Combined Elective Geography/ History

Course Description

Ever wondered why things happened where they happened? This Stage 5 elective dives into big events and bold ideas, using maps, movements, and mystery to connect the dots across time and place.

From ancient empires to global shifts, you’ll explore how people, power, and geography shape our world—and maybe rethink everything you thought you knew. Think detective work meets travel adventure... with timelines.

Get ready to map history, crack stories wide open, and see the world through a fresh lens.

Students Learn to:

Connect the dots between time and place! Discover how major events in history are shaped by geography—why people settled where they did, how borders changed, and how ideas moved around the globe.

Think like a time-traveling detective! Dive into real maps, artifacts, and wild historical sources. Use multimedia clues to uncover stories from the past—and see how location adds layers to every tale.

Zoom in and zoom out! From ancient empires to modern movements, you'll explore what stayed the same, what shifted, and why it all matters.

Get practical and persuasive! Build communication and research skills while asking big questions like: Whose story gets told? How does place shape power? Should the past be preserved or challenged?

Team up and take charge! Work with others—or fly solo—on investigations that mix the local with the global. You’ll explore your world and shape your voice as a thoughtful explorer of both time and terrain.

Topics Studied:

 "United Divides: America in Motion"

From colonial roots to civil war battlegrounds, students explore how geography shaped a nation—and how the nation reshaped its geography. Trace transcontinental railways, population shifts, and power struggles across U.S. landscapes.

 "Empires of Influence: Greece & Rome Unpacked"

Step into the classical world through ancient cities, coastlines, and conquests. Study how geographic features drove expansion, shaped society, and influenced enduring legacies in politics, culture, and architecture.

"Power Lines: Heroes, Villains & the Politics of Place"

Examine how individuals—celebrated or controversial—used geography to wield power, drive change, or define identity. From border conflicts to empire builders, explore how space and story collide.