History

Middle School: U.S. History I

The goals of this course are to enhance students’ appreciation for and knowledge of United States history, with special attention paid to developments in Minnesota, and to develop study skills that will be useful in this and later courses. Topics covered in Grade 6 include Native Americans, particularly the Dakota and Ojibwe, exploration (focus on the French Voyageurs), the Colonial Period, the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, and the New Nation. Skills in this course include mapping, note taking, critical reading (textbook, primary sources, historical fiction), research, and analysis of current events.

Middle School: U.S. History II

This course continues with both the content and skills of grade 6. Students continue their study of United States history, including the following topics: Reconstruction, Industrialization (with special attention paid to concepts important in Minnesota’s history such as railroads, ore mining, and the lumber and flour industries), Progressivism, and Decades of the 20th Century. Students continue to refine their research, writing, and critical reading skills and also analyze maps, graphs, and current events. Students complete a research project and several oral presentations.

Middle School: American History

The goals of this year-long course are to enhance students’ appreciation for and knowledge of American history and to develop study skills useful in this and later courses. Topics include the discoverers, the Revolutionary War, westward expansion, slavery and the Civil War, the two world wars and the presidencies of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Wilson, Roosevelt, and Kennedy. The course involves lectures, oral presentations by students, research projects, the discussion of historical fiction, textbook readings, and current events.

Middle School: Government & World Geography

This course introduces students to the studies of government and world geography.

The class is broken into three parts:
- First term
  - American government, including federalism and the three branches of government
- Second term
  - World geographic studies centered on the five themes of geography (place, location…)
- Third term
  - Comparative study of world governments

Middle School: Minnesota Studies

Minnesota History is a required course at the 6th grade level. Our state and area are rich in history and a variety of hands-on experiences and field trips bring this to life for the students. The course also includes geography, map skills, geology, cultural history, and current events. English, art, and science are all integrated as well.

Middle School: World Geography

The course introduces students to the study of world geography. Students learn about the human and geographical forces which affect the various areas of the world. Regions and concepts include:

Fall Term
- Geographer’s tools, Canada and the United States, including the Great Lakes, urban sprawl, national parks, and consumption patterns, Latin America, spatial inequality, extreme weather, land use conflict in the Amazon Rainforest and life in the Central Andes.
Winter Term
- European Russia, European Union, population dilemmas, transboundary pollution, new nation-states, Southwest and Central Asia and the effects of oil, and the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Spring Term
- The Nile River, life in the Sahara and Sahel, post apartheid South Africa, population issues in China, India’s comparative advantage (tech workers and globalization), Antarctica and climate change.
Students work on note taking and mapping skills, analyze relevant works of fiction, discuss current events, and complete a research project.

Ancient World History

Ancient World History, typically a ninth grade course, begins with the study of early humans and continues through the 14th century. Themes include political, economic, social, and artistic developments in world history, as well as border issues and contacts between cultures. Development of analytical reading, discussion, research, and essay writing are important skills in this class.

World History: 1450 to Present

Students in grade 10 continue their study of world history in this course which covers the time period from 1450 to the present. The themes of political, social and artistic developments in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas are continued, and special focus is paid to the world wars and post-war years. Students read several collateral books as well as the basic text, and in addition work on research and writing skills. With the permission of the history department chair, students in grade 10 may take Advanced World History in place of this course.

World History: Early Civilizations to 1450

Typically a ninth grade course, begins with the study of early humans and continues through the 14th century. Themes include political, economic, social, and artistic developments in world history, as well as border issues and contacts between cultures. Development of analytical reading, discussion, research, and essay writing are important skills in this class.

Advanced World History

Advanced World History is offered to select sophomores who have shown superior ability in the study of history, and is taken in place of Modern World History. Juniors and seniors may also take this course as a year-long elective. This course approaches the study of world history from a global (rather than Western) perspective and addresses questions of historiography, cross-cultural developments, and source analysis, as well as the contributions of additional social sciences, such as economics, geography, and anthropology, to the study of world history.

Prerequisite: permission of the department chair

American History

AP European History

This year-long course is open to select juniors and seniors who have shown a superior ability in the study of history. The course scope includes the political, intellectual, social, and artistic developments in Europe from the 14^th through the 20^th centuries. The course is intensive in its demands and relies heavily on texts common to college level classes. Document based essay writing (DBQs), critical reading, and discussion skills are needed for success in this course. Students sit for the Advanced Placement European History exam in May.

Prerequisite: permission of the department chair

AP Psychology

AP Psychology is a year long course covering all the basic topics of the college level introductory course in psychology, which is defined as the study of human behavior and mental processes. The course will be organized by term, with biological bases of behavior in the Fall Term, a cognitive focus in the Winter Term, and socio-cultural topics addressed in the Spring Term. AP Psychology provides many opportunities for active learning, such as classroom demonstrations, experiments, development and administration of questionnaires, as well as personal and group reflection. This course will provide a high level of inquiry for motivated students and in addition will serve as a unique AP level course that appeals to students who are interested in improving their scientific literacy, since psychology shares methods with chemistry, biology and other sciences, and in personal and society-level decision making, as the subject matter of psychology has a unique relevance to their daily lives.

Prerequisite: permission of the department chair

AP United States History

(year-long course)
This course, which selected juniors may take in lieu of the standard U.S. history course, considers the American experience up to the present. Students have the opportunity to do extensive work with primary sources and enrichment readings designed to explore specific topics. This course not only prepares talented students for the CEEB (College Entrance Examination Board) Advanced Placement Examination in May, but more deeply illuminates the richness of America’s past.

Prerequisite: permission of the department chair

Europe: 1870-1945

This course examines the political, diplomatic, and military history of Europe in a time of chaos, violence, renewal and collapse. It concentrates on the origins and events of the Great War, the rise of the great destructive “isms” – Communism, Fascism, National Socialism and the causes and events of World War Two.

Government I: Political Theory

The fall term will focus on what motivates people to form a government and what factors shape the form that government takes. Students will read works by political philosophers and look at several different government models both in theory and in practice.

Government II: American Democracy

Winter term will focus on American government. Students will study the United States Constitution, the structure and powers of the three branches of government, and the interaction between those branches.

Government III: American Justice System

Spring term will focus on the legal system, with students studying the history of the US Supreme Court as well as following current cases before the court.

Greece and Rome

This one-term elective is a rapid survey of ancient history from the Greco-Persian Wars through the reigns of the Five Good Emperors (500 B.C.-180 A.D.) The course familiarizes students with the major political events of this important period in the development of western civilization.

History of Western Art I

(Winter Term)
History of Western Art I will focus on the developments of art from pre-historic times through the Romantic Period of the nineteenth century. Students will study the major periods of art history as well as the relation of art to historical events and the broader culture. In addition, students will have the opportunity to create their own works of art in various media as a response to the various periods and works of art that they investigate in the course.

History of Western Art II (1850-Present)

(Spring Term)
The past 200 years have brought intense political and social changes that have also resulted in radical developments in art and design. Bold and daring visual artifacts have been left for us to examine. The History of Western Art II course explores late 19th century, Modern, and Contemporary art. Students will investigate visual art movements such as Realism, Impressionism, Cubism, Surrealism, Expressionism, Abstract Expressionism, and Postmodernism. Students will experience some art-making processes through a variety of creative, hands-on projects. Students who have taken Art History I are encouraged to continue with the art historical studies with this sequel course, but History of Western Art I, is not a pre-requisite.

International Economics

International Economics investigates the economic challenges of a global market. Topics analyzed include trade, tariffs, off-shoring, globalization and the negative affects of government, drug trafficking, and scarcity of natural resources.

Economic principles are emphasized through a course project that allows for the development of a non-profit organization, creation of a law, or construction of a social program. The objective of the course project is for students to learn how to create economic programs that bring about change in a global setting. Students are encouraged to select a developing country, identify natural resources, pinpoint localized talents, and create a program which will give economic opportunity to that population.

Prerequisites: Microeconomics or Macroeconomics

Introduction to Historical Studies

(First-year ESL students – grades 8-11 only)
This survey class offers students a preview of American, ancient, and European history, using selected textbook readings, as well as primary source readings. Designed to offer low intermediate English proficient students the opportunity to learn about history in a sheltered environment, this class is a full survey class and includes fostered development of note-taking, listening, reading, and academic discussion. Requirements: Selected readings; 5-7 formal writing exercises per term; 1 power point presentation; 1 oral presentation; 1 major project; term exams and final exam.

Entrance is not elective. The class carries history credit.

Law and Social Justice

In this one term course, students will examine the historical and modern philosophical foundations for contemporary conceptions of justice. The course will focus on how our laws can be used as a tool for social justice or as an instrument of repression, marginalization and exclusion. Students will examine the role of law in the promotion of social justice with a primary focus on the inequalities that occur between racial, ethnic, social, and economic groups. Students will study recent court cases and events in the United States and abroad. Topics to be covered include civil right and racial equality issues, right to an equal education, right to gender equality, right to marry, freedom from sexual harassment, minorities and the criminal justice system. Each of these areas of focus will be studied with reference to a current court case in the United States or abroad.

Macroeconomics

Macroeconomics is the study of national economics, economic development, taxes, unemployment, inflation, and income distribution. The course examines economic actions and reactions within governments, banking systems, and financial markets.

Macroeconomic topics are emphasized and finance/accounting principles introduced through an investment activity. Students are responsible for “investing” in a publicly traded company and indices; they also research a value chain related to their company.

By choosing a portfolio that includes a company specific stock, industry index, and an international index, students gain insight into how risk and reward impact personal investment and corporate business decisions.

Microeconomics

Economics is the study of how people decide to allocate scarce resources. This process of choice guides the development of economic systems, addressing and resolving issues of production: what to produce, how to produce, how much to produce, and how to distribute the fruits of production. Microeconomic principles are emphasized and marketing principles are introduced through the assessment of business actions in new product development. Students initiate, create, and develop their own new product. By understanding their new product, students gain insight into how market forces influence corporate success.

Modern World History

Students in grade 10 continue their study of world history in this course which covers the time period from 1300 to the present. The themes of political, social and artistic developments in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas are continued, and special focus is paid to the world wars and post-war years. Students read several collateral books as well as the basic text, and in addition work on research and writing skills. With the permission of the history department chair, students in grade 10 may take Advanced World History in place of this course.

US History

This course studies the growth of America from European contact with native populations through the development of the United States becoming a world superpower in the twentieth century. Focusing on the political and social development of the United States, students gain an appreciation for the complexities of America’s past. Special emphasis is placed on analysis of primary documents, essay writing, and discussion.

World History

All students entering in the 9th grade are required to take 3 term long courses in World History.