to live out the assertion of Martin Luther King, Jr.: “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.” One afternoon each week, students meet to talk, to learn, and to serve. Our work takes us out into city to meet new people, to see ourselves and the city of Atlanta anew, and to practice the ideas we encounter in the classroom. Through our experiences with one another and with strangers, and through our reflection on those experiences, we mean to foster, develop, and nurture in one another those habits and practices necessary for citizenship, practices that, in Democracy in America, Alexis de Toqueville calls “habits of the heart.” Juniors entering the course must read over the summer a required text to be determined by the History department. Not offered in 2011-12. AP English Language and Composition: American Studies, 2 credits: 1 AP English; 1 AP American History. This two-period block course combines the study of American literature with AP American History to provide an interdisciplinary learning experience. Guided by a traditional chronological framework, students will work with primary historical documents, literary texts, art, music, and film to gain a more sophisticated awareness of selected periods in U.S. history. Similarly, the study of the historical context in which works of literature appeared and their role in mirroring and/or shaping their times will enrich the students’ understanding and appreciation for those texts and their reflection of the American experience. The course requires an AP history recommendation. Not offered in 2011-12.
HISTORY DEVELOPMENT of perspective on many facets of human experience is the aim of the study of history. Skills essential to this study are emphasized and reinforced at every grade level: gathering and interpreting data; analyzing concepts; synthesizing disparate material; and supporting generalizations. Since critical evaluation and intelligent expression are an essential part of the learning process, each student is expected to learn to read perceptively and write in a lucid, logical manner that involves advocacy and evidence. Responsible citizenship in the modern world has its foundation in awareness of the complexity of problems that confront society. Therefore, one function of the department is the study of contemporary issues with a view toward placing them in a world-historical context.
Required Courses & AP Courses History of the Ancient World, ½ credit. Semester required course. Sophomores. Common heritage of humankind (5th century B.C.-A.D. 1350); study of ideas, institutions, and individuals of ancient Rome, India, China, Japan, Africa, the Islamic empire, Byzantium, and/or medieval Europe through primary and secondary sources; techniques of analysis and interpretation. HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULAR AND CO-CURRICULAR OFFERINGS 2011-12
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