Welcome to the
Social Studies Department
Richard Miller, Ph.D.
Social Studies Supervisor
K-12
(609) 806-4270 ext. 5529
The mission of the Social Studies Department is to help students learn to make informed and reasoned decisions as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world. History forms the core of the program offered by the department, but the central discipline is expanded and supported by insights and strategies drawn from geography, political science, economics, sociology and anthropology. Instruction includes chronology, cause-effect reasoning, exercises in geographical literacy, information gathering, processing skills, strategies for effective communication, and ethical decision making.
News from the Social Studies Department
Model United Nations Conference at Columbia University
January 2012
Congratulations to the PHS Model United Nations delegation for another outstanding performance! At the Columbia Model United Nations Conference and Exposition it received the Best Delegation award for the fourth year in a row! Students also received various individual awards, including Best Delegate and Outstanding Delegate awards.
PHS Mock Trial Team
January 14, 2012
Congratulations to the PHS Mock Trial Team for winning the semi-final round of the Mercer County Mock Trial competition. The team moves on to the Mercer County championship round which will take place on January 18th. Good luck!
Model United Nations Conference at the University of Virginia
November 18-20, 2011
Congratulations once again for another great performance by the PHS Model United Nations delegation! This past weekend, twenty-six PHS students participated in the MUN conference at the University of Virginia with over 800 students from 40 high schools. The PHS MUN delegation received the VAMUN's Outstanding Large Delegation Award in recognition of the club's overall excellent performance. Thirteen students also received individual awards, including Best Delegate and Outstanding delegate awards.
Teaching American History Grant Update
Beginning this summer, teachers from PHS and JW will be participating in the James Madison Seminar at Princeton University as part of a Teaching American History grant provided by the Federal Government. The objective of the grant is to improve student understanding of American constitutional history by providing teachers with intensive scholarly training in the subject. As part of the grant, the impact on student achievement will be assessed over time. At some point, students may take a brief, anonymous survey to ascertain the general level of understanding of the student body represented by the consortium of districts participating in the TAH grant. The James Madison Seminar is an exciting opportunity for our teachers and, ultimately, for our students.
Model United Nations Conference at Seton Hall University
Congratulations once again to the PHS Model UN delegation and to their advisor John Baxter! The delegation won the Best Large Delegation award at the Seton Hall conference for the third year in a row. Members also brought back twenty-five individual awards. Congratulations on a great year!
Columbia University's Model United Nations Conference and Exposition
Congratulations to the PHS Model UN delegation! For the third year in a row, PHS received the Best Delegation award. In addition, each member of the PHS delegation received an award for preparation and participation.
Model United Nations Conference at Princeton University
From Thursday evening (December 2nd) through Sunday afternoon (December 5th) PHS students spent roughly 22 hours in committee sessions as part of a Model UN conference hosted by the University. Twelve hundred students from more than 50 schools participated. Our students were terrific, achieving recognition as Best Delegates and Outstanding Delegates.
Technology Residency
Princeton Regional Schools has received a grant from the Concordia Foundation to establish a technology residency at John Witherspoon Middle School for World Languages and Social Studies teachers during the school year. The residency will focus on integrating emerging technologies into the existing curriculum in order to develop students' "21st Century literacy skills."
Teaching American History Grant
Last spring, Princeton Regional Schools joined with Ewing Township, East Windsor, Trenton, and Northern Burlington to form a consortium to apply for a Teaching American History grant from the U.S. Department of Education. We were recently notified that the grant application was successful. The large grant will be used to fund the James Madison Seminar, a five-year professional development program in American constitutional history for high school and middle school teachers of American history. The seminar is sponsored by the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University, the National Association of Scholars, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Ewing School District.
Princeton High School is now a Gilder Lehrman affiliate school
Princeton High School was recently accepted by the Gilder Lehrman Institute as an affiliate school. The Gilder Lehrman Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study of American history. As an affiliate, we will have access to the Institute's wide range of materials and professional resources.
John Witherspoon Middle School now joins PHS as a Gilder Lehrman affiliate school
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