The course will teach students how to speak easily in front of others, and to learn how to both construct and perform the speech. Students give prepared speeches on a variety of topics and will learn proper research, structure, style, and technique.Students will also learn the principles of debate and engage in such forums, as well as learn the oral interpretation of literature.

The Mock Trial class is based around the Constitutional Rights Foundation Mock Trial case for the states of California that is published to all California schools in September every year. Students work on all aspects of the case. Typically all mock trial cases have several different categories of witnesses as well as courtroom roles (e.g., clerk, bailiff, artist, journalist) and prosecution and defense pre-trial and attorney roles. Every case examines as least one amendment. The class encompasses all of these categories from August-February every year. From March-May, the case is over and students work on constitutional law projects, with inclusion of specific amendments. This elective course is for students that might possibly be interested in law as a career, who want to be part of an academic team here at Oaks, and who understand that the mock trial competition is part of the process. This class is on an assigned basis, meaning tryouts are necessary before the students are assigned to the class.

This course is designed to culture economic literacy for students interested in business or social science disciplines at the college level. Students will be presented with ideas from varying schools of economic thought and the historical context in which they evolved. The main objective is to prepare students for the rigors of college-level micro- and macro-economics. Students will understand the key ideas about economic principles and how to think like an economist. Students will develop critical thinking abilities to analyze how economic choices affect their lives and the lives of others in a global economy.

AP Macroeconomics is designed to give a thorough understanding of the principles of economics that apply to an economic system as a whole. Such a course places particular emphasis on the study of national income and price determination, and also develops your familiarity with economic performance measures, economic growth, and international economics.

AP Microeconomics is an introductory college-level course that focuses on the principles of economics that apply to the functions of individual economic decision-makers. The course also develops students’ familiarity with the operation of product and factor markets, distributions of income, market failure, and the role of government in promoting greater efficiency and equity in the economy.

AP Macroeconomics is an introductory college-level course that focuses on the principles that apply to an economic system as a whole. The course places particular emphasis on the study of national income and price-level determination; it also develops students’ familiarity with economic performance measures, the financial sector, stabilization policies, economic growth, and international economics. Students learn to use graphs, charts, and data to analyze, describe, and explain economic concepts.

Psychology is a one semester course which introduces students to the definition, uses, history, and development of psychology. Major psychological theories, significant developments and important contributors shall be studied. Emphasis is placed on critical and evaluative thinking skills and essay writing.

This course is designed to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals . Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. They also learn about the ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice.

Sociology is a one-semester elective. This class looks at the theories surrounding the hows and whys to human behavior within group and cultural settings. In each of the units students look at different social problems. The units are: Introduction (Suicide), Culture (Ethnocentrism), Deviant Behavior (The unequal use of “deviant”), Socialization (Gender Roles), Marriage and Family (Divorce), Groups and Group Dynamics (War), and Prejudice and Discrimination (Stereotyping).