Social Studies

For further information about the department please contact Don Foucar at 324-2568 or dfoucar@helenaschools.org.

For further information please see the Social Studies Webpage.
Social Studies Website & Links

The Capital High School Social Studies Department offers a wide variety of instruction within our core content areas and our elective offerings.  Our core content classes are World Cultures for freshmen, US History for juniors, and American Government for seniors.  We offer  an Honors World Cultures class and Advanced Placement classes in US History, European History, and American Government.  Our elective offerings include Current Issues, Psychology, Sociology, Special Topics, Western Civilization, and Western History.

The American Government students study the electoral system of the country in order to prepare the 18 year old students to vote in upcoming elections.  They study the positions of the political party candidates on the ballot and the pro/con arguments for any ballot initiatives. During Presidential election years, they participate in a mock election.  In conjunction with their study of the federal, state and local judiciary, the Government students hear speakers from the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Department, State of Montana’s Justice Department,  District #1 Court, and the Montana Supreme Court during our spring Law Week presentations.  Also in the spring, our freshman World Cultures classes go to the Lewis and Clark Caverns for their annual field trip there.

Our freshman Honors World Cultures class delves into global issues.  Students in this class are engaged in a large amount of academic activities including:  discussion/debate of world issues and problems; readings followed by critical thinking and essay construction; monthly lunchtime meetings; artistic/creative projects followed by presentation; and, independent research and writing.  It is also important to note that this is primarily an online class.  Honors World Cultures students choose to take this class in addition to their regular World Cultures classes.  This class takes extra work but is worth it because a person can’t ever really know too much about the world we live in.

The purpose of our Advanced Placement courses is to offer students the rigors of an entry-level college program while earning college credit.  Students taking AP classes develop skills and habits that they will need to be successful in college.  The AP Government and AP US History courses are comprehensive; the AP European History class begins with the late middle ages continuing through the 1990s.  All of the college credit testing part of these courses take place in the spring.  For more information on these AP courses, visit www.collegeboard.com.

CHS Social Studies teachers are dedicated to creating challenging learning environments; personalizing the learning process; ensuring that all learners work with qualified, caring adults; and, preparing all students for college and/or work in a global environment.  We’d like to invite the parents of our students to come and visit our classrooms any time.