, creeds and colors to live more rewarding lives. Likewise, the Catholic Church's long-standing and unwavering position on social justice—both in the workplace and society as a whole—will be a visible and integral part of the study of American and international governments.
World History -Two Semesters
Grade Level: 10
World History, a required social studies program for sophomores, is a survey course, which covers the time period from the Dawn of Man through World War II. Beginning with the early civilizations, the course will focus on the growth and development of man from the earliest known civilizations to the modern era. The course will assist students to approach the events of our world's history from an analytical perspective and encourage their applying critical thinking to these events as they incorporate their study of them into their research and writing. One significance of this class lies in its being the foundation for future, and more sophisticated, studies of our world from a global perspective and its relationship to the study of United States History and its relationship to world events.
UNITED STATES HISTORY II -Two Semesters
Grade Level: 11
Prerequisite: United States History I
Untied States History II, a required course for juniors, will survey the history of our nation beginning with the Reconstruction Period - which followed the Civil War - and continuing to contemporary times. It will cover that wide range of topics and issues, which combined to play rolls in the growth and development of the United States. The curriculum will treat the social problems, which have plagued American society through the years along with the impact that business, industry and politics - national and international - have played on its growth. Attention will be directed to our nation's international relationships with others in a global world. The curriculum will emphasize critical analysis and research and will integrate computer skills and the Internet as it engages in cooperative reading and writing projects with the school's English Department.
AP UNITED STATES HISTORY -Two Semesters
Grade Level: 11
Prerequisites: United States History I and Instructor Approval
AP United States History is available to those students who are interested in a more in-depth course in the historical development of America from Colonial times to the present. Students will work with more complex materials and at a quicker pace than that found in a standard high school class. Course work will be geared toward developing and practicing those skills, which are required at the college level. Students will learn to locate relevant and trustworthy sources and how to organize evidence to support their arguments. Focus will be placed on cause and effect relationships as well as on the climate in which opinions were formed and decisions made as historical events and issues are explored. Both primary and secondary sources will be used.
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT -Two Semesters
Grade Level: 12
A two-semester class, which focuses on the three branches of American government - executive legislative and judicial - this course will also deal with the United States Constitution and the political system which exists in our nation. Attention will be directed to the roles the United States plays as a world power and its relationships with governments around the globe. A range of contemporary international issues will be addressed from the perspective of their impact on American society - particularly the economic stability of the nation. An analysis will also be made of the similarities and differences between state and federal governmental structures/powers. An in-depth study of the Idaho state system of government will be made and field trips will be taken to view the legislature in session. Attention will be directed toward those economic, social and geographic issues which impact the operation of the Idaho state government.
WESTERN CIVILIZATION -One or Two Semesters
Grade Levels: 10, 11, 12
Prerequisite: United States History I
Western Civilization is a two-semester course offering with enrollment in both semesters being desirable in order for students to derive the maximum benefit from the class; however, they may elect to enroll for one semester's work. A study of Western Civilization will provide students with a proper historical perspective from which to better understand today's cultures. Participation in this elective program will assist them in comprehending the relationships that exist among the topics and issues that they have studied previously in literature, science, government, history, art and music. The process of studying history helps to develop those kinds of analytical abilities and communication skills identified with the well-educated person. Also, such study will also bring with it a deeper understanding of human behavior in its various forms.
PSYCHOLOGY -One Semester
Grade Levels: 11, 12
Prerequisite: Moral Decision Making
This course will provide students with an overview of the fundamental principles of psychology while considering it from the perspective of its being a social science. Focusing on both the development and understanding of human behavior, the class will study a representative number of those personalities who advanced this science. Students will be guided through a consideration of the workings of the human psyche and the manner in which it seeks to cope with the ever-changing challenges of a growingly complex world. Personality and adjustment, sensation and perception, social problems and behavior will be among the topics considered.
ECONOMICS -One Semester
Grade Level: 12
The economics course offered at Bishop Kelly High School will provide students with an analytical study of the basic components of those forces, which both influence and drive the economic structure of the United States-as well as that of nations around the globe. Attention will be directed to students' obtaining an understanding of the American free-enterprise system along with the manner in which that system is similar to, as well as different from, those of other countries. Students will be afforded opportunities to engage in computer-simulated business experiences, which will incorporate a series of decision-making situations, which will be provided under "real life" circumstances.