Warwick School District

Curriculum❯Social Problems

Social Problems

Grade Levels: 10 | 11 | 12 |

Course Description

This semester-long course exposes students to the Social Problems facing our world - their world. From poverty and child abuse to terrorists and child soldiers, students will examine today’s Social Problems through the lens of the media, non-profit and government sources, as well as films and documentaries. Students taking this course must be able to examine and research extreme social situations, be comfortable viewing media that covers controversial and challenging topics, sometimes depicting realistic images that may present violent and/or graphic images, and participate in class discussions and debates. Students will also engage in looking for solutions to Social problems and will be expected to participate in several community service/volunteer projects.

Core Curriculum Content Standards

PA Common Core: History and Social Studies (2012)

  • Reading Informational Text: Students read, understand, and respond to informational text – with emphasis on comprehension, making connections among ideas and between texts with focus on textual evidence.

    • GRADES 11-12

      • Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.(8.5.11-12.G)
      • Evaluate an author’s premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information.(8.5.11-12.H)
      • Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.(8.5.11-12.I)

Environment and Ecology (2009-2012)

  • Ecology

    • GRADE 10

      • Explain the consequences of interrupting natural cycles.(4.1.10.B)
      • Research practices that impact biodiversity in specific ecosystems. -Analyze the relationship between habitat changes to plant and animal population fluctuations.(4.1.10.D)
      • Analyze how humans influence the pattern of natural changes (e.g. primary / secondary succession and desertification) in ecosystems over time.(4.1.10.E)

  • Natural Resources

    • GRADE 10

      • Evaluate factors affecting the use of natural resources. -Evaluate the effect of consumer demands on the use of natural resources. -Analyze how technologies such as modern mining, harvesting, and transportation equipment affect the use of our natural resources. -Describe how local and state agencies manage natural resources.(4.3.10.A)
      • Analyze how humans manage and distribute natural resources. -Describe the use of a natural resource with an emphasis on the environmental consequences of extracting, processing, transporting, using, and disposing of it. -Analyze the impact of technology on the management, distribution, and disposal of natural resources.(4.3.10.B)

    • GRADE 12

      • Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using renewable and nonrenewable resources. -Explain how consumption rate affects the sustainability of resource use. -Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using renewable resources such as solar power, wind power, and biofuels.(4.3.12.A)
      • Analyze factors that influence the local, regional, national, and global availability of natural resources. -Compare the use of natural resources in different countries. -Analyze the social, economic, and political factors that affect the distribution of natural resources (e.g., wars, political systems, classism, racism).(4.3.12.B)

  • Agriculture and Society

    • GRADE 10

      • Analyze the effects of agriculture on a society’s economy, environment, standard of living, and foreign trade.(4.4.10.B)

    • GRADE 12

      • Research and analyze the social, political, economic, and environmental factors that affect agricultural systems.(4.4.12.A)

  • Humans and the Environment

    • GRADE 10

      • Explain how public policy encourages or discourages the sustainable use of natural resources. -Research laws and polices that address the sustainable use of natural resources (e.g., solid and liquid waste management, industry, agriculture and enterprise).(4.5.10.A)
      • Analyze real-world data and explain how point and non-point source pollution can be detected and eliminated. -Compare and contrast the environmental effects of different industrial strategies.(4.5.10.C)
      • Evaluate various methods of managing waste as related to economic, environmental, and technological factors.(4.5.10.D)
      • Describe the impact of occupational exposure to pollutants. -Analyze laws and regulations designed to protect human health. -Analyze efforts to prevent, control, and/or reduce pollution through cost and benefit analysis and risk management.(4.5.10.E)

    • GRADE 12

      • Research how technology influences the sustainable use of natural resources. -Analyze how consumer demands drive the development of technology enabling the sustainable use of natural resources.(4.5.12.A)
      • Analyze the costs and benefits of means to control pollution. -Analyze the role of technology in the reduction of pollution. -Research and analyze the local, state, and national laws that deal with point and non-point source pollution. -Explain mitigation and its role in maintaining environmental health.(4.5.12.C)
      • Evaluate waste management practices. -Analyze current solid waste regulations. -Research the impact of new and emerging technologies in the use, reuse, recycling and disposal of materials. -Evaluate ways that waste could be reduced during the production of specific product.(4.5.12.D)
      • Analyze how consumer demands promote the production of pollutants that affect human health.(4.5.12.E)

Civics and Government (2009-2012)

  • Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship

    • GRADE 9

      • Contrast the rights and responsibilities of a citizen in a democracy with a citizen in an authoritarian system.(5.2.9.A)
      • Analyze strategies used to resolve conflicts in society and government.(5.2.9.B)
      • Examine political leadership and public service in a republican form of government.(5.2.9.C)

    • GRADE 12

      • Examine the causes of conflicts in society and evaluate techniques to address those conflicts.(5.2.12.B)
      • Evaluate political leadership and public service in a republican form of government.(5.2.12.C)
      • Evaluate and demonstrate what makes competent and responsible citizens.(5.2.12.D)

  • How International Relationships Function

    • GRADE 9

      • Explain how United States foreign policy is developed.(5.4.9.A)
      • Explain why and how different foreign policy tools are used to advance a nation’s self interest (e.g., diplomacy, economic aid, military aid, sanctions, treaties).(5.4.9.B)
      • Identify the role of international organizations.(5.4.9.C)
      • Analyze the various mass media outlets and their influence on global issues.(5.4.9.D)
      • Identify the politics of interest groups (e.g. business and labor organizations, ethnic and religious organizations) on foreign policy.(5.4.9.E)

    • GRADE 12

      • Examine foreign policy perspectives, including realism, idealism, and liberalism.(5.4.12.A)
      • Evaluate the effectiveness of foreign policy tools in various current issues confronting the United States (e.g., diplomacy, economic aid, military aid, sanctions, treaties).(5.4.12.B)
      • Evaluate the effectiveness of international organizations, both governmental and non-governmental.(5.4.12.C)
      • Evaluate the role of mass media in world politics.(5.4.12.D)
      • Compare and contrast the politics of various interest groups and evaluate their impact on foreign policy.(5.4.12.E)

Business, Computer and Information Technology (2012)

  • Computer and Information Technologies

    • GRADES 9 - 12

      • Apply the creative and productive use of emerging technologies for educational and personal success.(15.4.12.A)
      • Evaluate the impact of social, legal, ethical, and safe behaviors on digital citizenship.(15.4.12.B)
      • Find and use primary documentation; employ an accepted protocol for citation(15.4.12.L)

Units

Unit #1 - Global Social Problems

Unit #2 - Immediate Global Problems