American Studies I
Introduction to Unit 4 – “ Does Compromise prevent Conflict?”. This Unit will focus on the various attempted compromises and building tensions of the American Civil War and Reconstruction Era.
SQ#1 – How do competing groups compromise with one another? This question will focus on the various political compromises leading up to the Civil War and closing the Reconstruction era; like the Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850, and Compromise of 1877. We will specifically focus on who the major political players were in these compromises and the different objectives & experiences they brought to the bargaining table. As well as the commonalties of effective compromises and what contributes to their breakdown.
SQ#2 – How did conflict escalate? This question will focus on the various political and social events that led to increasing tension towards the Civil War, like the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, “Bleeding Kansas”, and John Brown’s Raid. We will specifically focus on the differing ways Americans responded to these events.
SQ#3 – What does it mean to be a citizen? This question will focus on how the definition of citizenship evolved drastically in relation to slaves as property, the Dred Scott decision, and with the passage of the 14th Amendment. It will also contemplate the social limits of these legal definitions and how Americans still grapple with this question in terms of voting access, social services, and immigration.
SQ#4 – What are the limits of Presidential Power? This question will review the Constitution’s outlined powers of the Executive and then compare how the President’s scope of power has grown for the better and the worse through history. This will specifically review Jackson’s policies, Lincoln’s wartime measures, Johnson’s Reconstruction battles with Congress, and make comparisons to contemporaries like FDR, Obama, and Trump. We will also review the Constitution’s protocols for Impeachment through various historical examples.
Students will be discussing the buildup to the Civil War, the Reconstruction era, and the more general concepts of compromise, conflict, citizenship, & presidential power. So, discuss the following with your student:
American Studies II
Unit 6, What is the Cost of Being Rich?, will begin mid-March. Unit 5 Supporting Questions are:
What are the major assignments/projects/assessments that students and parents should be aware of this month?
How can parents engage with their students at home about what they are learning this month?
AP/Dual Credit Psychology
We will be in our current unit, Social Psychology and Personality, until just before Spring Break.
Social psychology is the study of how other people and groups influence behavior and mental processes, as well as how behavior and mental processes influence an individual’s experiences in social situations. This unit explores how external social factors and internal personality variables come into play in a wide variety of everyday situations for people.
Psychologists throughout history have proposed different theories that categorize different personalities and explain their connection to behavior and mental processes. Various perspectives in psychology have shaped these theories and how psychologists study personality. Some psychologists study what motivates us and/or our emotional responses to understand our individual differences; other psychologists seek to understand why different personalities exist, how they are developed, and if and how they change. As they explore the content of this unit, students will gain understanding about themselves, their peers, their families, and others whom they may meet in day-to-day life and begin to provide insight into factors that may contribute to mental and physical health issues that they will examine in Unit 5. (From the CED)
Shortly before Spring Break we will start our final unit, Mental and Physical Health.
While people’s overall health and well-being is a deep interest of all psychologists, there are more specific areas within these categories on which certain psychologists place their main research focus. Health psychologists explore factors that help people lead mentally and physically healthy lives. Positive psychologists explore factors related to mental health and happiness, focusing on positive emotions, cognitions, and experiences. Psychologists who study and/or treat psychological disorders utilize theoretical perspectives to explain a disorder’s origin and/or determine the best method for its treatment. These explanations and treatments build on the theories, perspectives, concepts, and processes studied throughout the course. Connecting content and perspectives presented in this unit and those presented in the previous four units can help students realize why psychologists use integrated approaches and evidence-based practices to understand and treat psychological disorders. Overall, this final unit presents an opportunity for students to see real-world application of course content. (From the CED)
What are the major assignments, assessments, projects, etc. this month?
How can parents interact with their child at home on what they are learning in your class?
American Studies I
What are the upcoming topics and objectives for the next month?
Completion of Unit 3 – “What does it mean to be an American?”. This Unit will focus on the ways the young republic changed and evolved as Americans built their unique identity. We have recently finished the 1st Industrial Revolution and the immense changes it brought to the economy, slavery’s growth, and the individual American relationship with work and access to goods. We are currently studying how the 2nd Great Awakening’s religious revival led to larger reassessments of the individual’s and government’s role in reforming social ills, like poverty and women’s rights. We will then connect these constantly debated topics to modern parallels. Lastly, we will pull together the entirety of this Unit with our Final Project P.P. Presentation.
Introduction to Unit 4 – “Does Compromise prevent Conflict?”. This Unit will focus on the various attempted compromises and building tensions of the American Civil War and Reconstruction Era.
What major tests, assignments, or projects are due over the next month?
Unit 3 Final Project P.P. Presentation – What does it mean to be American? Centered around a modern/historical Thesis with mentions of others’ perspectives and with 3 pieces of evidence and analysis based on our sources and/or outside research. Students will be expected to put this together via a creative, organized, and professional PowerPoint Presentation.
How can parents engage with their child at home on what they are learning in class? a. Students will be discussing the modern American identity, the methods/ideology behind Westward expansion, the changes associated with Industrialization and the role of government on addressing social issues during the Reform Era. So, discuss the following with your student:
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AP/Dual Credit Psychology
What are the upcoming units/topics that will be covered this month?
We are finishing up Unit 3 (Development and Learning) with an assessment around February 13.
We will be in our next unit, Social Psychology and Personality, until just before Spring Break.
Social psychology is the study of how other people and groups influence behavior and mental processes, as well as how behavior and mental processes influence an individual’s experiences in social situations. This unit explores how external social factors and internal personality variables come into play in a wide variety of everyday situations.
Psychologists throughout history have proposed different theories that categorize different personalities and explain their connection to behavior and mental processes. Various perspectives in psychology have shaped these theories and how psychologists study personality. Some psychologists study what motivates us and/or our emotional responses to understand our individual differences; other psychologists seek to understand why different personalities exist, how they are developed, and if and how they change. As they explore the content of this unit, students will gain understanding about themselves, their peers, their families, and others whom they may meet in day-to-day life and begin to provide insight into factors that may contribute to mental and physical health issues that they will examine in Unit 5. (From the CED)
What are the major assignments/projects/assessments that students and parents should be aware of this month?
How can parents engage with their students at home about what they are learning this month?
AP/Dual Credit Psychology Syllabus: AP Psych Syllabus 2025-26.docx
AP/Dual Credit Psychology Weekly Agendas, Semester 1: AP_DC Psychology Weekly Agenda S1 2025-26.
AP/Dual Credit Psychology Weekly Agendas, Semester 2: Orzechowski AP_DC Psychology Weekly Agenda S2 2025-26.docx
Semester 1 Daily Agenda Slides: AP_DC Psych Semester 1 2025-26.pptx
Semester 2 Daily Agenda Slides: AP_DC Psych S2 2025-26.pptx
Orzechowski American Studies I Syllabus: Syllabus
American Studies I Weekly Agendas, Semester 1: Orzechowski American Studies 1 Weekly Agenda S1 2025-26.docx
American Studies 1 Weekly Agendas, Semester 2: Orzechowski American Studies 1 Weekly Agenda S2 2025-26.docx
Semester 1 Daily Agenda Slides: American Studies 1 Semester 1 2025-26.pptx
Semester 2 Daily Agenda Slides: American Studies 1, Semester 2, 2025-26
American Studies 2 Syllabus: Syllabus
American Studies 2 Weekly Agendas, Semester 1: Orzechowski American Studies 2 Weekly Agenda S1 2025-26.docx
American Studies 2 Weekly Agendas, Semester 2: Orzechowski American Studies 2 Weekly Agenda S2 2025-26.docx
Semester 1 Daily Agenda Slides: American Studies 2 Semester 1 2025-26.pptx
Semester 2 Daily Agenda Slides: American Studies 2 Semester 2 2025-26.pptx