Welcome to Mr. Hess' Social Studies Class Website

Ø  You may have Mr. Hess for one or more of the following courses:

• American Studies II:  Students will take a 90 day journey through time, analyzing the key people, places, and events that have shaped our great nation within the past century. This course will cover a variety of topics including the cultural, social, economic, and political changes and developments that have affected the United States between the years 1900—present. To ensure that students are well informed citizens, this course will also include a variety of current event activities. The ultimate goal for this course is to study pass successes and failures in order to ensure that the students will learn valuable lessons from those who have come before us.

• World Studies:  Students will take a 90 day journey around the world.  We will examine the many diverse cultures that spread across the globe.  We will take a look at each geographical region by focusing on one specific place at a time.  While studying each region, the students will concentrate on four basic themes which are:  Geography, Culture, History, and Politics.  To ensure that students are well informed citizens, current events will be an intricate part of this course.  The main goal of World Studies is to introduce each student to the different places and cultures around the world.

• Civics/Economics:  During this 90 day course students will learn about the basic freedoms that all of us, as American citizens, enjoy every day. We will discuss the various qualities that a good citizen possesses. We will cover all attributes and key elements of the local, state, and national government systems. Most importantly, we will learn about the rights, roles, and responsibilities each American citizen has within his or her community. We will also explore the basics of economics. Students enrolled in this STC Social Studies course will learn how to make reasoned economic decisions and will be provided ways to effectively participate in an increasingly competitive global economy. The impact of market influences and governmental actions on the American economy will be analyzed and discussed as well as a variety of current events and social issues.