W-L Social Studies path

[Anonymous]

My 9th grade son has to choose classes for next year. He insists that "everyone" takes AP Govt in 10th, even if they are not getting the full IB diploma. I can't imagine that's true, but I am wondering about the Social Studies path at W-L. My son is smart, but not the most motivated and I think he'll really struggle in an AP class in 10th grade. Are there other options between AP Govt and World HIstory I? TIA.

[Anonymous]

He'll do fine in AP Gov. It's a good first one to take. At W-L, all the full IB kids have to take it in 10th grade because of the IB curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He'll do fine in AP Gov. It's a good first one to take. At W-L, all the full IB kids have to take it in 10th grade because of the IB curriculum.

Thanks. I actually teach at another IB school and while all IB kids do that US Govt in 10th, it can be regular or AP. I was surprised they only offered AP at W-L.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He'll do fine in AP Gov. It's a good first one to take. At W-L, all the full IB kids have to take it in 10th grade because of the IB curriculum.

Thanks. I actually teach at another IB school and while all IB kids do that US Govt in 10th, it can be regular or AP. I was surprised they only offered AP at W-L.

W-L likes to quote the stat that nearly all students take at least one AP before graduating. They maintain that by making everyone except for some ESL and Sp Ed students take the AP Gov class. But, it is often a single-semester class at other schools while it's taught over a full year at W-L.

You can technically wait until 12th to take it and I think that is likely the case with students who are not otherwise taking many AP/IB classes. However, IB students MUST take it in 10th because there is no room in their 11th-12th schedule for it but US/VA gov is a VA state graduation requirement. So, if your student has friends doing IB they will probably want to take it in 10th along with their friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He'll do fine in AP Gov. It's a good first one to take. At W-L, all the full IB kids have to take it in 10th grade because of the IB curriculum.

Thanks. I actually teach at another IB school and while all IB kids do that US Govt in 10th, it can be regular or AP. I was surprised they only offered AP at W-L.

W-L likes to quote the stat that nearly all students take at least one AP before graduating. They maintain that by making everyone except for some ESL and Sp Ed students take the AP Gov class. But, it is often a single-semester class at other schools while it's taught over a full year at W-L.

You can technically wait until 12th to take it and I think that is likely the case with students who are not otherwise taking many AP/IB classes. However, IB students MUST take it in 10th because there is no room in their 11th-12th schedule for it but US/VA gov is a VA state graduation requirement. So, if your student has friends doing IB they will probably want to take it in 10th along with their friends.

This is good info. Thanks. So it really seems like most take AP Gov in 10th like my son said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He'll do fine in AP Gov. It's a good first one to take. At W-L, all the full IB kids have to take it in 10th grade because of the IB curriculum.

Thanks. I actually teach at another IB school and while all IB kids do that US Govt in 10th, it can be regular or AP. I was surprised they only offered AP at W-L.

W-L likes to quote the stat that nearly all students take at least one AP before graduating. They maintain that by making everyone except for some ESL and Sp Ed students take the AP Gov class. But, it is often a single-semester class at other schools while it's taught over a full year at W-L.

You can technically wait until 12th to take it and I think that is likely the case with students who are not otherwise taking many AP/IB classes. However, IB students MUST take it in 10th because there is no room in their 11th-12th schedule for it but US/VA gov is a VA state graduation requirement. So, if your student has friends doing IB they will probably want to take it in 10th along with their friends.

This is good info. Thanks. So it really seems like most take AP Gov in 10th like my son said.

Yes. For my kids who did a mix of AP/IB/regular classes their social studies path was:

9: World History (one took regular and one did intensified)
10: AP Government
11: US History (one took regular, one did AP)
12: IB Economics for one kid, Psychology for the other

[Anonymous]

My kid, who is now a senior and IB Diploma candidate, had the following social studies path:

9th AP World History
10th AP US Gov't
11th/12th IB History of the Americas/Topics HL

This was a pretty common progression for kids in the IB program

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He'll do fine in AP Gov. It's a good first one to take. At W-L, all the full IB kids have to take it in 10th grade because of the IB curriculum.

Thanks. I actually teach at another IB school and while all IB kids do that US Govt in 10th, it can be regular or AP. I was surprised they only offered AP at W-L.

W-L likes to quote the stat that nearly all students take at least one AP before graduating. They maintain that by making everyone except for some ESL and Sp Ed students take the AP Gov class. But, it is often a single-semester class at other schools while it's taught over a full year at W-L.

You can technically wait until 12th to take it and I think that is likely the case with students who are not otherwise taking many AP/IB classes. However, IB students MUST take it in 10th because there is no room in their 11th-12th schedule for it but US/VA gov is a VA state graduation requirement. So, if your student has friends doing IB they will probably want to take it in 10th along with their friends.

This is good info. Thanks. So it really seems like most take AP Gov in 10th like my son said.

Yes. For my kids who did a mix of AP/IB/regular classes their social studies path was:

9: World History (one took regular and one did intensified)
10: AP Government
11: US History (one took regular, one did AP)
12: IB Economics for one kid, Psychology for the other

Thanks. This is very helpful. He's in Intensified World History this year, and will probably have a B for the year if everything stays the same. But he will definitely not be an IB diploma candidate so it's good to see a path for non-IB students.

[Anonymous]

My partial IB student took Intensified World History (9), Econ (over the 9-10 summer to knock out that requirement), AP Gov (10), AP US History (11) and IB Social Anthropology (11 and 12).

[Anonymous]

At my son’s private Catholic HS. The AP history for 10th is AP European History.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At my son’s private Catholic HS. The AP history for 10th is AP European History.

AP Euro History is by far the toughest of the AP History courses. Most area privates offer this Sophomore year. All the other AP histories/gov are a cake walk after it.

[Anonymous]

AP European History is an option for 10th at W-L if you aren't doing IB. My son considered it but decided to do AP Gov with his friends. Could also take it in 12th after APUSH

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At my son’s private Catholic HS. The AP history for 10th is AP European History.

AP Euro History is by far the toughest of the AP History courses. Most area privates offer this Sophomore year. All the other AP histories/gov are a cake walk after it.

+1 After AP Euro History, the rest of the AP Histories are a cake walk.

[Anonymous]

Can anyone share any insights on IB Economics at W-L? Amazing teacher, interesting class, super hard or easy, best for kids with particular strengths, etc? Also, is it tough to fit it in a schedule from a conflicts perspective (like is it always at the same time as a particular other class, making it impossible to do both)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At my son’s private Catholic HS. The AP history for 10th is AP European History.

AP Euro History is by far the toughest of the AP History courses. Most area privates offer this Sophomore year. All the other AP histories/gov are a cake walk after it.

+1 After AP Euro History, the rest of the AP Histories are a cake walk.

AP Euro isn't as difficult if you've had AP World History before it. It is tough, though.