The people of the United States, indeed people around the world, would finish this sentence in many different ways. Even for Americans, it is difficult to define what is means to be an American. Yet, this course will attempt to do so. In a rich multidisciplinary context, students will examine together the major historical realities that brought the United States into being and have defined its development into the major political, economic, and cultural power that it is today. We will explore history, literature, fine arts, as well as music and popular culture in our quest to better understand who we are as a nation. The course will establish a firm understanding of the history of the United States and embroider that understanding with a close analysis of the many ways America expresses its culture and its power in the world, both past and present. Students will further develop their analytical thinking and persuasive writing skills while building a deep understanding of what “America is.”

Representative texts include The Crucible, by Arthur Miller; Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass; The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald; and Sing, Unburied, Sing, by Jesmyn Ward.

The people of the United States, indeed people around the world, would finish this sentence in many different ways. Even for Americans, it is difficult to define what is means to be an American. Yet, this course will attempt to do so. In a rich multidisciplinary context, students will examine together the major historical realities that brought the United States into being and have defined its development into the major political, economic, and cultural power that it is today. We will explore history, literature, fine arts, as well as music and popular culture in our quest to better understand who we are as a nation. The course will establish a firm understanding of the history of the United States and embroider that understanding with a close analysis of the many ways America expresses its culture and its power in the world, both past and present. Students will further develop their analytical thinking and persuasive writing skills while building a deep understanding of what “America is.”

Representative texts include The Crucible, by Arthur Miller; Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass; The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald; and Sing, Unburied, Sing, by Jesmyn Ward.

The people of the United States, indeed people around the world, would finish this sentence in many different ways. Even for Americans, it is difficult to define what is means to be an American. Yet, this course will attempt to do so. In a rich multidisciplinary context, students will examine together the major historical realities that brought the United States into being and have defined its development into the major political, economic, and cultural power that it is today. We will explore history, literature, fine arts, as well as music and popular culture in our quest to better understand who we are as a nation. The course will establish a firm understanding of the history of the United States and embroider that understanding with a close analysis of the many ways America expresses its culture and its power in the world, both past and present. Students will further develop their analytical thinking and persuasive writing skills while building a deep understanding of what “America is.”

Representative texts include The Crucible, by Arthur Miller; Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass; The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald; and Sing, Unburied, Sing, by Jesmyn Ward.

Ninth-grade students will learn what it means to think like a historian and to work like a historian. Close reading, analysis and interpretation of events, persuasive writing and research skills (especially the ability to analyze the veracity of sources) will be emphasized throughout the course. By studying the foundations of civilization and patterns of development in the ancient world, students will be asked to think deeply about historical connections between the ancient and modern worlds. Students will study cultures and civilizations from the ancient Near East and Far East to Mesoamerica and Sub-Saharan Africa in order to develop appreciation and understanding of the meaning of World History. 

The Honors course will help students develop the skills of historians, with a heavy emphasis on analytical thinking and writing skills. Students must be able to read and analyze more complex texts, including many primary sources, as well as to take responsibility for managing the workflow of long-term assignments. Daily classes, homework assignments, thesis-driven essays and test questions will require students to take a more critical approach to the material, exercising their ability to analyze, synthesize and evaluate course content. Students will be expected to generate original ideas and to demonstrate independent thought. 

Students will consider what it means to be “modern” and how new modes of thought in early modern Europe has affected the development of world history since the 15th century. They will practice the skills of the historian as they read and analyze a variety of texts and cultural artifacts. Students will practice political, economic, and cultural modes of interpreting history as they encounter questions as varied as the significance of the scientific method, the development of modern nation states, and the meaning of revolution. Students will develop a keener understanding of our contemporary world as they examine the impact of global conflict and interdependence in the 20th and 21st centuries. 

The Honors level course is similar in content to the standard course. In-class discussions and written work will require a high level of independent critical thought. Students will read and analyze more complex texts, both primary and secondary, and will grapple with highly abstract concepts. Students must be responsible for managing the workflow for long-term projects. Most class sessions will be discussions and workshops. 

The most destructive war in American History consumed the nation for four intense years in the middle of the 19th century. From 1861-1865, more than 600,000 Americans died as a result of this conflict. Americans killed Americans to the point that nearly 2% of the national population was lost. The outcomes of this conflict were many and remain with us today, echoing in the political structures and debates that characterize the United States. This course will closely examine the political, social, and economic roots of the American Civil War, learn the stories of the men who fought in the great conflict, and evaluate the degree to which the United States as a nation has been defined by its Civil War. Students will examine primary source documents, read and discuss scholarly sources, and practice the skills of both written and oral argument in this class.

The most destructive war in American History consumed the nation for four intense years in the middle of the 19th century. From 1861-1865, more than 600,000 Americans died as a result of this conflict. Americans killed Americans to the point that nearly 2% of the national population was lost. The outcomes of this conflict were many and remain with us today, echoing in the political structures and debates that characterize the United States. This course will closely examine the political, social, and economic roots of the American Civil War, learn the stories of the men who fought in the great conflict, and evaluate the degree to which the United States as a nation has been defined by its Civil War. Students will examine primary source documents, read and discuss scholarly sources, and practice the skills of both written and oral argument in this class.

America’s involvement in the Vietnam War (what the Vietnamese know as “The American War”) is one of the most controversial and troubling periods of the history of the United States in the 20th century. This course will examine the war in Vietnam from 1945-1975, exploring the political and economic motivations for American involvement in Vietnam as well as the broad impacts the war had on life in Vietnam, the United States, and the rest of the world. Students will gain a strong understanding of why people fought, how people fought, and how all this fighting continues to affect combatants more than 40 years after the conflict officially ended. Students will examine primary source documents, read and discuss scholarly sources, and practice the skills of both written and oral argument in this class.

America’s involvement in the Vietnam War (what the Vietnamese know as “The American War”) is one of the most controversial and troubling periods of the history of the United States in the 20th century. This course will examine the war in Vietnam from 1945-1975, exploring the political and economic motivations for American involvement in Vietnam as well as the broad impacts the war had on life in Vietnam, the United States, and the rest of the world. Students will gain a strong understanding of why people fought, how people fought, and how all this fighting continues to affect combatants more than 40 years after the conflict officially ended. Students will examine primary source documents, read and discuss scholarly sources, and practice the skills of both written and oral argument in this class.

The struggle of African Americans to gain their full political and civil rights in this country has been unfolding since the first ship carrying enslaved Africans arrived in Jamestown in 1619. The story of the movement built by Black Americans in the mid-20th century to respond to the continuing existence of discriminatory laws and social practices is the quintessential American story. It is a story of ideals, and bravery, and conflict, and change. This course will focus on the events that unfolded between the mid-1950s and the late 1960s to illustrate the revolutionary and powerful nature of what we broadly call the Civil Rights Movement. Examining a variety of eyewitness accounts and personal narratives, students will better understand the human dimensions of both subjugation and liberation for Black Americans in the 20th century. The course will be animated throughout by a need to question whether the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement have led to a flourishing of equality in American society over the past 50 years or whether the work of those recent revolutionaries remains unfinished.  

The struggle of African Americans to gain their full political and civil rights in this country has been unfolding since the first ship carrying enslaved Africans arrived in Jamestown in 1619. The story of the movement built by Black Americans in the mid-20th century to respond to the continuing existence of discriminatory laws and social practices is the quintessential American story. It is a story of ideals, and bravery, and conflict, and change. This course will focus on the events that unfolded between the mid-1950s and the late 1960s to illustrate the revolutionary and powerful nature of what we broadly call the Civil Rights Movement. Examining a variety of eyewitness accounts and personal narratives, students will better understand the human dimensions of both subjugation and liberation for Black Americans in the 20th century. The course will be animated throughout by a need to question whether the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement have led to a flourishing of equality in American society over the past 50 years or whether the work of those recent revolutionaries remains unfinished.  

This course will examine American elections as a way of understanding both how we choose our governmental leaders and the extent to which our elections are truly democratic.  With a focus on the 2024 elections, students will come to understand both how our elections work and why they are designed in the ways they are.  What are political parties,  and why do people join (or not join) them? What are delegates, superdelegates, primaries, caucuses and conventions?  Why do presidential campaigns take so long?  What is the role of money -- both corporate and private -- in determining election outcomes?  Why are American elections focused more on candidates than parties, unlike in many other countries?  Is this a good thing?  Using current events related to the 2024 election, students will examine and debate differences between candidates and parties on current issues.  By the end of the course, students should be able to make a well-informed prediction of the outcome of the 2024 elections.

This course will examine American elections as a way of understanding both how we choose our governmental leaders and the extent to which our elections are truly democratic.  With a focus on the 2024 elections, students will come to understand both how our elections work and why they are designed in the ways they are.  What are political parties,  and why do people join (or not join) them? What are delegates, superdelegates, primaries, caucuses and conventions?  Why do presidential campaigns take so long?  What is the role of money -- both corporate and private -- in determining election outcomes?  Why are American elections focused more on candidates than parties, unlike in many other countries?  Is this a good thing?  Using current events related to the 2024 election, students will examine and debate differences between candidates and parties on current issues.  By the end of the course, students should be able to make a well-informed prediction of the outcome of the 2024 elections.

Advanced European History provides highly motivated high school seniors the opportunity to explore this subject in greater depth while preparing for college-level work in the discipline. To that end, this course draws heavily upon primary sources of a diverse nature, ranging from political tracts and theoretical essays to fiction and memoirs. We will also explore a wide array of art and visual culture, along with audiovisual sources (music, cinema, speeches, newsreels), from the period. We will pay meticulous attention to the changing geography and demography of modern Europe by analyzing maps and statistical renderings. Moreover, we will examine secondary sources that have helped define these fields of historical inquiry.

This course provides highly motivated seniors the opportunity to explore the Constitution and its implications in great depth while preparing for college-level work in political and/or legal studies. Students will examine the framework of the U.S. Constitution and the powers, rights, and liberties that it defines. Additionally, students will explore a range of contemporary issues subject to constitutional interpretation, including freedom of speech and religion, civil rights/equal protection, the structure and scope of national power, the rights of criminal defendants, the right to privacy, and the right to bear arms. While becoming deeply immersed in the historical documents themselves, students will also read a range of scholarly perspectives. They will evaluate and apply various modes of constitutional analysis and will explore the relationship between law and American society.

Prerequisite: United States History or American Studies and recommendation of the student’s current instructor.  

We take it as fundamental that the very origins of human society were instigated by the need to create codes of justice and methods for bringing them to fruition, yet more than 9000 years after humans first began to settle in villages, and more than 5000 years after the emergence of the first complex civilizations, we continue to debate the nature of justice and struggle to find the best way to administer it. This course will examine the nature of contemporary political disagreements about the meaning and proper administration of justice. What is fair?  What is just?  How do we, as a society, decide how to punish those who might have transgressed our norms? The course will look closely at recent events that challenge long-accepted truths about the way our justice systems work and raise questions about the foundations upon which our entire political system is built. Students will then examine a selection of philosophical texts (ranging from the present back to over 2000 years ago), all of which have contributed in powerful ways to influence our current political debates. Readings will include selections from thinkers of greatly varying experiences and perspectives. A major goal of the course is to put our current disputes over the nature of justice into conversation with ideas that helped establish ancient civilizations.