Social Studies

The Social Studies Department offers a variety of courses designed to help students better understand themselves and their world. Courses emphasize the comprehension and appreciation of the relationships and interdependence of people and cultures. Instruction focuses on analytical thinking, problem solving, decision-making, interpretation, study skills, and research techniques. The Social Studies Department also works in close cooperation with the English Department to coordinate the two curricula wherever possible and to teach research-paper-writing skills appropriate to both programs.

African History

African History is a semester-long survey course usually taken during the junior or senior year. This course serves as a means to introduce students to the African continent and its inhabitants with an emphasis on areas of study such as early African history, the rise of Islam in North Africa, global trade and economic development, politics, geography, culture and customs, European colonialism, decolonization and independence, apartheid, and current events. The course emphasizes the importance of a variety of factors in understanding cause and effect relationships and trends throughout African history with a focus on development and its impediments. This course will focus on Africa's relation to the rest of the world, and will seek to highlight its incredible growth and development both prior to 1450 and post-WWII.

Prerequisites:

None

Terms:

Fall

Eligible:

Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors
AP Human Geography

AP Human Geography is a yearlong course taught to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. We take a deep dive into the relationship between people, place, and space. How do people shape their places, and how do their places shape them in turn? How did things come to be the way they are, and how could things have been otherwise? We seek to answer these questions by examining them through a wide array of lenses, including: public health, migration, race and gender, religion, language, urbanization, politics, economics, and global climate change. Students will hone an ability to think spatially, critically, and interdisciplinarily as they identify and analyze contemporary concerns and problems on scales ranging from the entire world to a single human body. The hard skills this course emphasizes include critical reading, interpreting and analyzing spatial data, writing and speaking clearly and coherently about complex topics, and applying abstract theoretical concepts to real-world situations. Students who thrive in this class will be those who come ready to ask big questions, expand their thinking, and learn to see the world in an entirely new way. All students enrolled in the course must take the AP exam in May.

Prerequisites:

Ancient World, department approval

Terms:

Full year

Eligible:

Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors
AP U.S. Government and Politics

This course introduces the American political process at the national level. Students develop an understanding of the policy-making processes, institutions, and theory behind national politics, including the study of the presidency, the Congress, the media, the Federal Bureaucracy, civil rights, civil liberties, and the federal court system. In addition, origins of American constitutional government will be studied. Students will investigate the important issues in American politics today, keeping current with the contemporary political situation.

Prerequisites:

U.S. History,

department approval

Terms:

Full Year

Eligible:

Juniors, Seniors
AP U.S. History

The purpose of the AP United States History course is to give students an in-depth study of the political, social, cultural, economic, environmental, and demographic history of the United States. It is also designed to prepare students for the AP exam at the end of the year. The course will cover material from pre-Columbian North America (1491) to the contemporary United States. The course is broken up into nine historical periods, each covering significant events and figures of U.S. history. The course will trace the development of the following themes throughout U.S. history: American identity; work, exchange, and technology; migration and settlement; politics and power; America’s place in the world; environment and geography; and culture and society. Within each unit, the major topics of study will be related to these themes with the goal of assessing how the themes have developed and changed over time. Additionally, the course will emphasize historical thinking skills, including how to assess causation, analyzing change and continuity over time, comparison, contextualization, historical argumentation and the appropriate use of historical evidence to support original arguments. Students will also develop their ability to comprehend and interpret primary and secondary documents, write analytical essays, and engage in productive civil discourse. All students enrolled in the course must take the AP exam in May. This class is NOT open to students who have previously completed U.S. History.

Prerequisite:

department approval

Term:

Full year

Eligible:

10th, 11th grade
Applied Ethics in the Modern Age

Ethical issues occur when a given decision, scenario, or activity creates a conflict with a society’s moral principles. What should one do when one’s moral principles challenge or are in conflict with the society in which one lives? How do we help individuals explore ethical issues in their lives in a safe, supportive environment? Applied Ethics in the Modern age is a semester-long course that introduces students to ethical issues in medicine, business, politics, law, the environment, and other areas. Students will explore ethical dilemmas, discover their own moral ethical standards, and apply them to contemporary issues. The course invites learners to subject their own views on a variety of controversies to critical examination and develop the ability to think critically about ethics in various contexts. The class has a strong focus on self-discovery and student choice. Students will be expected to defend their positions both in writing and speaking.

Prerequisites:

None

Terms:

Fall

Eligible:

Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors
Art History I

Art History is designed to give students a deeper understanding and appreciation of diverse periods of art and architecture, emphasizing a global perspective. Course content will focus on a historical survey of world cultures, individual artists, artistic movements, and media from ancient to modern times but will also contain a thematic approach. Themes will include The Art of Power: politics, persuasion and propaganda; The Art of Spirit: global religious movements and spiritual expression; The Art of Action and Reaction: how historical forces shape artists and movements; Changing Times: how art and technology are shaping globalization and modern world culture.

This course may be taken as an individual semester course or as a full-year comprehensive study. Semester I focuses on the history of Western European art and Islamic art, while Semester II investigates the artistic traditions of India, China, Eastern Europe, and the Americas.

Prerequisites:

None

Terms:

I- Spring

Eligible:

Juniors, Seniors
Art History II

Art History is designed to give students a deeper understanding and appreciation of diverse periods of art and architecture, emphasizing a global perspective. Course content will focus on a historical survey of world cultures, individual artists, artistic movements and media from ancient to modern times, but will also contain a thematic approach. Themes will include The Art of Power: politics, persuasion and propaganda, The Art of Spirit: global religious movements and spiritual expression, The Art of Action and Reaction: how historical forces shape artists and movements, Changing Times: how art and technology are shaping globalization and modern world culture.

This course may be taken as an individual semester course or a full year comprehensive study. Semester I focuses on the history of Western European art and Islamic Art, while Semester II investigates the artistic traditions of India, China, Eastern Europe, and the Americas.
China's Transformations

This one-semester elective for sophomores, juniors, and seniors will explore the radical societal changes shaping modern China, the world’s most populous country and now the second largest economy. We will first trace the country’s transformations from tradition-bound empire to modern state, through violent wars and revolutions of the mid 20th century, ideological upheaval of the early Communist period, and radical economic restructuring in the 1990s. We will then explore the rapidly shifting political, social, and cultural dynamics reshaping contemporary China. Topics will include China’s economic miracle, rural-urban income inequality, corruption and the legitimacy of the Communist Party, the changing role of citizens in political life, popular culture and the creation of new values and identities, social media and mobilization, information control and state surveillance, and China’s increasingly bold exertions of power in East Asia and beyond. Students will leave the class with a broad understanding of the world’s emerging Superpower and a deeper appreciation of social and political forces at work in China and throughout the world.
Economics

This course upper class elective introduces students to principles of economics. Its focus is on basic economic concepts and their relevance to the decision-making of individuals, corporations, and governments. Students will examine microeconomic subjects, including models for individual decision making and the interaction between supply and demand. The class will also explore macro level issues such as growth, inflation, and globalization. In addition to more traditional approaches, the class will examine concepts developed by the emerging school of behavioral economics, which studies the effects of psychology and emotions on decision making.

Through observation and discussion of current world events, political controversies, and economic theory, students will learn about basic economic models, the impact of government policies, and the significance of particular economic issues. Students will also apply economic theory to analyze arguments surrounding important issues facing our country today such as tax policy, social security, healthcare, government spending, globalization, privatization, wealth inequality, environmental policy, and so on.

The class will regularly revisit the following questions: How do economic issues impact our everyday lives? How does knowledge of basic economic principles affect one’s world views? What are appropriate roles for government in the economy? How do economics and politics influence one another?

This class employs a wide range of instructional techniques, including lecture, discussion, student presentations, group and individual activities and mini-projects, and videos.

Reading, quantitative analysis, conceptual reasoning are at the core of the learning experience. Students will express their understanding and reasoning writing and public speaking. Students are required to complete regular informal writing assignments and blog posts, research current economic events, and work on a variety of collaborative assignments and projects. In addition to the assigned text, students are also required to read and assess a number of supplemental articles and other media.
Global Monuments: History, Culture, and Interpretations

Some of humanity’s greatest marvels are monuments created for function, religion, and grandeur. In this class we will study feats of engineering and architecture that are indicative of the ages, but also defy time. We will study great monuments - their creation, structure, and cultural significance- and the history of the societies that built them. What were the needs and desires of the society that imagined and built these great structures? How were they built? There are thousands of architectural achievements around the world, both ancient and modern, which can teach us about the history and evolution of architecture and humanity, as well as the societies that built them. The study of these feats can inform our understanding of humanity’s interaction with the natural world, as well as the way architecture fulfills the changing needs of society. Students will engage in conversations about history, society, architecture, and culture, as well as practice research and presentation skills.

Prerequisite:

None

Term:

Fall

Eligible:

Juniors, Seniors
Investigating Contemporary Issues

This class centers on contemporary and current geopolitical issues by investigating the historical origins and the development of domestic and foreign political and social problems. Possible topics might include the global climate crisis, the global war on terror, racial crises at home and around the world, gender issues and human trafficking, world hunger and poverty, as well as sustainable development and global economics. A more complete list of topics will be compiled with student input. Students will be expected to research, read, speak, and write extensively to further develop their communication skills.

Prerequisites:

None

Terms:

Spring

Eligible:

Juniors, Seniors
Language and the Human Experience

This one-semester course will explore our capacity to learn, speak, and understand languages by examining some of the most important ideas that have emerged from disciplines such as linguistics, psychology, and anthropology. Students will become familiar with the variety of languages in use today and through history as they delve into topics such as the instinctual origins of human language, the relationship between language and the brain, the developmental stages of language acquisition, and the role of language in our social lives. Students will leave this course with a better understanding of language as a uniquely human endowment and a deeper appreciation of how we employ this tool to communicate, develop social order, and create culture.
Pre-Modern World History

Pre-Modern World is a freshman-level course that introduces students in the Upper School to historical thinking on a global scale. The course focuses on the evolution of human events throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas dating from human origins through the Postclassical Era. Students are challenged to think critically and creatively, and will engage in frequent structured discussions and projects that encourage them to analyze the major themes and events of our shared human experience. These factors include the study of social and cultural achievement and conflict, economics, government, religion, technological developments, and the effect of geography on civilizations. There will also be a particular emphasis on preparing students to enter the higher level and potential AP social studies courses.

Prerequisites:

None

Terms:

Full year

Eligible:

Freshmen
Soundscape America

What does America sound like? Does the music we love tell us something bigger about our society and our culture? What constitutes “popular” music and who gets to decide what that means? Soundscape America is a course for those who first and foremost who love music and love drilling down to the details of the songs and artists we cherish. The course will take us from dawning of recorded music in the 1920’s, to the jazz age, to the birth of rock n’ roll, through the experimental 1960’s and 70’s and up to the present. Along the way we’ll be watching, listening, writing, and discussing what makes American popular music distinct. Classwork and projects will consist of analytical listening, student-led presentations & discussions, written music reviews, and independent research on artists and movements chosen by students.
The Ancient World

The Ancient World is a freshman-level course that introduces students in the Upper School to historical thinking on a global scale. The course is designed to encourage students to ask critical questions about our shared human experience and the history of what we call "civilization" by examining ancient and medieval cultures from around the world. Students are challenged to think critically and creatively, and will engage in frequent structured discussions and projects that encourage them to constantly question our understanding of history by drawing connections between ancient and modern cultures. With our cornerstone emphasis on social justice, we will study cultures from around the world, including those less frequently examined, such as the cultures of the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East, in addition to the more “traditional” cultures of Europe, India, and China.
The Misinformation Effect

Within a single day in America in 2021, an average of 500 million Tweets are sent. Over 95 million photos are posted on Instagram and over 65 billion messages are sent over WhatsApp. The world’s information lies at our fingertips and with this convenience comes great risk. The Misinformation Effect is a class intended to slow us down, take stock of the information at our disposal, and ask basic questions such as: how can we tell if something is true? What makes something trustworthy? Is our love of free speech out of step with the current media landscape? We’ll tackle these questions through reading the work of contemporary scholars and journalists. By watching, listening, reading, and discussing, we’ll seek to develop our own metrics for assessing truth and how to navigate a world that is increasingly filled with misinformation. Students can expect to complete weekly readings, writing assignments, and will be expected to be active participants in class activities and projects.
The Modern World

Modern World History is a required survey course for students in ninth grade (and transfer students who did not have an equivalent at another school). This course serves as a means of offering a deeper understanding of modern and contemporary issues, interconnected societies, and the roots of current global challenges. Contemporary and historical world events and problems are the focus of this course, with an emphasis on globalization throughout the centuries. After a recap of the Ancient World, topics include the Renaissance and Scientific Revolution, the rise of the nation state, World Wars, and the political and social development of modern-day Africa, China, and the Middle East. In addition, the course will stress the development of historical skills: close reading of primary and secondary sources, logical thinking and critical analysis, the research process, and clear expression of ideas in speaking and writing.

Prerequisites:

None

Terms:

Full year

Eligible:

9th, 10th grade
U.S. History

Students will examine the major trends, patterns, and events in American history to better understand the country in which they live. The primary goal of the course is to gain a sophisticated understanding of United States history. Throughout the course, students will study the multicultural history of the United States and the contributions made by Americans from a wide variety of racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. Particular emphasis will be placed on the evolution of American national identity and the ways that different understandings of American national identity have shaped the country’s history. Additionally, students will develop the critical thinking skills necessary for the successful study of history. These skills include evaluating and constructing arguments, assessing change and continuity over time, analyzing primary sources, and interpreting events in historical context. Students will also develop and improve communication skills through a variety of writing assignments, graded class discussions, and class presentations. Finally, students will employ various forms of technology to research, collaborate, and present their work in class.

Prerequisite:

Pre-Modern or Modern World

Term:

Full year

Eligible:

10th, 11th grade

Curriculum Detail

Social Studies

African History

AP Human Geography

AP U.S. Government and Politics

AP U.S. History

Applied Ethics in the Modern Age

Art History I

Art History II

China's Transformations

Economics

Global Monuments: History, Culture, and Interpretations

Investigating Contemporary Issues

Language and the Human Experience

Pre-Modern World History

Soundscape America

The Ancient World

The Misinformation Effect

The Modern World

U.S. History

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