Social Studies

Faculty Members
Robert Luecke (rluecke@lhsmayer.org)
Heidi Gesch (hgesch@lhsmayer.org)
Bruce LeClere (bleclere@lhsmayer.org)

Social Studies - 3.5 credits needed to graduate
GEOGRAPHY: .5 credit Second Semester/Grade 9-12.
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT: .5 credit First Semester/Grades 9-12.
WORLD HISTORY - EASTERN: .5 credit Semester/Grade 9-12.
WORLD HISTORY – WESTERN: .5 credit Semester/Grade 9-12.
UNITED STATES HISTORY 1: .5 credit Semester/Grades 10-12.
UNITED STATES HISTORY 2: .5 credit Semester/Grades 10-12.
UNITED STATES HISTORY – ADVANCED PLACEMENT: 1 credit 10-12
LAW AND ORDER: .5 credit Semester/Grades 10-12
PSYCHOLOGY: .5 credit Semester/Grades 10-12
MACROECONOMICS/PERSONAL FINANCE: .5 credit Semester/Grades 11-12
HUMAN RELATIONS: .5 credit Semester/Grades 10-12

Rationale

The Social Studies Department endeavors to put students in contact with a God-centered approach to its curriculum. The department wants to promote as well as challenge students to see the social sciences as a valuable part of their past, present, and future. The social studies are those disciplines that study interactions between people and their environment. Because the results of these interactions are not always positive or predictable, students need to practice the skills of cooperation, compromise, adaptation, conflict resolution, innovation, information gathering and human understanding. At the same time, students will learn the ways in which similar interactions have been dealt with in the past to better understand the present and to project the future. Finally, the Lutheran High School social studies curriculum will address the ways Christians can respond in these situations to an otherwise secular world.

Goals of the Department

Based on this rationale, the goals of the Social Studies Department are to help students:
1. develop a personal view of their role as Christians in a secular world,
2. understand some of the reasons people develop relationships with one another,
3. acquire the skills of gathering information and classifying issues to solve problems and make moral decisions,
4. acquire a working knowledge of the seven disciplines in the social studies; history,
5. develop research and writing skills.

Department Goal Achievement Strategies

1. Students will discuss (a) their faith and how it related to the domestic and international political view, (b) ways that we are uniquely human and God-fearing, and that our bodies are a blessing from Jesus Christ, (c) the role of religion in our domestic and world history, (d) the analysis of changing value systems within our nation and world, and (e) an analysis of how religion has impacted domestic and world history.
2. Students will be presented a biblical perspective of Christian brotherhood.
3. Students will (a) become aware of the platforms of American political parties, (b) under- stand international political views, (c) be able to prioritize significant issues and incorporate them into life situations, and (d) become involved in civics projects.
4. Students will (a) recognize and appreciate diversity among individuals and cultures, (b) become familiar with significant historical events, people and places, (c) understand their own humanity, (d) look at other economic systems, and (e) devlop map reading skills.
5. Students will write thesis papers, participate in debates, discussions, thought provokers, take notes, outline, participate in simulation games, hear from guest speakers, and have access to the Internet.