Social Studies Description
The Social Studies curriculum is a gateway to critical thinking and a nuanced understanding of the complexities shaping human societies, preparing students to question assumptions in a globalized world. Students must complete Global Issues, United States History, and American Studies, ensuring they are well-grounded in the Western tradition while appreciating non-Western cultures. Our classes prioritize active student participation, cooperative learning, and discovery.
This required, skills-based course explores a range of human societies and global challenges by borrowing from various social science disciplines to help students form independent conclusions about the emerging 21st-century world.
A required, discussion-driven course that studies American history from the pre-colonial era to the present, designed to give students a college-level experience in analyzing historical evidence and major themes.
This required, team-taught humanities course uses Harkness discussions and primary sources to synthesize Native American, African, and European cultural perspectives and answer: "What makes America, America?"
This interdisciplinary course provides a comprehensive understanding of American governance by exploring contemporary issues like social justice, environmental policy, and the media's role in shaping public opinion.
Examine the broad economic, cultural, and political origins of this defining conflict, focusing on issues of slavery, states' rights, and the leadership of Abraham Lincoln to understand contemporary political divisions.
Examine the history and evolution of domestic terrorism in America from the late 19th century to the present, utilizing primary source analysis and independent research to understand the catalysts of extremist acts and the future prospects for prevention.
Explore the evolving identity of the American woman from colonial times to the present by analyzing the historical, economic, and political forces that shaped diverse feminine experiences.
Inspect literature and film to understand the intense global anxiety created by the dawn of the Nuclear Age, exploring the conflict between the US and the Soviet Union as a deep psychological struggle.
Examine the origins of our modern world through environmental and geographic lenses to understand how factors like continental axes, disease, and major technological revolutions shaped the human story.
Examine America’s foreign policy towards the Global South since 1945, analyzing primary sources to determine whether "national security" creates or subverts a democratic world order.
Students will critically analyze pivotal moments in American history by examining iconic primary sources, ranging from landmark legislation and speeches to influential poems and essays.
Investigate the origins and legacy of the American Revolution by examining how foundational concepts of liberty and resistance were experienced by both the architects of the nation and the everyday citizens who lived through its formation.
By tracing the historical and mythic exploits of archetypal figures ranging from Daniel Boone and Sacagawea to Sitting Bull and Bass Reeves, this course examines how the American West evolved from a symbol of frontier democracy into a complex narrative of both innovation and tragedy.
This course explores the American narrative through the essential perspectives and contributions of Black scholars, artists, and activists to illuminate the development of our nation’s social and cultural fabric.
Investigate the origins and cultural impact of American conspiracy theories by analyzing the historical, social, and psychological factors that transform fringe narratives into enduring components of our national discourse.
