This course explores key aspects of the social, economic, and political development of the United States from precontact to the present. Students will examine the contributions of groups and individuals to the country’s evolution and will explore the historical context of key issues, trends, and events that have had an impact on the United States, its identity and culture, and its role in the global community.

In this course, students will explore physical processes related to the earth’s water, land, and air. They will investigate how these processes shape the planet’s natural characteristics and affect human systems, how they are involved in the creation of natural disasters, and how they influence the impacts of human disasters.

This course explores interrelationships between the land and people in a selected region as well as interconnections between this region and the rest of the world. Students will explore the region’s environmental, socio-economic, and cultural characteristics and will investigate issues related to natural resources, economic development and sustainability, population change, globalization, and quality of life.