Courses

Course Name: World Geography
Offered to: Freshmen
Credits: 1/2
Description: In geography we do a broad study on landforms, climate, economics, populations, culture and locations and how all these intermix. In other words, how do people affect their environment and how does environment affect population and culture. These are only a few factors on how we influence and are influenced by environment. Geography is no longer considered just a study of countries and their capitals. It is a comprehensive study of these factors and more and how they interact.

Course Name: World History
Offered to: Sophomores
Credits:1/2
Description: We begin with an archaeologist approach to excavating historic sites, such as the early civilizations of the Indus River Valley.  We continue on through history hitting major civilizations such as the Greeks and Romans, Mongols, etc--and the reasons for their rise and fall.  We discuss on a regular basis what was a common denominator for some of the more successful civilizations and were there also reasons in common for their fall.

Course Name: United States History
Offered to: Juniors
Credits:1
Description: We start with the different tribes of the Americas and move through the exploration of the New World. The development of the Americas takes shape as they are colonized by European nations. The struggle for American independence from the British begins in earnest in the late 1770s. Once independence is achieved we work at building a strong democratic nation that is governed by the people. We continue to go through struggles of a young nation, expanding, civil war, and technological advancements. We experience foreign relations on an international level with Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War. We try to understand the reasons for the domestic and foreign struggles.

Course Name: Government
Offered to: Seniors
Credits:1/2
Description: We do a great deal of discussion and current events in this class. I try to make this relevant to the students by bringing it down to how government works in class groups, school, Freeman, South Dakota and of course Washington. I want them to understand that government is not just something out there that we can't touch and do not feel a part of. It really happens around us on a daily basis, and they need to be responsible citizens and participate in the process of democracy fails for lack of involvement. We cover the election process, how the bills become laws, the three branches for government and duties of each of these branches. This class also travels to Pierre to observe committee meetings and sessions in the House and the Senate.

Course Name: Psychology
Offered to: Seniors
Credits:1/2
Description: This class does a short study on the history (Structuralism, Functionalism, Behaviorism, Gestalt, and Psychoanalysis) and different types of Psychology (Developmental, Educational, Clinical, etc). We spend most of our time looking at common psychological disorders. Some of the topics we cover are personality, sleep, and consciousness, sensation and perception, emotion and motivation.