The mission of the GHS Social Studies Department is for our students to become active, informed, and responsible citizens of our democratic society by understanding multicultural, local, national, and global perspectives. Students will become critical thinkers by engaging in authentic learning experiences that develop their ability to read, analyze, draw conclusions and create arguments using a variety of sources.
Geneva High School requires a minimum of 2.5 credits in Social Studies which includes a World History course, a United States History course, and a Government course. Elective courses are available and students are highly encouraged to enroll in any of these courses, as most competitive universities recommend between 3 and 4 Social Studies credits for their enrollment.
Social Studies Course Sequence:
Freshman Year Required Course World History or AP Human Geography | Sophomore Year Required Course American Studies or United States History or AP United States History | Junior/Senior Year Required Course United States Government or AP United States Government and Politics | Junior/Senior Year Electives *open to sophomores AP Psychology (full year) AP World History (full year) AP Macroeconomics Contemporary American Issues* Contemporary Global Issues* Economics Political Campaigns and Elections Psychology Sociology* Urban Studies |
The Social Studies Department extra-curricular activities:
- Model United Nations
- Students will be involved in a variety of simulations, discussing pressing issues of our world. This involves a little travel and possibly overnight stays. Simulations traditionally involve other schools.
- Local Government Day
- An opportunity for students to engage with employees or our city government and members of Geneva City Council.
- Social Studies National Honors Society
- A variety of service-oriented projects to engage students in civic involvement.
- Foreign Travel
- Opportunities to experience foreign countries in relation to the curriculum with an emphasis on European travel.