II. Using a Textbook:
A. Use:

IV. Taking Notes from Reading:
A. Organization:

V. Taking Notes from an Oral Presentation:
A. Organization (see section IV)
B. Content:

C. Techniques:

VI. Completing an Assignment:
A. Read the Directions / Ask for Clarification
B. Budget Time for Length of Assignments / Make a Calendar
C. Leave Time for Review / Revisions

VII. Reviewing for a Test:
A. Understand Nature / Format of Test
B. Spread Out in Several Sessions / No Cramming
C. Set a Deadline to Complete / Sleep and Relax
D. Write as You Review

VIII. Reviewing for a Mid-year or Final Exam:
A. Use Techniques Listed in Section VIII
B. Review Old Quizzes and Tests

IX Taking a Test:
A. Skim the Entire Test / Exam
B. Read Over All of the Directions
C. Plan Out Time for Taking the Test
D. Mark and Return to Unanswered Questions
E. Check for Completeness

X. Learning from a Graded Test or Assignment:
A. Read Teachers' Comments Carefully
B. Review Both Good and Poor Answers
C. Understand Successes and Failures
D. Check Notes for Content and Revise if Necessary
E. Seek Help

Eleventh & Twelfth Grades:

Review of the above skills with individual students as needed

Instruction:

During courses in the ninth and tenth grades the techniques outlined above should be reviewed. Students entering Lincoln-Sudbury will have some familiarity with these skills, but the range of mastery will vary. These skills will be modeled occasionally.

Work in grades eleven and twelve should be given on an individual basis as needed.

Assessment:

Direct assessment of some of these basic skills should be done in the ninth grade. Checking on notes and seeing how well students have highlighted a reading can be done easily and quickly so that the teacher can focus on those students who need the most support.

It is possible to quiz students on some of these skills. For example a quiz might be given on way to use a text by giving students a copy of a chapter from another text and asking questions about it or about their text compared to the one copied. Assessment of a student's approach to a Xeroxed reading can be done in many ways, and need not be done separately. Ongoing assessment will occur in virtually any test or other form of assessment used during the course.
SPEAKING and LISTENING SKILLS

Ninth and Tenth Grades:

1. Respect the opinions of others
2. Speak clearly and at an appropriate volume
3. Do not interrupt
4. Speak to the class, not to the teacher
5. Respond when called upon
6. Incorporate evidence from reading sources
7. Contribute only what is relevant, and think before speaking
8. Participate voluntarily and regularly

Eleventh & Twelfth Grades:

1. Addresses the entire class during discussion, not just the teacher

Instruction:

At the beginning of the year expectations for speech need to be made clear by the teacher. Coaching on an individual basis during class or individually will be required.

In ninth and tenth grade each student will make a three to five minute presentation to the class. The student will be instructed in the necessary preparation for such a presentation. Such presentations may be continued in the upper grades.

Assessment:

Presentations will be graded on a set of criteria given to students before they speak. Students should also be assessed based on their daily oral participation in class. The Department will also continue to sponsor an annual contest to further promote the art of speaking.

ANALYTICAL SKILLS

Ninth and Tenth Grades:

Geographic Skills:

Historical Skills:

Eleventh & Twelfth Grades:

Historical Skills:

As students work with primary and secondary material they need to develop more sophisticated ways of analyzing and interpreting it. In order to develop these skills, which are central to our disciplines, students need to learn to consider the following types of materials in the following ways:

I. Evidence may be: Criteria to be considered:

Written or oral: Ninth and Tenth Grades:

primary

Eleventh & Twelfth Grades:

Visual or audible: Ninth And Tenth Grades:

primary

Eleventh & Twelfth Grades:

Numerical data: Ninth and Tenth Grades:

raw

Eleventh & Twelfth Grades:

Instruction:

The skills required to successfully analyze the past and interpret an historical document are the core skills of history and the social sciences. They must be taught recursively, and with increasing levels of sophistication over the course of four years. Teachers carefully integrate these skills into their curricula, referring to the preceding outlines.

Recurring exercises in all of these skills and the application of the various criteria to be used in evaluating evidence is part of every course, as can be seen from the sample assignments given in the course descriptions section of this publication. Students frequently work directly with primary material, applying the criteria they have learned in the past and learning to ask new questions of it. They are given exercises to aid them in learning to apply analytical skills to different types of material. Over the course of four years students should gain the ability to use these skills more independently, determining which are most appropriate to use in a given situation.

Assessment:

Analytical skills are so embedded in our disciplines that assessment of any kind can not take place without them. The range evident in "Sample Assignments" and "Assessment" in each of the twenty-two course descriptions which follow indicate how this is done. Such assessment must constantly review skills previously learned while emphasizing new ones. Assessment also must increase in sophistication with time as students' skills develop in sophistication. It is critical, especially in the senior year, that students work with considerable independence in order to prepare them for what will be required of them in school and in the workplace after graduation.

RESEARCH SKILLS

Ninth & Tenth Grades:

Locating Materials
1. Use of reference room
2. Use of atlases: world, national, and historical
3. Other reference materials:

Screening Materials Ñ How to Select Relevant Material
1. Date
2. Organization: by theme or by chronology?
3. Author (and his/her background)
4. Use of indexes
5. Table of contents
6. Internet search engines and CD Rom resources.

Bibliographical Data and Footnote Data

Plagiarism

Screening Materials:
1. Learn to evaluate author's point-of-view
2. Researching conflicting points-of-view on some topic
3. Evaluate for bias (gender, class, race, national, economic, etc.)

Source Data
1. use proper footnote and bibliographical citations papers
[Review the library pamphlet "Documenting A Research Paper."]

Eleventh & Twelfth Grades

Review the proceeding as needed.

Instruction

In the ninth grade students will do various exercises involving research, such as five-paragraph essays requiring sources outside of class. This type of instruction will continue in tenth grade; one research task in tenth grade will include the use of several primary sources. In another exercise teachers might have students evaluate their sources for bias.
In eleventh and twelfth grades each student will write a research paper which includes some primary sources, when available. These papers will require proper footnotes and bibliographical citations. Other exercises may be included.
In teaching citation teachers will use the booklet "Documenting A Research Paper," a guide for high school students prepared by the library staff. The correct citation of reference books, encyclopedias, magazines, pamphlets, and electronically-accessed information is explained. Examples of the correct use of notes, bibliography, and special forms are provided.
The English and history departments have the same plagiarism policy, and each teacher will distribute copies of it in each class each year. Teachers will discuss plagiarism with their classes.

Assessment

The exercises suggested or required above are the basis for assessment as well as instruction.
ESSAY WRITING

In each history class, from ninth grade through the senior year, teachers focus on writing. Although teachers may require students to write in more than one style in any given class, the formal or analytical essay is emphasized at every grade level. What follows is an outline of the skills that are taught in grades nine through twelve to help students develop a strong clear prose style.

Ninth Grade:

Early in the ninth grade the analytical essay is introduced to students. Although teachers use various approaches to teach this crucial skill, certain key features are emphasized:

Tenth Grade:

In addition to the skills introduced in the ninth grade, the following skills are reinforced, developed, and refined:

Eleventh and Twelfth Grades:

The junior/senior history courses try to maximize every student's writing potential in preparation for the demands of college-level work:

Instruction:

Each teacher approaches essay writing in a way that suits his/her individual style and course-specific expectations. Methods may include:

Assessment:

Teachers assess students' development of essay writing skills in a variety of ways including:

EXPECTATIONS OF ALL STUDENTS

There are certain basic expectations which all students should meet. These expectations apply to all courses offered by the department.

All students in all courses are expected to meet or learn to meet the expectations outlined above. Also, each course description contains a section on expectations which outlines those expectations emphasized in that particular course or which may be unique to it.

Course expectations and methods will be coordinated with the Individual Educational Plans of students who have them.

COURSE OVERVIEW AND THE SELECTION PROCESS

Every subject, object, and person has a history. There are even histories of history. Within a very small subdivision of history, such as the American Civil War, there are more facts and interpretations than an expert can master in a lifetime. Thus, the study of history must be a life's task and recursive. The department can neither teach nor introduce it all in four years.

Also history has no absolute sequence. The order of historical events is frequently imposed by the historian. Along with history the department covers other disciplines. Therefore, in designing a program no attempt has been made to cover everything, nor has an absolute sequence of courses been imposed. As outlined above, skills are developed logically across the four years, and provide
the necessary structure for the growth of secondary students.

This does not imply a random offering of courses. The department has carefully considered appropriate courses for each grade level. For example, Western Civilization - the Arts and History requires the maturity to look at the portrayal of nudity which many ninth and tenth graders lack. Certain courses are better suited to teaching more basic skills. Thus we offer Modern America to sophomores, as opposed to Psychology or Asian Cultures. Other courses follow more logically from one another. Post War America, for example, requires that a student have a previous course in United States history.

Since the department thinks that teachers teach best in their areas of expertise, the strengths of the individual department members as well as the needs of the students influence the curriculum. If history is to be a life long study, then an enthusiasm for the subject and a love of learning are the most important gifts the department can try to give to students.

The curriculum is shaped by members of the department based on the preceding and an understanding of the content areas which are most critical for students. The department keeps abreast of curriculum development through professional journals, conferences, courses, and contacts with other secondary schools and colleges.

Courses in the department are designed for a range of students. While we want to have classes which are heterogeneous, care is taken not to make the spectrum in any one course too broad or too restricted. Other than courses whose descriptions clearly indicate that they are for students with weaker skills, all courses offer open enrollment subject to the guidance of parents and faculty members.

To graduate from Lincoln-Sudbury, a student must have earned a minimum of twelve credits in the department. However, over ninety percent of Lincoln-Sudbury graduates take four years of history, and more and more colleges are expecting this. Four of the credits earned must be in a course which satisfies the state requirement in United States history. A very limited number of double enrollments and auditing are possible when space is available, allowing a few interested students to take more than one history course at a time.

In the ninth grade student choice is restricted to either Modern European History or Contemporary World Cultures, which are equally demanding courses. There are lab sections for students with weaker skills. In the sophomore year nearly all students enroll in a course which satisfies the state requirement in United States history. Most will take Modern America. Others will take Great Trials in American History, Trends in Twentieth Century United States History, Twentieth Century American History, or Advanced Placement United States History.

The sequence of courses in the first two years guarantees that all students are grounded in the study of both their own nation and part of the rest of the world by the end of the tenth grade.

Juniors and seniors select courses from a wide range of electives. Based on a student's interests and abilities, teachers and house staff will help him / her choose appropriate courses in the last two years. Students are encouraged to take a course from at least three of the following subdivisions of the department's curriculum: American History, European Studies, Area Studies, and the Social Sciences.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

The following section of this booklet consists of a fairly detailed description of all the courses offered in recent years. Due to financial and staff limitations, it may not be possible to offer all these courses every year. The framework of the State Department of Education may require the modification of some or all of our courses, potentially causing some to be dropped altogether, or even forcing us to implement an antithetical curriculum imposed by the state.

The courses are grouped into four large categories: American History, European History, Area Studies, and Social Sciences, following the order in which they appear in Lincoln-Sudbury's Program of Studies. Each course description includes the following:

Title
Number
Length and Credits
Date of Revision and the Name(s) of the Author(s)
Course Description as it Appears in the Program of Studies
Rationale
Course Outline
Methods
Expectations of Students
Skills to Be Developed
Textbooks
Supplementary Reading
Other Materials
Sample Assignments
Additional Items
Assessment of Students

Every teacher in the department follows the descriptions outlined here.

However, in order to take advantage of the special skills and knowledge of different staff members, and to provide a diversity of points of view, each teacher is free to create his or her own variations on the themes set. For this reason, each teacher issues a syllabus for each course he or she teaches. These syllabi are designed for the use of the students in each section of each course. Copies of these syllabi are available from the teacher or the Department Coordinator.

All course descriptions include an indication of the level of difficulty, with a 1 indicating the greatest difficulty and a 5 the least. Courses are always described as covering a range, such as 1-3 or 2-4. The nature of our disciplines makes it possible to include students of varying abilities in the same class. All courses have been designed to accommodate such heterogeneity; however, as a student's ability must be adequate to meet a course's expectations with a reasonable amount of effort, the ranges are restricted. All History Department courses require essay writing, reading, and participation in class discussion. The "Skills Development" section of this book describes in detail those skills that are integral to our program. Each course description contains specific details which will also aid in assessing the relative difficulty of our various courses.

1-3 Grade 10: Advanced Placement US History and Twentieth Century American History
Grades 11 & 12: Post War America, Ancient Greece and Rome, Philosophy and History, Western Civilization: The Arts & History, Asian Studies, A History of Africa, and World Crises in Historical Perspective

1. The emphasis in these classes is on conceptual and abstract thinking. Students are already able to master historical details without losing track of the larger themes, and are able to understand and to make connections between various facts and interpretations.

2. Reading assignments are quite substantial and involve sophisticated style, higher order vocabulary, and abstract concepts. Reading involves the analysis of opposing interpretations in secondary and primary sources. A significant proportion of the reading must be done independently, and is not reviewed in class.

3. Writing assignments are done independently and are a minimum of three pages in length. Writing instruction focuses on the refinement of advanced skills, and help is given only in individual conferences. It is assumed that students have mastered all basic writing skills.

4. The pace of the course is rapid, and students are expected to pace themselves accordingly.

5. Students should have already mastered note taking from both oral and written sources.

6. Independent research and projects are part of the curriculum.

7. Assignments are managed independently without significant adult supervision or intervention.

8. The primary format of the classes is discussion and lecture.

9. Generally, little or no class time is spent on review. Student generated review packets are sometimes required. However, in A.P. U.S. History some class time is devoted to review for both the mid-year and national exams.

2-4 Grades 11 & 12: The Promised Land, Dictators, Psychology, Global Issues, Economics and Business, and Law and American Society

All comparisons refer to 1-3 courses.

1. These courses place a greater emphasis on skills development and introduce students gradually to analysis and abstraction. Students are aided in keeping facts and themes in balance, in making connections, and in developing basic analytical skills.

2. Reading assignments are shorter, and chosen for accessibility. Primary sources are often edited.

3. Short writing assignments and the analysis of historical material are frequently incorporated into class work.

4. The pace of the course is moderate, and assignments are shorter and more frequent. However, the work load remains challenging.

5. Some guidance is given in taking notes. Some students engage in additional skills work in individual or small group sessions.

6. Research and projects are completed with teacher guidance at various stages in the process.

7. The range of assignments includes more alternatives to standard reading and writing. There are fewer long range assignments. Progress on these assignments is monitored by the teacher.

8. Greater provision is made for activity based instruction, though discussion and lecture do occur.

9. Review in class precedes every test. Review sheets are used.

1-4 Grade 9: Modern European History and Contemporary World Cultures
Grade 10: Modern America, 1865 - 1985

All comparisons refer to 1-3 courses.

1. The curricula and methodology are designed for a wide range of students. The emphasis is more concrete, though some abstraction is included. Students are aided in keeping facts and themes in balance and in making connections.

2. Reading assignments are shorter, and chosen for accessibility. Primary sources may be edited.

3. Writing assignments are shorter and more frequent, and class time is spent on the development of writing skills.

4. The pace of the course is moderate, and students are aided in pacing themselves.

5. The teaching of skills is incorporated into class work, especially in the areas of note taking, writing, and analysis of historical material.

6. Research assignments are limited in scope.

7. Homework assignments are shorter and more frequent, and involve less lengthy and sophisticated reading. The range of assignments includes alternatives to standard reading and writing.

8. Class time involves activity based instruction, discussion, and lecture.

9. Class time is spent reviewing for tests, and review sheets are often used.

3-5 Grade 10: Great Trials and Issues in US History

All comparisons refer to 1-3 courses.

1. The emphasis of this course is on class participation and skills development.
The content of the class is primarily concrete. Simulations frequently engage the class, but content remains substantial.

2. Reading assignments are shorter, chosen for accessibility. Primary sources are usually edited.

3. Writing assignments are frequent and shorter, and are designed to build
both writing and historical skills.

4. The pace of the course is moderate, with nightly assignments that are reinforced in class.

5. Note taking is developed as a skill, but extensive lecturing is accompanied by teacher generated notes.

6. Research projects are student selected. Library research time is teacher supervised and supported.

7. There are fewer long range assignments. Progress is monitored by devoting class time to work on the assignments. The range of assignments includes frequent alternatives to standard reading and writing.

8. Greater provision is made for activity based instruction such as trials and debates.

9. Preparation for tests is supported by review sheets and clear direction on test content. Some class time is used for review.

4-5 Grade 9: Ninth Grade History Lab
Grade 10: Trends in Twentieth Century US History

All comparisons refer to 1-3 courses.

1. The primary emphasis of these courses is on the development and reinforcement of basic skills in reading, writing, note taking, and organization. Content is substantial, but is used primarily as a vehicle to teach skills. Classes are kept small to permit individual instruction in skills.

2. Reading material is chosen to meet the needs of the population. Primary sources are edited, and may be read in class.

3. Writing assignments are short, and focus on paragraph development. Short essays are assigned, but students are given substantial guidelines and aid during the writing process.

4. The pace of the class is deliberate, and is designed to keep the students
progressing as skills develop.

5. Students learn to take notes from the board or to use specially designed note taking worksheets. Sometimes teacher generated notes are used.

6. Short research projects are undertaken. The topics are selected by the
teacher, and limited resources are provided on which the research is
based.

7. Short homework assignments are given daily. These are always the basis
of the next day's class, where the homework is reviewed.

8. Content is covered through reading, videos, brief lectures, and discussion.

9. Open note tests are often given. There is frequent review, particularly before
tests.

AMERICAN HISTORY

The largest subdivision of courses offered by the Department directly concerns the American experience. It should be understood that every effort is made to study the United States in a world-wide context, and that in courses in other subdivisions reference is frequently made to the American scene, both past and present.
Most of our students take some course in United States history as sophomores. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires every high school student take and pass one such course. We offer several which satisfy this legal requirement. The reason we offer such a diversity of courses in this area is to address the varying needs of students, and to provide differing perspectives on the development of the United States.
In 2000 - 2001 we stopped teaching earlier United State history because the Sudbury system was teaching that material in grade eight as required by the state framework, and we considered that there would be too much repetition if we continued to offer survey courses in grade ten. Lincoln is now also teaching earlier U.S. history in grade eight. So, with the exception of Great Trials and the advanced placement course, we not only cover the United States before 1865.

Sometime in the future, probably in 2008, sophomores will have to take and pass the MCAS text in United States history. At the time of publication the framework for this subject has been released, and in concert with our middle school colleagues, we have decided to continue to offer United States history to 1865 in grade eight and 1865 to the present in grade ten. (Great Trials and the advanced placement course are exceptions.) The results of trial tests in the years preceding 2008 will be closely examined, and changes to our curriculum may be required in order to ensure that students are able to pass this "high stakes" exam.
The courses currently offered by the Department in United States history are:

Modern America
Advanced Placement United States History
Twentieth Century American History
Trends in Twentieth Century American History
Post War America: The 50's and 60's*
Great Trials and Issues in United States History
Immigration/Ethnic American History*

*Does not satisfy U.S. History requirement.

While such a diversity of offerings might mean that after the ninth grade year a student might take only United States history courses, the course selection process, which is carefully monitored by the teachers, house staff, and parents, prevents such occurrences. Frequent studies by the Department show that students take a broad diversity of courses, and that no student becomes a United States history major in high school.
.
MODERN AMERICA 1865 TO 1985

104 Full year course: four credits

Revised 2003 by Deborah Grace, Caroline Han, Phillip James, Melisa Nasella, and Andrew Shen

FROM THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES:

After a review of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, this course begins with Reconstruction and then explores the economic, political, and social developments of the late nineteenth century that facilitated the country's rise to power in the twentieth century. Among these topics are: expansion, industrialization, urbanization, and immigration. In the twentieth century the course explores the Progressive Era, the "Great War," the affluence and anxieties of the 1920's, the Depression, World War II, post war growth and social change, Cold War America, the turbulence of the 1960's and the movements for social change, Vietnam, and the post-Watergate era.

Students are expected to use a textbook, to read from additional sources, and to be positive, active participants in the classroom. A variety of assignments will be given, with particular attention paid to essay writing. Emphasis will be placed on critical analysis and varying interpretations of the past. (1-4)

RATIONALE:

This course has three basic goals: to give students a basic knowledge of United States history and government, to make them critical evaluators of the past and present, and to encourage them to be active thoughtful citizens of an evolving democracy.

COURSE OUTLINE:

Note: This course has twelve units which are outlined below. It should be noted that while all of the following units will be covered by every section, content, methods, materials, and emphasis will vary based on student needs and the special interests of the teacher.

I. Declaration of Independence and Constitution

II. Reconstruction
A. Roots in the Civil War
B. Reconstruction politics and Government
C. Origins of Civil Rights
D. Reconstruction Abandoned

III. Late Nineteenth Century
A. Rise of Industrial America
B. Labor Unions / Industrial Conflict
C. Daily Life and Culture
D. Surge of Immigration
E. Imperialism
F. Rise and Fall of Populism

IV. Progressive Era
A. Origins of Progressivism
B. State Progressivism
C. African-Americans and Women Organize
D. National Progressivism
1. Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft
2. Woodrow Wilson

V. World War I
A. Causes of the War
B. American Involvement
C. Consequences for the U.S.

VI. The Twenties
A. The Business / Government Partnership
B. A New National Culture
C. A Society in Conflict
D. Demographic Changes

VII. Great Depression and the New Deal
A. Crash and Depression
1. Causes of the Depression
2. Hard Times
B. The New Deal Begins
C. The Second New Deal
D. The New Deal's Impact on Society

VIII. World War II and the Early Post War Period
A. The Road to War
B. Life on the Home Front
C. Fighting and Winning the War
D. Origins of the Cold War
E. Postwar Domestic Politics

IX. America at Mid-Century
A. The Mood of the 1950's
B. Eisenhower Republicanism
C. The Other America: Civil Rights, Minorities, and Poverty

X. The Sixties
A. New Frontier and the Great Society
B. The Other America continued
C. The Vietnam War and American Society

XI. The Country in Transition
A. Modern Feminism
B. The Nixon Years and Watergate
C. Post-Watergate Politics and Diplomacy
D. Limits on the American Dream

XII. The Reagan Revolution to the Millennium
A. The New Conservatism
B. The End of the Cold War and Beyond
C. Wealth, Technology and the Widening Economic Gap
D. The Clinton Era

METHODS:

A variety of teaching methods are used, including lecture, discussion, group work, role playing, simulations, technology, and student presentations. They are selected by the teacher to best match the needs of the students and the nature of the material being studied. Individual meetings with students are used for extra help, skills development, and enrichment.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:

Students are expected to:

SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED:

At the end of the course a student should:

TEXTBOOK:

Andrew Cayton, Elizabeth Israels Perry, and Allan M. Winkler - America: Pathways to the Present

SUPPLEMENTARY READING:

Many primary and secondary sources are used to enrich the reading in the course. These include selections from anthologies, magazines, and newspapers.

OTHER MATERIALS:

A variety of audiovisual materials are used in the course. These include slides, tapes, and videotapes. Field trips are sometimes taken to places such as New York City.
SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS:

Assignments include the following:

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS:

Student evaluation is based on tests, essays, classroom participation, and homework.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT UNITED STATES HISTORY

105 Full year course: four credits

Revised 2003 Lisa Peck

FROM THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES:

Advanced Placement United States History is designed for students who want to study the entire chronological breadth of US History and who wish to prepare for the Advanced Placement Examination in United States History. The course will acquaint students with the writings of major American historians as well as important schools of American historiography.
Students will be required to do extensive reading. Important historical works as well as significant journal articles will supplement a college level American history textbook, Davidson's Nation of Nations. The textbook will be issued during the preceding June. Students will be required to independently master the first five chapters and write one essay during the summer break.
In preparation for the Advanced Placement Examination, students will also be expected to learn a great deal of factual material. Only students who are seriously considering taking the Advanced Placement Examination should take this course. (1-3)

RATIONALE:

Advanced Placement United States History is designed to prepare students for the three hour national Advanced Placement exam, given in May of each year. To meet the demands of the exam, the course provides a detailed survey of American history from the Colonial period through the 1980's. Students completing the course have a strong chronological overview of American history. The course also teaches students to analyze a wide range of primary documents. Information from the documents as well as a student's knowledge of the time period must then be synthesized into a coherent essay. Formal essay writing is a very strong component of the course. Beyond studying a wide range of primary and secondary sources, students spend significant time studying current events as a window into how history has influenced US culture, politics, diplomacy, and economics. After successful completion of the course, students are prepared to take the Advanced Placement exam in May and the SAT II.
COURSE OUTLINE:

Note: The following detailed outline was prepared by the College Board as a guide for Advanced Placement teachers. It is an accurate reflection of the material covered by the course.

I. Discovery and Settlement of the New World, 1492-1650
A. Europe in the sixteenth century
B. Spanish, English, and French exploration
C. First English settlements
1. Jamestown
2. Plymouth
D. Spanish and French settlements and long-term influence
E. American Indians

II. America and the British Empire, 1650-1754
A. Chesapeake country
B. Growth of New England
C. Restoration colonies
D. Mercantilism; the Dominion of New England
E. Origins of slavery

III. Colonial Society in the Mid-Eighteenth Century
A. Social Structure
1. Family
2. Farm and town life; the economy
B. Culture
1. Great Awakening
2. The American mind
3. "Folkways"
C. New immigrants

IV. Road to Revolution, 1754-1775
A. Anglo-French rivalries and Seven Years' War
B. Imperial reorganization of 1763
1. Stamp Act
2. Declaratory Act
3. Townshend Acts
4. Boston Tea Party
C. Philosophy of the American Revolution

V. The American Revolution, 1775-1783
A. Continental Congress
B. Declaration of Independence
C. The war
1. French alliance
2. War and society; Loyalists
3. War economy
D. Articles of Confederation
E. Peace of Paris
F. Creating state governments
1. Political organization
2. Social reform: women and slavery

VI. Constitution and New Republic, 1776-1800
A. Philadelphia Convention: drafting the Constitution
B. Federalists versus Anti-Federalists
C. Bill of Rights
D. Washington's presidency
1. Hamilton's financial program
2. Foreign and domestic difficulties
3. Beginnings of political parties
E. John Adams's presidency
1. Alien and Sedition Acts
2. XYZ Affair
3. Election of 1800

VII. The Age of Jefferson, 1800-1816
A. Jefferson's presidency
1. Louisiana Purchase
2. Burr conspiracy
3. The Supreme Court under John Marshall
4. Neutral rights, impressment, embargo
B. Madison
C. War of 1812
1. Causes
2. Invasion of Canada
3. Hartford Convention
4. Conduct of the war
5. Treaty of Ghent
6. New Orleans

VIII. Nationalism and Economic Expansion
A. James Monroe; Era of Good Feelings
B. Panic of 1819
C. Settlement of the West
D. Missouri Compromise
E. Foreign affairs: Canada, Florida, and the Monroe Doctrine
F. Election of 1824: end of Virginia dynasty
G. Economic revolution
1. Early railroads and canals
2. Expansion of business
a. Beginnings of factory system
b. Early labor movement; women
c. Social mobility; extremes of wealth
3. The cotton revolution in the South
4. Commercial agriculture

IX. Sectionalism
A. The South
1. Cotton Kingdom
2. Southern trade and industry
3. Southern society and culture
a. Gradations of White society
b. Nature of slavery: "peculiar institution"
c. The mind of the South
B. The North
1. Northeast industry
a. Labor
b. Immigration
c. Urban slums
2. Northwest agriculture
C. Westward expansion
1. Advance of agricultural frontier
2. Significance of the frontier
3. Life on the frontier; squatters
4. Removal of the American Indians

X. Age of Jackson, 1828 - 1848
A. Democracy and the "common man"
1. Expansion of suffrage
2. Rotation in office
B. Second party system
1. Democratic party
2. Whig party
C. Internal improvements and states' rights: The Maysville Road veto
D. The Nullification crisis
1. Tariff issue
2. The Union: Calhoun and Jackson
E. The bank war: Jackson and Biddle
F. Martin Van Buren
1. Independent treasury system
2. Panic of 1837

XI. Territorial Expansion and Sectional Crisis
A. Manifest Destiny and mission
B. Texas annexation, the Oregon boundary, and California
C. James K. Polk and the Mexican War; slavery and the Wilmot Proviso
D. Later expansionist efforts

XII. Creating an American Culture
A. Cultural nationalism
B. Educational reform and professionalism
C. Religion; revivalism
D. Utopian experiments: Mormons, and the Oneida Community
E. Transcendentalists
F. National literature, art, and architecture
G. Reform crusades
1. Feminism; roles of women in the nineteenth century
2. Abolitionism
3. Temperance
4. Criminals and the insane

XIII. The 1850s: Decade of Crisis
A. Compromise of 1850
B. Fugitive Slave Act and Uncle Tom's Cabin
C. Kansas-Nebraska Act and realignment of parties
1. Demise of the Whig Party
2. Emergence of the Republican Party
D. Dred Scott Decision and Lecompton crisis
E. Lincoln-Douglas debates, 1858
F. John Brown's raid
G. The election of 1860; Abraham Lincoln
H. The secession crisis

XIV. Civil War
A. The Union
1. Mobilization and finance
2. Civil liberties
3. Election of 1864
B. The South
1. Confederate constitution
2. Mobilization and finance
3. States' rights and the Confederacy
C. Foreign affairs and diplomacy
D. Military strategy, campaigns, and battles
E. The abolition of slavery
1. Confiscation Acts
2. Emancipation Proclamation
3. Freedmen's Bureau
4. Thirteenth Amendment
F. Effects of war on society
1. Inflation and public debt
2. Role of women
3. Devastation of the south
4. Changing labor patterns

XV. Reconstruction to 1877
A. Presidential plans: Lincoln and Johnson
B. Radical (congressional) plans
1. Civil rights and the Fourteenth Amendment
2. Military reconstruction
3. Impeachment of Johnson
4. African American suffrage: the Fifteenth Amendment
C. Southern state governments: problems, achievements, and weaknesses
D. Compromise of 1877 and the end of Reconstruction

XVI. New South and the Last West
A. Politics in the New South
1. The Redeemers
2. White and African Americans in the New South
3. Subordination of freed slaves: Jim Crow
B. Southern economy; colonial status of the South
1. Sharecropping
2. Industrial stirrings
C. Cattle kingdom
1. Open-range ranching
2. Day of the cowboy
D. Building the Western railroad
E. Subordination of the American Indians: dispersal of tribes
F. Farming the plains; problems in agriculture
G. Mining bonanza

XVII. Industrialization and Corporate Consolidation
A. Industrial growth: railroads, iron, coal, electricity, steel, oil, and banks
B. Laissez-faire conservatism
1. Gospel of Wealth
2. Myth of "self-made man"
3. Social Darwinism; survival of the fittest
4. Social critics and dissenters
C. Effects of technological development on the worker / workplace

D. Union movement
1. Knights of Labor and American Federation of Labor
2. Haymarket, Homestead, and Pullman

XVIII. Urban Society
A. Lure of the city
B. Immigration
C. City problems
1. Slums
2. Machine politics
D. Awakening conscience; reforms
1. Social legislation
2. Settlement houses: Jane Addams and Lillian Wald
3. Structural reforms in government

XIX. Intellectual and Cultural Movements
A. Education
1. Colleges and universities
2. Scientific advances
B. Professionalism and the social sciences
C. Realism in literature and art
D. Mass culture
1. Use of leisure
2. Publishing and journalism

XX. National Politics, 1877-1896: The Gilded Age
A. A Conservative presidency
B. Issues
1. Tariff controversy
2. Railroad regulation
3. Trusts
C. Agrarian discontent
D. Crisis of 1890s
1. Populism
2. Silver question
3. Election of 1896: McKinley versus Bryan

XXI. Foreign Policy, 1865-1914
A. Seward and the purchase of Alaska
B. The New imperialism
1. Blaine and Latin America
2. International Darwinism: missionaries, politicians, and naval expansionists

3. Spanish-American War
a. Cuban independence
b. Debate on Philippines
C. The Far East: John Hay and the Open Door
D. Theodore Roosevelt
1. The Panama Canal
2. Roosevelt Corollary
3. Far East
E. Taft and dollar diplomacy
F. Wilson and moral diplomacy

XXII. Progressive Era
A. Origins of Progressivism
1. Progressive attitudes and motives
2. Muckrakers
3. Social Gospel
B. Municipal, state, and national reforms
1. Political: suffrage
2. Social and economic: regulation
C. Socialism: alternatives
D. Black America
1. Washington, DuBois, and Garvey
2. Urban migration
3. Civil rights organizations
E. Women's role: family, work, education, unionization, and suffrage
F. Roosevelt's Square Deal
1. Managing the trusts
2. Conservation
G. Taft
1. Pinchot-Ballinger controversy
2. Payne-Aldrich Tariff
H. Wilson's New Freedom
1. Tariffs
2. Banking reform
3. Anti-Trust Act of 1914

XXIII. The First World War
A. Problems of neutrality
1. Submarines
2. Economic ties
3. Psychological and ethnic ties
B. Preparedness and pacifism

C. Mobilization
1. Fighting the war
2. Financing the war
3. War boards
4. Propaganda, public opinion, and civil liberties
D. Wilson's Fourteen Points
1. Treaty of Versailles
2. Ratification fight
E. Postwar demobilization
1. Red scare
2. Labor strife

XXIV. New Era: The 1920s
A. Republican governments
1. Business creed
2. Harding scandals
B. Economic development
1. Prosperity and wealth
2. Farm and labor problems
C. New Culture
1. Consumerism: automobile, radio, and movies
2. Women and the family
3. Modern religion
4. Literature of alienation
5. Jazz age
6. Harlem Renaissance
D. Conflict of Cultures
1. Prohibition and bootlegging
2. Nativism
3. Ku Klux Klan
4. Religious fundamentalism versus modernists
E. Myth of isolation
1. Replacing the League of Nations
2. Business and diplomacy

XXV. Depression, 1929-l933
A. Wall Street crash
B. Depression economy
C. Moods of despair
1. Agrarian unrest
2. Bonus march
D. Hoover-Stimson diplomacy; Japan

XXVI. New Deal
A. Franklin D. Roosevelt
1. Background, ideas
2. Philosophy of New Deal
B. 100 Days; "alphabet agencies"
C. Second New Deal
D. Critics, left and right
E. Rise of CIO; labor strikes
F. Supreme Court fight
G. Recession of 1938
H. American people in the Depression
1. Social values, women, and ethnic groups
2. Indian Reorganization Act
3. Mexican-American deportation
4. The racial issue

XXVII. Diplomacy in the 1930s
A. Good Neighbor Policy: Montevideo, Buenos Aires
B. London Economic Conference
C. Disarmament
D. Isolationism: neutrality legislation
E. Aggressors: Japan, Italy, and Germany
F. Appeasement
G. Rearmament; Blitzkrieg; Lend-Lease
H. Atlantic Charter
I. Pearl Harbor

XXVIII. The Second World War
A. Organizing for war
1. Mobilizing production
2. Propaganda
3. Internment of Japanese-Americans
B. The war in Europe, Africa, and the Mediterranean; D Day
C. The war in the Pacific: Hiroshima, Nagasaki
D. Diplomacy
1. War aims
2. War-time conferences: Teheran, Yalta, and Potsdam
E. Postwar atmosphere; the United Nations

XXIX. Truman and the Cold War
A. Postwar domestic adjustments
B. The Taft-Hartley Act
C. Civil Rights and the election of 1948

D. Containment in Europe and the Middle East
1. Truman Doctrine
2. Marshall Plan
3. Berlin Crisis
4. NATO
E. Revolution in China
F. Limited War: Korea, MacArthur

XXX. Eisenhower and Modern Republicanism
A. Domestic frustrations; McCarthyism
B. Civil rights movement
1. The Warren Court and Brown v. the Board of Education
2. Montgomery bus boycott
3. Greensboro sit-in
C. John Foster Dulles's foreign policy
1. Crisis in Southeast Asia
2. Massive retaliation
3. Nationalism in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America
4. Khrushchev and Berlin
D. American people: homogenized society
1. Prosperity: economic consolidation
2. Consumer culture
3. Consensus of values
E. Space race

XXI. Kennedy's New Frontier; Johnson's Great Society
A. New Domestic Programs
1. Tax cut
2. War on poverty
3. Affirmative action
B. Civil rights and civil liberties
1. African Americans: political, cultural, and economic roles
2. The leadership of Martin Luther King, Jr.
3. Resurgence of feminism
4. The New Left and the counterculture
5. Emergence of the Republican Party in the South
6. The Supreme Court and the Miranda decision
C. Foreign Policy
1. Bay of Pigs
2. Cuban missile crisis
3. Vietnam quagmire

XXII. Nixon
A. Election of 1968
B. Nixon-Kissinger foreign policy
1. Vietnam: escalation and pullout
2. China: restoring relations
3. Soviet Union: detente
C. New Federalism
D. Supreme Court and Roe v. Wade
E. Watergate crisis and resignation

XXIII. The United States since 1974
A. The New Right and the conservative social agenda
B. Ford and Rockefeller
C. Carter
1. Deregulation
2. Energy and inflation
3. Camp David accords
4. Iranian Hostage crisis
D. Reagan
1. Tax cuts and budget deficits
2. Defense buildup
3. New disarmament treaties
4. Foreign crises: the Persian Gulf and Central America
E. Society
1. Old and new urban problems
2. Asian and Hispanic immigrants
3. Resurgent fundamentalism
4. African Americans and local, state, and national politics

METHODS:

During the summer, students are expected to master material from 1600 to 1775 and complete a four to six page essay. Once the school year begins, most classes are student guided discussions with occasional lecturing. The focus of coverage is largely suggested by the broad themes and specific developments covered in the textbook, John Davidson's Nation of Nations. Students are given a range of study aids to help them recognize and organize the vast amount of information this course requires students to synthesize. Teachers generally respond to student requests for clarification and then the teacher guides discussion to bring out salient points raised in the readings. For most of the year, part of each long block is given over to student led discussion of current events. The mid year exam is a simulated Advanced Placement Exam. Once students take the College Board exam, the remainder of the year is devoted to a critical exploration of how "Hollywood does History" and to independent research projects.
Significant time is devoted to improving the students' writing. The 130 minute free response section of the exam requires students to answer a Document Based Question as well as two Standard Essay questions. In the Standard Essays, students may be required to relate developments in different areas, to analyze common themes in different time periods, or to compare individual or group experiences that reflect socioeconomic, ethnic, racial, or gender differences. Students are also expected to have a general understanding of key interpretations of major historical events. The Document Based Question requires students to analyze and synthesize historical data and assess verbal, quantitative, or visual materials as historical evidence. Both essays are judged on the basis of thesis and argument.
Many students enter the course with weak writing skills. To improve writing skills, all students write examination essays in class and a bimonthly essay at home. The later are usually Standard Essays or Document Based Questions from previous national exams. With permission of the student authors, exemplary student essays are also Xeroxed and shared as models. There is so much objective material to absorb and integrate into one's understanding of US History that students spend significant time defining key terms and creating a means of organizing this information so students are adept with thematic aspects of US History and can recognize change over time.
As enrichment, the class usually takes an overnight trip to Washington, DC. Highlights of the trip include visits to Congress, the Supreme Court Building, various Smithsonian Museums, the monuments, the Spy Museum, the Newseum, and the Holocaust Museum

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:

SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED:

Writing

Reading

TEXTBOOKS:

John West Davidson's Nation of Nations

SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS:

Bernstein, Twentieth Century America
Binder, The Way We Lived, Volumes I and II
Blum, The National Experience
Cary, The Social Fabric, Volumes I and II
Fine and Brown, The American Past, Volumes I and II
Garraty, Historical Viewpoints, Volumes I and II
Hofstadter, The American Political Tradition
Maddox, American History, Annual Editions
Madras and Sokelle, Taking Sides, Volumes I and II
McClellan, Changing Interpretations of America's Past
Nash, The American People
Nash, Retracing the Past, Volumes I and II
Oates, Portrait of America, Volumes I and II
Roberts, American Experience, Volumes I and II
Youngs, American Realities, Volumes I and II

An extensive collection of Xeroxed readings are handed out with each essay assignment.
SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS:

Standard Essay

"The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object, the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these States." Evaluate this accusation made against George III in the Declaration of Independence.

"American reform movements between 1820 and 1860 reflected both optimistic and pessimistic views of human nature and society." Assess the validity of this statement in reference to reform movements in THREE of the following areas: Education, Temperance, Women's Rights, Utopian Experiments, and Penal Institutions.

"I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races." How can this 1858 statement of Abraham Lincoln be reconciled with his 1862 Emancipation Proclamation?

"Although the economic growth of the United States between 1860 and l900 has been attributed to a governmental policy of laissez-faire, it was in fact encouraged and sustained by direct governmental intervention." Assess the validity of this statement.

"Reform movements of the twentieth century have shown continuity in their goals and strategies." Assess the validity of this statement for ONE of the following pairs of reform movements: Progressivism and the New Deal, Woman's suffrage and post-Second World War Feminism, The New Deal and the Great Society.

Document-Based Essay Question (DBQ)

Directions: The following question requires you to construct a coherent essay that integrates your interpretation of Documents A-I and your knowledge of the period referred to in the question. High scores will be earned only by essays that both cite key pieces of evidence from the documents and draw on your knowledge of the period.

The 1920s were a period of tension between new and changing attitudes on the one hand and traditional values and nostalgia on the other. What led to the tension between old and new and in what ways was the tension manifested?

Document A

Just as he was an Elk, a Booster, and a member of the Chamber of Commerce, just as the priests of the Presbyterian Church determined his every religious belief and the senators who controlled the Republican Party decided in little smoky rooms in Washington what he should think about disarmament, tariff, and Germany, so did the large national advertisers fix the surface of his life, fix what he believed to be his individuality. These standard advertised wares Ñ toothpastes, socks, tires, cameras, instantaneous hot-water heaters Ñ were his symbols and proofs of excellence; at first the signs, then the substitutes, for joy and passion and wisdom.

Source: Sinclair Lewis, Babbitt, 1922

Document B

The Bridge by Joseph Stella, 1922
A reproduction of this painting of the Brooklyn Bridge was provided.

Document C

Mr. Darrow: Do you claim that everything in the Bible should be literally interpreted?

Mr. Bryan: I believe everything in the Bible should be accepted as it is given there; some of the Bible is given illustratively. For instance: "Ye are the salt of the earth." I would not insist that man was actually salt, or he had flesh of salt, but it is used in the sense of salt as saving God's people.

Mr. Darrow: But when you read that Jonah swallowed the whale Ñ or that the whale swallowed Jonah Ñ excuse me please Ñ how do you literally interpret that?

Mr. Bryan: One miracle is just as easy to believe as another ....

Mr. Darrow: Perfectly easy to believe that Jonah swallowed the whale?

Mr. Bryan: Your honor. I think I can shorten this testimony. The only purpose Mr. Darrow has is to slur at the Bible, but I will answer his question. I will answer it all at once, and I have no objection in the world, I want the world to know that this man, who does not believe in God, is trying to use a court in Tennessee Ñ

Mr. Darrow: I object to that.
Mr. Bryan: (Continuing) to slur at it, and while it will require time, I am willing to take it.
Mr. Darrow: I object to your statement. I am examining you on your fool ideas that no intelligent Christian on earth believes.

Source: The World's Most Famous Trial: Tennessee Evolution Case, 1925

Document D

We are a movement of the plain people, very weak in the matter of culture, intellectual support, and trained leadership. We are demanding, and we expect to win, a return of power into the hands of the everyday, not highly cultured, not overly intellectualized, but entirely unspoiled and not de-Americanized, average citizen of the old stock. Our members and leaders are all of this classÑ the opposition of the intellectuals and liberals who held the leadership, betrayed Americanism, and from whom we expect to wrest control, is almost automatic.
This is undoubtedly a weakness. It lays us open to the charge of being "hicks" and "rubes" all ''drivers of second-hand Fords." We admit it. Far worse, it makes it hard for us to state our case and advocate our crusade in the most effective way, for most of us lack skill in language.
The Klan, therefore, has now come to speak for the great mass of Americans of the old pioneer stock. We believe that it does fairly and faithfully represent them, and our proof lies in their support. To understand the Klan, then, it is necessary to understand the character and present mind of the mass of old-stock Americans. The mass, it must be remembered, as distinguished from the intellectually mongrelized "Liberals."
These are, in the first place, a blend of various peoples of the so-called Nordic race, the race which, with all its faults, has given the world almost the whole of modern civilization. The Klan does not try to represent any people but these.

Source: Hiram Wesley Evans, "The Klan's Fight for Americanism," North American Review, March 1926

Document E

Jazz to me is one of the inherent expressions of Negro life in America: the eternal tom-tom beating in the Negro soul Ñ the tom-tom of revolt against weariness in a white world, a world of subway trains, and work, work, work; the tom-tom of joy and laughter, and pain swallowed in a smile. Yet the Philadelphia clubwoman ... turns up her nose at jazz and all its manifestations Ñ likewise almost anything else distinctly racial.... She wants the artist to flatter her, to make the white world believe that all Negroes are as smug and as near white in soul as she wants to be. But, to my mind, it is the duty of the younger Negro artist ... to change through the force of his art that old whispering "I want to be white," hidden in the aspirations of his people, to "Why should I want to be white?" I am Negro Ñ and beautiful."
Source: Langston Hughes, "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain," The Nation, 1926

Document F

When, because of what we believe him to be, we gave Lindbergh the greatest ovation in history, we convicted ourselves of having told a lie about ourselves. For we proved that the "things of good report'' are the same today as they were nineteen hundred years ago.
We shouted ourselves hoarse. Not because a man had flown across the Atlantic! Not even because he was all American! But because he was as clean in character as he was strong and fine in body; because he put "ethics" above any desire for wealth; because he was as modest as he was courageous; and because Ñ as we now know, beyond any shadow of doubt Ñ these are the things which we honor most in life.
To have shown us this truth about ourselves is the biggest thing that Lindbergh has done.

Source: Mary B. Mullett, "The Biggest Thing That Lindbergh Has Done," The American Magazine, October, 1927

Document G

Be it resolved, that the National W.C.T.U. [Women's Christian Temperance Union] encourages further scientific research into the effects of nicotine and urges all public and private school teachers and Sunday school workers, both by precept and example, to assist in an educational campaign to make these effects known with a view to instructing the youth as to the well-proven facts of science; and
Be it further resolved, that the national W.C.T.U. brands as untrue the charge made by the Association Opposed to National Prohibition that we are engaged in a secret campaign for an amendment to the Constitution prohibiting tobacco....

[Mrs. Ella A. Boole, President of the New York State organization says:]

"We are working on this question from a scientific standpoint and from an educational standpoint. After all, the duty of motherhood is still relegated to the women of the nation. Just as long as that is true we must protect the coming generation by teaching the present one the effects of the habit of smoking on the unborn...."

Source: "Women Smokers," The New York Times, February 29, 1928

Document H

Document H was a graph showing the numbers of marriages and divorces in the United States between 1890 and 1930.

Document I

. . . Sister substituted the Gospel of Love for the Gospel of Fear. This doctrine was as strange in Southern California as it is elsewhere in Christendom....
Sister substituted the cheerfulness of the play-room for the gloom of the morgue. She threw out the dirges and threats of Hell, replacing them with jazz hymns and promises of Glory. The gospel she created was and is an ideal bed-time story. It has a pretty color, a sweet taste, and is easy.
Mrs. McPherson describes the Holy City literally Ñ the jeweled walls, pearly gates, golden streets, milk and honey. She says she is not sure Ñ she is not sure, mind you Ñ but she has a pretty good idea that Heaven will resemble a cross between Pasadena, California, and Washington, D.C. That will give an idea of what may be expected at Angelus Temple. The atmosphere bubbles over with love, joy, enthusiasm; the Temple is full of flowers, music, golden trumpets, red robes, angels, incense, nonsense and sex appeal. The service may be described as supernatural whoopee.

Source: Morrow Mayo, "Aimee Rises from the Sea," The New Republic, December 25, 1929

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS:

This is based on:

107 Full year course: four credits

Revised 2003 by Phillip James, Melisa Nasella, and William Schechter

FROM THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES:

Twentieth Century American History is a detailed survey course which proceeds by decades, and examines the relationships of major events during each period of modern American history. While conventional political topics are discussed, social history, and important cultural events are also emphasized. Students are encouraged to consider different interpretations of the same event. Students will be required to do an extensive amount of reading from a college level text, Nash's The American People, and also from supplementary sources. Classes will mix lecture with discussion. There will be regular homework assignments, and at least one research paper. This course requires good organizational skills. (1-3)


RATIONALE:

This course seeks to give students an understanding of major developments in modern American history in a manner which allows them to develop conceptual and analytical skills, and an appreciation of the complexity of history. Apart from emphasizing writing skills, the course encourages students to see history as a clash of interpretations requiring analysis and an understanding of the interconnections between people and events. In this sense, the course is always informed by historiographical questions: What is history? What are facts? What is bias? What is truth? The material is made more complex in another manner, as political history is supplemented by social and cultural perspectives. Students study the commanding heights, but also the grass roots, the wealthy and powerful, but also the poor and dispossessed. They will see people like themselves as actors in our collective story. This is more a history course of the American people than of the American government. A fundamental goal of the course is to encourage students to understand the continuity of historical issues and the roots of current issues in the past. Hopefully students will leave the course with a love of the subject and also a conviction that while history is hard to know, it is essential to make the effort. "History is not the light and truth, but the search therefore...."

COURSE OUTLINE:

Note: The inclusion of specific units and topics are at the discretion of the instructor and are determined by the needs of the students and by time available. This is particularly the case in determining the course's ending point.

Each unit is preceded by a review of the period's basic chronology.

I. Declaration of Independence and the Constitution

II. Background
A. Historiography: Major Questions
B. Industrialization
C. How the U.S. Industrialized
D. Immigrants
E. Farmers
F. The Closing of the Frontier
G. The 1890's: Gay 90's or Great Depression?
H. The Status of Minorities
I. The "Crisis of the 90's"
J. The Spanish-American War: America Emerges as a World Power
K. The Debate over Imperialism

III. The Progressive Era
A. Meaning of Progressivism: What It Was and Wasn't
B. Robert LaFollette: Case Study in Local & State Progressivism
C. National Progressivism: Roosevelt through Wilson
D. Evaluating Progressivism: Traditional vs. Revisionist Interpretations
E. The Underside of the Progressive Era (Social Movements)
F. Impact on Social Groups

IV. World War I & 1919
A. Causes of the War: Immediate vs. Underlying Causes
B. The New Nature of Warfare: The Industrialized Battlefield
C. How the U.S. Got into the War:
1. Shifts in Public Opinion from the Election of 1916
2. Traditional and Revisionist Views of U.S. Entry
D. The U.S. Enters the War: Different Interpretations
E. The Homefront
F. Post-War Controversies
G. The Red Scare Year of 1919

V. The Twenties
A. The "Zeitgeist" or Theme of the Period: Cultural Change or Cultural Conflict?
B. An Economic and Social Overview
C. Politics of the Twenties
D. Arenas of Cultural Conflict:
1. Revolution in Manners and Morals
2. Prohibition
3. Nativism
4. Scopes Trial
5. Sacco and Vanzetti Trial
E. Key Personalities of the 20's
F. Developments in the African-American Community
G. The State of the Minorities

VI. The Thirties
A. Causes of the Great Depression
B. Hoover's Response
C. The Crisis of 1932: Hardship and Social Conflict
D. The Election of 1932
E. The First New Deal
F. The Election of 1936
G. The Second New Deal
H. Evaluating the New Deal: Effectiveness and Impact

VII. The Forties
A. Background to the War from the Late 20's On
B. Public Opinion in the U.S.
C. The U.S. Enters the War
D. Major War-Time Campaigns
E. The Homefront
F. War as Social Change: Impact on Various Groups
G. The War Ends, and the Roots of the Cold War

VIII. The Fifties
A. The New Post-War Landscape
B. "Cracks in the Picture Window"
1. Cold War: Foreign and Domestic
2. Teen Rebellion and the Emergence of Rock and Roll
C. A Legacy of Affluence and Apathy
D. Roots of the Modern Civil Rights Movement

IX. The Sixties
A. JFK and LBJ: The New Frontier and the Great Society
B. Civil Rights Movement
C. Vietnam War
D. Student Activism and other Social Movements
E. Crisis of 1968

X. Seventies and Eighties
A. Watergate and Post-Watergate Politics
B. Energy Crisis and American Self-Doubt
C. Growth of Conservatism and the Reagan Revolution
D. Iran-Contra and New Initiatives in American Foreign Policy
E. Social and Economic Changes

METHODS:

Classes are conducted in a modified lecture style, which mixes presentation, questioning, and discussion. Dialogue is encouraged between teacher and students, and opportunities for spontaneous discussions are welcomed. There are also specific class periods set aside for planned and organized discussion, and / or group work, simulations, and debates. Students are expected to take notes and participate in discussions


EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:

Students are expected to:

Note: Course expectations and methods will be coordinated with the Individual Educational Plans of students who have them.

SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED:

The following skills are emphasized:
To learn to...

Mechanical:

Social:

Cognitive:

TEXTBOOK:

Gary Nash, Julie Jeffrey, et. al., The American People: Creating a Nation and Society

SUPPLEMENTARY READING:

Supplementary readings include primary documents, articles by historians and journalists, and selected works of fiction.
OTHER MATERIALS:

SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS:

Homework is based on the followings kinds of assignments:

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS:

This is based on:

TRENDS IN TWENTIETH CENTURY AMERICAN HISTORY

108 Full year course: four credits

Revised in 2002 by Deborah Grace

FROM THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES:

Trends in Twentieth Century American History is a full year course based on Twentieth Century American History (107), and appropriately scaled for students who need skills work. The course will emphasize both skills development and historical content. (4-5)

RATIONALE:

Trends in Twentieth Century American History is designed to help students examine critical events that shaped the world they live in. This year long course attempts to show students patterns in United States history and aids them in establishing links between the past and the present.
A major goal of the course is to excite students about history and to help them achieve success in an academic area where they have often experienced failure. This requires a careful selection of materials that will excite rather than frustrate them and the development of classroom activities that will keep them focused and interested. It is hoped that the students will develop an increased understanding of our political system while improving their writing skills and studying techniques.

COURSE OUTLINE:

I. Declaration of Independence and the Constitution

II. Reconstruction
A. Post-war Problems
B. Origins of Civil Rights
C. Reconstruction Abandoned

III. Late Nineteenth Century
A. Rise of Industrial America
B. Labor Unions/Industrial Conflict
C. Daily Life and Culture
D. Imperialism

IV. Progressive Era
A. Origins of Progressivism
B. African-Americans and Women Organize
C. National Progressivism
1. Theodore Roosevelt and Taft
2. Woodrow Wilson

V. World War I
A. Causes of the War
B. American Involvement
C. Consequences for the U.S.

VI. The Twenties
A. Social Changes
B. Intolerance
C. Black Migration

VII. Great Depression and the New Deal
A. Crash and Depression
1. Causes of the Depression
2. Hard Times
B. The New Deal
C. Evaluation of the New Deal

VIII. World War II and the Aftermath
A. The Road to War
B. Life on the Home Front
C. Dropping the Bomb
D. The Spoils of War: Economic, Political, and Social

IX. The Fifties
A. The Red Scare
B. The Mood of the 1950's
C. The Other America: Civil Rights and Poverty

X. The Sixties and Seventies
A. The Civil Rights Movement
B. The Vietnam War
C. Student Protest and the Counterculture
D. Watergate

METHODS:

To meet the needs of the students, the course employs a wide variety of teaching techniques. These include lecture and discussion, movies, games, simulations, map work, and an adventure series where the students choose their way through a specific event in American history.
Students are always given a term guide sheet to help them take notes during a lecture / discussion. When movies are used, the students are given a detailed question guide to accompany the movie. Documentary movies are stopped every ten minutes and the questions are answered and the material is discussed. Games and simulations are always debriefed as to their historical relevance.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:

Students are expected to:

Note: Course expectations and methods will be coordinated with the Individual
Educational Plans of students who have them.

SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED:

Students will develop the ability to

TEXTBOOKS:

Joy Hakim, A History of Us, Books 6-10
People's Publishing Group, For the People, By the People

SUPPLEMENTARY READING:

Although the majority of reading is taken from the two textbooks supplementary readings include excerpts from:

OTHER MATERIALS:

Games:

Movies:

SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS:

Students are given a very detailed question packets that accompany each reading assignment. Some of the questions are factual while others expect them to draw conclusions from the reading. Those are always the most difficult, and are often discussed in class. All homework questions are graded and then put in the students' notebooks. On examinations, they may refer to the answers to their homework questions.
Most of the students are incapable of writing an essay if they are only given a question. They have serious organizational difficulties. Even the pre-writing step of an outline is not enough for some of them. To get them writing longer and more effective essays, they are given a detailed template, enabling them to write effective essays. Below is a sample of such a template:

The Jungle Essay:

The following excerpt was taken from The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. Sinclair was part of a group of novelists who Teddy Roosevelt had named the muckrakers. These writers devoted their writings to investigating and exposing political misrule and business corruption. Published in 1906, The Jungle was a savage attack on the labor and sanitary conditions in the Chicago Stockyards. The timing was right for the publication of such a book. Still fresh in the public's memory was the "embalmed beef" scandal of the Spanish American War. Sinclair himself had spent seven weeks living with the workers in "Packingtown" and all the information proved authentic. The book itself hit the public where they were most sensitive, in their stomachs. Within a year, Congress had passed both a Meat Inspection Act and a Pure Food and Drug Act.

Read the excerpts and then write the following essay.
DUE: FRIDAY, JANUARY 4TH
Double Space
Size 16 Font

Use this as your opening paragraph:
When Doubleday first published The Jungle, it created a sensation in both the United States and Europe. An advance copy had also been sent to President Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt was so impressed with the book that he wired Sinclair to visit him to discuss the matter.

Particularly upsetting was the quality of animals being slaughtered. (Finish paragraph)

Equally upsetting was the contents of the canned goods that the public was buying. (Finish this paragraph)

Despite these incriminating facts, it was the workers who suffered the most. (Write TWO paragraphs about the various problems suffered by the workers.)

Write a final paragraph explaining how you personally would have reacted if you had read this book in 1906.

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS:

Students are evaluated based on homework questions, essays, unit examinations, oral presentations, and class participation. Grades are always discussed with the students before being submitted.

POST WAR AMERICA

109 Full year course: four credits

Revised 2002 by William Schechter

FROM THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES:

Prerequisite: Modern America, 1865 - 1985; Advanced Placement US History or Twentieth Century American History

This course concerns the two decades immediately following WW II: the "Fabulous Fifties" and the "Turbulent Sixties." The curriculum involves facts, but also the exploration of themes, issues, and conflicts. A major focus of the course is to understand how the dramatic sixties emerged out of the quiet, complacent fifties. Topics include the 50's boom, the Cold War, the emerging beat counterculture, the history of rock and roll, the civil rights movement, the Kennedy presidency, the Vietnam war, the student and anti-war movements, and the counterculture of the 60's. Reading and writing requirements are demanding. The course is designed for students interested in social and political issues. (1-3)

Note: This course does not satisfy the United States history requirement.

RATIONALE:

This course gives students the opportunity to study a dramatic period of time in considerable depth. Students are interested in learning about the world of their parents, though it is often this material that many history courses are never quite able to reach. The goals of the course are two: to teach students the chronological structure and vocabulary that are prerequisite to understanding the periods; and to give students the opportunity to clarify their own moral, cultural, and political values by studying the tensions and dilemmas of the postwar world. Thus students learn about the McCarthy hearings, but they also consider the problem of balancing constitutional rights in a time of national insecurity. Students study the events of the civil rights movements, but they also reflect on the degree to which racism still persists and the controversial policy choices which may (or may not) solve the problem. Students study the Vietnam war, but also have an opportunity to consider the role of ethics on and off the battlefield.

COURSE OUTLINE:

I. The Fifties: Many Faces of a Decade
A. Conflicting Images of the 50's and How Americans Remember Them
B. The "Fabulous Fifties" and the Great Post-War Economic Boom
C. The New American Landscape: Values, Media, Culture, and Suburbs
D. The Age of Anxiety and the Silent Generation
1. Causes of Anxiety
2. The Cold War Abroad
3. The Cold War at Home
4. Focus: The Dilemmas of a HUAC Hearing
5. Focus: The Rosenberg Case
E. The Age of the Great Postponement
1. Social Critics and Their Criticisms
2. Holden Caulfield, a Rebel without a Cause?
3. Teens, JD's, and Rock 'n Roll
4. The Beat Culture: Prophets of a New Age?

II. The Civil Rights Movement
A. Historical Background beginning in 1870
B. The Inner Life of Jim Crow
1. Theories of Racism
2. Psychological Impact of Jim Crow
3. Is There Jim Crow at L-S?
4. Are You Still Prejudiced?
C. Main Events and Organizations
D. Differences within the Movement: Malcolm X
E. Focus: The Issue of Violence vs. Civil Disobedience
F. Victories of the Movement and Problems Remaining
G. Possible Solutions to Racism: Affirmative Action

III. The Kennedy Presidency
A. What is a Hero?
B. Personalities and Background to Election
C. The Inaugural Speech
D. The "Camelot" Mystique
E. Three Crises: Bay of Pigs, Berlin, and Cuban Missiles
F. The Domestic Agenda
G. Was Kennedy Changing?
H. The Assassination: Impact and Theories
I. Assessment: A Hero of Our Time?

IV. The Birth of the New Left
A. Various Causes of Radicalization
B. Berkeley Free Speech Movement: It All Comes Together
C. The Port Huron Statement: Manifesto of a New Generation

V. Vietnam
A. The Problem of Language and Media in Wartime
B. Historical Background
C. Stages of U.S. Involvement
D. A Different Kind of War and a New War Technology
E. The Debate at Home: "Hawks vs. Doves"
F. The Pentagon Papers: The Secret History of the War
G. Morals on the Battlefield: A Case Study Ñ My Lai
H. Enduring Legacies

VI. The Anti-War and Other Social Movements
A. Major Events and Impact
B. Differences within the Movement
C. The Ethics of Protest: Draft Resistance, Violence, Civil Disobedience, etc.
D. Focus: A Dow Demonstration
E. The Emergence of the Women's Movement
F. Legacies

VII. The Counterculture
A. Historical Background
B. The Counterculture through Its Own Words and Songs
C. The Variety of the Counterculture
D. How "Counter" Was the Counterculture?
E. Legacies
F. The Big Picture: "Making Sense of the Sixties"Ñ the Continuing Debate

METHODS:

This course utilizes three different pedagogical approaches: lecture, discussion, and simulations. Students are expected to take notes, and are tested on the historical material in each unit. Discussions focus on the issues underlying the historical material. These may involve conflicts over interpretation or varying ethical perspectives. Simulations attempt to recreate experiences of the 60's which provide useful contexts for clarifying moral and legal issues (and sometimes dilemmas). The simulations often take the form of trials and government hearings.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:

Students are expected to

Note: Course expectations and methods will be coordinated with the Independent Educational Plans of students who have them.

SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED:

Students should develop the ability to:

TEXTBOOK:

The Age of Great Dreams by David Farber

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS:

Students are given an extensive number of handouts: primary documents, poems, newspaper clippings, and an array of conflicting analyses. These are to be kept in a looseleaf notebook, which serves as an alternative textbook.

The following are read in whole or in part, though not every year:
J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
Jack Kerouac, On The Road
Ann Moody, Coming of Age In Mississippi
Robert Kennedy, Thirteen Days
Mark Lane, Rush To Judgment
Mark Baker, Nam
Tim O'Brien, The Things They Carried
Indochina Curriculum Group, Frontlines

OTHER MATERIALS:

Songs are used throughout the course as social documents to be listened to, sung, and analyzed. The school also has an incomparable collection of video tapes about the sixties which, along with slides, serve as the visual archives. We have also been very fortunate to have a range of speakers willing to discuss their personal experiences with students.

SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS:

Assignments include essays focused on moral, political, and legal issues; book discussions; reactions to discussions and videos; and research papers. Students might be asked to analyze the bias of an article or film, to state their position on civil disobedience before and after readings and simulations, in order to encourage reflections on their own changing perceptions and thoughts.

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS:

This is based on:

GREAT TRIALS AND ISSUES IN UNITED STATES HISTORY

110 Full year course: four credits

Revised 2003 by Lisa Peck

FROM THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES:

This course surveys the American historical experience by focusing on critical political and social issues as well as on some of the great trials that reflect US society in transition and at moments of crisis. Students will examine how much of United States history relates to the full realization of the ideas and principles of the critical founding documents of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Topics students will explore are the Salem Witch Trials, the Boston Massacre, Cherokee Removal, the reform movements of the 1830's, the centrality of race during the Civil War, the rise of industrialization and the Haymarket Trial, the Progressive Movement, US decision making on Japanese American Internment and the dropping of the atomic bombs, the Civil Rights movements, and the tragedy of Vietnam. Basic skills such as organization, research, note taking, writing essays, vocabulary development, and oral expression are emphasized. (3-5)

RATIONALE:

This course is designed for students who benefit from a more interactive, student and group-oriented approach. By building the curriculum around a selection of great trials and issues in American history, the course seeks to intrigue less successful students into involvement with history, while placing a strong emphasis on skills development, and introducing the rudiments of government and law.

COURSE OUTLINE:

Note: The following is a list of possible units, trials, and activities from which teachers choose when their planning their curriculum.

I. Colonial America and The Salem Witch Trials
A. Background of Colonization
B. Settlement of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
C. Role of Religion in Early Settlement
D. Beginnings of Salem
E. Witchcraft
F. Events Leading up to the Trials
G. The Trials
H. Interpretations and Explanations

II. The American Revolution and the Boston Massacre Case
A. Events Leading to the Massacre
1. Massachusetts's Dissatisfaction with British Rule since 1763
2. Colonial Authority and Taxation
3. Unrest in Boston Prior to the Massacre
B. The Massacre and Resulting Trial
1. Different Perspectives on the Event
2. The Trial
C. Aftermath
1. The Effect of the Massacre
2. Events Leading to the Outbreak of War
3. The Declaration of Independence
4. The War for Independence

III. The Constitution
A. The Articles of Confederation and the Need for a New Constitution
B. The Constitutional Convention
C. Close Examination of the Constitution and Bill of Rights
D. "Living Constitution" Research Project

IV. Antebellum America
A. Cherokee Removal
B. Jacksonian America
C. Utopian Communities
D. Reformers' Convention Enactment

V. Slavery and Resistance to Slavery
A. Background of America in the 1850's
1. Slavery, Rebellions, and the Case of Dred Scott
2. The Abolition Movement
3. Sectional Tensions
B. John Brown
1. His Beliefs
2. Actions in Kansas
C. The Raid on Harper's Ferry
1. Preceding Events
2. The Plan
3. The Results

VI. Civil War and Reconstruction
A. The War
B. Abraham Lincoln and His Role in Winning the War
C. Glory as History and the Special Role of the 54th Massachusetts
D. Reality of Reconstruction
E. The Rise of Jim Crow and Plessy v. Ferguson

VII. Industrialization, Immigration, and the Haymarket Trial
A. Background of Nineteenth Century Immigration
B. The Rise of Industrial America
C. Study of Political Ideologies
1. Socialism
2. Communism
3. Anarchism
D. The Trial
E. Aftermath

VIII. The Progressive Era
A. Roots of Progressivism
B. Changing role of Government
C. Progressive Era Amendments
D. Role of Muckrakers
1. Ida B. Wells
2. Upton Sinclair
3. Margaret Sanger
E. Modern-day Muckraking Projects

IX. The Great Depression and the New Deal
A. Causes of the Depression
B. Hoover's Response to the Depression
C. Franklin D. Roosevelt
D. The New Deal
E. Economic and Social Life During the 1930's

X. World War II, Civil Liberties, and Japanese Internment
A. Introduction to WW II
B. Homefront Ñ Japanese American Internment
C. War Strategies Ñ Dropping the Atomic Bomb
XI. Civil Rights Movement
A. Overview
B. Comparison of leadership and movements
1. Martin Luther King
2. Malcolm X

XII. Vietnam
A. Overview
B. My Lai Massacre and Trial of Lieutenant William Calley

METHODS:

A variety of teaching styles are used to help students understand the peoples and issues of different historical periods and to help them prepare for their roles. Lecture and discussion are employed, but the most crucial techniques in a class of this nature are group work and role playing. It is vital that the students learn to work well together while preparing for cases and activities, and they learn a great deal from acting out their roles and coming to their own conclusions independent of historical circumstance.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:

Students are expected to:

SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED:

At the end of the course a student should know or understand:

READING:

A wide range of primary and secondary sources are used to promote understanding and help prepare for activities.

OTHER MATERIALS:

Videotapes from the school's collection are used when appropriate. Field trips are taken to locations such as Salem. Trials are usually held in the Moot Courtroom.

SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS:

Assignments include:

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS:

Evaluation is based on performance on tests, the quality of essays, classroom participation, participation in trials and activities, and homework assignments.
IMMIGRANT / ETHNIC HISTORY IN THE UNITED STATES

111 Full year course Ñ 4 credits

Revised 2003 by Andrew Shen

FROM THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES:

This course will examine the histories, experiences, and perspectives of some of the minority and immigrant groups in the United States. At the heart of the course is a consideration of the various ways Native Americans, African-Americans, and Irish, Chinese, Japanese, Jewish, and Chicano immigrants have incorporated themselves into the American experience. The course will explore the history behind their arrival and interaction with other elements of American society, as well as social and political developments within the groups themselves. The course will cover material from the early 1800s to the mid-1900s. Each unit will also focus on a specific time period, event, or location which is seminal to the group under consideration; for example, the unit on African-Americans will focus on black migration to the North, the unit on Japanese-Americans will focus on internment during WWII, and the unit on Irish immigration will focus on Boston during the 1840s. The ultimate goal of the course is to see how the presence, actions, and experiences of different minority groups have shaped racial, economic, and social conditions throughout American history and continue to do so in the present. Students will be expected to read from a number of different sources including textbooks, magazine articles, works of fiction and non-fiction, and primary sources. In addition, students will be expected to write a research paper for the class as well as a number of shorter papers. Participation in class discussions and taking lecture notes are important aspects of the course. (2-4)

RATIONALE:

Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?
And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?

I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart.
I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek Ð
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.

O, let America be America again Ð
The land that never has been yet Ð
And yet must be Ð the land where every man is free.
The land that's mine Ð the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME Ð
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.
--Let America Be America Again, Langston Hughes

The design of this course introduces students to the important historical themes and issues related to the history of race and ethnicity in America. Specifically, it aims to serve as a complement to the required American survey courses offered in the history department, an opportunity for students to engage in sustained exploration of various ethnic and immigrant groups. This course assumes that students will appreciate the complexities of American society and history, and be aware of the diverse experiences and perspectives that exist regarding how the American "experience" is defined and constructed.

As stated in the course description, the ultimate goal of the course is to see how the presence, actions, and experiences of different minority groups (and the actions upon them) over time have shaped the overall racial, economic, and social conditions seen in American history and the present day. The different subjects and topics that are discussed and learned seek to offer and teach concrete historical experiences, conditions, and situations. Why did they come / move? What were their goals, experiences, and beliefs? How were they treated? On a more abstract level, students will be challenged to re-envision how we should be defining the American experience and American identity. In many ways, the goal of the course is to, as Maria Gillen writes, "illustrate how diversity and race have been the source of the nation's great discord and infinite promise".

Curriculum Outline:

I. Let America Be America Again: Introduction to Race and the American Dream
A. What is the American Dream?
B. Race and ethnicity as a social and political construction
C. Visions of America: Where Everyone's A Minority

II. Who's the Alien?: Native Americans and the Indian Removal
A. Native Americans: Not A Monolithic Group
B. Visions of Land and Property Ownership
C. The Age of Jefferson and Jackson
D. Treaty Trail and the Trail of Tears
E. Indian Schools and Education
F. Twentieth Century Native American Overview
G. Plains Culture and Art

III. The New Negro: Black Migration North and Development of the New Negro
A. Slavery, the South, and the US Economy
B. Failures of Reconstruction and the Culture of Lynching
C. Push and Pull Factors North and the Chicago Defender
D. Getting to the North
E. Life in the North and the development of Harlem
F. Jacob Lawrence and Great Migration Art
G. Popular representations of blacks: Minstrel Shows and the New Millennium
H. Harlem Renaissance and the New Negro (Alain Locke)

IV: Journey of Hope: Irish Immigration to the Industrial Northeast
A. The Great Irish Hunger
B. Getting to America
C. Neighborhoods and Settlement
D. Work, Labor, and Race: Digging a Ditch and the Molly Maguires
E. The Culture Factory: The Catholic Menace and Public Education
F. Racism and discrimination against the Irish and the making of "Whiteness"
G. Urban Political Machine: Irish Political Power and Second Generation Success
H. Moving out West: From Boston to Oklahoma
I. Continued Black-Irish Tensions: The Boston Busing Crisis of the 1970s

V. The Foreigner Within: Asian Americans on the Pacific Coast
A. Chinese Americans
1. The Chinese in Nineteenth Century America
2. Race, Labor, and Work: Not a Chinaman's Chance
3. Chinese Society and Neighborhoods in America
4. Racism and Discrimination, Chinese Exclusion Act
5. Urban Chinese: Development of Chinatowns
B. Japanese Americans
1. Early Immigration and Enterprise
2. The Nisei generation
3. Internment and American Citizenship
C. Popular Representations and Problems in and of Asian America: From Suzie Wong to Jackie Chan
1. The Model Minority and the Yellow Peril
2. Immigration Patterns: Wealth, Social Class, Education, and
Achievement
3. Still the Foreigner Within?

VI: Floating Borderlands: Mexican Americans and El Norte
A. The Borderland of Chicano America and the "Hispanic Umbrella"
B. Push and Pull Factors for Early Mexican Immigrants
C. Crossings and the Army of Chicano Labor
D. The Barrio and Struggle in the Fields
E. La Raza: The United People and Civil Rights
F. Educational Reform, Bilingualism, and Growing Up Hispanic (Latino Youth Literature)
G. California: Case Study for Political Empowerment
H. Unity and Diversity of Hispanics: Cubans, Puerto Ricans, and Regional Concerns
I. The Largest Minority: Popular Culture and the Hollywood Landscape
VII. The Promised Land: The Jews of New York at the turn of the Twentieth Century
A. Push Factors From Europe: War, Persecution, and Hope
B. Creating Communities: A Transplanted People
C. In the Sweatshops: An Army of Garment Workers
D. Political and Social Development in New York City
E. Yiddish Culture: The Press, Theatre, and Literature
F. Setbacks and Successes: The First Model Minority?
G. The Legacy and Stability of Anti-Semitism: The Perpetual Scapegoat
H. Ethnicity, Religion, and New York City Politics

VIII. The Changing Face: Biracial and Multiracial Identity in the Twenty- first Century
A. History of Interracial Relationships and Anti-Miscegenation Laws
B. History of Popular Representations of Biracialism: Jungle Fever?
C. Membership, Community, and the Census: Where Do I Belong?
D. Lessons for Race Relations: The American Dream Revisited

METHODS:

Class activities focus mostly on classroom discussions that are prompted by nightly homework reading and writing activities. Lecture and direct-teacher presentations are an important element of the class, which makes note-taking an important and crucial responsibility of the student. Documentary and popular films are used throughout the units to serve as both texts to be analyzed as products of popular culture, as well as sources of historical information and insight. Analysis of primary documents, such as cartoons, speeches, and letters occurs frequently.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:

Students are expected to:

Note: Course expectations and methods will be coordinated with the Individual Educational Plans of students who have them.

SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED:

The ability to:

TEXTBOOK:

In A Different Mirror, by Ronald Takaki

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS:

Students are given an extensive number of handouts: primary documents, poems, lyrics, newspaper articles, and a number of secondary history readings. Students are also exposed and expected to engage in other literary and visual texts in class, and for homework. Examples include:

SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS:

Assignment for Black Migration:

You are being asked to create a glimpse into the life of a black man or woman during the time of the black migration. There are eight stages or chapters that you will be asked to write regarding your individual's life, experience, and surroundings. The objective of this writing assignment is to have you present materials and ideas that we have discussed in class in the style of "historical fiction". While the actual character you create does not exist in real life, many of his/her experiences are historical realities.

Assignment for Irish Immigration and Urban Political Machines

The year is 1895. You are volunteering for the campaign to elect ______________________ as Mayor of Boston. He used to be the party boss in charge of your local neighborhood. He is running against a Yankee reformer, some wealthy native Protestant from the "rich" side of town. It is important that the campaign have posters that remind your neighborhood of who to vote for and why. Normally, if this were "real" life, you might phrase things differently and leave out some of the more illegal parts of city politics. But since this is "pretend," your task is to create a convincing, but also truthful campaign poster that outlines all of the reasons why people in your neighborhood should (and maybe HAVE TO) vote for ___________.

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS:

Assessment and grading of students is based on a combination of the following:

EUROPEAN HISTORY

Courses offered in this subdivision include:

Ninth Grade History Lab
Modern European History
Ancient Greece and Rome
Philosophy and History in Western Europe
Western Civilization Ñ the Arts and History
Dictators
NINTH GRADE HISTORY LAB

101 Full year course: four credits

Revised 2003 by Sandra Crawford and James A. Newton

FROM THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES

Open to: 9 only

This smaller class is designed for students who have had significant difficulty with the reading, writing, and conceptual skills demanded in history courses. Individualized instruction helps students to begin to master various history skills involving chronology, cause and effect, bias, geography, data, research, and film. Reading and writing skills will be the primary focus throughout the course. (4-5)

RATIONALE:

The purpose of this course is two-fold. First it is designed to help build the skills and confidence of students who are weak in these areas, and consequently need more constant individual support than others. For this reason the class size is kept small. Lessons and homework are designed so that they are appropriate to the level of the students. The emphasis in the course is on the development of basic skills as outlined below and in the skills development section of this book.
The second purpose of this course lies in its content. It covers the same general content as one of the other ninth grade courses, either Modern European History or Contemporary World Cultures, but at a level appropriate to the students in the lab class.

COURSE OUTLINE:

Depending on the background and expertise of the teacher, the course will follow the curriculum of either Modern European History (See page 95.) or Contemporary World Cultures (See page 126.).

METHODS:

Enrollment in this course is kept low to enable the teacher to give more individual help and support to students whose skills are weak. While a wide variety of methods are used in the course, discussion within the group of work in progress is most typical. Usually each class will employ a variety of methods. During a typical period a teacher might give a short quiz, conduct a discussion based on the homework, and have students work in small groups on new material. The methods employed in the course are tailored to student needs. Methods are also chosen to allow the teacher to give individual attention to students and to provide a variety of ways to learn the material.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:

Students are expected to do all assigned work, come to class promptly with the necessary materials, and to participate actively and positively in class. Students are expected to cooperate with each other and the teacher, to follow directions, and to learn to keep an organized record of the work done in the course.

Note: Course expectations and methods will be coordinated with the Individual Educational Plans of students who have them.

SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED:

At the beginning of the year the teacher will assess the skills of each student. This is not a formal process, but one that is necessary if the needs of individual students are to be met. Usually this course will begin with a thorough review of those basic skills covered in the ninth grade year as outlined in the skills development section of this book. As the year goes along, new skills or higher levels of expectations are introduced when appropriate. But as skills development must be recursive in order to reinforce development, recourse will be made many times to basic skills,(writing a tightly organized and convincing paragraph, for example.)
While politics is important in the course, it is not restricted to political history. The points of view of various groups are included, and social history plays an important role. Students will begin to try to understand and tolerate varying interpretations of events. They will also be expected to relate past events to current events.

TEXTBOOK:

Modern European History: Modern World History by Roger B. Beck et al.

or

World Cultures: World Cultures: A Global Mosaic by Iftikhan Ahmad et al

SUPPLEMENTARY READING:

Students will be expected to do reading from carefully selected and edited sources, both primary and secondary.

OTHER MATERIALS:

This course makes use of a wide variety of maps, charts, graphs, time lines, slides, and videotape. These materials are used both in class and for homework assignments. The materials vary widely in content, and are used in a wide variety of ways. For example, the videotape All Quiet on the Western Front might serve as the focus for an entire unit on World War I. A study of the Palace of Versailles might serve as a way to get to understand Louis XIV and the background of the French Revolution. Political cartoons, and all kinds of primary and secondary materials may be used. David's painting Napoleon Crossing the Alps might be used either in connection with the French Revolution or with romanticism. Diaries, letters, and first person accounts will be key components of every unit in the Contemporary World Cultures curriculum.

SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS:

A wide variety of assignments are given during the course of the year. Most of these are relatively short. Longer assignments are broken down into segments which are easier for students to handle. The focus of most assignments is on reading and writing. The emphasis in reading is on the understanding both of content and structure. In writing clarity of style and the logical use of facts to support a thesis are stressed. Often students will be asked to write essays in the computer lab, and given explicit instruction in the writing and revision process. For example, after discussion of the Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1851, students might be asked to write a paragraph explaining how the Crystal Palace is a good symbol of the Industrial Revolution. Or they might be asked to explain the difference between "revolution" and "evolution," and how those terms are related to industrialization. Other assignments allow students to use various media to produce cartoons, advertisements, maps, timeliness, and summarize statistical data. Students will be asked to complete structured research projects, on the geography of certain regions and peoples of Africa, for example, and to present their research to the class.

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS:

The evaluation of students is based on the following:

112 Full year course: four credits

Revised 2003 by David Grace, David Hosford, Lisa Olsson, and James White

FROM THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES:

Open to: 9 only

Focusing on Europe since 1600, this course presents a chronological survey of the following topics: the English Revolution, the French Revolution, Napoleon, Industrialism, Imperialism, World War I, the Russian Revolution, World War II, and the Cold War. Readings and other materials are selected from a variety of sources as a supplement to the textbook. Student work is designed to teach historical, social, and geographic content as well as to develop verbal and analytical skills. (1-4)

RATIONALE:

Modern European History introduces students to the great themes of modern history that have affected the entire world and to many of the skills required for work within the department. The last four hundred years of European history offer a series of variations on several underlying themes: revolution in all of its political, social, and economic dimensions; war, peace, and how diverse nations struggle to live peacefully with one another; European imperialism and its influence around the world; and the development of democratic ideals and institutions in the face of ideological movements such as autocracy, Marxism, fascism, and Nazism.
This survey course follows a chronological progression from the English revolutions of the seventeenth century into the post-World War II era. Along with historical content, the course also stresses an introduction to fundamental historical and social science concepts and a variety of skills appropriate to this age group. At all times the course will try to help students make sense of historic developments, and to see the connections between events and the effect historical events have on different people within a society. As much as possible, the individual, both great and small, is made real in this expanse of history.
Finally, the course assumes that students will increasingly become global citizens. An understanding and appreciation of Europe's more recent past will help them to deal with the future in creative, humane, and useful ways, having learned the lessons that Europe has taught and is still teaching us today.

COURSE OUTLINE:

I. The English Revolutions
A. Religion and Politics
B. Monarchy, Dictatorship, and Aristocracy
C. The Emergence of a Government of Laws, Not of Men

II. The French Revolution and Napoleon
A. The Enlightenment: Locke, Rousseau, and Voltaire
B. Social, Economic, and Political Background
C. Events of the Revolution
D. Rise and Fall of Napoleon
E. Peace Settlement at the Congress of Vienna

III. The Industrial Revolution and the Victorian Era
A. Forces Behind the Industrial Revolution
B. Working Conditions that Resulted
C. Transformation of the Working and Middle Classes
D. Capitalist, Socialist, and Marxist Theories
E. Political Struggles of 1830, 1848, and Working Class Struggles for Political Rights.

IV Nationalism/Imperialism
A. Nationalism
1. Unification of Italy and Germany
2. Role of Nationalism in Empires
a. Austria-Hungary
b. Russia
B. Imperialism
1. Motivations for Imperialism
2. Rationalization of Imperialism
3. Impact on Indigenous Populations

V. Background to WW I and the War Itself
A. Militarism and the Arms Race
B. Alliance Systems
C. Events Leading Up to the War
D. Various Dimensions of the War:
1. Strategy
2. Trench Warfare and Mechanized Warfare
3. War as Seen by the Foot Soldier
4. Poetic Reflections of the War
E. The Versailles Peace Settlement Plants the Seeds of WW II

VI. Russian Revolution: From Czarist to Soviet Rule
A. Various Forces Behind the Collapse of the Czarist System.
B. Revolution of 1905 and the 1917 Revolutions
C. Lenin and the Rise of the Soviet System
D. Rise of Stalin and Nature of his Policies

VII. Between the Wars
A. Rise of Fascism in Italy
B. Weimar Germany
C. Rise of Nazism
D. Spanish Civil War

VIII. WW II
A. Background to the Outbreak of WW II
B. Axis and Allied Strategies in Europe
C. The Holocaust
D. Nuremberg Trials: Issues of Responsibility

IX. The Cold War
A. Issues Raised by the Postwar Settlement
B. NATO/ Warsaw Pact
C. Soviet influence in Eastern Europe
1. East Germany
2. Hungary
3. Czechoslovakia
4. Poland
D. Collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe

X. Present Day Europe
A. Integration of Western & Eastern Europe
B. European Union
C. Shifting Roles / Alliances within Europe

METHODS:

Classes consist of a combination of lecture and discussion along with the use of focused learning activities such as role-plays, debates, peace negotiations, trials, etc. While the text World History: The Modern Era by Farah and Karls is used in all classes, teachers use a variety of supplementary materials and readings including: historical novels; and excerpts from primary, secondary, and current sources. A variety of video resources are used, including fictional portrayals of the past as well as documentary footage. Students will use the library and Internet for research projects. Work involves varied assignments: reading with focused questions, written project work, oral projects, longer reading assignments and essays, and a variety of quizzes and unit exams. An art festival, including student presentations of European art, poetry, music, drama, and architecture is held. A semester-long research paper may be an option in the spring semester.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:

To be successful students must:

Note: Course expectations and methods will be coordinated with the Independent Educational Plans of students who have them.

SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED:

Skills to be developed include the ability to:

TEXTBOOK:

Farah and Karls: World History: The Modern Era
SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS:

Historical novels such as:
E. M. Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front
A. Franke, Diary of Anne Franke
Voltaire, Candide
J. P. Walsh, Fireweed
C. Dickens, Hard Times
Great Expectations
Tale of Two Cities
E. Wiesel, Night
R. K. Massie, Nicholas and Alexandra
A. Solzhenitsyn, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

OTHER MATERIALS:

Teachers use Xeroxed handouts from a variety of sources to supplement the reading in the text. Various projects will involve the use of the library for research. Audio visual materials are used extensively, especially documentary footage from the twentieth century. Visitors from Europe occasionally speak with our students.

SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS:

1. Current Map of Europe: Students will complete a map of Europe showing knowledge of all major physical and political features, and will understand the various political terms used in making reference to different parts of Europe.

2. French Society Role Playing:
You will be given a role in French society during the late 1700's, just prior to the French Revolution. Your task is to write a two-page paper in which you describe in a creative vignette the following:
a. a day in your life.
b. your attitudes toward the king, the church, taxes, and the nobility.
c. changes you wish to be made in the French politics or society

Sources you should use:
textbook
library sources on French society in the eighteenth century
handouts on social classes

3. Sample Essays:

A. Write a persuasive essay to convince your fellow Englishmen to support either King Charles I or the Parliament in the English Civil War.

B. Did Napoleon betray the values of the revolution?

C. To what extent do you blame Czar Nicholas for the fall of the Romanov dynasty and the Russian revolution? Were there things he could have done, decisions he could have made, that would have prevented his overthrow in 1917, or was he a victim of much larger forces beyond his control?

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS:

This is based on a combination of:

114 Full year course: four credits

Revised 2002 by Donald Gould

FROM THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES:

A survey course covering Greece and Rome from 3,000 B.C.E. to 450
C. E. in which the military, political, social, literary, artistic, and scientific trends and events are examined. Readings are taken from both primary and secondary sources. This course is designed for students with good reading and writing skills. (1-3)

RATIONALE:

This course, which treats ancient Greece in the first semester and ancient Rome in the second, is basically a political survey course with important digressions into the cultures of both peoples. Consequently, students are able to learn much about the basic foundations of western civilization from early Greece until the fifth century after the birth of Jesus. This learning encompasses not only some of the major political and military exploits of that period, but also the beginnings of much of literature, science, philosophy, and art. Because this particular period of history is now clearly in descent nationally, students are afforded an opportunity which may not be available to them elsewhere.

COURSE OUTLINE:

This course is divided into two parts, one for each semester, with some chronological overlapping.

I. Ancient Greece
A. Early Civilizations through Homer
B. Ionian, Spartan, and Athenian Progress in the Sixth Century B.C.E.
C. The Persian Wars
D. Cultural History of the Fifth Century B.C.E.
1. Drama: Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes
2. Education
3. History: Herodotus and Thucydides
4. Science: Hippocrates
5. Art and Architecture
E. Greece at War: The Peloponnesian Conflict
F. The Macedonian Era
G. Philosophy: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle
H. The Hellenistic Era

II. Ancient Rome
A. Early Rome to 133 BCE
B. Cultural History
1. Drama: Plautus and Terence
2. Philosophy: Stoicism and Epicureanism
C. The Fall of the Republic
D. Cultural History
1. Poetry: Virgil, Horace, Ovid, and Catulus
2. History: Livy
3. Law
E. Religion in the Empire
1. Pagan Religions: Mithraism, and Gnosticism
2. Christianity: Jesus and Paul
F. The Empire
G. Decline and Fall

METHODS:

Classes are primarily lecture and recitation with discussions about important ideas. Students are expected to take a great many notes for a course which is rapidly paced. Several times each semester the class is broken down into prearranged groups to learn material in a cooperative way.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:

Students are expected to:

SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED:

the ability to:

TEXTBOOKS:

Edith Hamilton, The Greek Way
H.D.F. Kitto, The Greeks
Plutarch, The Rise and Fall of Athens
Mary Renault, The Last of the Wine
C.R. Robinson, Hellas
R.H. Barrow, The Romans
Robert Graves, I, Claudius
Edith Hamilton, The Roman Way
Chester Starr, The Emergence of Rome

SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS:

Selected readings are on reserve in the library, or are given to students in class. Most of these are primary sources.

OTHER MATERIALS:

Students view A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum on videotape. Slides are used in conjunction with the study of art and architecture.

SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS:

There is one map on Greece, one on Rome on which students are responsible for locating historical sites.
Each term students write two papers of three to five pages in length. Some of the topics will be "thought" topics, e.g., "Is man inherently good or evil?" Some of the topics will be based on textural reading, e.g., "How did Greek geography lead to the polis system?"
Each week the students will have one to two hours of stringent reading on which they will be quizzed.
Each semester the students will have a ten to fifteen page research paper to write.
Each semester the students will have a comparatively long novel on the era, which they are responsible for reading independently, and on which they will be examined.

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS:

Students will be evaluated almost exclusively on tests, which are administered approximately every three weeks; quizzes, which are administered weekly, and count one fifth of a test; papers, which are assigned every three weeks, and count as much as a test; and the research paper, which counts as much as three tests.
PHILOSOPHY & HISTORY IN WESTERN EUROPE

115 Full year course: four credits

Revised 2002 by Phillip James

FROM THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES:

This course is an introduction to the major philosophers of the west and their ideas, with an emphasis on ethics and political philosophy. Philosophical ideas will be presented in their historical contexts. The course will start with the beginnings of western philosophy in ancient Greece, and continue through the twentieth century. Students will examine moral and political ideas and see how they apply to the contemporary world and their own lives. Readings will be drawn from actual philosophical works and commentary on them. Some fictional sources will also be used. Students will be expected to participate actively in class discussions and activities, read materials closely, and write analytical essays. (1-3)

RATIONALE:

This course seeks to expose students to philosophy and show how it can be a valuable influence in their lives. By focusing on the development of ethical and political theory from ancient Greece through the twentieth century, students examine how moral and political philosophy have been influenced by the period in which particular views were developed and how thinkers have responded to their predecessors. Students also are encouraged to question and critique these thinkers to see if their views make sense and to determine how these views can help to make sense of the contemporary world.
Although other courses in both the history and English curricula touch upon aspects of philosophy, no other course attempts to systematically study philosophy in relative depth. Such study is valuable, not only because of the importance of the content, but because it also helps students to read critically, think clearly, and give them ways to approach questions of ethics and value. One of the most important questions one can ask is, "How should one live?" Hopefully this course can help each student answer that question for her / himself.

COURSE OUTLINE:

I. Introduction Ñ What is philosophy?
A. Different Conceptions of Philosophy
B. Does Philosophy Have Importance?
C. One Answer to the Question Posed
D. Preliminary Investigations into Ethics and Political Theory

II. Ancient Greece Ñ The Sophists, Socrates, and Plato
A. Pre-Socratic Philosophy and Periclean Athens
B. The Challenge of the Sophists
C. Life and Teachings of Socrates
D. Plato Ñ The Development of a Complete Philosophical System

III. Aristotle Ñ The Culmination of Classical Greek Thought
A. Aristotle's Ethics
B. Aristotle's Politics
C. Implications of Aristotle's Thought; Comparisons to Socrates and Plato

IV. The Enlightenment Ñ Science and Rationality
A. Historical Background to the Enlightenment
B. The Philosophy and Significance of Rene Descartes and Thomas Hobbes
C. John Locke Ñ Empiricism and the Second Treatise
D. David Hume Ñ Scottish Moralism
E. Immanuel Kant Ñ The Rational Response to Empiricism
F. Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the Social Contract

V. The Nineteenth Century Ñ British and Continental Styles
A. John Stuart Mill Ñ Varieties of Utilitarianism
B. Frederich Nietzsche Ñ Anti-moralist as Philosopher

VI. The Twentieth Century
A. Soren Kierkegaard and the Beginnings of Existentialism
B. Existentialism, Jean-Paul Sartre, Ethics, and Politics
C. A Final Reexamination

METHODS:

A variety of methods are used to help students explore philosophy and their own ideas about ethics. Lectures are used to convey some historical information. Lecture / discussion is used to examine the writings of particular philosophers. Group work helps students help each other to comprehend more difficult thinkers. Debates are used to explore rival theories.
Students are required to carefully read texts and take notes or write concise summaries of what they have read. The writing of analytical essays is emphasized as students critique the works they have read and develop their own ability to philosophize creatively.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:

Students are expected to:

Note: Course expectations and methods will be coordinated with the Individual Educational Plans of students who have them.

SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED:

Students should develop the ability to:

TEXTBOOKS:

The following are read in entirety or in part:

SUPPLEMENTARY READING:

Commentary on the preceding texts and secondary historical sources are copied and given to students periodically to help them better understand the primary texts.

OTHER MATERIALS:

Films are used where appropriate to illustrate certain philosophical views. An example is Woody Allen's Crimes and Misdemeanors.

SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS:

Assignments include reading a piece of philosophy and answering questions about the reading, writing a summary of a reading, and writing a more formal analytical essay. For example:

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS:

Grades are based upon student performance on homework, essays, tests,
and some aspects of in class participation.
WESTERN CIVILIZATION Ñ the ARTS and HISTORY

116 Full year course: four credits

Revised 2002 by James A. Newton

FROM THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES:

Western Civilization Ñ the Arts and History traces the evolution of the western world through a survey of the visual arts and music presented in their historical contexts. In addition, science, technology, and the evolution of ideas will be considered. The first semester starts with ancient Egypt and continues through the fourteenth century. The second semester covers the last six hundred years. This course seeks to develop a sense of the continuity of western civilization, and a heightened appreciation of the arts, both for themselves and as a mirror of history. The central text will be Kenneth Clark's Civilisation. Students will spend the majority of class time critically examining and discussing various works. They will be expected to read in various sources, write analytical essays, and work independently on projects.
By special arrangement students may prepare to take the Advanced Placement Examination in the History of Art. (1-3)

This course is designed as a companion to Western Civilization Ñ Literature (See English course description). We strongly recommend that the two courses be taken concurrently. Students who sign up for both courses will receive special priority in scheduling. Students who are scheduled for both courses should remain in both courses for the year. If a student wants to drop either course, he or she will have to drop the other if there is a wait list for the class. Students who have taken Western Civilization Ñ the Arts and History one year and wish to take Western Civilization Ñ Literature the following year, or vice versa, will also receive special priority in scheduling. (1-3)

RATIONALE:

Western Civilization Ñ the Arts and History seeks to do two things. First, as a survey course in the art of the west, it seeks to give the student a broad exposure to the ideas which have influenced the historical development of western art. At the same time the course also seeks to develop a set of criteria by which a work of art may be judged. So art is treated here for its own sake and as a mirror of the past.
The course seeks to introduce students to a broad span of history, which it is able to do successfully because of its focus on the visual arts. Beginning with the Egyptians, the course reaches into the beginning of the twentieth century. By focusing on the eternal present of works of art the course seeks to break down barriers which often suggest that what is old is irrelevant and that art is only for the rich. The course also seeks to develop a heightened visual acuity, to teach students to look at things from a multitude of new perspectives, to introduce them to the need to integrate the knowledge they have in all fields, and to look upon all the members of the class as both learners and teachers. The course is also designed to force the student to teach him / herself a significant amount of the material.
Above all the course seeks to develop a life long love affair, as the arts are an endless source of pleasure and stimulation, a source of both solace and provocation.
The primary goal, then, is to change the way students look at the world.

COURSE OUTLINE:

I. The Greek World
A. Egypt Ñ An Introductory Glimpse
B. Greek Building Ñ What is Architecture?
C. Greek Sculpture Ñ Philosophy Made Visible

II. The Romans and their Empire
A. Roman Adaptations and Inventions
B. Judaism and Christianity Ñ Another Thread

III. The Dark Ages
A. Byzantium Ñ Mosaic Images in the Fifth Dimension
B. Celtic Britain and Ireland Ñ Weaving in the Third Thread
C. The Carolingian Renaissance Ñ The First Rebirth

IV. The Middle Ages I
A. Romanesque Ñ The Power of Faith and of the Church
B. Gothic Ñ The Style of Inspired Aspiration

V. The Middle Ages II
A. The Art of the Courts Ñ Courtesy and Romance
B. Giotto Ñ The Grandfather of the Renaissance

VI. The Early Renaissance
A. Florence Ñ A New Style for an Old Man
B. The Flemings Ñ Late Gothic or Early Renaissance?

VII. The Later Renaissance and Reformation
A. Leonardo
B. Michelangelo
C. Raphael
D. Titian
E. Grunewald, Durer, and Brueghel

VIII. The Baroque
A. The Creation of the Baroque
1. Bernini and Rubens
2. Caravaggio the Rebel
B. Dutch Painting
1. The "Little Masters"
2. Rembrandt
3. Vermeer
C. Architecture: Christopher Wren

IX. The Eighteenth Century: Sense and Sensibility
A. The Evolution of Rococo: The Fancy of Delight
B. Watteau
C. Thomas Jefferson and the Classical Revival
D. Bach, Handel, Haydn, and Mozart

X. The Romantic Movement
A. Gardens and Ruins
B. Constable, Turner, and Beethoven
C. Monet
D. Van Gogh and Gaugin
E. David and Revolutionary Painting
F. Moussorgsky and Wagner
G. Rodin

XI. The Last Eighty Years
A. Frank Lloyd Wright and Twentieth Century Architecture
B. Picasso
C. Georgia O'Keeffe
D. The Artist and the Modern City
E. The Artist as Social Critic
F. War Requiem by Benjamin Britten

METHODS:

Classes consist primarily of discussion of works of art projected simultaneously onto two screens. While the teacher provides background information, the approach is Socratic, and students are trained to listen to each other as the group arrives at conclusions. There are classes in which the approach is more of a lecture, but these are kept to a minimum. On occasion students are asked to write their individual thoughts into their notes as a journal entry, though these usually become the basis for a discussion.
The course requires a great variety of note taking. Most assignments in the course are analytical essays. The emphasis here is on producing a carefully considered and well crafted piece of writing, not on research, though students will do one research paper in the spring.
Individual conferences with students are an integral part of the course. Some conferences may be small group conferences.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:

Students are expected to:

Note: Course expectations and methods will be coordinated with the Individual Educational Plans of students who have them.

SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED:

Students should develop the ability to:

Kenneth Clark, Civilisation
Ernst Gombrich, The Story of Art
H. W. Janson, History of Art
Otis C. Mitchell, A Concise History of Western Civilization
James A. Newton, ed., Readings for Western Civilization
F. Roy Willis, Western Civilization: An Urban Perspective

SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS:

The course has little supplementary reading, as most of what used to be given to students as Xeroxed sheets is now in the book of readings edited by the instructor. New readings will be given separately as they appear. Posters of various works of art are hung in the classroom, and cartoons based on works of art are displayed as well.

OTHER MATERIALS:

During the year students study some 1,000 images drawn from the instructor's slide collection. These are supplemented with some videotape and material on laser discs. In the latter part of the course, CDs are used for music. Architectural diagrams of various kinds are also used in the course. Other materials are available on reserve in the school library or are available through the Communications Department, from the instructor, or on the world wide web. During the year field trips are arranged to locations such as the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the Cloisters in New York City.

SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS:

Map assignments: There are four of these early in the course; a basic knowledge of European geography is assumed.

Comparative essays: Over the course of the year students will write about fourteen of these. Two or more works or art are selected, sometimes by the instructor, sometimes by the student. Each essay consists of a comparative analysis of the two works and a discussion of their historical contexts. Every test in the course includes such an essay. Samples of such comparisons are:
The Pantheon and Hagia Sophia
Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Raphael's Galatea

Projects: These are given two or three times a year, and they vary in nature, format, and length. Sometimes the subject is set by the instructor. At other times students are offered a choice of topic and format, though every project must have a written component. Samples are:
an extensive analysis of Jefferson's Monticello
Picasso's Three Musicians

Every student will complete an illumination and a perspective drawing.

Note: Other examples of student work done in the course can be found in the text Readings for Western Civilization.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT:

The College Board offers an Advanced Placement examination in the History of Art. For both philosophical and pedagogical reasons the instructor believes that Western Civilization Ñ the Arts & History should not be a course driven by that examination. In order to offer the additional information and training necessary for the Advanced Placement examination, students may choose to undertake additional reading. They will meet as a group for thirty minutes a week with the instructor to cover those topics not treated in the course and to practice examination questions. Students must begin these sessions in September in order to be ready for the examination in May. As this is an extra commitment which carries no credit, students who find they are over committed are free to drop the extra Advanced Placement sessions at any time. Students taking the Advanced Placement exam will be excused from taking the final exam in June.

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS:

This is based on:

117 Full year course: four credits

Revised 2002 by David Hosford

FROM THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES:

The history of the world in the twentieth century is marked by the rise of dictators who were able to gather a great deal of power and use it ruthlessly for their own ends. Under these dictators, more than one hundred million people lost their lives as these dictators tried to establish total control over their people. Dictators will focus on Hitler's rule in Nazi Germany, Stalin's rule in the Soviet Union, and Pol Pot's role in Cambodia.
We will analyze how these men came to power, what their totalitarian governments looked like, and what the tragic results were. Throughout the course, we will also look at current events in order to understand what dictatorships look like today. Ultimately this course is designed not just to teach the content of the periods and places studied, but is meant to help students identify and oppose oppression both locally and globally.
Students are expected to read from a number of different sources Ñ textbooks, magazine articles, books of fiction and non-fiction, and primary sources. In addition, students will be expected to write a research paper as well as a number of shorter papers. Students will also have the opportunity to do original research with survivors of the Stalinist purges. (2-4)

RATIONALE:

The goal of this class is to explore what it is about humans that allows us to commit such atrocities against each other. Using Pol Pot, Hitler, Stalin, and genocide as our focal points, we will ask the following questions: Are these events specific to certain people and times, or are these events still happening today? What are the main techniques used by dictators to control the people? Who were the dissenters under each dictator, and why were they able to see and act upon the truth while so many others were seemingly powerless to act? By looking at different forms of oppression, students will hopefully be able to identify and oppose injustice both globally and locally.

COURSE OUTLINE:

I. Introduction to Dictators
What is a Dictator?
Brief Look at Dictators throughout History

II. Pol Pot
A. Pre- Twentieth Century Historical Background
1.Colonial Control
a) Siam
b) France
B. Independence
C. US Involvement in Cambodia
D. The Rise of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge
E. Pol Pot in Power
1. Political Goals of the Angkar Government
2. Deportation and Segregation of the Population
3. Denunciation and Arrest
4. Daily Life under the Khmer Rouge
5. Purges and Massacres
6. The Killing Fields
7. Dissenters
F. The Fall of Pol Pot

III. Hitler
A. The Rise of Hitler
1. The Treaty of Versailles
2. Global Depression
3. Eugenics
4. Propaganda
5. Education
6. Elimination of the Rights of Jews
7. Appeasement
B. The Holocaust
1. Final Solution
2. The Camps
3. The Victims
4. The Dissenters
5. The Rescuers

IV. Stalin
Marxism, Leninism, Stalinism
Russian Revolution
Stalin's Rise to Power
Industrialization / Collectivization
Cult of Personality
The Party
Everyday Stalinism
Propaganda
The Gulags
Dissenters

V. Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity
Nuremburg trials
Crimes against Humanity
Afghanistan--Taliban and Women
Chile--Pinochet
Genocide
Armenia-- by the Turks
Yugoslavia-- Bosnians and Kosovars
Guatemala-- Mayan Indians

METHODS:

This course uses a variety of different teaching strategies. A great deal of information is given to the students using a discussion or Socratic format. Often times the students will be asked to engage in cooperative learning where they consider various issues in smaller groups. There are also a number of simulations where the students are asked to perform certain tasks either in the classroom or outside the school in order to better understand a certain concept. An attempt is made to utilize a number of different media Ñ CD Roms, video, audio cassettes, computers, guest speakers Ñ for each class. Within each unit there is at least one group project where the students explore a cooperative format.
The assignments in the course vary. The majority of the time, students take notes on readings about which there is usually a quiz. The students are also asked to write opinion papers on ethical questions raised throughout the year. Students write one analytical essay per unit, and write a research paper in the second semester. In addition, there is usually one project in each unit that requires the students to write.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:

Students are expected to:
Read and analyze both primary and secondary sources in a thoughtful manner
Participate in class discussions
Take notes from teacher and readings
Respect the voice of other students within the class
Demonstrate their knowledge in written essays and tests
Write a research paper

Note: Course expectations and methods will be coordinated with the Individual Education Plans of students who have them.

SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED:

Students should develop the ability to:
Analyze the validity of sources and identify potential biases
Participate in class in an appropriate and respectful manner by both speaking and listening
Synthesize information and draw conclusions
Work constructively in a group setting
Use the library as a research tool
Write an analytical essay where hypotheses and arguments are supported by facts
Identify oppression in their personal lives and develop skills to oppose it

TEXTBOOKS:

Loung Ung, First the Killed my Father
Dith Pran, Children of Cambodia's Killing Fields
Facing History Foundation, Facing History and Ourselves: Holocaust and Human Behavior
Slavomir Rawicz, The Long Walk

SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS:

A majority of the readings come from primary and secondary sources which
are copied for the students. These include readings from newspapers, magazines, Internet sites, additional texts, and primary source books

OTHER MATERIALS:

Other materials include:
CD- ROMs

Audio:
Voices of the Shoah
Mass Culture in Soviet Russia

Video
Schindler's List
The Killing Fields
Eye of the Storm
Stanley Milgram's Obedience
The Thief
Burnt by the Sun
Interviews of Stalinist survivors conducted by LS students in Siberia, summer 2001

Speakers
Survivors of the Holocaust, Pol Pot's regime, the Soviet Purges, and genocide are invited throughout the year to speak with the students

SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS:

Personal Histories under Pol Pot
Each of you will read a story and fill in a worksheet about an account of life under Pol Pot. You will then break up into four groups and share your story with everyone else in the group. Once you have heard all of the stories, you will write a journal entry explaining what general themes you found in everyday life in Cambodia.

Genocide on Trial
We have just finished looking at the Nuremberg Trials which put Nazi war criminals on trial. You will now have a chance to put the actors of a genocide in the twentieth century on trial. Choose from one of the following genocides: Hereros, Armenia, Indonesia, Guatemala, Burundi, or Rwanda. Based on the four counts used in the Nuremberg Trials, you should accuse the main players in these genocides of eight crimes.

Command Economy under Stalin
Overview:
Comrades, you are now all proud members of the proletarian class within the USSR. The revolution is about ten years behind you, and although there have been some rough spots, you are all ready to help your country catch up with the rest of the world. It is your job to unite together and fulfill your duty that was outlined for you by the great and knowledgeable Comrade Lenin.

Your Role:
Each one of you will be assigned to work as a team in a city around the USSR. You will be responsible for helping your team build a military object which is much needed by your army. What you should build and how many you need to build will be determined by Moscow.

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS:

Evaluation of the students is based on homework, quizzes, projects, analytical essays, research papers, tests, and classroom participation.

AREA STUDIES

Area Studies includes the following courses:

Ninth Grade History Lab
Contemporary World Cultures
World Crises in Historical Perspective
Asian Studies: Tradition and Change in Contemporary Asia
A History of Africa and Its People

NINTH GRADE HISTORY LAB

101 Full year course: four credits

Revised 2003 by Sandra Crawford and James A. Newton

FROM THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES

Open to: 9 only

This smaller class is designed for students who have had significant difficulty with the reading, writing, and conceptual skills demanded in history courses. Individualized instruction helps students to begin to master various history skills involving chronology, cause and effect, bias, geography, data, research, and film. Reading and writing skills will be the primary focus throughout the course. (4-5)

RATIONALE:

The purpose of this course is two-fold. First it is designed to help build the skills and confidence of students who are weak in these areas, and consequently need more constant individual support than others. For this reason the class size is kept small. Lessons and homework are designed so that they are appropriate to the level of the students. The emphasis in the course is on the development of basic skills as outlined below and in the skills development section of this book.
The second purpose of this course lies in its content. It covers the same general content as one of the other ninth grade courses, either Modern European History or Contemporary World Cultures, but at a level appropriate to the students in the lab class.

COURSE OUTLINE:

Depending on the background and expertise of the teacher, the course will follow the curriculum of either Modern European History (See page 95.) or Contemporary World Cultures (See page 126.).

METHODS:

Enrollment in this course is kept low to enable the teacher to give more individual help and support to students whose skills are weak. While a wide variety of methods are used in the course, discussion within the group of work in progress is most typical. Usually each class will employ a variety of methods. During a typical period a teacher might give a short quiz, conduct a discussion based on the homework, and have students work in small groups on new material. The methods employed in the course are tailored to student needs. Methods are also chosen to allow the teacher to give individual attention to students and to provide a variety of ways to learn the material.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:

Students are expected to do all assigned work, come to class promptly with the necessary materials, and to participate actively and positively in class. Students are expected to cooperate with each other and the teacher, to follow directions, and to learn to keep an organized record of the work done in the course.

Note: Course expectations and methods will be coordinated with the Individual Educational Plans of students who have them.

SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED:

At the beginning of the year the teacher will assess the skills of each student. This is not a formal process, but one that is necessary if the needs of individual students are to be met. Usually this course will begin with a thorough review of those basic skills covered in the ninth grade year as outlined in the skills development section of this book. As the year goes along, new skills or higher levels of expectations are introduced when appropriate. But as skills development must be recursive in order to reinforce development, recourse will be made many times to basic skills,(writing a tightly organized and convincing paragraph, for example.)
While politics is important in the course, it is not restricted to political history. The points of view of various groups are included, and social history plays an important role. Students will begin to try to understand and tolerate varying interpretations of events. They will also be expected to relate past events to current events.

TEXTBOOK:

Modern European History: Modern World History by Roger B. Beck et al.

or

World Cultures: World Cultures: A Global Mosaic by Iftikhan Ahmad et al

SUPPLEMENTARY READING:

Students will be expected to do reading from carefully selected and edited sources, both primary and secondary.

OTHER MATERIALS:

This course makes use of a wide variety of maps, charts, graphs, time lines, slides, and videotape. These materials are used both in class and for homework assignments. The materials vary widely in content, and are used in a wide variety of ways. For example, the videotape All Quiet on the Western Front might serve as the focus for an entire unit on World War I. A study of the Palace of Versailles might serve as a way to get to understand Louis XIV and the background of the French Revolution. Political cartoons, and all kinds of primary and secondary materials may be used. David's painting Napoleon Crossing the Alps might be used either in connection with the French Revolution or with romanticism. Diaries, letters, and first person accounts will be key components of every unit in the Contemporary World Cultures curriculum.

SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS:

A wide variety of assignments are given during the course of the year. Most of these are relatively short. Longer assignments are broken down into segments which are easier for students to handle. The focus of most assignments is on reading and writing. The emphasis in reading is on the understanding both of content and structure. In writing clarity of style and the logical use of facts to support a thesis are stressed. Often students will be asked to write essays in the computer lab, and given explicit instruction in the writing and revision process. For example, after discussion of the Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1851, students might be asked to write a paragraph explaining how the Crystal Palace is a good symbol of the Industrial Revolution. Or they might be asked to explain the difference between "revolution" and "evolution," and how those terms are related to industrialization. Other assignments allow students to use various media to produce cartoons, advertisements, maps, timeliness, and summarize statistical data. Students will be asked to complete structured research projects, on the geography of certain regions and peoples of Africa, for example, and to present their research to the class.

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS:

The evaluation of students is based on the following:

120 Full year course: four credits

Revised 2003 by Andrew Shen

FROM THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES:

Open to: 9 only

This course is a comprehensive examination of three or four countries or regions, such as China, Africa, the Middle East, India, Japan, and Latin America. Each unit includes an overview of geography, a survey of social and religious traditions, and an in-depth study of history and politics. Reading materials are selected from a diversity of sources including books, magazines, newspapers, and works of fiction. Assignments are designed to improve writing and analytical skills. (1-4)

RATIONALE:

Students in Contemporary World Cultures study non-Western cultures and how modernization and the West have affected those cultures. By focusing on a few cultures in some depth, the course aims to help students not only understand why differences among peoples and cultures occurred, but also to come to value and appreciate some of those differences. Since all cultures are shaped by their environment, the physical, economic, and political geography of each country or region is studied as a starting point for further understanding of the culture. Traditional patterns of culture are then studied focusing on the primary religious traditions which inform the culture's values. Through studying the history and political developments of these cultures, universal issues and problems that face the entire world can be looked at through the lens of another culture's experience Ñ issues such as race, food production, revolution, urbanization, and religious conflict.

The course also allows for the development of a variety of skills necessary for the study of history and the social sciences, and introduces a variety of concepts useful in later history courses. Students learn how to gather historical evidence from both primary and secondary sources and how to write an expository essay. Finally, the course offers a varied approach to learning including lecture, discussion, group work, class presentations, field trips, and, occasionally, an outside speaker or cultural presentation.

COURSE OUTLINE:

I. China
A. Early Chinese Civilization and Culture
1. Mandate of Heaven, Religion, Philosophy
2. Filial Piety, Feudalism and the Period of Warring States
B. Chinese Culture and Society
1. Healing Arts and Medicine; Art, Poetry, and Food
2. Treatment of Women; Family Structure
C. Interaction with Foreigners and End of the Dynastic System
1. Ming and Qing Dynasty: Policy of Isolation
2. Opium War and Imperialism by the West
3. Self-Strengthening and the 100 Days Reform
4. Sun Yixian and the Republic of China
5. Civil War and Japanese Occupation
D. The Communist Revolution to Today
1. Mao's Reforms: Communes, the Great Leap Forward, and Cultural Revolution
2. Deng Xiaoping and Moderate Reforms
3. Tiananmen Square and Most Favored Nation Debate
4. AIDS, Tibet, Falun Gong, and the One Baby Policy

II. The Middle East
A. Early Civilization and Religion
1. Fertile Crescent and Early Developments
2. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
3. Development of Muslim Culture
B. Western Imperialism in the Middle East
1. The White Man's Burden
2. Beginning Conflicts with the West
C. Middle East in the Twentieth Century
1. WWI and the Sykes-Picot Agreement
2. Development of Turkey and Iran
D. The Arab-Israeli Conflict- Historical Perspective and Current Problems
1. Creation of Israel
2. Israel and Arabs 1940s to 1980s
3. Intifada
4. Oslo Peace Accords
5. Discussions of Peace: Land, Religion, and Ownership
6. Peace Conference Simulation
E. Modern Middle East Issues
1. Iraq
2. The West and the Middle East: 9-11 and Beyond
3. Water, Oil, and the Gender Apartheid

III. Africa
A. Early African Civilizations
1. Ghana, Mali, and Songhay
2. Cultural and Economic Development: Dumb Barter and African Fables
B. African Slave Trade
1. Atlantic Slave Trade and Impact on Africa
2. Slavery in Africa and Abroad
C. European Colonialism of Africa
1. Berlin Conference and the Partition of Africa
2. The Dual Mandate and European Control of Africa
D. African Independence Movement
1. Ghana, Kenya, and the Mau Mau Rebellion
E. South Africa: Apartheid to Mandela
1. Development of the Afrikaner Nation
2. Origins, Goals, and Principles of Apartheid
3. Black Resistance and Consciousness: Mandela to Biko, and Back
4. Change and Resistance to Change
F. Current African Issues
1. AIDS in Africa
2. Buying Slaves: Sudanese Civil War
3. Third World Debt and the Modern World

METHODS:

Classes consist of a combination of lecture and discussion along with group exercises, projects, student presentations, and library research exercises. Audio visual resources, including documentaries and narrative films, are used to supplement readings. Outside speakers present their experiences of living in a culture. The students also investigate the culture on field trips. Students are expected to familiarize themselves with current issues facing the culture by reading current periodicals, newspapers, and watching television programs and specials. Class work involves a variety of short homework assignments, short analytical essays, longer reading, research assignments, class presentations, quizzes, and tests.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:

To be successful a student must:

Note: Course expectations and methods will be coordinated with the Individual Education Plans of students who have them.

SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED:

These include the ability to:

TEXTBOOKS

The primary textbook for this class is a Course Book designed specifically for Contemporary World Cultures. The materials in the course book range from readings from other published textbooks, works of fiction, secondary sources, magazine articles, and internet resources.

SUPPLEMENTARY READING:

Supplementary reading includes The Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tan and The 50 Year War: The Arab-Israeli Conflict

Students are also given Xeroxed selections of primary documents, such as speeches, editorials and newspaper articles, and letters. Examples include:

OTHER MATERIALS:

Other materials, including art and music are part of the course. Films used may include The Last Emperor, Cry Freedom, The Joy Luck Club, and Amistad.
SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS:

Expository Essays: Students write a number of expository essays throughout the year in which they make an argument about a cultural or historical development and support it with both primary and secondary source material:
Examples

Small Projects: Students conduct a few small research projects that serve to compliment the material and topics discussed directly in class. The purpose of these projects are to allow students to explore a variety of topics that interest them such as culture, politics, and art.
Examples

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS:

Assessment and grading of students is based on a combination of the following:

132 Full year course: four credits

Revised 2003 by Sandy Crawford and David Grace

FROM THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES:

This course is designed to introduce students to several current but long-standing international political controversies. The historical basis of these controversies will be examined from many different points of view. Through research, debate, and rigorous analysis, students will be expected to form their own informed conclusions about the topics studied. The course demands that students stay abreast of world news, and much emphasis is placed on introducing students to various sources of information about world affairs.

RATIONALE:

This course is designed to introduce students to several current but long-standing international political controversies. The historical basis of these controversies will be examined from many different points of view. Through research, debate, and rigorous analysis, students will be expected to form their own informed conclusions about the topics studied. The course demands that students stay abreast of world news, and much emphasis is placed on introducing students to various sources of information about world affairs.

COURSE OUTLINE:

Note: The content of the course varies from year to year, depending on world events. Past units have included:

I. The US War on Terrorism
A. Defining Terrorism
B. Islam, Islamism and Radical Islamism
C. Al Qaeda and 9/11
D. US and Saudi Relations
E. Domestic War on Terror

II. War in Afghanistan
A. Afghan History
B. Cold War Impacts on Afghanistan
C. Civil War
D. Taliban Policy
E. The Taliban, Al Qaeda Connection
F. International Support for the Taliban: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia
G. US War in Afghanistan
H. Nation-Building in Afghanistan

III. War in Iraq
A. Iraq History
B. Cold War Impacts on Iraq and Rise of Saddam Hussein
C. Iran/Iraq War and US Policy: Iraqgate
D. The First Gulf War
E. The Sanctions/Inspections Era
F. International Debate over Iraq and WMD
G. USA / Britain Intervention in Iraq
H. Nation-Building in Iraq

IV. War on Drugs
A. The Spanish Colonial System in Latin America
B. Colombian Social and Political Patterns before 1975
C. The Rise and Fall of the Medellin and Cali Cartels
D. US Drug Policy: Nixon through G.W. Bush
E. Guerillas, Paramilitaries and the Cocaine Connection
F. Weighing Escalating US Intervention: Plan Colombia

V. Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
A. Historical Survey of Israel / Palestine before 1890
B. The Evolution of Zionism and the Formation of the Israeli State
C. The Struggle for Israel / Palestine 1949 - Present
D. Present Day Israeli and Palestinian Societies
E. The Role of the Arab World / International Community in the Conflict
F. The Collapse of Oslo
G. The Second Intifada
H. US Role in the Conflict
I. Future Prospects for Peace?

VI. Globalization, Internationalization, and the New World Order
A. International Economical Institutions and their Impacts on Domestic Economies
B. International Political Institutions and their Role in International Affairs
C. US National Interests and the Role of the World Community

METHODS:

Class format varies according to the instructor and topic. Films, documentary videos, and current nonfiction histories, as well as excerpts from magazines, newspapers, and on-line sources, all are used as sources of information. Classes are discussion oriented, and debates, both formal and informal, are frequent. There is a heavy reading load. Students write analytical essays on a regular basis, and also complete a research paper. Keeping up with current events is an integral part of the course.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:

Students are expected to:

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT:

The course will strengthen students ability to:

Ahmed Rashid, Taliban
Mark Bowden, Killing Pablo

SUPPLEMENTARY READING:

The bulk of the reading for the course is from articles in the current press.

OTHER MATERIALS:

Videos are a frequent addition to the course.
SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS:

Frequently part of the class will be assigned to write an essay, while other members of the class will debate the topic in class. Past topics for debate/essays have included:
"What is terrorism? Is it different from crime or war?"
"Is the USA on the right course to achieve its goals in Afghanistan"
"Is a war with Iraq in the best interest of the United States at this time?"

EVALUATION OF STUDENTS:

Grades are based on student performance on homework, papers, and tests, as well as on class participation and staying abreast of current events.

ASIAN STUDIES: TRADITION AND CHANGE IN ASIA

135 Full year course: four credits

Revised 2002 by Sandy Crawford

FROM THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES:

This course will focus on the life-styles, traditions, and beliefs of some of Asia's peoples. Special attention will be paid to the areas of India, China, and Japan. Students will be asked to do long-term research on other Asian nations of their choosing. Course materials will be drawn from diverse sources including texts, novels, diaries, art, music, ritual, and film. Central to the course will be questions concerning the relationships between tradition and change in Asia. What are some of the most significant Asian traditions? How are they changing? What are their impacts on modern Asia?
By special arrangement students may prepare to take the Advanced Placement examination in Comparative Government and Politics. (1-3)

RATIONALE:

The course provides an in-depth introduction to the major philosophies and social patterns of Asia. Traditional patterns of life in several Asian countries will be closely examined through art, literature, autobiography, and the works of Asian scholars, as well as through the work of western experts on Asia. Students will become acquainted not only with the sweep of Asian history and philosophy, but also with the major thinkers, historians, and philosophers whose works are the backbone of Asian Studies.
The primary goal of the course is to make students aware of the role that culture plays in shaping an individual's conception of self and of the world. Students will be expected to gain a deep understanding of the cultural viewpoints of peoples from different parts of Asia, and the historical factors which shaped these views. Students will be encouraged to use their understanding to analyze the challenges facing various Asian nations today. Finally, students should leave the course with an understanding not only of Asian cultures and history, but also with insights into their own culturally determined ideas and attitudes. Students will also be asked to consider questions concerning U.S. foreign and economic policy toward Asia
COURSE OUTLINE:

I. Traditional Indian Society
A. Hinduism
B. Buddhism
C. Islam
D. Sikhism
E. Indian History from the Aryan Invasion until 1600

II. India and the West
A. Western Imperialism and the British Empire
B. The Indian Response: Gandhi and Independence
C. Partition: India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh

III. India Today
A. Economics in India
B. Ethnic and Religious Divisions: Punjab, Kashmir, Sri Lanka, Hindu / Muslim Relations
C. Government: The World's Most Populous Democracy?
D. Social Change: Caste, Subcaste, and Family Patterns

IV. Traditional Chinese Society
A. Confucianism: The Quest for a Rational Harmonious Order
B. Daoism and Folk Religion
C. Chinese Buddhism
D. Arts, Architecture, and Science
E. Patterns of Life
F: Chinese History: From the Zhou to the Qing Dynasties

V. China in Upheaval
A. Western Imperialism
B. Chinese Responses: Reaction, Reform, and Disintegration
C. The Civil War and the Quest for a New Order

VI. The People's Republic
A. Maoism
B. Struggle Between Two Lines: Mass Movements and PRC Policies
C. China since 1978
D. The Issue of Tibet

VII. Traditional Japanese Society
A. Shinto
B. Chinese Impact: Confucianism, Buddhism, and "Chinese" Social Order
C. Feudalism: Bushido, Shoguns, and Samurai
D. Arts and Architecture
E. Patterns of Life
F. History of Japan: Prehistory through the Tokugawa Era

VIII. Japan Meets the Western World: 1853-1945
A. Western Imperialism
B. Japanese Response: Imitating the Barbarians
C. Japanese Imperialism and WW II

IX. Japan Today
A. Japanese Economy, Education, and the Patterns of Modern Life
B. The U.S. and Japan: Who Should Learn What from Whom?

METHODS:

The course employs a broad range of teaching and learning methods. Students write poetry and response papers, as well as essays and a research paper. Classes involve lectures, discussions, or even, on occasion, silent meditation. Films, slides, speakers, and field trips are integral parts of the course. The reading load is fairly heavy, and includes sacred texts, short stories, autobiography, and journalistic accounts, as well as excerpts from history textbooks. In addition to the materials covered in class, students also adopt an Asian country of their own choosing, and do guided independent research on it.
Speakers have included tai chi masters, acupuncturists, and Chinese democracy activists, as well as exchange students and local residents who are from the countries studied.
Field trips may include visits to the Japanese house in the Children's' Museum, the Asian art collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Buddhist centers, mosques, Chinatown, tea studios, martial arts centers, and restaurants.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:

Students will be expected to:

Note: Course expectations and methods will be coordinated with the Individual Educational Plans of students who have them.
SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED:

Students will be helped to:

TEXTBOOKS:

The Mahabharata
The Bhagavad-Gita
Jonah Blank, The Arrow of the Blue-Skinned God
Jonathan Spence, The Death of Woman Wang
Liang Heng, Son of the Revolution
Irving et. al., The Qur'an: Basic Teachings
Patricia Ebrey, Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook

SUPPLEMENTARY READING:

Excerpts from many other books and periodicals have been copied and bound. These texts contain most of the reading for the course.

OTHER MATERIALS:

Films are frequently used in the course. They include educational films as well as films from the U.S. and Asia. Examples include:

Emerging Nations Series from The Wall Street Journal
Moving the Mountain
The Last Emperor
Ran
Gandhi

SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS:

Response papers are intended to stimulate students' thoughts about what they have read or experienced in class. Usually writing a response paper is a prelude to class discussion. The general subject of a response paper and its due date are always assigned by the teacher. However, the approach taken in the response paper towards the material is up to the individual student. For example:
Read the excerpts from The Analects. Write a response paper on one of the following topics, or choose your own way to address the material you read.

"Mao set out to remake Chinese culture. Did he succeed in this endeavor, or did he only succeed in wrapping up the old culture in a set of new red clothes?"

"Compare Japan's response to nineteenth century western imperialism to that of China. What are the differences and the similarities in these responses? What historical and cultural factors might account for them?"

Advanced Placement:

The College Board offers an Advanced Placement examination in the Comparative Government and Politics. For both philosophical and pedagogical reasons the instructor believes that Asian Studies should not be a course driven by that examination. In order to offer the additional information and training necessary for the Advanced Placement examination, students may choose to undertake additional reading. They will meet as a group weekly with the instructor to cover those topics not treated in the course and to practice examination questions. Students must begin these sessions in September in order to be ready for the examination in May. As this is an extra commitment which carries no credit, students who find they are over committed are free to drop the extra Advanced Placement sessions at any time.

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS:

Student performance is based on homework, responses papers, quizzes, papers, and tests as well as class participation. Extra credit is given for keeping up with current events in Asia.
A HISTORY OF AFRICA AND ITS PEOPLE

136 Full year course: four credits

Revised 2002 by Caroline K. Han

FROM THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES:

This course provides an opportunity to learn about Africa. Students will connect Africa's present with its past; learn about its peoples' interaction with other parts of the world and the historical impact of this contact; and finally, study the trans-Atlantic slave trade, colonialism, World Wars I and II, nationalism, and Africa today through the diverse voices of its people. Daily discussion of current events will draw upon our ongoing studies.
The first semester focuses on West Africa, beginning with ancient kingdoms and progresses chronologically, concluding with a case study of modern Nigeria. With key concepts and historical terms in place, in the second semester, students will be prepared to study countries such as Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Africa. Primary and secondary sources, novels by African writers, and African films will be used. Students will be expected to read closely, write analytical essays and a research paper, and participate actively in class. (1-3)

RATIONALE:

This course introduces students to sub-Saharan Africa. Students will examine the political, cultural, and economic interactions between Africa and other parts of the world throughout history and recognize Africa's contributions to the development of world civilization.
Students will develop an understanding of African societies along with a methodology for examining them. For example, how does oral tradition serve as a valuable historical source? Because the history of Africa has largely been written about and defined by outsiders, how does one go about gaining a more authentic understanding of the continent's history and people?
The course focuses on particular countries; however, the real aim of the course is for students to come away with an appreciation for the diversity, complexity, and vibrancy of the continent as a whole. It will be important for students to be conscious of the images and stereotypes about Africa that are represented in and perpetuated by the media and the world in which we live. Indeed, the more students are able to assess the ways in which Africa is like and unlike other parts of the world through a thorough analysis of its history, the better able they will be to assess the validity of what is written and spoken about the continent.
As much as possible, students will read sources written by Africans. In so doing, students will appreciate the importance of perspective on the recording and interpretation of history. Consequently, they will assess and evaluate their views, value systems, and understanding of the world and the study of history.

COURSE OUTLINE:

I. A Brief Introduction
A. Perceptions and Images of Africa
B. Geography

II. Early West African History
A. Non-centralized Societies
B. Empires of the Western Sudan
C. Oral Tradition as History
D. Emperor Sundiata and the Mali Empire (Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali)
E. Islam and its Influence in North and West Africa
F. Trans-Saharan Caravan Trade

III. Africans and the Europeans
A. Early European Exploration of Africa
B. Transatlantic Slave Trade Ñ Why Africans?
C. Abolition of the Slave Trade and Slavery in Africa
D. Scramble for and Partition of Africa
E. African Reaction to Partition and Conquest
F. The Colonial Policies of Direct and Indirect Rule
G. Africa during World Wars I and II
H. British Colonial Rule in Nigeria
I. Rise of Nationalism
J. The Negritude Movement and Its Critics
K. Joys of Motherhood , a Novel

V. Modern Nigeria
A. What went Wrong in Nigeria Post-independence?
B. Ethnic Conflict Ñ North vs. South
C. Military Domination
D. Corruption and Oil in Nigeria

VI. Rwanda
A. Pre-colonial Rwanda: Mwamis, Pastoralists and Farmers
B. Colonial Rule: the Hamitic Hypothesis, Ethnic Identity Cards and the Hutu Revolution of 1959
C. Civil War in Rwanda: the RPF invasion
D. The Rwandan Genocide of 1994
E. UN and US Involvement in Rwanda During the Genocide
F: International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
G. Philip Gourevitch's We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families

VII. South Africa before Apartheid Ñ to 1948
A. "Original" Inhabitants of South Africa?
B. Arrival of the Dutch
C. Making of a New "White Tribe," the Afrikaners
D. British Interest and Involvement in South Africa
E. Gold and the Unification of South Africa

VIII. Apartheid
A. Legal Framework of Apartheid
B. Opposition and Resistance to Apartheid
C. ANC and Nelson Mandela
D. Steve Biko and the Black Consciousness Movement

IX. The New South Africa
A. Collapse of Apartheid
B. The 1994 Elections
C. Truth and Reconciliation Commission
D. The Government's Response to AIDS in South Africa

X. The Democratic Republic of the Congo
A. King Leopold and his Personal Fiefdom
B. Excerpts from King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild
C. Belgian Paternalism and Colonial Rule
D. The Cold War in the Congo: U.S.-Backing of Mobutu Sese Seko, Lumumba's Murder
E. Mobutu and His Congo
F. Excerpts from: Michela Wrong's Living on the Brink of Disaster in Mobutu's Congo: In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz
G. A Primer on the Current Civil War: Regional Countries' Involvement, the Lusaka Peace Accord

METHODS:

A wide variety of methods are used. Information in class is delivered primarily through lecture and discussion. On occasion, students work in groups or pairs to analyze maps, discuss primary sources, or review conceptual material. Each class begins with a discussion of current events pertaining to Africa which students volunteer to share. Students use web sites, such as the BBC Africa page, the New York Times, or www.allafrica.com to retrieve articles. Students also complete projects, such as an African mask assignment, which they present to the class.
Homework involves a substantial amount of reading, some of which may be difficult due to unfamiliar names and writing styles. The major works are: an epic, novels, an autobiography, and journalist's accounts of crises, such as the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Supplemental projects satisfy students' desires to learn about the cultural aspects of Africa's many ethnic groups. A research paper is assigned in the third quarter.
Field trips have included: visits to the Guggenheim Museum in New York City to view an exhibit of African art, to the Fogg Museum at Harvard University to see the exhibit "Africa and the Art of Identity," to the Museum of Fine Arts, and to South Africa in February 1998. L-S was honored to have Hafsat Abiola speak with students in the spring of 1997. Hafsat's father, Moshood Abiola, won the presidential election in Nigeria in 1993 and was imprisoned where he remained until he died of heart failure. Other speakers have included a professor of anthropology at Tufts University, who discussed the novel The Joys of Motherhood with students.
Because the course aims to capture student's interest in the history and people of Africa, a multi-disciplinary approach is used whenever possible. Consequently, literature, art, religion, and anthropology are incorporated into the curriculum.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:

Students will be expected to:

SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED:

Students will be helped to:

TEXTBOOKS:

Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali by D.T. Niani
Joys of Motherhood by Buchi Emecheta
A Walk in the Night by Alex LaGuma
Cry Freedom by Donald Woods
We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families by Philip Gourevitch
King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild
Michela Wrong's Living on the Brink of Disaster in Mobutu's Congo: In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz
Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

SUPPLEMENTARY READING:

Most readings come from college level textbooks, anthologies of African authors, news magazines, and newspapers.

OTHER MATERIALS:

The following videos have been used in the class:
Keita: The Heritage of a Griot
Zan Boko
Hyenas
Cry Freedom
Mapantsula

SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS:

Whom do you blame for the trans-Atlantic slave trade: the local African chiefs who sold people to the Europeans, or the latter, who created a demand for them?

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS:

Student performance is based on homework, analytical essays, open-note quizzes on homework readings, projects, tests and class participation.

SOCIAL SCIENCES

While aspects of each of the following subjects are woven into other courses offered by the department, and each of the following courses involves some history, all the courses in the other categories that we offer have an strong historical approach. We think that "social studies" are a poor approach at the secondary level, and that the following disciplines ought to be recognized by offering them as separate courses:

Psychology
Global Issues
Economics and Business
Law and American Society
Archaeology
PSYCHOLOGY

140 Full year course: four credits

Revised 2003 by Lorraine Hodin and Jane Murphy

FROM THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES:

This course covers core concepts in psychology beginning with the use of the scientific method in research and the physiological basis for behavior. Topics covered in the first semester include social psychology, perception, states of consciousness, memory and learning. During the second semester the focus is on human growth and development, personality, stress and adjustment, and ends with a unit on abnormal behavior, treatments, and therapy.
Class time is divided between lecture, films, discussions, experiments, and demonstrations. During the first semester, students take frequent unit tests, design, implement, and write a report on a social psychology experiment, write a paper on a movie selected by the instructor, and create a dream log with dream analysis and critique of that analysis. Second semester, students take frequent unit tests, read a book on which a paper is assigned, write a seven page research paper, and construct a personal time-line.
By special arrangement, students may prepare to take the Advanced Placement exam in Psychology. (2-4)

RATIONALE:

The purpose of this course in psychology is to introduce students to core concepts and content areas in the field. The course introduces students to the methods of inquiry and evaluation used by psychologists. The content of the course provides students with information about issues that all individuals encounter not only concerning themselves but in their relationships with friends, family, and acquaintances. Studying psychology should lead students to an appreciation of and tolerance for individual differences. Students should acquire insight into the complex determinants underlying individual and group behavior. Finally students should be prepared to be intelligent consumers of psychological services.
This course conforms to the American Psychological Association's recommended guidelines for a high school psychology course.

COURSE OUTLINE:

I. Introduction to Psychology
A. What is Psychology
B. Research Methods
C. Ethical Issues in Research
D. History of Psychology
E. Major Theories in Psychology

II. Social Psychology
A. Attribution Theory
B. Attitude Formation
C. Interpersonal Attraction
D. Conformity
E. Compliance and Obedience
F. Prejudice and Discrimination
G. Deindividuation and the Bystander Effect

III. Sensation and Perception
A. Experience and Biological Basis of Sensory Processes
B. Perceptual Organization
C. Perceptual and Physical Illusions

IV. States of Consciousness
A. Daydreaming
B. Sleeping and Dreaming
C. Sensory Deprivation
D. Meditation and Hypnosis
E. Drug-altered Consciousness

V. Learning and Memory
A. Classical Conditioning
B. Operant Conditioning
C. Cognitive Learning
D. Social Learning
E. Theories of Memory

VI. Intelligence and Testing
A. Theories of Intelligence
B. Emotional Intelligence
C. Intelligence Tests

VII. Motivation and Emotion
A. Primary Drives
B. Hierarchy of Motives
C. Emotions and their Expression

VIII. Infancy, Childhood, Adolescence, and Adulthood
A. Physical Development
B. Social Development
C. Moral Development
D. Cognitive Development
E. Gender Differences

IX. Personality
A. Psychodynamic Theories
B. Humanistic Theories
C. Behavioral and Social Learning Theories
D. Trait Theories
E. Personality Inventories

X. Stress
A. Sources
B. Relationship with Health
C. Coping

XI. Abnormal Behavior and Therapies
A. Definition of Abnormal
B. Read a Novel on a Disorder
C. Anxiety Disorders
D. Personality Disorders
E. Schizophrenic Disorders
F. Mood Disorders
G. Somatoform and Psychophysiological Disorders
H. Dissociative Disorders
I. Eating Disorders
J. Treatments and Therapies

METHODS:

The variety of methods used in psychology are designed to involve students actively in the learning process and to promote both their intellectual and psychological development. These include lectures, class discussions, class experiments and demonstrations, working in groups, case study analyses, and audiovisual presentations.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:

Students are expected to:
keep an organized notebook of all notes and handouts
complete the assigned reading in textbooks and articles
come to class prepared and on time
ask questions and seek extra help as needed
demonstrate knowledge on written essays and tests as well as in class discussions
turn in homework assignments regularly
write one or two papers each term, varying from three to seven pages in length, including a research paper
design and implement a social psychology experiment and write a summary report
read supplementary books, construct a personal time line, and write a dream log with analysis

Note: Course expectations and methods will be coordinated with the Individual Education Plans of students who have them.

SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED:

Students should be able to:
define key terms and use them in their everyday vocabulary
compare and contrast major theories in psychology
devise simple research projects, interpret and generalize from results, and evaluate the validity of the data
apply psychological concepts to their own lives; be able to recognize psychological principles in everyday situations
learn about the ethical standards psychologist and psychiatrists maintain
be sensitive in applying psychological principles to themselves and other people

TEXTBOOKS:

Psychology: An Introduction, 10th edition, Charles G Morris

Each student may use this text book along with the accompanying Study Guide, which they may purchase

SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS:

Oliver Sacks, The Man who Mistook His Wife For a Hat
Judith Guest, Ordinary People
Selected readings drawn from the instructor's collection of abstracts and articles

OTHER MATERIALS:

SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS:

Social Experiment: Having learned about the basic research methods of psychology and basic principles of social psychology design a research investigation focused on a specific area of interest concerning social psychology. Implement the research project, analyze the collected data, and write a report on your findings.

Physiological Psychology and Encephalitis Lethargica: After viewing the film Awakenings, write a three to five page analytical paper that analyzes the information presented in the movie about Parkinson's Disease and Encephalitis Lethargica, with regards to the major personality and physiological changes seen in the two main characters.

Sensation and Perception Presentation: Having explored the senses, create a presentation on one particular sense and generate an activity for the class to reinforce the abilities and limitations of that particular sense.

Egg Baby Experiment: Adopt an egg and treat it as your own child for a week, keeping careful track of feedings, changings, baths, napping time, activities, babysitters, etc. for the baby. At the end of the week, examine the responsibilities, joys, and challenges of being a parent (even of an egg!).

Childhood Development: Having learned about Piaget's cognitive development, Kolhberg's moral development, and Erikson's social development pick a favorite children's book and identify the stages and types of development that the book is aimed at teaching.

Literature Examination: Having read Ordinary People, write five paragraphs regarding the use of specific defense mechanisms as shown by the main characters

Psychology in the News: Having learned some of the basic principles of psychology examine and analyze how these principles relate to current events. Find a current article and identify the principles being discussed or referred to as well as apply these principles to the events being reported.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT:

The College Board offers an Advanced Placement examination in psychology. For both philosophical and pedagogical reasons the instructor believes that the psychology course should not be driven by that examination. In order to offer the additional information and training necessary for the Advanced Placement examination, students may choose to undertake additional reading. They will meet as a group weekly with the instructor to cover those topics not treated in the course and to practice examination questions. Students must begin these sessions in early in order to be ready for the examination in May. As this is an extra commitment which carries no credit, students who find they are over committed are free to drop the extra Advanced Placement sessions at any time.

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS:

Evaluation of students is based on classroom performance, homework, papers, quizzes, tests, and examinations.
GLOBAL ISSUES

144 Full year course: four credits

Revised 2003 by Caroline Han

FROM THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES:

Global Issues is a course for students who want to know more about what is happening in the world. The course examines terrorism, including the U.S. government's response to 9/11 and the war against Iraq. In addition to terrorism, units of study include: drug trafficking, the global impact of AIDS and other infectious diseases, human rights, and the work of international organizations, such as the United Nations. While the course will provide some historical background, the emphasis is on current conditions. Therefore, following the news and discussing current events are an essential course requirement. Readings, documentaries, group projects, role plays, lectures, analytical essays, and a research paper will help students become informed citizens and give them the information with which they can formulate their opinions. There is a strong emphasis on the development of academic skills in reading, note-taking, analytical essay-writing, and organization. Writing is an important course component. (2-4)

RATIONALE:

This course seeks to make students aware of what is happening in the world. With an emphasis on current events, the course requires students to make the news media, in some form, a part of their lives. The course explores the "whys" and "hows" of issues for which students may initially have only a basic understanding. So, for instance, while one may be aware of the AIDS crisis in Africa, Asia and Latin America, students explore the factors which cause its rapid spread Ð the role of wealthy countries in providing aid for the prevention and treatment of the disease Ð and the success of international and local efforts. Over the course of the year, students will explore several major global issues. Each unit seeks to maximize student interest and offer a comprehensive overview of global events. The flexibility of the curriculum gives the teacher the opportunity to tailor the course to reflect the ever-changing world in which we live. The course is designed for students whose skills may need reinforcement and development. As a result, organization, analytical essay-writing, and the process of studying effectively are strongly emphasized.
COURSE OUTLINE:

Note: This course may vary from year to year depending on the state of the world.

I. 9/11 and its aftermath
A. Terrorism Defined
B. Brief Background on Islam
C. A Closer Look at Al Qaeda
D. The Attack on America
E. The U.S.-led War in Afghanistan: Pursuing Osama bin Laden and the Taliban F. Afghanistan Today: The Successes and Limits of U.S. Policy in Afghanistan

II. The Iraq War
A. Brief Historical Background of U.S.-Iraq Relations
B. Immediate Events Leading up to the War C. The War Itself: Military Strategy, the Cost of the War, Public Reactions at Home and Abroad, and the Outcome
D. News Media: The ethics of embedded journalism
E. Rebuilding Iraq: The Role of the U.S., the United Nations, Foreign Corporations, Humanitarian Relief Organizations, and Interim Iraqi Leaders
F. The Iraq War in the Context of the Bush Administration's Response to the War on Terrorism. Are Syria and North Korea Next?

III. Human Rights
A. Universal Declaration of Human Rights
B. Group Project: Exploration of Human Rights Abuses in a Country of Choice

IV. AIDS and other Infectious Diseases
A. Global Infection Patterns of AIDS
B. Data on AIDS: Numbers Infected Worldwide
C. The Role of International Organizations and Wealthy Countries in Aiding the Hardest-hit Countries and Regions
D. Obstacles to Effective Prevention and Treatment of AIDS in Asia, Africa, and Latin America
E. The Ebola Outbreak

V. Drug Trafficking
A. Overview: The Global Supply of Illicit Drugs
B. War and Opium in Afghanistan and Pakistan
C. War, Narcotics, and U.S. Backing in Colombia

VI. Our Future
A. U.N. Millennium Development Goals:
1. Poverty and Hunger
2. Universal Primary Education
3. Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
4. Child Mortality and Maternal Health
5. Environmental Degradation.

METHODS:

A wide variety of methods help students understand the issues covered in the course. Role plays and debates get students to understand and defend a variety of perspectives. Team-oriented activities, such as group projects, allow students to collaborate on an assignment. In the past, students have produced videos, designed an activity, and created visuals to accompany their class presentations. In-class skills sessions help students to refine their academic skills. A research assignment in the third quarter provides an opportunity to explore a topic of the students' choosing. Students learn the process of writing a research paper Ñ from the creation of a solid research question and to the proper documentation of their work. Most in-class activities and assignments are structured so that students may continue to develop their organizational and study skills.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:

Students are expected to:

Note: Course expectations and methods will be coordinated with the Individual Education Plans of students who have them.

SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED:

the ability to:

READINGS:

Newspapers and magazine articles are the primary texts for the course.

OTHER MATERIALS:

Because of the timeliness of the topics, documentaries and films are used. Some videos that have been used include:

SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS:

Assignments include:

Assessment is based upon performance on tests, open-note quizzes, group projects, essays, classroom participation, completion of homework assignments, a research paper, improvement, and overall effort.
ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS

146 Full year course: four credits

Revised 2003 by Lisa Olsson

FROM THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES:

One of the objectives of this course is to give students a better understanding of the economic problems we face today and prepare students for the further study of economics. The course examines how our economic system works, and is designed to help students become more intelligent voters and citizens. Some examples of areas to be covered are: the causes and effects of inflation, deficits, supply and demand, elasticity, labor-management relations, money and credit, government influence on the economy, monetary policy and fiscal policy, as well as investments and the stock market. Other micro and macro economic principles are also included.
Achievement is determined by tests, quizzes, class participation, extra credit work, and effort.
Students may choose to do extra work to prepare to take the Advanced Placement examination in economics. (2-4)

RATIONALE:

Economic decisions, made both by us and others, impact our lives in everything from the price we pay to gas up our car, to the interest we pay on our student loans to the paycheck we cash every other Friday. The purpose of this course is to help the student to understand the concepts that underlie economic issues and use those concepts to elucidate contemporary economic and political issues. For students contemplating further economics study, this course could be called "Micro and Macro-Economics." For students who never plan to study economics again, this course could be called "Becoming an Informed Voter, Intelligent Consumer, and Educated Producer." Frequently students will be asked to reexamine their world and the current events as economists. Students will be encouraged to follow the news. Finally, the continued development of the social science skills of quantitative and qualitative analysis, research, and writing will be stressed .

COURSE OUTLINE:

I. Introduction to Economics
A. How Economists View the World
B. Economic Decision Making
C. Economic Systems and Capitalism

II. Supply and Demand
A. How Buyers and Sellers Determine Prices
B. Analysis of Supply and Demand Curves
C. Elasticity of Supply and Demand
D. Government in the Marketplace: Taxes, Tariffs, Price Floors, and Ceilings

III. Applications of Supply and Demand Analysis
A. Labor Unions
B. Minimum Wage, Agricultural Price Supports, and Rent Control
C. Alcohol and Tobacco Taxes

IV. Production and Cost
A. Production of Goods and Services
B. Variable and Fixed Costs
C. Contemporary Examples of Cost Influencing Production

V. Money and Banking
A. Banking and the Federal Reserve System
B. Loans and Interest Rates
C. Consumer Credit, Bankruptcy, and Credit Cards
D. Monetary Policy and Inflation

VI. Investments
A. Bonds: Treasury, Municipal, and Corporate
B. Stocks
C. Investing Project

VII. National Income Accounting
A. Gross Domestic Product
B. Business Cycles, Unemployment, and Inflation
C. Savings Rates, Budget Deficits, and their Impact on Investment
D. Analysis of Current Economic Events

VIII. Taxes and Fiscal Policy
A. Structure of Taxes and Measures of Fairness
B. Fiscal Policy
C. Income Distribution
D. Federal Tax Code, 1040 Tax Form
E. Balance the Federal Budget Project

IX. Current Economic Issues
A. A Study of Contemporary Economic Events Utilizing Tools of Economic Analysis

METHODS:

The course employs different methods in order to address various learning styles and to help the student understand the material being presented. In addition to lectures, readings, and note taking, we will regularly have discussions and small group investigations. Also included in the curriculum are Internet and library research, videos, student presentations, and investing and Federal budget simulations. Regularly scheduled homework assignments will allow students to practice and master concepts covered in class. Students who have more difficulty in the course will be given extra help in class, and in mutual free time before, during, or after school.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:

Students are expected to:

Note: Course expectations and methods will be coordinated with the Individual Education Plans of students who have them.

SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED:

the ability to:

TEXTBOOK:

O'Sullivan and Sheffrin, Economics: Principles in Action,

SUPPLEMENTARY READING:

Books:
Colander, David, Economics

Magazines:
Business Week
Newsweek
Time

Newspapers:
The Boston Globe
The New York Times
The Wall Street Journal

SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS:

Projects:
Projects are given two or three times a year and vary in nature. Students are divided into groups and the students present a group project. Projects include an investing project in which students make virtual investments in the stock and bond markets, and a Federal budget project in which students must balance the actual Federal budget.

Essays:
Essays are an important part of in class examinations as well as out of class assignments. Sample essay topics might include, "Investigate the rise in personal bankruptcy and propose what can be done about it." or "Using tools of GDP analysis, argue either for or against President Bush's tax cut proposal."

ADVANCED PLACEMENT:

The College Board offers an Advanced Placement examination in economics. For both philosophical and pedagogical reasons the instructor believes that Economics and Business should not be a course driven by that examination. In order to offer the additional information and training necessary for the Advanced Placement examination, students may choose to undertake additional reading. They will meet as a group weekly with the instructor to cover those topics not treated in the course and to practice examination questions. Students must begin these sessions early in order to be ready for the examination in May. As this is an extra commitment which carries no credit, students who find they are over committed are free to drop the extra Advanced Placement sessions at any time.

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS:

This is based on:

142 Full year course: four credits

Revised 2002 by Joshua Gilman

FROM THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES:

This course explores some of the ways that the American legal system enters the lives of citizens and attempts to address pressing social problems. Topics include freedom of speech, criminal justice and the correctional system, race and affirmative action, and locker searches in public schools. Students will learn about the balance between the desire of Americans to enjoy personal and societal freedoms, and the need for order, safety, and fairness. In addition, the class will consider some aspects of civil law, such as contracts or torts, and what it is really like to be an attorney or judge in America.
Class time will be divided between discussion, lecture, films, oral or visual presentations, writing exercises, and the use of the school's computer laboratories. Occasional fields trips, such as a tour of the Billerica House of Correction and a mock trial, are planned to enrich the curriculum. Students should expect to complete regular homework assignments, take tests and quizzes, and write essays of various lengths. This course features a strong emphasis on the development of skills in reading, writing, organization, and note-taking. (2-4)

RATIONALE:

It has been said that a society's values, expectations, and temperament are all reflected in that society's laws. If this is true, what do American laws and legal decisions reflect about the United States? Unlike other academic courses that might explore American culture through a study of history, art, or literature, this class is valuable for students who seek to learn more about their country through an examination of important criminal and civil laws. Law and American Society pushes students to gain an understanding of how law and government are critical threads in the tapestry of American life and, perhaps more importantly, demands that participants in the course have an opinion about some of America's toughest issues. Therefore, Law and American Society is critical in helping Lincoln-Sudbury students to be more informed and engaged citizens of their country.

COURSE OUTLINE:

I. Introduction to Law and Lawmaking
A. The Framework of American Government
B. Basic Issues of Law & Morality
C. Legal Drafting: Issues of Writing Laws for American Citizens
D. The Basics of American Courts and Legal Opinions

II. Lawyering in America
A. How Does One Become a "Legal Eagle?"
B. Life in American Law Schools
C. The Realities of Life as an Attorney
D. Exploring Legal Careers: District Attorney, Corporate Lawyer, etc.

III. Introduction to Criminal Law
A. What is a Crime?
B. Causes of Crime in America
C. Murder: First Degree, Second Degree, Manslaughter, Infanticide, Serial
D. Rape: Aggravated, Date, Statutory
E. Property Crimes: Theft, Robbery, Burglary, etc.
F. Criminal Defenses

IV. Mock Trial
A. Evaluating Evidence and Witness Depositions
B. Drafting Arguments for Court
C. Preparing for Witness Examinations and Oral Arguments

V. Corrections in America
A. Historical Changes in Dealing with Crime
B. The Role of Plea Bargaining in American Criminal Justice
C. Prisons and Prison Life
D. "Megan's Law": Dealing with Sex Offenders in America
E. Community Sentencing
F. Juvenile Justice in America
G. The Death Penalty
VI. Introduction to Civil Law
A. Torts: Intentional, Negligence, and Strict Liability
B. Contracts

VII. Introduction to Constitutional Law
A. The 4th Amendment: Issues of Search and Seizure and Privacy
B. The 5th Amendment: The Right to Remain Silent
C. The 6th Amendment: The Right of the Accused to Counsel
D. The 1st Amendment: Freedom of Speech, Religion, and Assembly E. The 2nd Amendment: The Right to Bear Arms)
F. When Can Rights Be Limited?: The Constitutional Balancing Act

METHODS:

A wide variety of instructional methods are used, designed to involve students in the learning process. To that end, methods will include lectures, class discussions, cooperative group work, case study analysis, the viewing of dramatic and documentary film, text and electronic research, and essay writing.

STUDENT EXPECTATIONS:

Students are expected to:

Note: Course expectations and methods will be coordinated with the Individual Education Plans of students who have them.
SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED:

Students should be able to:

TEXTBOOK:

Street Law: A Course in Practical Law, by Arbetman and O'Brien

SUPPLEMENTARY READING:

Proceed with Caution, by William Keates
The Death of Common Sense, by Phillip Howard
Many other excerpts of textbooks, case studies, and news articles

OTHER MATERIALS:

Video resources are an important part of the course. Sample titles include:

SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS:

Having viewed the film A Few Good Men, write an assessment of the defense team's trial strategy given what you have learned about trial advocacy and your own mock trial.

Building a Prison Project: Working in a small group, develop what you think is the most effective way to run a prison facility for 1,500 men. What are your goals of correction? Do you seek to punish convicts? Match your designs to the goals you've articulated.

Take an open note quiz on the reading that has been assigned last week about various torts in American civil law.

Read a newspaper article on Megan's Law and respond, in writing, to four reading questions that the instructor has posed.

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS:

Assessment of students is based on performance on tests, quizzes, projects, essays, a research paper, classroom participation and enthusiasm, and completion of regular homework assignments.
ARCHAEOLOGY

799 Summer course: one credit

Revised 2002 by James A. Newton

FROM THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES:

This is a hands-on course in historical archaeology during which students will spend the majority of their time actively participating in a dig. Students will learn the basic techniques of archaeology and something of the social history of the site and of New England. Trips to other sites may be included. Students will be expected to keep a journal, which will become a permanent part of the records of the dig. Students signing up for this course must be willing to do physical labor out of doors under varying and sometimes difficult conditions.
Grades are based on performance, cooperation, the journal, and the daily oral description of the previous day's work. This course is offered for two weeks most summers, usually in early July. The course meets for eight hours, five or six days a week, for two weeks. There is a fee, and transportation is provided. To sign up for this course, students should contract the instructor, Mr. James Newton.

Note: This course does not grant history credit.

RATIONALE:

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to archaeology by giving them the opportunity to participate in an actual dig. It helps them to see how the written record and the cultural record are interwoven and how an understanding of both enlarges our understanding of the past.
This course allows students to discover the fun of research, the value of painstaking technique, and the importance of the careful recording of data. Students also gain exposure to laboratory methods, cataloging, and preservation.
Work on the site also permits students to experience history as a cooperative group effort extending beyond the current season's dig back into past seasons and forward into future ones. As the buildings on the site evolve into a museum, students can see the results of their labor being used in displays, in restorations of vanished structures, in published articles, and in oral interpretations presented to visitors

COURSE OUTLINE:

In this course the curriculum and the site are one. The site is the Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm in Newbury, Massachusetts, 240 acres of which survive intact from an original 400 acre grant of 1635. On the site is a cruciform masonry house of ca. 1690. The farm is now owned by the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA). The farm was occupied by people of European and African descent from 1632 until 1986. The site was occupied by Native Americans over a much longer period. The house is currently evolving into a museum, and much of the land is still under cultivation.
Part of the course has to do with learning the broad outline of the history of the site, Essex County, and New England. Students also need to know about the historical and archaeological research done to date. This knowledge is necessary in order that students may understand the context of what they unearth and make reasonable interpretations of what is being found.
Most of the curriculum focuses on the physical aspects of the dig itself, the various techniques required to expose and record finds, and the laboratory processes necessary to catalog and preserve objects. Before the dig actually begins, one or two lectures and discussion sessions are held at Lincoln-Sudbury in order to provide students with some of the necessary introductory background. The rest of the course takes place in Newbury. Informal discussions take place during the daily trips between Sudbury and Newbury.

METHODS:

The principal method is hands-on instruction in the basic techniques of historical archaeological excavation. Students spend most of their time at the site excavating an assigned trench, recording their findings, interpreting the site, and working cooperatively with others. Techniques are taught by example, and experienced and inexperienced excavators are usually paired with each other. As this course is affiliated with Boston University, both undergraduate and graduate students as well as volunteers of all ages are on site. Occasionally there may be lectures or demonstrations by visiting specialists and field trips to other sites. Students give daily oral presentations of their previous day's work and listen to the presentations of others. All learning here is cooperative and collegial; everyone on the site performs all kinds of tasks, including the most menial.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:

Students are expected to:

Note: Course expectations and methods will be coordinated with the Individual Education Plans of students who have them.

SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED:

Students should develop the ability to:

TEXTBOOKS:

Mary C. Beaudry: "Scratching the Surface: Seven Seasons at the Spencer- Peirce-Little Farm, Newbury, Massachusetts."
"Field Methods Manual"
"Summary of Laboratory Procedures"

SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS:

No other reading is required, but sources on historical archaeology are suggested to students, including:
Ann DeCunzo, "Historical Archaeology as a Tool for Researching and Interpreting Historic Sites"
James Deetz, In Small Things Forgotten
Ivor Noel Hume, Artifacts of Colonial America
Historical Archaeology
Laura Thatcher Ulrich, A Midwife's Tale

OTHER MATERIALS:

This might be an endless list. Materials used include what has been or is being excavated as well as all the equipment, from trowels to vacuum cleaners, used in excavation and laboratory work. The materials are supplied by SPNEA and Boston University.

SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS:

There are two kinds of assignments in this course. The first type is the myriad tasks required on site, including excavation, record keeping, lab work, the care of equipment, and so on. Students are also required to keep a journal of their daily activities in which they reflect on their work and how the discoveries being made might be interpreted.

AFFILIATION:

This course is affiliated with Boston University. The site is under the direction of Professor Mary C. Beaudry of the Department of Archaeology.

CREDIT:

This course grants one general Lincoln-Sudbury credit. It does not grant history credit or Boston University credit.
Students wishing to enroll in the Boston University summer session may earn Boston University credits by paying Boston University tuition and joining a five to six week field school.

OTHER INFORMATION:

There is a fee, which covers the cost of transportation, equipment, and an honorarium for the instructors.

CONDITIONS:

The site is a pleasant one, near Plum Island and the coast of Essex county. However, extremes of heat and cold, rain, and insects will all be encountered. Students need to be able to cope with these, to be willing to get dirty, and to do what is, at times, heavy physical labor. They should also be ready and willing to undertake responsibility for menial tasks as well as the exciting ones.

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS:

Students are evaluated on the basis of their journals, their skill in excavation and recording, their willingness to cooperate, and the thoroughness of their work.

SUPPLEMENTARY PROGRAMS

The department offers a number of programs beyond its regular curriculum:

INDEPENDENT STUDY:

Within the limits of the school's guidelines, members of the department may choose to offer independent study for credit to selected students. The subject of any independent study must not be the same as any course currently being offered. Students must complete a registration form before beginning any independent study. Only mature students who are able to sustain work without constant supervision are eligible.

MODEL UNITED NATIONS:

Most years the department sponsors a group of students who prepare for and attend a model United Nations held in Boston or New York City. A fee is required to cover the expenses of attending the model United Nations.

ASSOCIATED COCURRICULAR ACTIVITIES:

Lincoln-Sudbury also has the following clubs or activities which are associated with our disciplines:

HONORS IN HISTORY:

Seniors who have maintained a B+ average in history, and had no history grade below B in their first three years of high school are eligible to graduate with Honors in History. Each student must complete a major project or paper, the subject of which is subject to the prior approval of the department. Each student works under the guidance of an advisor, who is a member of the department. Every student project is reviewed independently by three members of the department. Students whose projects or papers are approved will be so recognized in the graduation program and at the awards assembly.

PRIZES AND SCHOLARSHIPS:

The department, often in cooperation with others, sponsors the following awards and scholarships:

Oratory Prize: To promote vigorous speech, the department sponsors an annual competition in oratory every autumn. Students select sections of famous speeches to declaim before an audience in the Rogers Theater.

Kirshner Essay Prize: Open to any Senior, this prize honors John R. Kirshner of the Class of 1963. The essays must be a minimum of fifteen pages in length, and may be new work or an extensive revision of a paper written previously. Papers must show a good command of the English language and an ability to handle the apparatus of scholarship. The winner is determined by a panel of judges from outside the school. Judges consider originality, thoroughness, breadth and depth of research, and aptness of style in determining the winner.

Lincoln Historical Society Award: Given annually by the
Lincoln Historical Society, this prize of books is awarded to a Senior who has shown outstanding achievement and interest in history.

Wayside Inn Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution Scholarship: Given to a Senior who has demonstrated excellence and interest in American History.

Recognition of Improvement: Awarded annually to members of the ninth, tenth, and eleventh grades who have shown marked improvement during the year.

Recognition of Outstanding Achievement in History: Given to those members of the Senior Class who have done outstanding work in History during their high school careers as evinced by a B+ average in all courses offered by the department, and no history grade below a B. Awarded at a reception held by the department.

ASSESSMENT

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS:

Other than the forms of student assessment outlined above, there are other evaluations of students' achievement in history and the social sciences. In the past the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has tested seniors in history and social sciences as part of its biennial MEAP testing program and the Iowa tests in history. At some point in the future our students will have to take the MCAS examination in United States history. Every year some of our students take SAT II or Advanced Placement tests given by the College Board. The department monitors the results of all these tests, and periodically reviews its curriculum in light of the results.

ASSESSMENT OF THE DEPARTMENT

At least once in every decade an extensive and thorough review of the entire department takes place when the New England Association of Schools and Colleges conducts an evaluation of the entire school to assess its current status and to decide if the school will be reaccredited. Part of this process involves an evaluation of this department. Copies of the self-study, including the results of parental surveys, and the report of the Visiting Committee are reviewed by the faculty and are made available to the public. Recommendations made by the New England Association must be implemented, and reports of progress must be submitted to them at intervals of two and five years. These reports are also made available to the public.

Alumni/ae surveys are also part of the school's assessment process.
At the end of every semester students evaluate the history class they are currently in, and the results are reviewed by the teacher of the class, and modifications considered.
The results of these various assessments are reviewed by the department's faculty, and changes are implemented as deemed appropriate.