The Lovett School Upper School History Curriculum
The Lovett School Vision for Learning Lovett offers experiences that inspire our students to love learning. We encourage them to think critically, communicate effectively, engage creatively, and collaborate purposefully. We provide the opportunities and resources that help our students develop independence and self-direction and extend their learning beyond the walls of the classroom as they grow intellectually, emotionally, physically, aesthetically, morally, and spiritually.
500 - Foundations of the Western World Course Description Grade: 9 (rising 9 and 10 in summer) Group: I Units: 0.5 Offered: Fall/Spring/Summer Foundations of the Western World is a semester-long course that examines the social, economic, political, and religious development of mankind from approximately 3,000 B.C. in the Fertile Crescent to the Renaissance in Europe. Emphasis is put on the prominent aspects of GrecoRoman and Judeo-Christian traditions and how they shaped our modern world and the west today. Units involving non-western civilizations such as the Ancient Near East, Egypt, and those of Islamic civilization will be learned as well. Students will develop skills in chronology, historical causation, geography, and essay composition. The course is designed to dovetail with the tenth grade Modern Global History and AP World History curricula. Essential Questions 1. Why is the study of prehistory/history so vital to understanding our present condition in the 21st century? 2. How have the political, social, religious, and economic contributions of the early civilizations of the Fertile Crescent and Europe contributed to the institutions, which define us today and hallmark “western civilization�? 3. Why is it important for us to study art/architecture/literature/philosophy/drama in the ancient world if we are to have a complete understanding of our own civilization? Assessments Each unit will culminate with a written test. Throughout each unit, students will be held accountable for assignments through regular quizzes or study guides. Students will tie their learning to current events in the region. All students will produce a scholarly research paper and presentation, complete with citations and annotations. The final exam will be cumulative, asking students to be familiar with themes which concern all of the civilizations that they have studied. Furthermore, they must be able to evaluate the effect that these themes have had on the politics, religion, law, government, and society of later civilizations. The research paper focuses on the ability of a student to pose a historical question, take a side of a historical argument in answering that question, and examining the evidence that proves that argument. This paper focuses on critical thinking skills, historical research skills, and writing skills. Limited primary and secondary scholarly sources are utilized for this paper. Skills Benchmarks Students will: 1. Be able to understand various ancient civilizations and their contributions made to man’s cultural development. 2. Begin to be able to understand and articulate cause/effect relationships, compare and contrast questions. 3. Be able to describe and analyze the trends that led to the development of various political institutions.
4. Evaluate the credibility of primary and secondary source material in terms of the thesis question. 5. Find credible sources on the internet and within the source material to which Lovett subscribes. 6. Learn the craft of historical citation and the style used to note these in their annotated bibliography and research paper. Units 1. Ancient Near East (Fertile Crescent/Mesopotamia) 2. Ancient Egypt 3. The beginnings of Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism 4. Peoples of the Mediterranean Basin (Minoans, Phoenicians, Persians) 5. Ancient Greece – the dawn of democracy and Greek culture 6. Ancient Rome (including Etruscans, the Roman Republic and Empire) 7. Late Antiquity and Early Christianity 8. The beginnings of Islam and the Muslim Conquest 9. Byzantine Empire 10. The Middle Ages in Europe (Crusades, Feudal System) 11. Medieval Royalty in Europe (from Charlemagne to England and France) 12. The Renaissance in Italy and the North 13. The Protestant Reformation and Counter Reformation Materials Students will use the textbook, World History Patterns of Interaction, Houghton Mifflin, plus a variety of supplementary materials, including primary and secondary documents, maps, and videos. Updated July 2018
505 - Foundations of World Cultures Course Description Grade: 9 (rising 9 and 10 in summer) Group: I Units: 0.5 Offered: Fall/Spring/Summer Foundations of World Cultures is a semester-long course that examines the regions of Latin America, the Middle East, India, and China, focusing on the geography, history, and contemporary issues of these areas. Students will develop skills in note taking and organization, chronology, geography, and historical research and writing. Students will learn to do scholarly research online and use various databases, recognizing and evaluating high-level websites, databases, journal articles, and blogs. The course is designed to dovetail with the tenth grade Modern Global History and AP World History curricula. Assessments Students will complete a variety of assessments during the semester. Each unit will require students to take a summative assessment as unit's end, but will also give students the opportunity to work on oral presentation skills and research skills in varying formats. Students need to be instructed on how to use the internet effectively, particularly the skills of locating and evaluating high-quality online sources. Because of this, the research in this course is focused upon those skills. The research paper will allow instructors to guide students in using quality online sources and develop students' ability to evaluate those sources through the writing of annotated bibliographies and other assignments that focus on a student's ability to critically analyze a source. Students are exposed to a variety of online sources including databases, blogs, and articles, but the focus always remains on helping students develop the tools of critical evaluation. Students ultimately use those skills to write a short but scholarly and well-researched paper - a culmination of the many historical skills developed in this course, particularly the skills of critical analysis. The ability for students to present themselves effectively in oral presentations are cultivated throughout the semester based upon the above mentioned research. Students also use images to help them tell a historical story in an engaging and dynamic fashion. Thus students learn and practice the art of delivering a quality research-based presentation, using images to help tell the story so that they learn to become the historical storytellers, thus practicing oral presentation skills. Essential Questions: 1. Why does the history and geography of a region impact its economic, cultural, religious and political life? 2. How did these circumstances contribute to the contemporary issues of the region? 3. How do the interactions of the United States and other western cultures bring about consequences that impact the global community? 4. How do the focused upon skills assist in developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills that will help students in life?
Skills Benchmarks: Students will: 1. Demonstrate progression in organization and time management. 2. Demonstrate progression in their ability to take notes from a textbook and a lecture. 3. Demonstrate progression in their ability to understand the sequence and the cause and effect relationship of chronological events. 4. Demonstrate progression in their ability to break down a historical concept in a historical identification, indicating the “who or what,” “when,” “where,” “did what,” and “so what” in a well-written paragraph. This will permit students to analyze the matters of fact and impact of the topic of the historical identification. 5. Gain a better understanding of geography, completing maps for each unit. 6. Be able to understand that literature can be utilized to illuminate historical texts. 7. Learn to analyze material and study more effectively by preparing study guides prior to each assessment. 8. Learn to write a historical essay, complete with a thesis statement, supporting evidence, and a conclusion. 9. Learn to integrate current events with classroom discussion and integrate those topics into broader ideas being presented in the classroom. 10. Learn to interpret political cartoons in relation to the topic of study. 11. Learn to research more effectively online, evaluating sources and finding relevant, scholarly information online. 12. Integrate this research into a research essay which presents an issue and argues both sides by integrating specific evidence; they will footnote that evidence. Students will also learn how to write a work-cited page in accordance with MLA format. 13. Learn to orally present material in a well-planned and structured presentation, with particular attention to preparation and proper use of formal standard English. Units 1. 2. 3. 4.
Latin America The Middle East China India
Materials Students utilize portions of the textbook World History: Patterns of Interaction. A majority of student material is located in the teacher created course packet. In this packet, there is information ranging from study skills strategies to supplementary materials to be utilized for each unit. Students will also use The Lovett School History Department Skills Manual for instruction on particular skills useful in the study of the discipline of history. Updated July 2018
510 - Modern Global History Course Description Grade: 10 Group: I Units: 1.0 This course investigates global history, geography, and society from roughly 1500 to the present through multiple vantage points. Students will consider the Western/European interpretation of the modern world in comparison and contrast with the history of Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Mediterranean worlds. The intention is for students to see current global issues like terrorism, environmental challenges, the status of women in society, etc. from both a historical and contemporary framework. The curriculum and instructional models are inquiry-based and students do extensive research, writing and collaborative work. Essential Questions: 1. In what ways do the stories of the modern world differ based on perspective, location, gender, class, and ethnicity? 2. What are the positive and negatives of modernization? 3. What are the positive and negatives of globalization? 4. Why is the world less safe? 5. What is happening to our global resources? 6. Why is there poverty and inequity? 7. How can an individual make change happen? Assessments 1. A major assessment will occur at the end of each quarter 2. Individual and group oral presentations will take place on both historical and contemporary topics 3. Each student will be responsible for writing two research papers (an introductory one in the second quarter and a more comprehensive one in the third quarter). 4. Each semester will conclude with a comprehensive culminating examination. 5. Example Assessment: During the fall research project, students will examine the “Connective Tissue” and Comparative Impact between two different people/items/events from across the global spectrum. In both connecting and weighing evidence to make a value judgement on subjects such as Malinche and Mary Wollstonecraft, Shah Jahan and Mansa Musa, the Boxer Rebellion and the Sepoy Rebellion, students will expand their research and information management skills as well as bolster their critical thinking skills in both written and oral formats. Skills Benchmarks Students will: 1. Expand their geographical knowledge base. 2. Develop and expand “lenses” through which to filter information helping them to understand bias and perspective more fully. 3. Improve information management skills 4. Expand their capacity to compare and contrast ideas and better understand contextualization and causation
5. Improve their critical thinking skills (analysis, synthesis, evaluation) by examining both primary and secondary sources. 6. Achieve proficiency in constructing a historical essay, including thesis, body, and conclusion. 7. Gain experience and confidence in oral presentation skills. 8. Expand their understanding and use of technology. 9. Learn to work collaboratively and productively 10. Increase awareness and understanding of the world they are living in Units 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Understanding and Developing a Global Perspective 1500-1900: The Modern World Through the 5 Lenses The World Wars and the 20th Century 1945-1990 and the Rise of Globalism Contemporary Global Problems
Textbook Materials World History: Patterns of Interaction, Roger B. Beck, Linda Black, Larry S. Kreiger, Phillip C. Naylor, Dahia Ibo Shabaka. New York: McDougal Little, 2009. Updated September 2018
517 - AP World History Course Description Grade: 10 Group: 1 Units: 1.0 Prerequisite: Application and departmental recommendation Fee: $94 AP Exam Fee The AP World History course focuses on developing students' understanding of world history from approximately 8000 B.C.E. to the present. The course has students investigate the content of world history for significant events, individuals, developments, and processes in six historical periods, and develop and use the same thinking skills and methods (analyzing primary and secondary sources, making historical comparisons, chronological reasoning, and argumentation) employed by historians when they study the past. The course also provides five themes (interaction between humans and the environment; development and interaction of cultures; state building, expansion, and conflict; creation, expansion, and interaction of economic systems; and development and transformation of social structures) that students explore throughout the course in order to make connections among historical developments in different times and places encompassing the five major geographical regions of the globe: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Essential Questions 1. Unit 1: How did different groups of humans successfully adapt to changing environmental conditions or migrate to different regions of the earth? ▼ What are the causes and consequences of new ways of living following the Neolithic revolution? 2. Unit 2: How do social, political, and cultural institutions increase in complexity with the movement from village life to city-states to empires? ▼ What is the interaction between settled and nomadic peoples? ▼ What are the consequences of regional trade networks? 3. Unit 3: What are the political, social, and cultural effects of new or continuing belief systems? ▼ What aided the extension and intensification of trade and communication networks and how did long-distance trade influence economic practices and production? ▼ What are the consequences of long-distance migrations, whether by sea or by land? 4. Unit 4: What factors led the West to begin to assert power in different parts of the world? ▼ How do changes in the world economy affect social and cultural systems? ▼ What is the global impact of the Columbian Exchange? 5. Unit 5: How did the increase in global trade help lead to the rise of capitalism and revolutions in production and labor? ▼ How do new methods of production and the growing power of imperial states affect the lives of citizens? ▼ What are the forces leading to political and social revolutions? ▼ How do the needs of new global economies and new modes of transportation lead to global migration (both free and coerced)? 6. Unit 6: What is the global impact of new ideas in economics, science, and technology? ▼ What are the causes and effects of global conflict? ▼ How do innovations in communication and transportation help create a global culture? ▼ In what ways do individuals and local groups resist globalization?
Assessment 1. Three tests each semester 2. Fall Semester Exam 3. A term paper 4. Four or five Document Based Essay Questions 5. Pop quizzes on homework reading assignments 6. The AP Examination in the spring Skills Benchmarks 1. Students learn to take comprehensive class notes in order to comprehend broad trends in history. 2. Students analyze complex material from different time periods as they learn to understand trends that they then present in five paragraph essays. 3. Students learn to write their first comprehensive term paper, where they present an argument in a thesis statement and then support this argument throughout their paper. 4. Students learn to write Document Based Questions, as they prepare for their first AP Examination. Units 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Technological and Environmental Transformations, to c. 600 B.C.E. Organization of Human Societies, c. 600 B.C.E. to c. 600 Regional and Transregional Interactions, c. 600 to c. 1450 Global Interactions, c. 1450 to c. 1750 Industrialization and Global Integration, c. 1750 to c. 1900 Global Changes and Realignments, c. 1900 to the Present
Updated October 2015
520 - American Studies History Course Description Grade: 11 Group: I Units: 1.0 This course combines a traditional American literature class and U.S. history survey into an interdisciplinary examination of the American experience. While history and literature anchor the course, art, music, and other aspects of American culture will be examined. The course takes place during two class periods and is taught by two teachers, one from the history department and one from the English department. Joint assessments, including tests, projects, and exams, contribute to the interdisciplinary nature of the course. Essential Questions 1. How did the spirit and tenets of Puritanism, Rationalism, Romanticism, Realism, Modernism, and Post-modernism inform their respective time periods? 2. How are the enduring themes of this course (Individualism, “The Other,� City Upon a Hill, Nature, The Melting Pot) interpreted and reinterpreted over the course of American history, literature and art? Assessments 1. During each unit, students will be responsible for engaging in and, during Socratic Seminars, leading class discussions. They will be guided by reading/discussion questions provided by the teacher, or that they develop themselves. 2. A minimum of three times during the year, students will be responsible for researching pieces of American art and music and presenting their analysis to the class. These presentations will help students develop their research and public speaking skills. 3. A joint unit test will occur at the end of the Puritanism, Rationalism, Romanticism, Realism, and Modernism units. 4. During the spring semester, the students will choose a topic within American history, literature, and culture and produce an interdisciplinary research paper articulating their insights about American culture. 5. Students will complete a final exam at the end of the fall semester and a creative project at the end of the spring semester. Skills Benchmarks 1. To analyze a variety of primary sources (written, visual, aural) 2. To hone oral speaking skills through in-class presentations 3. To hone writing skills, particularly thesis development and paragraph formation 4. To incorporate literary texts into essays and papers using SEQUOIA 5. To write correctly formatted citations and annotated bibliographies Units 1. Puritanism / Colonialism 2. Rationalism and the American Revolution 3. Romanticism and Westward Expansion
4. 5. 6. 7.
The Civil war and Emancipation Realism and the Gilded Age Modernism Post-Modernism
Materials There is no required textbook for this class. Students will use online history notes and documents. Students will also read a variety of primary source documents and scholarly articles or selections from historical texts. Additional information will be provided through student research projects. Occasionally, we will read articles from periodicals and newspapers about current events. We will make sparing use of videos, including Peter Jennings' The Century, selections from Ken Burns’ video history of the Civil War, and the History Channel's American Presidents series. Updated August 2013
525 - Honors American Studies Course Description Grade: 11 Group: I Units: 1.0 Prerequisite: Application The honors section of American Studies combines traditional American literature and U.S. history surveys into an interdisciplinary examination of the American experience. While history and literature provide the backbone of the course, American art, music, film, and other aspects of American culture are examined. The course takes place during two class periods and is taught by two teachers, one from the history department and one from the English department. Assignments in the honors course include: reading primary and secondary material, writing personal reflections and literary and historical analyses, preparing an interdisciplinary research project, and building skills in composition, grammar, geography, vocabulary, and oral presentation. In addition to the interdisciplinary class work and tests required in the course, all class members will take a single extended exam at the end of each semester. Honors students should expect not only heightened expectations and advanced coursework but also more indepth treatments of the intersections between America’s history and its cultural productions, as well as increased volume and pace. They will read additional novels, complete frequent takehome tests, and create Document-Based Question (DBQ) responses. Note: Honors students may opt to take the AP United States History exam, which requires a $94 AP exam fee. Essential Questions 1. How did the spirit and tenets of Puritanism, Rationalism, Romanticism, Realism, Modernism and Post-modernism inform their respective time periods? 2. How are the enduring themes of this course (Individualism, “The Other,” City upon a Hill, Nature, The Melting Pot, the Frontier, the American Dream) interpreted and reinterpreted over the course of American history, literature, and art? 3. How do high and low culture contribute to our understanding of American culture? 4. What is America's place on the global stage? 5. How have various marginalized group shaped the American narrative? Assessments 1. During each unit, students will be responsible for engaging in and, during Socratic Seminars, leading class discussions. They will be guided by reading/discussion questions provided by the teacher, or that they develop themselves. Class discussion and participation in those discussions of vital import to the development of each student. 2. A minimum of three times during the year, students will be responsible for researching pieces of American art and music and presenting their analysis to the class. These presentations will help students develop their research and public speaking skills. Bernadette: do you want to leave this in since the art presentation has been somewhat modified?
3. A joint unit test will occur at the end of the Puritanism, Rationalism, Romanticism, Realism, Determinism, and Modernism units. 4. During the spring semester, the students will choose a topic within American history, literature, and culture and produce an interdisciplinary research paper articulating their insights about American culture. 5. Students will complete a final exam at the end of the fall semester and a creative project at the end of the spring semester. 6. The American Studies research paper requires students to conduct in-depth research, synthesize the information they’ve gathered, forge their own original and innovative interpretation, and employ all the fundamentals of argumentative writing we’ve practiced this year to compose a persuasive, organized, and well-supported paper. The student will: 1. Analyze a variety of primary sources (written, visual, aural) 2. Hone oral speaking skills through in-class presentations 3. Hone writing skills, particularly thesis development and paragraph formation 4. Incorporate literary texts into essays and papers using SEQUOIA 5. Write correctly formatted citations and annotated bibliographies
Units 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Puritanism/Colonialism Rationalism and the American Revolution Romanticism and Westward Expansion The Civil War and Emancipation Realism and the Gilded Age Modernism Post-Modernism
Materials This course utilizes The American Pageant. In addition, students will access a variety of online resources, including online notes and supplementary readings. Students will also read a wide variety of primary source documents and scholarly articles or selections from historical texts. Additional information will be provided through student research projects. Occasionally, we will read articles from periodicals and newspapers about current events. We will make sparing use of videos, including Peter Jennings' The Century, selections from Ken Burns’ video history of the Civil War, and the History Channel's American Presidents series. Updated September 2018
530 - American Law & Government Course Description Grade: 11-12 Group: I Units: 0.5 Offered: Fall/Spring This course will give students an analytical perspective on government and policies in the United States. This course involves the study of how the interpretation of the law affects policies at the federal, state, and local levels. There will be special emphasis on civil rights, civil liberties, and the criminal justice system. This course focuses on state law more so than federal law. Case studies and round-robin discussions on pertinent related issues will be a major focus of the course. Essential Questions 1. How do society and government attempt to balance enforcing the law and protecting civil rights? 2. What is the relationship between crime and poverty? 3. What are the principles and goals of the correctional system? 4. What does Free Speech really mean, and what does it require? 5. How pervasive is the 14th Amendment in modern American society? Required Assessments 1. Unit tests 2. Position Paper on topic within Criminal/Constitutional Law 3. Essay project –Malcolm X 4. Opposition-Preparation project 5. Final Exam Course Benchmarks Students will: 1. Demonstrate a progression in absorbing and analyzing a volume of information, and based on such, be able to structure and defend a position in both oral and written format. 2. Be able to recognize the confluence of multiple factors in shaping major facets of American law. 3. Be able to critically examine opposing sides of complex, controversial social issues. 4. Be able to differentiate both between and within the inter-related strains of American Law. Course Units 1. Government 101 2. Criminal Law 3. Civil Law 4. Constitutional Law 5. Discrimination
Resources 1. Street Law, Student Edition by McGraw Hill, 2004 2. The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley 3. Anatomy of a Jury by Seymour Wishman Updated August 2018
532 - Introduction to Economics Course Description Grade: 10-12 Group: I Units: 0.5 Offered: Spring only Introduction to Economics examines how economic theory shapes the world around us. The course begins with behavioral economics, applying concepts like sunk cost theory and marginal utility to the decision-making process of Lovett students. The course then examines the extent to which the theory of supply and demand applies to the market for private schools in Atlanta. The course also asks how fiscal and monetary policies being debated in the news impacts businesses and corporations in Atlanta. Finally, Intro to Econ debates the causes of the 2008 Recession and its long-term political and economic consequences. Students will grapple with maximizing utility, supply and demand, elasticity, human capital, gross domestic product, monetary policy, and the Great Recession of 2008. Guests from across Atlanta – CEOs, financiers, small business owners, and Federal Reserve employees – will add insight into how economic theory applies to the “real world.” Note: Students enrolled in 552 - AP Macroeconomics or 554 - AP Microeconomics may not enroll in 532 - Introduction to Economics. Essential Questions 1. How do economic principles apply to your daily life? 2. What role does the government have in a free market? 3. What are the current fiscal and monetary policy debates? 4. What caused the financial collapse of 2008-2009? 5. Is capitalism good for the poor and the planet? Assessments 1. All assessments will be either “formative,” meaning the work does not count toward the final grade or “summative,” when the grade does count. 2. Formative assessments are like practices meant to prepare students for the big game (i.e., the summative). These formative assessments will be recorded daily and averaged. They will include annotations of the nightly readings, participation in discussions, practice writing assignments, and vocabulary quizzes. 3. Summative assessments are the grades that count on the report card. These include extended paragraphs, document-based essays, the take-home paper, and the debate. 4. As long as students maintain a formative average above 75%, they may rewrite their summative assignments as many times as they like, each for a new grade. Skills Benchmarks Students will develop: 1. The skill of application, taking microeconomic and macroeconomic concepts and reapplying them to different scenarios.
2. The skill of analysis, breaking down an economic argument into its component parts and then supporting that argument with evidence. 3. The skill of evaluation, learning to judge the economic validity of various government policies. 4. Their intellectual agility, debating specific economic topics in front of an audience. Materials 1. The Instant Economist by Timothy Taylor 2. The Undercover Economist by Tim Harford 3. Naked Economics by Charles Wheelan Updated September 2013
534 - History of Global Nonviolence Course Description Grades: 11-12 Group: I Units: 0.5 Offered: Spring only The History of Global Nonviolence class examines the prevalence and persistence of nonviolence throughout the world’s history. The course begins by helping students understand that diverse types of violence must be met by equally diverse types of nonviolence. The instructor seeks a balance between personal and political, theory and practice to help students understand the complexity and nuance involved in diverse examples of historical examples of violence and nonviolence. Recognizing that Gandhian nonviolence was instrumental in the rise of nonviolence as a global phenomenon, considerable attention is paid to his synthesis of religious and strategic nonviolence in South Africa and India. Students are also introduced to the work of Gene Sharp, an American historian and nonviolent theorist whose work set the stage for multiple nonviolent movements in the 21st century in Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. The instructor connects history with current events and student interest to show how nonviolence has effectively addressed a variety of forms of violence around the world. Note: This course may also be applied toward the history OR elective religion requirement. Essential Questions 1. What is Violence? 2. What is Nonviolence? 3. What is Peace? 4. What do the religions of India teach about nonviolence? 5. Do enduring peaceful cultures exist? 6. What are the beliefs, values, and practices of enduring peaceful cultures? 7. Are the cultural technologies of peaceful cultures transferable? 8. What evidence exists to support the thesis that nonviolence has always been part of human history? 9. Who are the most influential theorists of nonviolence in the 20th and 21st century? 10. What factors have contributed to the rise of global nonviolence? 11. Why do people choose nonviolence? 12. How can one evaluate the “success” of nonviolence (and violence)? Assessments 1. Participation (25%) Includes active listening, making meaningful contributions, and having a consistently responsible work ethic. It encompasses the student's attitude, curiosity, and demeanor as she/he engages in the learning process. 2. Ning (55%) All written homework is submitted via the online discussion forum (Ning). Each student is expected to participate twice each week in on-going written discussions with the instructors and other New Testament students. Students should produce their best written work and attend to the grading expectations as outlined in the rubric (posted
under the Ning Assessment Page). Please note: Missing, late, and poorly developed responses can significantly impact a student's grade. 3. Final Assessment (10%) Students will design, implement, and critically evaluate a nonviolent strategy for social change group project in lieu of a final exam. Units of Study 1. Religious Roots and Cultural Technologies of Nonviolence a. Jainism and Buddhism (India) b. Indigenous Peace Cultures (Africa, South America, Asia, South Pacific) 2. History of Nonviolence through the 1900’s (Western focus) 3. Strategic Nonviolence in the 20th and 21st centuries a. Gandhi: Synthesizing Religious and Strategic Nonviolence (Africa/India) b. Gene Sharp: Strategic Nonviolence (South Pacific, Africa, Europe, Middle East, South and Central America, Asia) c. Recent local, national, global examples of nonviolence Skills Benchmarks Students will: 1. Understand, analyze, and evaluate the nonviolent values, beliefs, and practices found in diverse indigenous and major religions. 2. Understand, analyze, and evaluate the strategic nonviolent theories articulated and practiced by M. Gandhi, Gene Sharp, and others in the 20th and 21st centuries. 3. Understand and evaluate the efficacy of different nonviolent strategies and tactics. 4. Learn and practice interpersonal conflict resolution strategies. 5. Trace, analyze, and evaluate the emergence and success of nonviolent leadership and campaigns in India, Africa, South and Central America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. 6. Reflect upon the dialectical relationships between American and global expressions of nonviolence 7. Practice and strengthen research skills, identifying, analyzing, and evaluating the value of diverse sources. 8. Develop stronger written and verbal communication skills through weekly writing exercises and class discussion 9. Learn to identify and evaluate the strength of achievable goals 10. Develop, implement, assess, and refine strategies for nonviolent social change. 11. Develop collaborative skills, working in partnership and small groups on project-based assignments 12. Practice leadership and communication skills in the implementation of the strategizing for social change project Texts: Excerpts from the following. Please note: Readings are variable and students are expected to do independent research each week to supplement the required texts. 1. Sharp, Gene. Waging Nonviolent Struggle: 20th Century Practice and 21st Century Potential, Boston: Extending Horizons Books, 2005. 2. Zunes, Stephen, Nonviolent Social Movements: A Geographical Perspective 3. Chenoweth, Erica, Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict
4. Schock, Kurt, Unarmed Insurrections: People Power Movements in Nondemocracies 5. Ackerman, Peter, Strategic Nonviolent Conflict: The Dynamics of People Power in the 20th Century 6. Smith-Christopher, Daniel L., Subverting Hatred: The Challenge of Nonviolence in Religious Traditions 7. Stephan, Maria J. ed., Civilian Jihad: Nonviolent Struggle, Democratization, and Governance in the Middle East 8. Semelin, Jacques, Unarmed Against Hitler: Civilian Resistance in Europe, 1935-1943 9. Numerous articles Updated June 2018
536 - History of American Nonviolence Course Description Grades: 11-12 Group: I Units: 0.5 Offered: Fall only Developed as a companion course to American Studies around the theme of conflict and conflict resolution, American Nonviolence explores the evolution of nonviolent theory and practice in the United States. Students examine diverse theologies, theories, and practices of nonviolence from colonial to contemporary times, exploring a broad range of issues. Special focus will be given to strengthening communication, conflict resolution, and research skills. Note: This course may also be applied toward the history OR elective religion requirement. Essential Questions 1. How has nonviolence shaped America’s history? 2. What perceptions of nonviolence have shaped American attitudes? 3. What is the difference between sectarian and strategic nonviolence? 4. What unifies the diverse expressions of Christian nonviolence in America? 5. What is the relationship between theory and practice in American nonviolence? 6. What are some important examples of nonviolent theorists, practitioners, actions, and movements in American history? 7. How does the narrative theme of American nonviolence evolve in relationship to other narratives examined in American Studies? 8. What is the historical relationship between American and global nonviolent theory and practice? Assessments Students will be assessed through a variety of methods including daily writing, weekly dialogical reflection, research papers, multimedia presentation, and group projects. Students will write an integrative reflection paper in lieu of a final exam. Units of Study 1. Colonial Period: Sectarian Nonviolence - Christian Foundations a. Community Formation and Personal Identity b. Unifying Principles: Equality, Freedom of Conscience, Nonviolence c. Conflict management and resolution strategies d. The relationship between Church and State e. Was violent revolution necessary to gain independence? 2. 17th-19th Centuries: Interconnected issue-based nonviolent application a. Anti-War b. Human Rights c. Economic Rights d. Environment 3. Secularization and Strategic Nonviolence in the 20th Century
a. Gandhi b. Gene Sharp c. Strategic Nonviolence 4. Globalization and Applied Nonviolence in the 21st Century a. Interconnections between American and Global nonviolence b. Current Nonviolent American Events c. Strategizing for Social Change Skills Benchmarks Students will: 1. Understand and identify distinctive expressions of American nonviolence, especially the differences between sectarian and strategic forms. 2. Understand and identify the unifying values, beliefs, and practices that distinguish Christian nonviolence. 3. Identify and explain the significance of nonviolent theorists, actions, and events in the history of American nonviolence. 4. Research and uncover “hidden� examples of nonviolence. 5. Understand how nonviolence relates to and co-exists as a theme alongside other narratives in American history. 6. Strengthen their understanding of the dialectical relationship between American and global expressions of nonviolence. 7. Understand how Americans have historically understood and responded to nonviolence. 8. Improve their critical thinking skills through close reading of primary and secondary sources. 9. Learn to identify bias and evaluate the quality of diverse sources of information. 10. Identify, analyze, and evaluate historical and contemporary examples of nonviolence. 11. Strengthen their writing, public speaking, and presentation skills. 12. Apply strategic thinking/problem-solving skills. 13. Strengthen interpersonal communication and conflict resolution skills. 14. Improve their ability to write clearly, precisely, and accurately.
Representative Texts and Resources 1. http://wagingnonviolence.org/ 2. http://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/ 3. Barash, David P. ed. Approaches to Peace: A Reader in Peace Studies. New York: Oxford, 2000. 4. Chernus, Ira. American Nonviolence: The History of an Idea. New York: Orbis, 2004. 5. Lynd, Staughton, and Alice Lynd. Nonviolence in America: A Documentary History. New York: Maryknoll, 1995. Print. 6. Dear, John ed. Mohandas Gandhi: Essential Writings, New York: Orbis, 1970. 7. Roth, John D. Choosing Against War: A Christian View, Pennsylvania: Good Books, 2002. 8. Sharp, Gene. Waging Nonviolent Struggle: 20th Century Practice and 21st Century Potential, Boston: Extending Horizons Books, 2005. 9. Multiple scholarly articles
Updated August 2018
538 - The Holocaust and the History of Genocide Course Description Grades: 11-12 Group: I Units: 0.5 Offered: Spring only This seminar-style course focuses on the Holocaust as both a unique historical event and as one of a series of genocidal events in history. Using a range of reading materials including primary source documents, first-person accounts, monographs, and historical works the class will investigate the ideological roots of Nazism, its rise to power and the application of its doctrine of a Master Race. This will allow students to develop constructive and comparative models for studying other genocidal episodes in the world. Special focus will be given to more recent incidents such as those in Rwanda, Darfur, Bosnia, and the Middle East. Note: Students may not enroll in both 538 - Holocaust and 544 - Holocaust Honors. Essential Questions 1. Are people born evil or do they become evil over time? 2. What is the difference between obedience and conformity? 3. The mantra of Holocaust education is, “Never Again.� Considering that, how far does forgiveness go? How far should forgiveness go? 4. Is there a process for constructing and conducting a genocidal event (genocidal paradigm)? 5. What conditions need to be present in order to promote an act of genocide? 6. What safeguards exist for reporting and eventually preventing genocidal events? 7. In what ways is national sovereignty a stimulus for governments to conduct genocidal events? How does that same concept keep the other countries from stepping in to stop the violence? 8. What type of violence is more destructive to a society, systematic or random? 9. In what ways is the Holocaust a unique historical event? 10. In what ways do genocidal events define the 20th century? 11. What are the personal implications of learning about the idea of genocide? Assessments All assignments in the course are designed to be supportive of the Vision for Learning. They include written tests, reading responses on all reading assignments, group collaborative projects, a final project, and a cumulative semester exam. The Final Project is perhaps most emblematic of the Vision for Learning because it requires students to generate an original idea, conduct research in support of it, develop a creative presentation, present orally, and solicit feedback on the presentation. Texts 1. The Sunflower 2. Address Unknown 3. Love Thy Neighbor
4. One Survivor Remembers 5. Left to Tell Updated August 2018
540 - Honors African Studies Course Description Grade: 12 Group: I Units: 0.5 Offered: Fall only In this course, students will examine key periods, perspectives, and concepts relative to Africa. We will use a platform of novels, film, and student-led seminars to widen our vision to see the world through African eyes. From the early civilizations of Ancient Ghana, Ancient Mali, and Songhai through imperialism and independence and into the modern skirmishes across the continent, we will focus on the unique and universal concerns of ethnic strife to brain drain to Africa's struggle between modernity and traditional cultures. Independent research, comparative textual analysis, and rigorous reading and writing assignments will be staples of the class. Essential Questions 1. What are African stereotypes about the United States and Americans? 2. What are American stereotypes about Africa and Africans? 3. What was the role of Africans in the slave trade? 4. What was the role of Europeans in the slave trade? 5. What are the origins of Apartheid? 6. Why is Kaffir Boy an important piece of literature? 7. What is the Truth and Reconciliation Act? 8. What is the role of the African community of nations in these conflicts? 9. What is the importance of Art to the Akan people? 10. What is the role of religion in the life of a Ghanaian? 11. Compare and contrast the film Keita, The Heritage of the Griot with a child’s coming of age film in the United States. 12. What is the role of the African community of nations in regional conflicts?
Assessments 1. During each unit, students will be responsible for participating in class discussions. They will be guided by reading/discussion questions provided by the teacher, or that they develop themselves. 2. During each unit, students also will be responsible for researching specific topics and presenting their findings to the class. Normally these reports will be about five minutes in length and will help students develop their research and public speaking skills. 3. A major assessment (a test, an in-class essay, paper, or another kind of alternative assessment) will occur at the end of each unit. 4. There will be periodic quizzes to assess students' level of understanding. 5. There will be a final examination. 6. Example: The students will be required to plan a six-nation trip that includes assessing places to visit that have cultural and historical significance. The students will also be required to do an estimated cost analysis of the trip.
Skill Benchmarks Students will learn: 1. How to dispel myths that are associated with stereotypes. 2. The importance of considering opposing viewpoints when discussing issues related to African societies. 3. How to contribute to a blog by use of research and analysis on a variety of topics. 4. The impact of Christianity and Islam on African societies. 5. How African societies are stressing the importance of people becoming self-sufficient. 6. About the challenges many African nations face. 7. How to evaluate the role of the United States and the United Nations in the development of African Society. Units 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
An Introduction to Africa: Making Africa “Real� The Impact of the Slave Trade South Africa Regional Conflicts African film Ghana
Materials 1. Global Studies: Africa, 14th edition by Krabacher, Kalipeni, and Layachi 2. Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane 3. Students will also read a variety of works by African and non-African writers and watch several African films. Updated September 2018
542 - Honors Latin American Studies Course Description Grade: 12 Group: I Units: 0.5 Offered: Fall only Latin American and the United States are increasingly tied through immigration, trade, security, and cultural influences, yet our neighbors in this hemisphere are little understood by U.S. officials, business people, and citizens at large. Students will acquire basic knowledge of key periods, perspectives, and concepts relative to different disciplines (history, literature, economics, and political science). Students will delve in deep detail into the casualties that have shaped the Americas, hone both oral and group presentation skills and workshop creative solutions to Latin American issues. From the early civilizations of the Aztec, Maya, and Inca through European colonization and eventual independence into the modern day, we will focus on the unique and universal concerns from Tierra del Fuego to Tijuana. Essential Questions 1. How and why have traditional Western/European historians discounted native MesoAmerican cultural achievements? 2. How has the role of organized religion been used/perverted in the Western Hemisphere to accomplish secular goals at odds with its intended spiritual purpose? 3. How has the template of natural resource use established by Conquest in the Americas been adapted to current times? 4. What can Latin America’s different answers regarding racial questions/politics teach U.S. students? Assessments 1. Unit tests & Final Exam 2. Research Projects a. Film project where students collaborate in multiple groups to research, write and produce short film covering the “supporting actors of Conquest -aligns nicely with Lovett’s vision of collaboration and creativity 3. 5-7 page written brief with accompanying oral and visual presentation on a topic of the student’s choosing within the scope of Latin America. a. Students produce a 30-minute lesson plan and actively teach half a class period on the subject of their research project further honing oral presentation skills 4. Reading from Luis Urrea - either Devil’s Highway (non-fiction) or Into The Beautiful North (fiction) to further examine immigration issues in the Americas 5. Example assessment: In examining and comparing the examples of both Cabeza de Vaca and Bartolome las Casas, students incorporate first-person accounts and primary sources to view the Americas - and Americans -through a lens of the first Europeans to try and “walk a mile in another’s shoes”. Units 1. Conquest
2. 3. 4. 5.
Case Studies: Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina Cuba & Caribbean Magical Realism, Muralism and other cultural phenomena Immigration, Narco-trafficking and the ripples from NAFTA
Skills Benchmarks Students will: 1. Refine and perfect their skills at writing historical essays. 2. Gain experience incorporating material from primary sources from different cultures to better support their positions. 3. Have a heightened level of competency involving the research component for oral/written presentations. 4. Broaden their perspective to look at the world through another’s eyes – encompassing an American viewpoint that is not limited to U.S. interests, and can critically analyze the role/impact of US policy on the Americas. Materials 1. Born in Blood and Fire by John Charles Casteen 2. Selections from Americas by Peter Winn 3. “Sin Nombre,” directed by Cary Funkunaga 4. “Traffic,” directed by Steven Soderbergh Updated September 2018
544 - Honors Holocaust and the History of Genocide Course Description Grades: 11-12 Group: I Units: 0.5 Offered: Fall only This student-centered, research-based, course focuses on the Holocaust as both a unique historical event and as one of a series of genocidal events in history. Using a range of reading materials including primary source documents, first-person accounts, monographs, and historical works the class will investigate the ideological roots of Nazism, its rise to power and the application of its doctrine of a Master Race. This allows students to develop constructive and comparative models for studying other genocidal episodes in the world. Lesser known events such as the Armenian Genocide, the Holodomor, the Nanking Massacre and others are investigated to add a more global context to the topic and a special effort is made to understand the United States position in these events. Additional time and attention are given to more recent incidents such as those in Rwanda, Darfur, Bosnia, and the Middle East. Note: Students may not enroll in both 538 - Holocaust and 544 - Holocaust Honors. Essential Questions 1. Are people born evil or do they become evil over time? 2. What is the difference between obedience and conformity? 3. The mantra of Holocaust education is, “Never Again.� Considering that, how far does forgiveness of “crimes against humanity extend? How far should forgiveness it extend?? What is the relationship between forgiveness and forgetting? 4. Is there a process for constructing and conducting a genocidal event (genocidal paradigm)? 5. What internal and external conditions need to be present in order to promote an act of genocide? 6. Why do historians say that genocide is always political? 7. What safeguards exist for reporting and eventually preventing genocidal events? 8. In what ways is national sovereignty a stimulus for governments to conduct genocidal events? How does that same concept keep the other countries from stepping in to stop the violence? 9. What are the intended and unintended consequences on a people who suffer through a genocide? 10. In what ways is the Holocaust a unique historical event? 11. Why are some 20th-century genocidal events underreported or even ignored? 12. In what ways do genocidal events define the 20th century? 13. What are the personal implications and responsibilities of learning about the concept of genocide? 14. How have movies, television, and literature shaped our understanding of the concept of genocide? 15. Are there any positive stories that come from studying genocidal events?
Assessments In all assessment categories, Lovett’s Vision for Learning is used as a guide for designing and evaluating student work. The course has a range of assessment including written tests, expository writing exercises, reading responses on all reading assignments, an individual research project, a final project, and a cumulative semester exam. The independent research project, in particular, is a hallmark of the class and allows students the freedom to examine a subject of personal interest and to polish research, reporting, and presentation skills. Units of Study 1. What is Genocide? 2. Origins and Ideology of the Holocaust: The Invisible Wall 3. The Final Solution and the Master Race 4. Historic Anti-Semitism and why it continues today 5. The Righteous: Stories of Resistance and Rescue 6. Obedience and Conformity: The Power of the Situation 7. Holocaust Deniers and Denial 8. Survival and Bearing Witness 9. Man’s Search for Meaning: The Eternal Questions Raised by the Holocaust 10. Genocides in the 20th Century (Armenia, Cambodia, the Holodomor, The Nanking Massacre, Bosnia, Rwanda, Darfur and the Congo, Argentina, Myanmar, and Syria) 11. Reconciliation in Theory and Practice: Forgetting and Forgiving Skills Benchmarks Students will: 1. Understand the paths to political power and the potential for abusing it when upstanders do not exist. 2. Understand the complexity and multi-dimensional nature of the Holocaust and the value of telling each story. 3. Research and be able to evaluate the United States’ position relative to the Holocaust and other genocidal events. 4. Understand the role genocides have played in defining the 20th century. 5. Get exposure to a wide range of reading and writing styles. 6. Improve their ability to read and analyze primary source documents. 7. Be able to apply lessons they have learned from studying the Holocaust and apply them to their personal understanding of diversity. 8. Develop well-informed opinions about contemporary world affairs. 9. Strengthen their writing (not just argumentative), public speaking and presentation skills. 10. Develop empathy and an appreciation of points of view different from their own. 11. Learn how to assess the quality of online and other historical sources. 12. Identify an original question to answer, or problem to research, and follow the process through to a culminating research paper 13. Create a comparative model for understanding genocides and investigate the similarities and differences in each event. 14. Consider questions of justice in a globalized context. 15. Experiment with a range of visual mediums of expression to experience how art can be a tool for self-expression. 16. Develop and apply models for self-evaluation and self-assessment of work.
17. Gain a comfort level in giving and receiving appropriate and meaningful feedback. Achieve a level of proficiency and comfort as a small and large group member (collaboration). Texts 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Night Man’s Search for Meaning Hitler and the Holocaust (Excerpts) Holocaust Poetry Left to Tell Love Thy Neighbor
Updated August 2018
550 - AP United States Government and Politics Course Description Grade: 11-12 Group: I Units: 1.0 Prerequisite: Application AND departmental recommendation Fee: $94 AP Exam Fee The main focus of this college-level class is to prepare the student for the AP examination, including the following units of study: constitutional underpinnings of the United States government, political beliefs and behaviors, political parties and interest groups, institutions and the national government, public policy, and civil rights and civil liberties. Students will take the AP U.S. Government and Politics exam as the spring semester final. Essential Questions 1. How do majority-rule democracy, constitutionalism, individuals’ access to civil liberties and other basic government principles lead to a unique system of government in the United States? 2. What are the various ways in which elected individuals, government institutions, the media, and the electorate respond to the political system in the United States? 3. How do federal, state, local government and hundreds of governmental agencies affect the lives of Americans? 4. What is the importance of understanding competing political arguments, evaluating competing arguments, and formulating and expressing opinions on policy making processes in civil discussions with others? Assessments 1. During each unit, students will be responsible for participating in class discussions. They will be guided by reading/discussion questions provided by the teacher, or that they develop themselves. 2. During each unit, students also will be responsible for researching specific topics and presenting their findings to the class. Normally these reports will be about five minutes in length and will help students develop their research and public speaking skills. 3. A major assessment (a test, an in-class essay, paper, or another kind of alternative assessment) will occur at the end of each unit. 4. There will be periodic quizzes to assess students' level of understanding. 5. Spring Advanced Placement exam 6. Example: The students will analyze a series of related Supreme Court Cases in a collaborative effort. They will then report on their cases to students who collaborated on other cases. The students will present the facts of the case and why the case “still matters� today. Skills Benchmarks Students will understand: 1. The American System. 2. The meanings of democracy.
3. How the stability of the Constitution helped the American System of Government thrive. 4. How the evolution of federalism helped or hindered the preservation of liberty for citizens in the United States. 5. The role of public opinion in the development of government institutions. 6. The role of media in the analysis of public opinion concerning governmental issues. 7. The evolution of political parties within the American system of government 8. How interest groups and PACs have influenced elections in recent years. 9. How the role of campaigns and elections evolved as technology and political access has changed. 10. Institutions of government. 11. How a bill becomes a law. 12. What it means that the president wears many hats. 13. Bureaucracy as the fourth branch of government. 14. How the power of the court system influences the making of laws and government policies. 15. The role of a public policy issues network. 16. The role of the political center (independents) in the making of public policy. 17. The role of lobbyists in the making of economic and social welfare policy. 18. Why significant Civil Rights changes occurred when they did. 19. How the Supreme Court’s view of First Amendment issues evolved. Units 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Congressional Underpinnings and The Founding of the United States Political Participation and Elections Institutions The Role of Media and Interest Groups Public Policy Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
Materials 1. American Government: Institutions and Policies by Wilson, DiIulio and Bose, 2010. 2. Students will read teacher-selected articles related to American Government. Additional information will be provided through student research projects on the Supreme Court. Occasionally, we will read articles from periodicals and newspapers about current events. Updated September 2018
552 - AP Macroeconomics Course Description Grades: 11-12 Group: I Units: 0.5 Offered: Fall/spring Prerequisite: 217 - Precalculus or 219 - Precalculus Honors, application, AND departmental recommendation Fee: $94 AP Exam Fee AP Macroeconomics is a semester-long course that examines economies as a whole. Combined with AP Microeconomics, the courses are the equivalent of a college-level introductory economics course. Units of study include: basic economic concepts, measurement of economic performance, national income, the financial sector, stabilization policies, economic growth, and international trade and finance. Students will take the AP Macroeconomics exam in the spring. Emphasis is placed on students’ abilities to apply macroeconomic concepts in classroom discussions and written analyses of current events. Through the examination of macroeconomic data, students evaluate current policy and create their own. Note: Students enrolled 552 - AP Macroeconomics or 554 - AP Microeconomics may not enroll in 532 - Economics. Essential Questions 1. To what extent is economics a science? 2. In the study of economics, how are statistics or performance metrics both useful and limited in analyzing an economy? 3. How does scarcity affect policymaking? 4. What is government’s role in a market-based economy? Assessment 1. Students will be assessed on their completion of daily work, including nightly readings, short writing assignments, and tracked discussions. 2. Unit assessments will include AP-level multiple-choice questions and free response questions. Some free response questions require graphical analysis. 3. Most writing assignments ask students to apply macroeconomic concepts to current events. For example, after learning about macroeconomic statistics, students analyzed two presidential candidates’ assessments of the economy. Students wrote supporting or refuting arguments for BOTH candidates’ economic outlooks by gathering data on gross domestic product, unemployment, inflation, and wages. 4. The fall semester’s exam is a full-length, cumulative, AP exam 5. Spring Advanced Placement exam Skills Benchmarks Students will understand: 1. How to apply principles of absolute and comparative advantage. 2. How to use supply and demand to analyze the working of a free market economy.
3. The fluctuations between unemployment, inflation, and economic growth. 4. The key measures of economic performance: gross domestic product, unemployment, and inflation. 5. How aggregate supply and aggregate demand determines the equilibrium national output and general price level. 6. How monetary policy affects the money supply, interest rates, the financial sector, and the macroeconomy. 7. The role of human capital, physical capital, research and development, and technical progress in promoting economic growth 8. Current account balance, financial account balance, and foreign exchange markets. Units 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Basic Economic Concepts Measurement of Economic Performance National Income and Price Determination The Financial Sector Stabilization Policies Economic Growth International Trade and Finance
Resources 1. Textbook 2. College Board Resources - AP Central - AP Macroeconomics 3. Media a. Wall Street Journal b. The Economist c. Marketplace d. Planet Money e. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics f. St. Louis Federal Reserve - Federal Reserve Economic Data Updated August 2016
554 - AP Microeconomics Course Description Grades: 11-12 Group: I Units: 0.5 Offered: Fall/Spring Prerequisite: 217 - Precalculus or 219 - Precalculus Honors, application, AND departmental recommendation Fee: $94 AP Exam Fee AP Microeconomics is a semester-long course examining individual decision-makers in an economy. Combined with AP Macroeconomics, the courses are the equivalent of a college-level introductory economics course. The course examines the theory of consumer behavior, the theory of the firm, and the behavior of profit-maximizing firms under various market structures. Students evaluate the efficiency of market outcomes with respect to price, output, and consumer and producer surplus. They evaluate factor markets and how they influence the distribution of income in a market economy. Lastly, the course explores instances of market failure and the role that government can play in improving the efficiency of some markets. Note: Students enrolled 540 - AP Macroeconomics or 541 - AP Microeconomics may not enroll in 519 - Economics. Essential Questions 1. How does scarcity affect consumers’ and firms’ decisions? 2. How are economic models useful and limited in analyzing real-world markets? 3. How do different market structures result in different market outcomes? 4. How do factor markets affect the distribution of income in a market economy? 5. What is government’s role in a market-based economy? Assessment 1. Students will be assessed on their completion of daily work, including nightly readings, short writing assignments, and tracked discussions. 2. Unit assessments will include AP-level multiple-choice questions and free response questions. Some free response questions require graphical analysis. 3. In one writing assignment, students analyze a selected market for externalities, costs or benefits that exceed those incurred or earned by the market participants. Students discover sources of the externalities and create policy responses that restructure the incentives to ensure the correct distribution of the costs and benefits. 4. The fall semester’s exam is a full-length, cumulative, AP exam. The spring semester will conclude with full-length, cumulative AP exam that counts as a test grade. 5. Advanced Placement exam in the spring Skills Benchmarks Students will understand: 1. How to apply principles of absolute and comparative advantage. 2. How to use supply and demand to determine market equilibrium price and quantity.
3. The concepts of elasticity, surplus, and deadweight loss. 4. How interventions affect market equilibrium. 5. The idea of utility maximization. 6. Firms’ production functions and cost curves. 7. Profit maximization. 8. Various market structures and their effect on firm decisions and efficiency. 9. The operation of factor markets. 10. The inefficiency of positive and negative externalities. 11. Public versus private goods. 12. The sources and measures of income inequality. Units 1. 2. 3. 4.
Basic Economic Concepts Product Markets and Firm Behavior Factor Markets Market Failure and the Role of Government
Resources 1. Textbook 2. College Board Resources - AP Central - AP Microeconomics 3. Media a. Wall Street Journal b. The Economist c. Marketplace d. Planet Money e. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics f. St. Louis Federal Reserve - Federal Reserve Economic Data Updated June 2018
556 - AP Art History Course Description Grades: 11-12 Group: I Units: 1.0 Prerequisite: Application AND History Department recommendation Fee: $94 AP Exam Fee AP Art History is a year-long course of study designed to help students prepare for the AP Art History Exam. The curriculum touches upon many cultures from pre-history to the present day. As instructors, we hope to acquaint students with a deep understanding of the works featured in the AP overview plus a further accounting of the works of art and architecture that help bridge our understandings from one culture to another. Note: One-half unit must be applied to TWO of the following graduation requirements: history, fine arts, or elective religion (fall only) - the course may not satisfy one full unit in any department. For the University System of Georgia, AP Art History may only satisfy a fine arts graduation requirement. (See your college counselor for more details.) Essential Questions: 1. How does an understanding of the art and architecture of a particular culture provide insight into the values, beliefs, and ideologies of that culture? 2. What are the primary works comprising the canon of Western art and architecture? 3. How does one approach and seek to understand an artistic expression which is premised upon aesthetic guidelines which are alien to our own? 4. How does the study of art relate to the study of other disciplines such as literature, religion, and philosophy? 5. How effectively does art reveal history? 6. What is art? Why do you think something is or is not a work of art? Can you prove your point? Assessments: 1. Unit tests 2. Fall final exam 3. Class discussion and “Four Sentences� homework assignments 4. Quizzes on themes and concepts 5. Compare and Contrast projects 6. Presentation projects on particular units Several practice A.P. exams throughout the year 7. Spring Advanced Placement exam Course Units Units of study include the art and architecture of: Ancient Near East (Mesopotamia) Ancient Egypt Ancient Greece and Hellenistic Art
Republican and Imperial Rome Late Antiquity Early Christian Byzantine Islamic Global Traditions Medieval Europe Romanesque and Gothic Asian (East Asia, China, Japan - with special emphasis on Buddhist art) Early Renaissance Northern Renaissance Italian Renaissance Baroque Rococo and Enlightenment Art of Africa Art of the Americas Art of the Pacific and Oceania Neoclassicism and Romanticism 18th and 19th-Century America 19th and 20th-Century Europe Modernism African-American Art Post World War II Contemporary Art Skills Benchmarks: 1. Students should learn to suspend judgment when looking at a work of art until such time as a) they have come to understand the limitations and biases that color their own ability to make an objective evaluation, b) developed the critical thinking to enable them to adequately understand the circumstances related to the creation of the work, and c) put that work of art within the historical context. 2. Students should develop a visual memory which will help them to not only recognize specific works of art but also elements of style which may characterize the work of an era or a movement or an artist. This will be accomplished by students learning to look for specific traits in a work of art (i.e.: color, pattern, shape, size, etc.), with extra practice on the study of "unknowns". 3. Students will come to understand and to appreciate the aesthetic criteria of cultures and eras different from their own. 4. Students will learn which works constitute the canon of western art and architecture, why they are in such canon, and they will come to appreciate the problems of trying to establish and preserve such a canon in the first place. Students will know the 250 works of art prescribed by the College Board, which includes several non-Western works to incorporate a global curriculum. 5. Students will come to understand how art and architecture serve as a primary source for viewing and understanding history. 6. Students will come to understand how mankind’s most important ideologies are often preserved in the creations of its artists.
7. Students will come to understand the nature of the evolving relationship between patron, artist, critic, and collector. 8. Students will come to understand and utilize a vocabulary of terms which is unique to the study of aesthetics, art, and architecture. 9. Students will learn to be more alert to their visual environment and to be able to interpret the social expressions and ideas which are often encoded in the signs, advertisements, fashions, and buildings which they encounter on a daily basis. 10. It is to be hoped that students will develop a greater interest in eras of the past and societies quite distant from their own; in short, students should be led to develop a curiosity and an awareness which will enrich their lives as engaged life-long learners and travelers. Materials: 1. Fred Kleiner, Gardner’s Art Through The Ages, Volumes 1 and 2 2. AP Art History Course and Exam Description Revised Edition, Effective Fall 2015 3. Slide sheets on each unit of study 4. Supplementary materials including primary and secondary sources such as texts, articles, maps, church plans, and videos. Updated May 2016
645 - Israel: Holy Land, Divided Land Course Description Grades: Rising 10-12 Group: I Units: 0.5 Offered: Summer only Fee: Approx. $4,199 For members of all three of the world's major monotheistic traditions (Jews, Christians, and Muslims), Israel is more than a country. It is a spiritual destination. To journey there is to visit the heart of what it means to "walk through the Bible" in the modern day. This course will explore Israel's complex role as a biblical land, on the one hand, and as a contemporary nation, on the other. Students will study texts from Old and New Testament in the very locations where these stories are situated. They will also study modern Israel, exploring the contentious relationship between Israel and the Arab world today. Note: This course may be applied toward the history OR core religion requirement. Essential Questions 1. What does Israel symbolize in biblical tradition? What does it symbolize for people today? 2. What are the ancient roots of religious claims to the land? What are the modern roots? 3. What are the modern roots of the contemporary Arab-Israeli conflict? What is the status of the conflict today? 4. What is in store for the region’s future? Can Israel preserve its religious identity while at the same time protecting the rights of its all of its inhabitants? Assessments 1. Student journals, completed on-site 2. Short research paper, completed post-visit 3. Final exam, started on-site and completed post-visit Skills Benchmarks 1. Students will appreciate the traditions and holy places of the three monotheistic traditions. 2. Students will practice close textual reading of ancient texts and contemporary documents. 3. Students will write and speak clearly, precisely, accurately, and reflectively. 4. Students will grapple with and appreciate the diversity of views within the region. 5. Students will critically analyze the nuanced relationship between Israelis and Palestinians. 6. Students will hone their research and analytical skills.
Units 1. Pre-Visit Orientation: Biblical Texts and Modern History
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Ancient Israel (c.1000 BCE): King David and His Battles Romans in Israel (c. 100 BCE): The Aqueducts of Caesarea Jesus in Israel (c. 33 CE): From Bethlehem to Galilee Jewish Jerusalem: From the Western Wall to the Holocaust Memorial Museum Muslim Jerusalem: From the Dome of the Rock to East Jerusalem and Ramallah Christian Jerusalem: From The Christian Quarter to Gethsemane
Materials 1. The New Oxford Annotated Bible 2. To Israel and Back: A Journey to Our Future, Center for Israel Education at Emory University, Project Director: Kenneth Stein, Research: Roni Eshel, Curriculum Development: Tal Grinfas-David. Atlanta, GA, 2013. Updated May 2014