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History
read at least one novel and/or significant play, and a variety of articles addressing global issues in preparation for the IB HL Spanish exam. An emphasis is placed on advanced conversation. Prerequisite: IB Spanish Higher Level, Year 2.
524 Chinese 1 (9)
1 credit, full year
This course introduces students to the Mandarin Chinese language and to the geography, culture, history, and traditions of China. Particular emphasis is placed on learning pronunciation and tonality, as well as simplified characters (with their Romanized Pinyin forms) and their radicals. Basic grammatical structures are learned through exercises involving listening, speaking, reading, and writing in everyday situations. This course will be offered depending on enrollment numbers.
525 Chinese 2 (9,10)
1 credit, full year
Chinese 2 is a continuation of level one and the Middle School program. Students refine their pronunciation, intonation, and character recognition of Mandarin Chinese. More than 200 essential new characters are introduced through Pinyin Romanization, and through written form (character) and meaning together. Structures are learned through exercises involving listening, speaking, reading, and writing in everyday situations. Communication skills focus on authentic and meaningful interaction in various social and cultural contexts. Cultural topics will include health and well-being, interpersonal relationships, food, celebrations, and travel and finding one’s way in unfamiliar situations.
526 Chinese 3 (10,11,12)
1 credit, full year
In this Mandarin Chinese course, students continue to be exposed to oral sounds and tonality through Pinyin Romanization, as well as characters and meaning together. Complex grammatical structures and new essential vocabulary words are systematically introduced and learned through various classroom activities and homework. Students continue to add supplementary topic-based vocabulary to their daily practice. Students also start to comprehend adapted authentic reading materials and will produce theme-based longer writing pieces. Intermediate-level communication in various social and cultural contexts is emphasized.
1 credit, full year
In this Chinese IV course, students continue to be exposed to oral sounds and tonality through Pinyin Romanization, characters and meaning together. Complex grammatical structures and new essential vocabulary words are systematically introduced and learned through various classroom activities and homework. Students continue to add supplementary vocabulary according to the topics in the IB Language B (SL) guide including: communication and media, global issues, social relationships, health, science and technology, among others. Students also continue to comprehend authentic reading materials and are required to produce longer, topic-based writing pieces of 200-400 characters. We focus on increasingly authentic communication in various social and cultural contexts at the middle-intermediate level. Placement is at the recommendation of the teacher.
1 credit, full year
In this Chinese V course, students continue to learn vocabulary and grammatical structures at and beyond the textbook scope to express the essential IB Language B SL topics, including communication and media, global issues, social relationships, health, and science and technology. Reading, interpreting, and writing different texts such as blogs, interviews, news reports, brochures, instructions, guidelines, and advertisements are the main focus of this course. Students who take this course as a second-year language B SL course will be ready to take the IB Language B Mandarin SL exam in their senior year. Students who take this course as a one-year SL course will need to do some summer work and take the IB Language B Mandarin SL exam in their junior year. Placement is at the recommendation of the teacher.
The upper school his- The upper school history tory curriculum seeks to curriculum seeks to develop a life-long learner and catadevelop a lifelong learner lyst for social improvement and catalyst for social who has the ability to quesimprovement who has tion events that transform the ability to question our world. Students will events that transform our learn about the inspiration world. that drives major faiths, trace patterns of competition and cooperation among and within world civilizations, examine the development of the modern nation-state, understand what it means to be “American,” and explore what it takes to be a peacemaker in the 21st century. Students will analyze how past generations confronted and solved questions of political, social, economic, and cultural significance. Through work with stimulating primary sources as well as authoritative secondary sources, students will learn to analyze, interpret, and evaluate such documents. These experiences will enable the learner to make informed decisions about political, social, and civic affairs in a climate that stimulates students to respond to the human condition in the world today. All ninth graders take Global Peace and Justice and all tenth graders take American History.
553 Global Peace and Justice (9)
1 credit, full year
In this course, students realize the power of individuals to initi-
ate change and to create solutions. After grasping realities of global problems, students learn how to live a culture of peace and nonviolence by studying successes in the United States as well as around the world. Using social scientists’ tools we study human rights and social justice, both here and abroad. Students learn about varying injustices regarding violence, poverty, race and incarceration. Students learn how women’s rights are human rights, and the impact women have around the world. They connect units by creating nonviolent solutions for the problems they encounter that are globally applicable. Students learn how women build sustainability by role-playing activists and peacemakers. Students also analyze the partition of India and Pakistan and the challenges in creating sustainable peace in Israel and Palestine. At the end of the year, students are able to articulate both challenges and solutions to conflict and injustice.
554 American History (10)
1 credit, full year
American History emphasizes research and critical thinking skills. Starting with early colonization and reaching the 21st century, the curriculum addresses the breadth and depth of historical events. Students will use a mixture of sources, from primary to film, in order to better understand themes and perspectives on events through analysis of documents, oral presentations, essay projects, and web-based creative assessments. In teaching the skills of historical study and comprehension of American History, our goal is for students also to develop habits of mind including active listening and thoughtful speaking; careful reading and incisive writing; empathy and cooperative group skills; intellectual curiosity and creative thinking; integrity and honesty. This course satisfies the American History graduation requirement.
IB History Studies:
Students wishing to take IB History at the Higher Level must take IB European and Mediterranean History Topics Higher Level during their junior year and IB 20th Century World History Topics Higher Level during their senior year. Students not doing IB Higher Level History need not follow this sequence.
560 European & Mediterranean History (11,12 no IB credit) 560HL IB History Europe Higher Level year 1 (11)
1 credit, full year
This course focuses on the formative historical experiences of the most influential societies in 19th and early 20th century affairs. It first briskly reviews European and Mediterranean historical development from the Roman Empire to 1750, then focuses on the 19th century development of modern United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Russia. The course centers on social and political history, and leads students to assess issues that remain central to moral and political debates going on today: democratization, industrialization, liberalism, nationalism, imperialism, socialism and dictatorship. Every unit is constructed around a major historical development with important modern-day reverberations; students are introduced to clashing theoretical and interpretive approaches; and numerous debates are held. In each unit, the moral example of at least one pivotal leader is subjected to critical questioning and analysis. This course may be taken as part of the International Baccalaureate program at the discretion of the student and the department. Students who opt to do a full two-year iB History sequence are required to take this course first, as it provides the historical background to many of the events in the core, 20th century, course.
556 Advanced 20th Century World History (11,12, no IB credit) 556SL IB History Standard Level (11,12) 556HL IB History Europe Higher Level year 2 (12)
1 credit, full year
This course engages students in the study of the major events that have shaped the modern world. The primary focus of this course is political and social history, with special emphasis on the causes, practices, and effects of war, rise and rule of single-party states, and the post-World War II era. Students are encouraged to analyze the historical roots of current issues and to compare the common experiences of people across the globe. Students read primary and secondary historical works to prepare them to participate in seminar discussions, debates, and role-playing simulations. Students also complete analytical research assignments, document-based questions, and conceptbased tests and quizzes to assess their understanding of major ideas. At the discretion of student and teacher, this course may be taken as part of the International Baccalaureate history program.
559 World Religions (11,12 no IB credit) 559SL IB World Religions Standard Level (11,12)
1 credit, full year
The World Religions course is a systematic, analytical study of the variety of beliefs and practices encountered in nine religions, and seeks to promote an awareness of issues in the contemporary world. This course consists of an introductory unit, which explores six of the nine living world religions, and an in-depth unit which studies two of these living world religions. The course is guided by themes, key concepts, and key questions. There is also an investigative study which provides opportunities for individual research of an aspect of the religious experience, practice, or belief of a group and/or individual adherents.
562 Global Politics (11, 12, no IB credit) 562SL Global Politics Standard Level (11,12)
The global politics course explores fundamental political concepts such as power, equality, sustainability, and peace in a range of contexts and at a variety of levels. It allows students to develop an understanding of the local, national, international and global dimensions of political activity, as well as allowing them the opportunity to explore political issues affecting their own lives. Global politics draws on a variety of disciplines in the social sciences and humanities. It helps students to understand abstract political concepts by grounding them in real-
