Course Descriptions

Click here to download our Couse Brochure BSS Brochure Revised 2021

Social Studies Curricular Competencies:

In all Social Studies courses, the focus of their learning is to develop competences in the specific skills. In each course, students will LEARN how to:

Use various Social Studies inquiry processes & skills
Assess the significance of different people, places, events, maps, texts, or developments in time (Significance)
Assess the credibility of multiple sources & the adequacy used to justify conclusions (Evidence)
Characterize different time periods in history & turning points that marked different periods in time (Continuity & Change)
Determine which causes most influenced decisions & changes & their long & short term consequences (Cause & Consequence)
Explain different perspectives of people, places, issues or events over time (Perspective)
Make ethical judgments and assess the limitations of drawing direct lessons from the past (Ethical Judgment)

Social Studies 8

Within the time period 750-1750 CE, students will explore the events, people, ideas and issues related to the following big ideas: cause & conflict can stimulate long term change; human and environmental factors shape changes in population & living standards; expansion & exploration had varying consequences for different groups; and changing ideas about the world created tension between people wanting to adopt new ideas & those wanting to preserve established traditions.

Social Studies 9

Within the time period 1750-1919, students will explore the important issues and ideas, peoples, and events of the day that relate to the following big ideas: societies and events are profoundly influenced by new ideas and ideologies; collective identity is constructed & can change over time; our physical environment influences the nature of political, social & economic change; disparities in power can alter the balance of relationships between individuals & society.

Social Studies 10

Within the time period 1918 and the present day, students will explore the peoples, events, ideas and issues of the day that relate to the following big ideas: the contemporary world has been influenced and shaped by powerful global and regional conflicts; the development of political institutions are influenced by economic, social, ideological and geographic factors; our individual and collective worldviews lead to different perspectives and ideas about developments in Canadian society; and historical and contemporary injustices challenge the narrative and identity of Canada as an inclusive, multicultural society.

Socials 11 Explorations

In this new course, you may explore and inquire into a range of Social Studies topics that include: First Peoples Studies, History, Geography, Psychology, Politics & Government, Social Justice, Law, and Philosophy. This course will be taught as a collection of three or possibly mini-modules each of which will focus on one of the many different senior Social Studies electives. This might lay the foundation for a more focused pursuit of senior Social Studies subjects.

Psychology 11:

This is an activities-based, introductory survey course that introduces the study of human behavior & basic concepts in modern psychology. You’ll explore key questions in Psychology & how psychologists answer these questions. This course promotes critical thinking in a range of group/individual activities.

Psychology 12:

Students will learn about human behavior and examine the three main debates and research questions Psychologists continue to study. Students will develop critical thinking skills, as well as applying those skills to real life case studies and engaging activities and experiments.

AP Psychology:

This course will introduce you to the systematic and scientific study of behavior and mental processes of human beings and animals. You will be exposed to psychological facts, principals, and phenomenon associated with each of the sub fields in psychology. This course offers students the choice of writing the optional AP Exam in May.

AP Human Geography:

The purpose of this course is to introduce the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped understanding, use and alteration of Earth’s surface. You’ll use concepts & analysis to examine social organization and its consequences. You will also learn about the methods & tools geographers use in their professional practice. Our study of geography will apply a holistic perspective in examining patterns, places and landscapes, while we find our place in the world.

Human Geography 12:

In this course you will learn to analyze data, demographic patterns & & human patterns of interaction with our planet. You will focus on the human & environmental interaction across the globe and how regions around the world are a combination of the dynamic interaction between humans and their environment.

Physical Geography 12:

This Social Science course will introduce you to the awe-inspiring physical diversity of our planet. By investigating the earth, you’ll learn the knowledge & skills needed for a dynamic world. The Big Ideas will look at population patterns and how they are influenced by the environment and human activity and how that, in turn, shapes the landscape in a variety of ways.

BC First Peoples 12:

In this course, you will focus on how the identities, worldviews & languages of the Indigenous Peoples of BC are renewed, sustained and transformed through their connection to the land, the impact of colonialism, rich cultural expressions and self-governance and leadership.

Social Justice 12:

Students will develop ethical & philosophical reasoning skills by exploring issues of injustice in a local and global context. Students will work to invoke change to become ethical and socially responsible global citizens. Topics include animal rights, media, consumerism, propaganda, child labour, homophobia, women’s rights, racism, global issues, environmentalism and social justice “heroes”.

2oth Century World History 12:

In this course, students will use critical thinking skills to analyze documents, images, and pop culture as they explore major events in the last century of human history. Topics include: dictatorships, WWII, the Civil Rights movement, Vietnam, media growth, and the Cold War. If you’ve ever wondered how we got here and why, this is the course for you!

Law 12:

This course will give you everything you need to know about the Canadian Legal system with a hint of comparison to the American system. This class focuses on statute and case law, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and the Criminal and Civil law. Students will need to be aware of current events and follow cases as they are happening. This is an academic elective with profound focus on debate, discussion, reading and writing.

Criminology 12:

You will examine the causes and effects of crime as they relate to Canadian society. An analysis of what constitutes a crime (once committed), those who are brought into play & the carried consequences will be examined. Statistics, theories and the media will be included and debated. The course will evaluate whether our judicial system is proactive or reactive?

Global Intracultural Studies 12:

You will explore the concept of culture & how it shapes our thinking, behavior, family lives & relationships as well as world cultures, current events, writing, art & film from many cultures. We will learn together through dialogue, discussion & projects. The goal of this class is to help students thrive in a global world, to resist stereotypical thinking & to recognize imbalances of power & inequity.