History

This sophomore course offers a broad sweep of world history since 1500 and traces the major ideas and events that have shaped the modern world. The course goes through significant developments in Western Civilization, the Islamic World, and in African and Asian civilizations. It is designed to provide students with appropriate tools for historical study, including advanced understanding of the role of geography in shaping history, use of internet sources, research skills for historical study and writing, and analysis of primary sources. Beginning with the fragmentation of Christendom during the Reformation, students analyze political, social, religious, economic, and cultural themes as they progress toward the modern world. Essential to this understanding is the grasp of linkages between past and present, conducive to the realization of how our time is the product of history, as well as how we continue to make history today.

Because knowledge and understanding of United States history is vital for all Americans, this required junior-level course imparts not only factual material but also an appreciation of our heritage and an understanding of the American character. The course presents a balanced portrait of the American past through political, social, intellectual, economic, military, diplomatic, and cultural history. From pre-Columbian times to the present day, concentration is on the development of continuing themes such as the shaping of the national character, the origins and ongoing process of perfecting American democracy under the Constitution, nationalism versus sectionalism, expansionism, and social and economic evolution and reform. The course seeks not only to establish historical appreciation of the American past but also to lay the foundation of constructive and active citizenship. The course also sharpens and refines students' historical sophistication and methodological skills. Students analyze, synthesize, and articulate factual and interpretational material in the oral and written media.

This course offers qualified juniors a challenging college-level program while in high school and prepares them to take the AP examination in United States History. The course presents a balanced portrait of American history from pre-Columbian times to the present day and covers diverse aspects of U.S. history, including political, economic, social, cultural, military, diplomatic, and intellectual facets. The curriculum is organized not only chronologically but also thematically around issues such as the ongoing process of perfecting American democracy, the balances of a federal form of government, social and economic evolution and reform, and expansionism. In addition to establishing this wide base of historical knowledge, comprehension of the American character, and constructive citizenship, there is also a heavy emphasis on the use of primary sources and historiography, learning about the divergencies of historical thought, and how to deal with these divergencies. Students learn to develop a historical thesis, articulate a well-supported analysis in the historical essay format, and gain a fundamental understanding of the economic system and its philosophies and principles.

This course is designed to give students the opportunity to examine the issues, ideas, policies, and challenges the world faces today by tracing their history. Students look at how social, political, economic, and environmental factors have shaped the emergence and response to these events and, when appropriate, how these factors can be harnessed to effect change.

What is the purpose of art? Is it the personal expression of an individual artist, or is its job to change the world? How does art respond to the world of its artist? Why does some art move viewers to tears, while other art repels them? Does it matter how art is presented to the public? How do approaches to understanding art change when looking at non-Western art? In this course, students consider how scholars have answered these questions, and then they use their understanding to explore the works of art that move them deeply.

What is the story of the United States and this continent? Is it a tale of discovery, early settlers,
colonies, and westward expansion? While the European discovery of the Americas changed the
world, there were hundreds of thousands of Native Americans living and thriving on this
continent prior to their arrival. How does American history look through their lenses? In this
course students consider Native American perspectives on landmark moments in U.S.
history, become more aware of the role of Native Americans in the shaping of this continent, and learn more about the issues that affected Native Americans throughout history as well as today.

How is history created? In what ways and through what mediums do we form our understanding of our world and the past? In this course, students examine storytelling and how history is recorded. Our understanding of the past is based on the arts, literature, journals, textbooks, stories, and so much more. However, our knowledge is as flawed as the humans who recorded it and their biases. We examine how perspectives on topics have changed and evolved over time, how biases actively play a role in the recording of history, how the words we write matter, how the images we create evoke feelings for years to come, and how countless voices have been left out of the histories that we know.

How does the world work? While we may not be able to answer this question in its entirety, we can begin to understand how state and non-state actors relate to one another on the world stage. For example, how does a country promote its national interests by using hard and soft power? What happens when two or more states have competing or mutually exclusive interests? We examine selected theories of international relations, applying them to examples from history and current world events.

How does one become a dictator, and how does one manage to stay in power once there? In this course, we study historical examples of dictatorship from around the world, develop a framework that allows us to identify authoritarian regimes, and analyze how dictators come to power and the methods by which they maintain their grip on their countries. We also examine how these regimes end and the factors that lead to their dissolution.