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History Electives
HISTORY
Electives are prioritized for Class 11 and Class 12, but some are offered to all students based on schedule availability. Electives may not be substituted for required courses.
Developmental Psychology
Semester course
Prerequisites: one full year of world history In this course, students examine aspects of development through an individual’s lifespan; this exploration helps students to navigate and understand how nature and nurture combine to produce human behavior. With emphases on cognition, language acquisition, social and emotional development, and influences such as gender, culture, and family, this course is designed to offer students opportunities not only to appreciate the experiences of others, but also to connect with their past, present, and future selves. In addition, students will be introduced to founding theorists such as Jean Piaget and Erik Erikson, while also having the chance to conduct independent research on current related topics.
Abnormal Psychology
Semester course
Prerequisites: one full year of world history In this course, students learn to define abnormal behavior, its biological and environmental influences, and various treatment options. Students explore various categories of psychological disorders including personality, anxiety, eating, and depressive disorders. Additionally, they examine the risk factors and definitions of substance abuse and addiction. Students also consider mental wellness and practices such as mindfulness and healthy coping strategies and skills.
British Imperialism Honors: The Global impact From Magna Carta to the Middle East
Semester course; not offered 2022-2023
Prerequisites: one full year of world history, a U.S. History course, and department approval This course considers the ongoing impact of the British Empire with particular focus on India and Pakistan, South Africa, Egypt, and the Middle East. The course focuses on the political, economic and cultural impacts of British imperialism in these areas and how the British actions continue to influence the geopolitical status of nations such as India, Pakistan, Egypt and Iraq. Forms of representative governments, capitalist economies and even today’s telecommunications structures can all be connected to British influence, for better or worse. The class includes presentations and writing assignments.
HISTORY
History of Social Justice
Semester course
Prerequisites: one full year of world history and a U.S. History course This course is designed to introduce students to the history, theory, and practice of social justice, and assist them in discovering their ability to create positive change in their world. With a balanced emphasis on historical and contemporary struggles, specific movements discussed could include religious freedom, abolition, suffrage, civil rights, labor, anti-colonial and anti-apartheid independence movements, LGBTQ issues, Occupy, affordable housing, Black Lives Matter, disability rights, #MeToo, indigenous peoples’ campaigns, environmentalism, and criminal justice reform. In addition to exploring the reasons behind social inequalities and how unjust institutional practices maintain and reproduce power, privilege and oppression, students also discuss how societal inequalities have influenced human understanding, relationships, and behavior in the past and present.
History of Boston
Semester course; not offered 2022-2023
Prerequisites: one full year of world history This course investigates the history of the Boston area and surrounding New England. The course focuses on important historical, economic, social, political, and cultural characteristics of Boston and the region, including important historical figures, the impact of immigration, and local issues of class, race and gender. Beginning with the relations between Native American cultures and the early European settlers, we look at how the events in the Northeast developed a framework for the founding and evolution of the United States overall. We also review the economic and social development of the region, including the development of cultural institutions such as the great universities and museums. We use a variety of primary and secondary sources, including a review of significant current day news items.
Women in American History: From Salem to Steinem
Semester course
Prerequisites: one full year of world history This course explores the role of women in participating, shaping, and writing American History. The goal of this course is to expose students to different voices and experiences and show the complexity and diversity of our nation’s history. We answer what it means to be a woman in America and examine how that answer has changed and continues to change over time. Beginning with the challenges of colonial life for both colonial women and Native American women, this course examines major moments in Women’s History: The Revolutionary War, the role of all women in the Civil War, the Suffrage Movement, WWI and WWII, Second Wave Feminism, and ends with a focus on women in the 21st century and current challenges they face. We use a variety of primary and secondary historical sources, as well as popular literature and film.
HISTORY
Modern Conflicts
Semester course
Prerequisites: one full year of world history and a U.S. History course This course examines the major conflicts of the modern world from the end of World War II to the present. By focusing on the causes and effects of instability and conflict in the world today, students gain a deeper understanding of current events and threats to international peace. The course analyzes the significant international and regional conflicts that arose after World War II and throughout the Cold War period and its aftermath, and it examines the use of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction and the role of the United States and international organizations in the world today.
Semester course
Prerequisites: one full year of world history, a U.S. History course, and department approval This course examines the role of the Supreme Court in the constitutional democracy of the United States. By analyzing significant court cases, students examine the impact of the “third branch” of the federal government on American politics, economics, society, and culture. Students focus on how the Court’s policymaking sometimes leads, reinforces, or lags behind the values of American society and gain a deeper understanding of the complexity of the legal process and its evolution.
Economics Honors
Semester course
Prerequisites: one year of world history, one year of U.S. History, and department approval This single semester course introduces the study of Economics. The course will cover key microeconomic and macroeconomic concepts such as scarcity and economic systems, supply and demand, structures of firms, the role of government and the Federal Reserve, and measurements such as gross domestic product, along with other related topics. Students develop an understanding of how economic structures impact people’s daily lives and global relations and events. The course focuses on the structure of market economies. The course will look at current events such as the Great Recession and Covid-19 through the lens of economic impact and the use of fiscal and monetary policy to manage the societal impact. The course will utilize textbook readings as well as media sources such as the Wall Street Journal and the Planet Money podcasts.
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Modern American Society and Culture
Semester course
Prerequisites: one year of US History This single semester course looks at a century of US history (1920-2020) through a social and cultural approach to what is known as the “American Century.” The course considers how people living in the United States experienced profound changes in their own lives as a result of the emergence of the United States as a global “superpower.” Students consider each decade of the century with focus on technology, literature, industry, film, music, and social movements. What were people watching and listening to? What technologies changed people’s daily lives? The course looks at significant events of each decade and then incorporates class projects on the focus areas. For instance, students research technological developments that had significant demographic impacts such as the rise of the automobile. Students will similarly focus on how demographics, such as the “baby boom,” have an impact on artistic developments such as the protest music of the 1960s. The course uses primary and secondary sources including film, advertising, literature, and journalistic articles to consider these historical themes. Students engage in class discussions as well as prepare presentations and complete writing assignments.
