GLK-UAIS students will take five credits social studies classes over four years.  These classes include:

9th Grade: History of World Civilizations, US Government, and Economics
10th Grade: AP World History: Modern
11th Grade: IB History of Americas DP or IB Psychology DP
12th Grade: IB History 20th Century Topics HL/SL or IB Psychology HL/SL 2

Aside from IB Psychology, each of these courses is required of all students, and the 11th and 12th grade courses can be taken at the standard or higher levels. Students will be prepared to take the IB examinations as well as the AP US History and AP World History examinations after freshman and sophomore years, respectively. Each course is designed to increase student capacity to identify, analyze critically and evaluate theories, concepts and arguments relating to the nature and activities of individuals and societies.

History of World Civilizations– 1.0 credit (9th grade required)
The History of World Civilizations course studies World History prior to 1200 BCE.  This was content that was previously part of the AP World History course prior to its revamp in 2019.  This part of history is critical as it is important to have for students taking IB History during their 11th and 12th grade years.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT WORLD HISTORY: MODERN – 1.0 credit (10th grade required)
AP World History: Modern focuses on developing students' abilities to think conceptually about world history from approximately 1200 BCE to the present and apply historical thinking skills as they learn about the past.  Five themes of equal importance--focusing on the environment, cultures, state-building, economic systems, and social structures--provide areas of historical inquiring for investigation throughout the course.  AP World History encompasses the history of the five major geographical regions of the globe: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, with special focus on historical developments and processes that cross multiple regions.  Supplemental readings include What Do Muslims Believe? (Sardar), Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World (2004), Things Fall Apart (Achebe), and Flyboys (Bradley).

IB HISTORY HISTORY OF THE AMERICAS–1.0 credit (11th grade)
IB History I is the first year of a two-year IB History sequence.  Through the two years of the course, students will study four distinct periods within the IB History of the Americas curriculum framework along with two 20th century topics and one prescribed subject.  Following the students' two-year study, they will be prepared for the IB History Examination to be administered in May of their senior year.  The first course will begin with a study of the development of modern nations in the Americas (1865-1929) followed by the emergence of the Americas in global affairs (1880-1929).  Students will then begin their topical study of 20th century wars with World War I.  Next, students will study the IB Prescribed Subject entitled Peacemaking, Peacekeeping: International Relations 1918-1936.  Finally, students will study the Great Depression in the Americas (1929-1939).  Readings include the following: The Jungle (Upton Sinclair), Frederick Douglass: Narrative of an American Slave, and Johnny Got His Gun (Dalton Trumbo).  Amidst these studies, students will complete their Internal Assessment in History requiring them to engage in a historical investigation on a topic of their choosing. 

IB 20th CENTURY TOPICS HL/SL--1.0 credit (12^th grade)
IB History II is the second year of a two-year IB History sequence.  The course will begin with a study of World War II and the Americas (1933-1945).  Next, students will study the Cold War and the Americas (1945-1991). Each of those topics will afford the opportunity to engage in deeper study of the IB 20th Century Topic of Causes, Practices, and Effects of War with the World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Also, the IB 20th Century Topic of the Cold War will be covered.  At the conclusion of this course, students will be prepared to take the IB History Examination.  Major works of study include Night (Wiesel), 20^th Century: A Brief Global History (Goff), and The Arab-Israeli Conflict (Schulze).

US GOVERNMENT – A-C180 .5 credit (9th grade required)
US Government focuses on how governmental decisions are made, who makes them, what forces and factors influence them, and what some of the causes and effects of such decisions can be. The course covers a description and analysis of the American political system as it relates to contemporary issues and problems. Emphasis is placed on the individual responsibility of every citizen to determine the quality of our government on the federal, state and local levels.

ECONOMICS – A-C150 .5 credit (9th grade required)
The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with the role of economics in the shaping of everyday life. Topics studied include operation of a market economy, advertising, swindles, our money system, credit, investment, personal finance, budgeting, collective bargaining, economic stability, money and banking, public policy, economic cycles, comparative economic systems, and the stock market. Economic skills will be developed using computer assisted resources.

IB PSYCHOLOGY HL/SL – A-C161 2.0 Credits (11^th/12^thgrades)
Psychology is the systematic study of behavior and mental processes. In other words, everything you are and do as a human being is psychological in nature. Psychology has its roots in both the natural and social sciences, leading to a variety of research designs and applications, and providing a unique approach to understanding modern society.  IB Psychology is a two year course that examines the interaction of biological, cognitive and sociocultural influences on human behavior, thereby adopting an integrative approach. Understanding how psychological knowledge is generated, developed and applied enables students to achieve a greater understanding of themselves and appreciate the diversity of human behavior. The ethical concerns raised by the methodology and application of psychological research are key considerations in IB Psychology.  Works of study include excerpts from Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters (Miller & Kanazawa), The Power of Habit (Duhigg), Superfreakonomics (Dubner & Levitt), Outliers andBlink (Gladwell), and Predictably Irrational (Ariely).

IB Psychology takes a holistic approach that focuses on real world applications of the concepts and fosters intercultural understanding and respect. In the core of the IB Psychology course, the biological level of analysis demonstrates what all humans share, whereas the cognitive and sociocultural levels of analysis reveal the immense diversity of influences that produce human behavior and mental processes. Cultural diversity is explored and students are encouraged to develop empathy for the feelings, needs and lives of others within and outside their own culture. This empathy contributes to an international understanding.