Email Mr. O'Shell: soshell@longlakecsd.org
Welcome to Social Studies
YouTube: An Open Letter from John Green to Returning Students
About Mr. O'Shell: I am excited to be back for my fourth year at LLCS and I am happy to be part of the Long Lake community and a resident of the beautiful Adirondacks! Before teaching here, I taught at Syracuse City School District for two years. I received my bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY.
Middle School Social Studies
Please use Google Classroom to see assignments and updates. A link is located in the box to the right.
Course description: We will be learning about American history from the arrival of the first humans to the end of the Civil War in 1865. We will learn how historians study and use sources like official documents, speeches, political cartoons, maps and may others. We will work on writing arguments and participating in discussions and debates. This year should be fun and productive.
First marking period
- Unit 1: The First Americans
- Unit 2: Colonial Developments
Second marking period
- Unit 3: Independence
- Unit 4: The Constitution
Third marking period
- Unit 5: The Early Republic
- Unit 6: Westward Expansion
Fourth marking period
- Unit 7: Reform Movements
- Unit 8: A Nation Divided
Middle School Social Studies Resources
Global I Information
Please use Google Classroom to see assignments and updates. A link is located in the box to the right.
Course description: In this course we will study the history of the world from before the dawn of civilization to the year
1750. We will learn about cultures from all over the world, use primary and secondary sources like real historians, and
learn about “enduring issues” – forces that have affected humans throughout the ages.
First marking period
- Unit 1: Development of Civilization and Belief Systems
- Unit 2: Classical Civilizations: Greece, Gupta, Han, Maurya, Maya, Qin, & Rome
Second marking period
- Unit 3: Trade, Technology, & Cultural Diffusion 500-1500 C.E.
- Unit 4: Achievements and Conflict 500-1500 C.E.
Third marking period
- Unit 5: The Ottoman Empire and Ming Dynasty pre-1600 C.E.
- Unit 6: Africa and the Americas pre-1600 C.E.
Fourth marking period
- Unit 7: The Encounter
- Unit 8: The Transformation of Europe and Russia 1400-1750
Global I Resources
Global II Information
Please use Google Classroom to see assignments and updates. A link is located in the box to the right.
Course description: In this course we will study the history of the world since the year 1750 C.E. We will learn about the developments and forces, or “enduring issues” that shaped our modern world, and the challenges we currently face. We will learn how to be historians through analyzing sources and communicating ideas.
First marking period
- Unit 1: Enlightenment, Revolution, and Nationalism
- Unit 2: The Industrial Revolution
Second marking period
- Unit 3: Imperialism
- Unit 4: WWI and WWII
Third marking period
- Unit 5: The Cold War
- Unit 6: Decolonization and Nationalism
Fourth marking period
- Unit 7: Modernization and Globalization
- Unit 8: Human Rights Violations
Global II Resources
US History Information
Please use Google Classroom to see assignments and updates. A link is located in the box to the right.
Course description: In this course we will study the history of the United States from the pre-colonial era to modern day. We will be preparing for the US Regents Exam and building skills in interpreting evidence, and crafting arguments. Our studies will have a special focus on civic engagement, and the themes of race, injustice, and progress, technology, mass communication, conflict, political parties, and others as determined by student interest and current events.
First marking period
- Unit 1: Pre-colonial and Colonial eras
- Unit 2: The Constitution and Early Republic
Second marking period
- Unit 3: The Civil War era
- Unit 4: Industrialization and WWI
Third marking period
- Unit 5: The Roaring Twenties and Great Depression
- Unit 6: World War II and the Cold War
Fourth marking period
- Unit 7: Civil Rights
- Unit 8: Recent and Current Challenges
US History Resources
Participation in Government and Economics Information
Please use Google Classroom to see assignments and updates. A link is located in the box to the right.
Course description: In this course we will learn about the role of the individual in our democratic society and the global
economy, as well as the institutions and mechanisms used by our government. We will focus on placing our individual
actions and decisions in a broader political and economic context, closely study current events, and learn how to be
responsible consumers and producers of media.
First marking period (Participation in Government)
- Unit 1: American Democracy, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberty
- Unit 2: Rights and Responsibilities as a Citizen
Second marking period (Participation in Government)
- Unit 3: Political and Civic Participation
- Unit 4: Public Policy
Third marking period (Economics)
- Unit 5: Individual Responsibility in the Economy
- Unit 6: Markets: Supply and Demand
Fourth marking period (Economics)
- Unit 7: Impact of American Capitalism in a Global Economy
- Unit 8: The Tools of Economic Policy in a Global Economy
Participation in Government & Economics Resources
Psychology 101
Please use Google Classroom to see assignments and updates. A link is located in the box to the right.
Course description: This is a survey course designed to introduce students to essential aspects of the study of the human mind and behavior. Students will examine the history of psychology and famous psychological studies, the biological, social, and cultural influences on our thinking and behavior, and how research is conducted in social sciences. Students will become acquainted with the methods and language of the discipline while building their inquiry and critical thinking about the human mind and behavior.
Psychology 101 resources
Philosophy 101
Please use Google Classroom to see assignments and updates. A link is located in the box to the right.
Course description: A theoretical and contemporary problem approach to four basic ideas of philosophy: metaphysics (humans and their universe); knowledge (humans and their capacity for knowing); morality (humans and their actions); free will and determinism (humans and their freedom)