Social Studies & History

The main purpose of a social studies education is to help students develop the ability to make informed decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world. To achieve this goal, critical thinking and analytical skills are stressed.

Our students study economic and political institutions and their historical development, along with significant people, events, and periods of world history. They examine the cultural and physical geography of major societies as well as the historical interactions among peoples of different races, cultures, and nations and how such interactions shaped the past and present. They learn to appreciate the major historical changes that have influenced the development of cultures and values.

Latin American History

This course will aim to portray the history of Latin America, which includes the areas of Mesoamerica, South America, and the Caribbean, focusing on the importance of its rich culture. It will cover topics ranging from the precolonial era to the contemporary times, emphasizing key moments in history that led to Latin America’s diversity. The course is organized into six units: Geography, Pre-Columbian, Colonial Era, Age of Independence and Nation Creation, U.S. Intervention in Latin America, and the late 20^th century. We will be looking at primary sources such as art, music, written records, cinema, historical documents alongside secondary sources. The contents are presented from a rigorous approach to help students develop the skills needed to become successful history scholars: summarizing, sourcing, source credibility, and comparing information. This course promotes analysis of historical sources and prioritizes academic discussions in the classroom. The first semester will be on geography, pre-Columbian era, and the colonialist era. Second semester will focus on independence from colonial rule, state-formation, US intervention, and the end of the 20^th century.
Civics

This course aims to promote the student's understanding of government and politics. It will delve into the analysis of the structures of the federal and local governments. Strong emphasis will be made on establishing connections between the national political landscape and Puerto Rico's. The first units of the course are structured around understanding the foundations of government. This will set the background to discuss the interactions between the politics and political stakeholders and the government. By studying these dynamics, the students can discern their civic role in society. The instructional techniques will be focused on student–centered activities, such as class discussions, presentations, and academic debates. The assessment tools will also promote the student's creativity and application of the contents learned to solve problems and identify solutions to current political issues. These learning experiences will prepare the students to create a civic-action plan they will defend in class by the end of the academic year.
World History I

In this course, students are given a panoramic vision of history from the beginnings of humanity through the post-classical period. This course uses both primary and secondary sources to explore the structures and forces that shaped humanity. Just like historians and geographers do, students will develop and utilize historical thinking skills by closely studying these time periods to understand the nuances that appear as new evidence and arguments are uncovered. Students will work closely with sources to evaluate and incorporate evidence, explain the historical and geographical relationships at play, and make informed arguments. The course will explore the following themes: geography, humans and the environment, civilization, government, economy, political systems, culture, and society. World History I reviews fundamental geographical concepts and major global patterns of interaction from prehistory, the ancient period (c. 3000 BCE to c. 600 BCE), the classical period (c. 600 BCE to c. 600 CE), and the postclassical period (c. 600 CE to c. 1450 CE).
Honors World History I

This course offers a rigorous and analytical study of global history from the beginnings of humanity through the post-classical period, challenging students to engage deeply with historical narratives through primary and secondary sources. Emphasizing critical thinking, historiographical debates, and comparative analysis, students will explore themes such as geography, civilization, government, economy, political systems, culture, and society while developing historical thinking skills to evaluate evidence, construct arguments, and analyze cause-and-effect relationships. Covering prehistory, the ancient world (c. 3000 BCE–600 BCE), the classical era (c. 600 BCE–600 CE), and the post-classical period (c. 600 CE–1450 CE), this course requires students to conduct independent research, engage in discussions, and complete advanced writing assignments. Through rigorous analysis and synthesis of historical evidence, students will develop intellectual curiosity, analytical reasoning, and a strong foundation for future advanced studies in history and social sciences.
World History II

This course delves into using primary and secondary sources for understanding historical and geographical concepts. It emphasizes the examination of questions and the construction of arguments using the analytical tools of history and spatial analysis. The curriculum involves evaluating and integrating evidence, elucidating relationships between historical events and geographical contexts, and forming well-informed arguments. Key topics include foundational geographical principles and an exploration of major global historical patterns and processes in three distinct eras: the Early Modern Period (c. 1450 to c. 1750), the Modern Period (c. 1750 to c. 1914), and the Contemporary Period (c. 1914 to the present).
Honors World History II

This course provides a rigorous examination of historical and geographical concepts through primary and secondary sources, emphasizing critical analysis, argument construction, and spatial reasoning. Students will engage in historiographical debates, evaluate and synthesize evidence, and analyze the relationships between historical events and geographical contexts. Covering the Early Modern Period (c. 1450–1750), the Modern Period (c. 1750–1914), and the Contemporary Period (c. 1914–present), this course challenges students to explore global patterns and processes through independent research, discussions, and advanced writing assignments. With a focus on analytical reasoning and historical argumentation, students will develop the skills necessary for advanced studies in history and the social sciences.
AP European History

AP European History is designed to be the equivalent of an introductory college or university European history course. AP European History students are expected to investigate significant events, individuals, developments, and processes in four historical periods from approximately 1450 to the present. Throughout the school year students will learn to develop and use the same skills, practices, and methods employed by historians. Like historians, students are expected to a) analyze primary and secondary sources; b) develop historical arguments; c) make historical comparisons; and d) utilize reasoning about contextualization, causation, and continuity and change over time. The course also provides six themes that students explore throughout the course: 1) interaction of Europe and the world; 2) poverty and prosperity; 3) objective knowledge and subjective visions; 4) states and other institutions of power; 5) individuals and society; and 6) national and European identity.
AP World History

This class is an introductory college-level modern world history course. Students will cultivate their understanding of world history from c. 1200 CE to the present through analyzing historical sources and learning to make connections and craft historical arguments as they explore concepts like humans and the environment, cultural developments and interactions, governance, economic systems, social interactions and organization, and technology and innovation. Successful completion of the course satisfies the core social studies world history requirement for graduation.
AP African American Studies

AP African American Studies is an interdisciplinary course that examines the diversity of African American experiences through direct encounters with varied sources. Students explore key topics that extend from early African kingdoms to the ongoing challenges and achievements of the contemporary moment. Given the interdisciplinary character of African American Studies, students in the course will develop skills across multiple fields, with an emphasis on developing historical, literary, visual, and data analysis skills. This course foregrounds a study of the diversity of Black communities in the United States within the broader context of Africa and the African diaspora.
United States History

Using a humanistic approach, this course shows the historical development of American culture. The course offers a full year in-depth survey of U.S. history from the development of the pre-Columbian civilizations of the North American continent through the development of the colonies in the United States up to the beginnings of the 21^st century. Students will work with more complex primary and secondary sources (including historiography) and apply the historical thinking, reading, and writing skills developed in previous history courses.
Honors US History

This course provides an in-depth, humanistic exploration of the historical development of American culture from pre-Columbian civilizations through the early 21st century. Emphasizing critical analysis and historical argumentation, students will engage with complex primary and secondary sources, including historiographical interpretations, to evaluate historical narratives and themes. Through the application of advanced historical thinking, reading, and writing skills, students will analyze the political, economic, social, and cultural forces that shaped the United States. This rigorous course challenges students to conduct independent research, participate in discussions, and produce analytical essays, fostering a deeper understanding of the nation's historical evolution and preparing them for advanced studies in history and the social sciences.
AP United States History

The AP U.S. History course focuses on the development of historical thinking skills (chronological reasoning, comparing & contextualizing, crafting historical arguments using historical evidence, and interpreting and synthesizing historical narrative) and the development of students’ abilities to think conceptually about U.S. history from approximately 1491 CE to the present. Seven themes of equal importance — American and national identity; migration and settlement; politics and power; work, exchange, and technology; America in the world; geography and the environment; and culture and society — provide areas of historical inquiry for investigation throughout the course. These require students to reason historically about continuity and change over time and make comparisons among various historical developments in different times and places. The course also allows teachers flexibility across nine different periods of U.S. history to teach topics of their choice in depth.
Advanced Seminar in P.R. History

This course aims to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the contemporary political, cultural, and socioeconomic landscape of Puerto Rico. It will emphasize the political evolution of the Island under the United States government. As a backdrop to understand these dynamics, the class will begin by studying the political rights obtained over the last three decades of the Spanish colonization of the island. This will provide a solid foundation to delve into studying the political and socio–economic processes experienced during the 20th and 21st centuries. The instructional strategies will focus on the analysis of a variety of academic texts. There will be a strong emphasis on designing learning experiences that promote students' research and analysis of primary and secondary sources. Fostering academic discussions in the classroom will be a priority. The assessment tools will primarily consist of projects where the students can apply the content learned. The students will also complete written pieces and short quizzes. The first semester will cover the last years of the island's Spanish colonization to the commonwealth's creation. During the second semester, the students will study the administration under the ELA Constitution and how these policies affect the island's contemporary political and socio economic landscape.
Studies in Social Activism and Justice

This course focuses on the historical role injustice has played in our society and how we can best fit into current movements for change. This elective course will encourage students to participate in conversations about open and creative ways of identifying social issues and effective ways to address inequality locally and globally. Some social issues addressed in the course are climate change, sexism, homophobia, racism, ableism, transphobia, xenophobia, and economic inequality. We will also look at the various ways that activists effectively organize for social or political change. This course will explore current issues through readings by contemporary authors and news sources, as well as historical documents, speakers, and field trips into various parts of San Juan. An integral component of this exploration will be students’ firsthand experiences through commitments to local social justice movements with homework time allocated to this hands-on work. Course work includes journal writing, short papers, and action projects. At the end of the course, students will design an action plan to address one of the issues discussed. Public speaking skills will be practiced throughout the year so that students are ready to present their action plan at the end of the term.
AP Human Geography

The AP Human Geography course is equivalent to an introductory college-level course in human geography. It introduces students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of the Earth’s surface. Students employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to examine socio economic organization and its environmental consequences. They also learn about the methods and tools geographers use in their research and applications.
AP Psychology

The AP Psychology course introduces students to the systematic and scientific study of human behavior and mental processes. While considering the psychologists and studies that have shaped the field, students explore and apply psychological theories, key concepts, and phenomena associated with such topics as the biological bases of behavior, sensation, and perception, learning and cognition, motivation, developmental psychology, test in and individual differences, treatments of psychological disorders, and social psychology. Throughout the course, students employ psychological research methods, including ethical considerations, as they use the scientific method, evaluate claims and evidence, and effectively communicate ideas.
AP Macroeconomics

AP Macroeconomics is a college-level course that introduces students to the principles that apply to an economic system as a whole. The course places particular emphasis on the study of national income and price-level determination. It also develops students’ familiarity with economic performance measures, the financial sector, stabilization policies, economic growth, and international economics. Students learn to use graphs, charts, and data to analyze, describe, and explain economic concepts.