26-27 BPS Course Catalog - Flipbook - Page 78
23002 U.S. Government
The semester-long U.S. government course provides students with an overview of the constitutional foundations, the
legislative, executive, and judicial functions of government, the rights and responsibilities of citizens, U.S. foreign policy
and the political system of the United States. By examining the Constitution, students gain insight into the principles of
federalism, popular sovereignty, limited government, judicial review, separation of power and checks and balances.
Through landmark court rulings, students will examine the Bill of Rights to determine where the line is drawn between the
protection of individual liberties and the right of government to restrict these freedoms. As a result of their understanding
of the principles of a democracy, students will be better prepared to function as informed, involved citizens.
Prerequisites: None
Grades Taught: 11, 12
Credit: .5
NCAA Approved
21082 African American History (Groves)
African American people and culture have profoundly shaped the history and evolution of the United States. While certain
dimensions of African American history are often addressed in middle and high school history courses (most often
pertaining to slavery, Reconstruction, the Harlem Renaissance, and the modern Civil Rights Movement), this course takes a
deeper look at a range of characteristics and aspects of the African American experience. The teachers of this course
recognize that it would be impossible to examine all facets of the African American historical experience in a 12-week long
course. Therefore, this course offers a broad exploration of the African American experience from the early African
American presence in the United States through the present. The course is focused on the following 6 units: (1)
Introduction to the Study of African American History, (2) Identity Politics: Exploring the Multiple Meanings of Blackness,
(3) Major Debates in African American Leadership, (4) African American Women, (5) African American Struggles for Civil
Rights and the Long Black Freedom Movement, (6) Contemporary Issues in African American Life during the “Age of
Obama.”
Prerequisites: None
Grades Taught: 10, 11, 12
Credit: .5
NCAA Approved
252010 The History of American Feminism (Groves)
This class will focus on the four waves of feminism, beginning with the push for suffrage; afterwards, the push for equal
opportunities in education and the workforce and reproductive freedom; finally, the push for more diverse women in
power, an end to sexual harassment and assault, and the continuing fight over reproductive freedom.
Prerequisites: None
Grades Taught:: 11, 12
Credit: .25
NCAA Approved
252000 Women’s Studies (Groves)
This class will focus on current issues facing American women including equal pay (using the women’s National Soccer
Team as a case study), media representation of women, the fight for reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ issues, legal
challenges currently facing women, and the #metoo movement and its ramifications.
Prerequisites: None
Grades Taught: 11, 12
Credit: .25
NCAA Approved
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