History Curriculum
History Introduction:
There is an old adage that says “Those who forget the past are bound to repeat it.” Through the students study this year we will seek to give them a better understanding of the past so that the students will be able to live with a global historical perspective, which will make them conscientious history makers in their culture and our global society. We teach in a student oriented, interactive and flexible classroom setting. By making learning history enjoyable and fun for the students, we hope that they are better able to understand, retain and utilize what they learn in class. In enhancing our student’s understanding of the past, we hope to cultivate their minds in preparation for their futures.
Elementary Curriculum
All students have daily Reading, Grammar & Writing, Science/Social Studies, Math, and Chinese core classes. 1st through 3rd-grade students study core classes in their homerooms, specialized teachers teach Math and Science in upper elementary.
Middle School Curriculum
Grade 6
– Students will be able to understand how ancient civilizations, such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, or Rome, are responsible for many of the aspects of modern society, such as language, politics, or religion.
– Students will be able to compare and contrast the G.R.A.P.E.S (geography, religion, achievements, politics, economy, social structure) of ancient civilizations.
– Students will be able to differentiate between primary and secondary historical sources and how each is used for historical research.
– Students will be able to formulate a historically based opinion and support that opinion with facts and sources.
Grade 7
-Students will understand how events from the Middles Ages helped to shape the world we live in today. We will cover material ranging roughly from the fall of Rome to the early Renaissance. We will also cover China from the Han dynasty to the fall of the Song dynasty.
-Students will learn to be discerning pupils and begin to be able to identify bias in historical sources.
-Student’s will hone essential classroom skills such as effective note taking, proper study techniques and how to work with peers in a group setting.
-Student’s will learn to approach the study of history by viewing each bit of material as part of a larger whole. They will retain material not through memorization, but by understanding the story.
Grade 8
-Students will be able to identify the causes and effects of major historical movements such as the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, or the Age of Exploration.
-Students will be able to formulate an opinion by analyzing a variety of historical sources and synthesizing the facts to support their opinion.
-Students will be able to connect different eras of history to show how decisions or theories made in one era can affect how history is shaped.
-Students will understand the concepts of chronology, change, conflict, multiple perspectives, primary and secondary sources, and how they relate to history.
High School Curriculum
Grade 9
-Students will learn about the 20th century from the events leading to WWI to the Cold War. They will understand causal relationships between these historical events and how they created our modern world.
-Students will be able to quickly and effectively analyze sources in order to determine potential bias.
-Students will learn how to write proper essays on historical content.
-Students will be able to identify cause and effect within our lessons for the purpose of retaining information and predicting the future actions of people and states.
World History (Grades 9 & 10)
Students will explore the “big ideas” or patterns that connect history, with a focus on concepts such as revolution, nationalism, imperialism, democracy, and dictatorship, in addition to political, economic, and belief systems. They will increase their knowledge & understanding of modern world history. The students will analyze the cause and effects of different world events while applying historical principles to the situations presented to them. The students will develop critical thinking and analysis skills using maps, primary sources, and thinking maps. Special attention will be given to the development of writing skills using historical topics and the improvement of note-taking and study skills.
US History (Grades 9 & 10)
In this course, students will examine the major turning points in American history beginning with the events leading up to the American Revolution, the origins of our Constitution, reform movements, Manifest Destiny, the Civil War and Reconstruction, the impact of the frontier, the changing nature of business and government, World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, the growth of the United States as a world power, the Cold War and the struggle to achieve class, ethnic, racial, and gender equality. Through documents and readings, students will analyze both primary and secondary sources and form opinions on Historical issues. Students will learn to relate and draw conclusions as to how the past relates to the present through reading, research, discussion, and participation in individual and group work. These goals will equip students with an understanding of societal foundations, cause and effect through time and everyday life, as well critical thinking skills which can be expressed in reading comprehension, writing, speaking, and research.
Introduction to Economics (Grades 9 & 10)
Economics is the social science of studying the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. At its most basic, economics considers how a society provides for its needs. Its most basic need is survival; which requires food, clothing, and shelter. Once those are covered, it can then look at more sophisticated commodities such as services, personal transport, entertainment, the list goes on. This introductory course uses real-life examples from around the world to make economic principles vivid and memorable. The fundamental idea behind the course is that economics can be uncomplicated and informative.
AP Human Geography (Grades 9 & 10)
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of Earth’s surface. Students employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to examine the human social organization and its environmental consequences. They also learn about the methods and tools geographers use in their science and practice. Students will learn to interpret maps and analyze geospatial data, understand and explain the implications of associations and networks among phenomena in places, recognize and interpret the relationships among patterns and processes at different scales of analysis, define regions and evaluate the regionalization process, and characterize and analyze changing interconnections among places. Advanced Placement courses provide college-level material and instruction to prepare students for the optional externally-moderated exam in May. Success in this exam can lead to university credit in the United States.
AP World History (Grades 10 & 11)
The AP World History course is structured around the investigation of five-course themes and 19 key concepts in six different chronological periods, from approximately 1200 to the present. Advanced Placement courses provide college-level material and instruction to prepare students for the optional externally-moderated exam in May. Success in this exam can lead to university credit in the United States.
AP Macro-/Micro-Economics (Grades 10 & 11)
AP Macroeconomics focuses on the principles that apply to an economic system as a whole. The course places particular emphasis on the study of national income and price-level determination; it also develops students’ familiarity with economic performance measures, the financial sector, stabilization policies, economic growth, and international economics. Students learn to use graphs, charts, and data to analyze, describe, and explain economic concepts. Microeconomics provides a thorough understanding of the principles of economics that apply to the functions of individual decision-makers, both consumers, and producers, within the larger economic system. It places primary emphasis on the nature and functions of product markets and includes the study of factor markets and of the role of government in promoting greater efficiency and equity in the economy. Macro-Economics and Micro-Economics are separate exams. This course will prepare students for both of these externally-moderated exams in May. Success in these exams can lead to university credit in the United States.
