Social Studies
AHA’s Social Studies program cultivates global awareness and increased understanding of the complexities of the world. Using the best available technology, students examine and analyze primary and secondary sources from the past and present so they may become critical thinkers and problem solvers. Students become active participants in our democratic system and make many connections between Social Studies and other academic disciplines. Every Social Studies course emphasizes issues and ideas that promote the development of the universal human rights of liberty, human dignity, and justice in the United States and the world.
- The curriculum includes World History and U.S. History I and II as required courses. AP U.S. History is offered to those who qualify. Social Studies electives are very popular among our students. Economics and AP Macroeconomics courses are available to students from 10th to 12th grade. Senior electives are Psychology, Sociology, International Studies, and AP Government and Politics.
- Our success rate on the three AP exams has consistently exceeded 90%.
- Guest speakers are featured in many classes to provide students with personal recollections from concentration camp survivors who share their remembrances, to distinguished professors who convey their knowledge of the economy, various cultures, and law enforcement. Alumnae return to relate their experiences working as interns for members of Congress, Peace Corps volunteers, and their various roles in the international community.
Activities outside of the classroom complement our curriculum. Model UN allows students to attend conferences at Harvard and Seton Hall in simulations mirroring the conflicts and resolutions that impact the United States and the world at large. Model UN allows AHA students to compete at Ivy League colleges among the many conferences that they regularly attend. Since 2021, AHA’s delegates have participated in the Harvard University sponsored virtual Model UN in China. The AHA Debate Team competes countywide as a member of the Bergen County Debate League. Our students hone their debate skills while debating topics of national and international significance.
Requirements: All students are required to take three years of Social Studies courses, including one year of World History and two years of U.S. History. All averages presented are unweighted, yearly averages unless otherwise noted.
Social Studies Courses
World History
World History - Honors
World History - High Honors
Economics - Honors
Macroeconomics - AP
United States History I
United States History I – Honors
United States History I – High Honors
United States History II
United States History II - Honors
United States History II – Advanced Placement
Senior Electives
Psychology
Sociology
International Studies/Middle College Program
U.S. Government and Politics Advanced Placement
Social Studies Honor Society
Rho Kappa Social Studies Honor Society is the only national organization for high school seniors that recognizes excellence in Social Studies. Rho Kappa provides national recognition and opportunities for exploration in all of the Social Studies. Through its sponsorship of Rho Kappa, the National Council for Social Studies hopes to encourage an interest in, understanding of, and appreciation for all Social Studies disciplines. Four full years of Social Studies courses is a requirement for membership.
AHA received its charter to the Rho Kappa Social Studies Honor Society in 2012 and had its first induction of members in 2013. The AHA chapter is the Alice Paul Chapter. The name was chosen because of Alice Paul’s tireless dedication to the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote in 1919. Because service is a large component of Rho Kappa membership, the group has sponsored many fundraisers to aid in relief efforts in Puerto Rico and Haiti.
