Social Sciences 9: Global History

Global History is a year-long thematic course that introduces students to this vibrant field of study through the 9th grade lens of personal identity. This course provides a sweeping introduction to human history. Students investigate the organization of societies, trade & migration, revolution and the rise of empires around the world, intellectual & cultural achievements, and the impacts of imperialism & colonialism. This course encourages students to think critically and explore how the past offers us essential insight into our contemporary and future world. As students build research skills, analyze primary and secondary sources, consider multiple perspectives, and wrestle with the inquiry process, they will develop an ability to craft arguments and consider different perspectives and voices through collaborative work. In short, students will begin to understand what it means to “think like a historian.” Projects in this course are intended to build key written and oral communication skills to reach an authentic audience. Working in tandem with the English 9 curriculum, students will collaborate to uncover the social and technological literacies essential to understanding how philosophical, cultural, and political dynamics have evolved over time to shape the 21st century.

Prerequisite: None Credit: HIST/SOC Period: Full Year REQUIRED Grade 9 Course

This course is taught in partnership with English 9 as part of the interdisciplinary 9th grade Global Studies program. These courses are scheduled back-to-back and frequently combine sections for team-teaching experiences.

Honors Social Sciences 9: Global History

The goal of the history Honors program is that students recommended by the Department to pursue the Honors option will develop individual written work and projects that extend beyond the core material for the course. Honors students will be expected to explore content in greater depth and with an insatiable desire for learning. Honors students will consider more complex and open-ended questions and problems, consult multiple primary and secondary sources for their research, and present nuanced arguments. Emphasis will be placed on original thinking and creative, persuasive presentation. As this is a project-based course, Honors students will take on additional roles in group work, both in “Honors teams” and in blended teams with students who are not pursuing the Honors option for history. Expectations for Honors students will be made clear in the introduction of each project and assignment.

Prerequisite: None Credit: HIST/SOC Period: Full Year

*Social Sciences 9 is a heterogenous course, including students enrolled in both the core History curriculum and Honors History. In consultation with their advisor and the course faculty, students can take Social Sciences 9 at the Honors Level. 9th Grade students will engage in the Honors placement process at the Semester I Interim. Students will not be able to register for Honors following that deadline. They may drop the Honors designation at any time. However, previously graded work will not be reassessed.

Honors Social Sciences 10: American Studies - History

In addition to the curriculum as described in the History 10 course description, students recommended by the Department to pursue Honors should anticipate higher expectations in terms of their assessments. This might mean, for example, taking on leadership roles in class discussions, preparing additional documents such as annotated bibliographies, and more challenging standards of sophistication in written work, presentations, and projects.

Prerequisite: History 9 Credit: HIST/SOC Period: Full Year

*History 10 is a heterogenous course, including students enrolled in both the core History curriculum and Honors History. The Social Sciences Department faculty will determine students' 10th Grade Honors placements in May of the 9th Grade year. Students will not be able to register for Honors following the course change deadline for Semester I.  They may drop the Honors designation at any time. However, previously graded work will not be reassessed.

Introduction to Global Economics

In this semester-long, project-based economics course, students will gain an introduction to the core concepts and institutions of the global economy. Students will interrogate these models through authentic experiences of market governance, corporate strategy, and policy making.  Exploring a wide range of interdisciplinary methods, they will generate business case studies and simulate corporate board meetings, investment decisions, government regulatory debates, as well as venture capital and consultancy pitches. Through these simulations, students will analyze the dynamics of global financial crises, competition, and regulation; the networks of supply chains, trade, and markets; the power of multinational corporations and non-state organizations like the WTO and the UN; and the political and economic implications of international law, migration, terrorism, and war. Rather than a textbook approach to abstract economics, this course guides students in developing an individualized approach to navigating the complexities and confusion at the heart of global economic networks. This course is designed to prepare students for the 11th and 12th Grade Economics program.

Prerequisite: None, Preference for 10th Graders Credit: HIST/SOC Period: Semester

Diploma Program Credit: Sustainability

*Introduction to Global Economics is a one-semester elective course for 9th and 10th Graders. It does not replace the required 9th and 10th Grade History program. 

**This course does not offer an Honors option.

International Relations

In this course, we will explore how the world is governed and how to recognize the drivers and effects of markets, politics, and policies. Distilling a personal approach to thinking across languages, cultures, and systems, this course will invite students to navigate the mechanisms and strategy behind state negotiation. In simulations of multilateral summits and individual state strategy making, students will apply different theories of diplomacy and strategy. Plunging into the complexity of the global political landscape, students will weigh global crises and aid models, interventionist military strategies, and human rights cases, investigating cooperative organizations, including the UN, NATO, the IMF, ASEAN, the WTO, and the World Court.  In simulating these forums and in producing the real-world tools of briefs, articles, and advisory documents, students will also analyze the non-state actors that define our globalized world. We will map the networks of multinational corporations, tracing the ways in which companies have defined global markets and systems of diplomacy as much as state governments. We’ll also learn to trace the economies left in the wake of war and humanitarian crisis, as well as the webs of cartels and terrorist organizations, assessing the influence of these “shadow networks” upon more “formalized” negotiations. Through all of these themes, we’ll explore the powerful effect of technology, social networking, and communication, not only within national political strategies, but within the rise of increasingly global insurgent, revolutionary, and reform movements.  

Prerequisite: History 10 and Completion of Level III of a World Language (A- or above) or Instructor Permission

Credit: HIST/SOC Period: Full Year   Diploma Program Credit: World Languages; Sustainability

Economics: Scarcity, Competition, and Drivers of Wealth

In this full-year project-based economics course, students will analyze the tools necessary for decision making in light of scarcity. Acquiring the core models of Micro and Macroeconomics, and leveraging a wide variety of interdisciplinary methods and fundamentals of economic theory, students will apply economic concepts to practice. We will simulate corporate supply and demand decisions, government regulatory debates around inflation and unemployment, and individual investment decisions. Through these projects and simulations, students will discover the fundamentals of the supply chain, the drivers of demand, the influence of the government on institutional and individual spending, the need for competition, the results of a competitive vacuum, and the incentives that determine market prices and resource allocation. Students will analyze and critique both the effects that can be seen and the results that can be predicted through the lenses of current events and historical case studies that accompany the course. Students will also learn to analyze the parallels between the growth of individual wealth, corporate wealth, and national wealth. In consultation with the instructor and diploma program coordinator, this course can support students who are pursuing a diploma program.

Prerequisite: Algebra II & Trigonometry, History 10 Credit: HIST/SOC Period: Full Year

Diploma Program Credit: Sustainability

Borders and Walls: A Literary and Social Analysis

How has the expansion of commerce, media, and migration paradoxically resulted in the increase of borders and walls around the globe? What enables or limits one’s mobility in a globalized world? Where do autonomous zones fit into the discourse of borders? We will consider how borders are invisible yet enforceable structures with real, lived impacts on cultures, people, and environments and how walls are actual, physical structures with just as much impact. By reading texts from geography, anthropology, ethnic studies, and political theory, we will gain a nuanced understanding of the varied approaches and responses to borders and walls. Students will build upon their written, creative, and data analysis skills to complete both individual and group projects including a podcast and a museum exhibition. Regions of study may include: US-Mexico border and wall; the Berlin Wall; the Kashmir border dispute/conflict; colonial, postcolonial, and post-partition South Asia; Kurdistan; the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone in Seattle; and Guantanamo Bay.

Prerequisite: History 10, English 10 Credit: HIST/SOC or ENG Period: Full Year Diploma Program Credit: Sustainability

*This course is cross-listed between the English and Social Sciences programs. When registering, students must select the credit for which they would like the course to be registered. Students should consult with their advisor and review their graduation requirements.

Building New York City

“Hey, I’m walking here!” This is a credo to some, a warning to others, and a real urban planning problem to solve. We’re going to look at the muscular, political, economic, and social forces that built the city we love, hate, know, and are fooled by constantly. Using The Historical Atlas of New York City as a reference text, students will begin the year thinking about different stories that can be told with different kinds of maps—analog, digital, and interactive—as we learn some foundational map-building techniques. The next unit will build on the skills introduced in the first unit, as students research monuments and memorials of their choice around New York City. Then, we will draw inspiration from Robert Caro's seminal work, The Power Broker, and delve into the political, economic, and social forces that built the city we see. It didn’t have to be this way. Students will examine the impact of figures like Robert Moses on the city's growth, understanding how power dynamics can shape the built environment. Moreover, the course sheds light on the experiences of everyday people, exploring the ways in which different neighborhoods have adapted to the challenges of urban living. Through in-depth discussions, personal narratives, and on-site visits, participants will gain insights into the lives of New Yorkers and the ways in which the city's built environment reflects the priorities and power of its inhabitants. This course bridges the gap between monumental structures and the daily lives of those who call New York City home.

Prerequisite: History 10 Credit: HIST/SOC Period: Full Year Diploma Program Credit: Sustainability

Psychology 

This introductory course in psychology is designed to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals. Throughout the course, students will be exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. In addition, they will examine different areas that range from the history of psychology, cognition, functions of the brain, developmental stages, social psychology, learning and memory processes, behaviorism, psychological disorders, and theories of personality. Through the use of formal assessments, weekly reflections, and various projects, students will have numerous opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and connect the concepts we are learning in class to their everyday lives. Furthermore, they will be able to collaborate with their peers to gain greater insight about themselves as individuals and human beings as a whole. Overall, this course is intended to present an experience equivalent to that obtained in an undergraduate introductory psychology course. In doing so, the students will complete material that most colleges require in order to take upper-level courses in psychology. 

Prerequisite: Biology, Chemistry, History 10 Credit: HIST/SOC Period: Full Year

Criminal Justice: Theory and Practice of Reform

Why is America the world’s largest “jailer nation”? How are safe communities created? How is justice secured in a complex modern society? Scholars in Criminal Justice will attempt to make sense of current events and controversies in the criminal justice system by placing debates over crime trends, police tactics, and judicial systems in their historical contexts. Particular attention will be paid to the rising and falling fortunes of urban centers, the development of organized crime and street gangs, the causes and consequences of the War on Drugs, and contemporary campaigns for reform. Students will draw upon and reinforce their understanding of key aspects of American civics when they study due process rights, the legislature's role in structuring the judicial system, and executive influence over the enforcement of laws. Students will become literate in criminal justice terms and procedures, key theories in the field of criminology, and basic methods of statistical analysis. For the final project, students will research and propose reforms to a current problem in the field of criminal justice. Criminal Justice students should be interested in conducting open-ended research into intractable problems and excited about improving their writing skills so that they can effectively advocate for their positions. 

Prerequisite: History 10 Credit: HIST/SOC Period: Full Year Diploma Program Credit: Sustainability

Fragility of Democracy: The Reconstruction & Jim Crow Era South

In this year-long course, students will explore the intersecting values and interests that make American democracy a unique experiment. The will examine how this experiment continues to evolve, fracture, mend, and strengthen. To understand our democracy, this course will also be rooted in understanding the foundations of the Constitution with the goal that our students have an opportunity to be thoughtful and engaged participants and citizens within this democracy. The Reconstruction Era, and subsequent Jim Crow era in American history is one where our democracy faltered, and ultimately, put at risk. It is in these moments of examination of our federal systems and civic enterprise where students can find solutions in history. In this examination of political theory through primary and secondary sources, it is also inevitable that students will explore the impact of human behavior within a democracy and wrestle with the American identity and our own responsibilities to it. 

Prerequisite: History 10 Credit: HIST/SOC Period: Full Year Diploma Program Credit: Sustainability

The American Way of War

The United States is a nation built on war—conquest of indigenous peoples, continental success over European colonizers, and global supremacy in the wake of two world wars. There have also been defeats along the way. In this course, we will explore the American way of war with a particular focus on the American Revolution, the Civil War, and World War II. Topics to be studied include specific military engagements, the role of technology, domestic politics, and other considerations. Students will come to understand the interplay of broad impersonal forces like economics as well as the choices of specific people at a particular place and time in determining outcomes. Along the way, students will hone reading, writing, and thinking skills needed for academic distinction.

Prerequisite: History 10 Credit: HIST/SOC Period: Semester Diploma Credit: Classics

Introduction to Social Theory

Who are we with and without society? How do we define and value liberty and freedom? Why do we behave the way we do and what are the ramifications of following and/or breaking  social norms and societal expectations? Is society “better” now than it was 200 years ago? This reading and writing intensive course will investigate these questions and more in order to gain a deeper understanding of how societies operate and influence human behavior. We will embark on an introduction to social theory which is an analytical approach to the study and interpretation of human societies. This course will start with foundational philosophies and theories from Ibn Khaldun, Thomas Hobbes, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau; continue with the advent of modernity via capitalism with Karl Marx and Max Weber; and end with 20th-century theorists such as Hannah Arendt and Michel Foucault. Through written reading responses, analytical essays, and multi-modal projects, students will not only develop the skills of critical reasoning and argument evaluation but be able to apply theory to contemporary social and political issues.

Prerequisite: History 10 Credit: HIST/SOC Period: Semester Diploma Program Credit: Sustainability 

Word and Image - History Seminar

This one-semester elective brings together three subjects—in this case, Art, History, and Classics—under a thematic umbrella of "Word and Image: Ancient and Modern." (Students can choose which discipline for which they will get course credit, though the three will be integrated throughout.) Participants will begin the class together before rotating into separate tracks for units centered on each of these subjects and then coming back together in the final weeks of the course.

The theme for the 2024-2025 edition of Word and Image is "Ancient & Modern" (variously defined – or more specific, like the Roman and American empires).  The course will consist of three units. The first will examine the career and legacy of Julius Caesar from a variety of perspectives. This “life” unit will be followed by a “times” unit in which we explore a notable moment in the history of the ancient world, such as Periclean Greece or Augustan Rome. In the third unit, students will undertake the production of a piece of artwork that embodies the themes and issues we have been exploring. Through a series of projects that they complete in conversation with each other, students will acquire multi-dimensional perspectives on one of the most powerful forces in their everyday lives—and their futures. 

Prerequisite: English 10, History 10 Credit: ENG, HIST/SOC, ART Period: Semester

*This course is cross-listed between the English, Social Sciences, and Arts programs. When registering, students must select the credit for which they would like the course to be registered. The title of the course will reflect the credit selected (eg. "Word and Image - History Seminar" for Social Sciences credit). Students should consult with their advisor and review their graduation requirements. 

American Politics and Culture 1970-2020

This course will look at U.S. Society in the last half-century. It will explore economic trends, political developments, and demographic changes with particular attention to class, gender, race, region, and religion. Particular emphasis will be place on the culture of the period. Students will be asked to consider what has, and has not, changed between the worlds of their parents and the one they have inherited. There will be an emphasis on historical research, cultural analysis, and writing-based projects.

Prerequisite: History 10 Credit: HIST/SOC Period: Semester Diploma Program Credit: Sustainability

The Global 1960s

What was happening around the world during the 1960s? Why is this decade referred to as “The Long Sixties”?  How do people understand the 1960s in the popular imagination? This course will examine the 1960s from a global perspective with an emphasis on social, political, and cultural events and movements. By studying these moments as a set of overlapping and interconnected events, we will build a framework for not only understanding the history of this decade but how this decade continues to impact the world today. We will read, debate, and interpret primary and secondary source materials while strengthening our critical thinking and analytical writing skills through multimodal projects. Topics may include: China’s Cultural Revolution; post-Independence India; dictatorship across Latin America; The Cold War; counterculture and social revolutions; decolonization of Africa; the Vietnam War.

Prerequisite: History 10 Credit: HIST/SOC Period: Semester

Food Systems - Are We What We Eat? 

The foods of Italy, India, Indonesia, and Iceland have been shaped by their priorities and limitations. But what does that mean in such a globalized world? Much more than growing food or a key economic sector, agriculture is a way of life, a source of open space, a tremendous manipulation of natural resources, and a forum where we interact with each other. Using many influential classics of popular food writing and documentary filmmaking, “Food Systems” will highlight the development of humanity’s relationship with our food system. In particular, we will examine the more recent developments of fast food, corporate agriculture, and the local food movement. To do so, we will “make stops” along the way at the bank, the farm, the ranch, and the kitchen. Students will use a variety of readings and documentaries to understand the ways our food system works, its benefits, and its pitfalls. In particular, students will become proficient in describing the effects of weather, technology, and government policy on crop prices; the social effects of changes to our food systems; and proposals for reform. Students will demonstrate these skills by planning and conducting research and interviews to solve an authentic problem facing the Connecticut food system and present their findings to the community--and of course, growing and cooking food!

Prerequisite: English 10, History 10 Credit: HIST/SOC Period: Semester Diploma Program Credit: Sustainability

Great American Debates: Government, Civics, and Ethics

This course explores the key debates that drive contemporary American politics. Through grappling with ‘ripped from the headlines’ issues of society, rights, and politics, students will analyze the history and structure of American government, the core systems and arguments of American law, and the ethical positions that emerge from these issues. In the process, students will develop the skills of persuasive debate, analytical writing and argumentation, as well as the interpretation of personal ethics. In pursuit of these skills, students will prepare themselves to be active and engaged citizens of America’s diverse and dynamic democratic society. 

Prerequisite:  History 10 Credit: HIST/SOC Period: Semester  

Analyzing Global Pop Cultures

Where did K-Pop come from? What are people saying with all that graffiti in Chile? Why is London known for its Indian food? How come Afrobeats is everywhere now? And how come you can’t get any McDonalds in Barbados? This class will treat these questions as the serious cultural, economic, and historical inquiries that they are. When newspapers cover the rest of the world, popular culture movements are rarely the subject, but when we drive to the grocery store, the things that catch our eye are the product of our constantly colliding popular cultures. They carry immense personal meaning, not to mention power. While the topics of the course will be primarily chosen by students, we will study the historical antecedents that contributed to our current globalized era, and by the end of the course students will be equipped with an understanding of analytical tools from the fields of sociology, economics, and foreign policy that will allow them to appreciate the context of future pop culture passions. Students will be provided with the flexibility and tools to understand the popular culture movements of their choosing, and will work with other students interested in a similar region to understand and present its history to the class. This course is a great opportunity to further investigate subjects from 9th grade World History, World Language, and interdisciplinary research.

Prerequisite: English 10, History 10 Credit: HIST/SOC Period: Semester

Medieval Europe

This course will explore the history of Europe from the Middle Ages to the Reformation. Students will gain an understanding of the social, cultural, political, and economic developments that took place in Europe during this period. The first part of the course will focus on the European Middle Ages (5th-15th centuries), including the feudal system, the growth of the Catholic Church, and the impact of the bubonic plague. Students will read the works of Dante and Chaucer, and study medieval art and architecture, as well as important figures such as Charlemagne and Joan of Arc. 

The second part of the course will examine the Renaissance (14th-17th centuries), a time of great cultural, artistic, and scientific achievements. Students will learn about the revival of classical learning and the discovery of new trade routes, as well as the works of influential figures such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Galileo Galilei. Finally, the course will explore the Reformation (16th-17th centuries), a religious movement that challenged the authority of the Catholic Church and led to the establishment of Protestantism. Students will examine the ideas of key figures such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Henry VIII, and the impact that the Reformation had on Europe and the world.

Prerequisite: History 10 Credit: HIST/SOC Period: Semester Diploma Credit: Classics

American Film History: Theory and Practice

This team-taught interdisciplinary course will explore the world of film from multiple perspectives. Each week we will view a classic of cinema as homework, and devote 1-2 days engaged in close readings of individual scenes, related readings, and discussion, about which students will produce short essays. We will also devote 1-2 days a week to longer-term student projects, which will involve learning techniques of production necessary to produce short videos that react in some way to the assigned films. Directors whose work will be explored include Charlie Chaplin, John Ford, Martin Scorsese and Greta Gerwig. Students will practice a wide array of skills applicable across the arts and humanities.

Prerequisite: History 10 Credit: ART or HIST/SOC Period: Semester 

Diploma Credit: Visual & Performing Arts

*This course is cross-listed between the Arts and Social Sciences programs. When registering, students must select the credit for which they would like the course to be registered. Students should consult with their advisor and review their graduation requirements.

Postcolonial Studies

How have Western perspectives and representations of the “Other” or “native” led to imperial and colonial endeavors across the Caribbean, Africa, and the Middle East ? Oftentimes, colonialism is linked to modernity which historically has been considered an inevitable yet beneficial event. What are the “darker sides” to modernity and how are they exemplified in art and literature? This course is an introduction to the field of Postcolonial Studies through a comparative critical analysis of Spanish, Belgian, and French colonialism as theorized, documented, and experienced in the Global South. Through theoretical readings, we will understand and build upon the definitions of imperialism, (post)colonialism, settler colonialism, anti- and decolonialism. We will then apply these developments and theories to an examination of cultural and literary representations created as a response of the colonized to the colonizer. In comparing the histories, presents, and futures of these regions, we will then collaboratively organize a winter symposium in which each student will present their research and findings. Areas of focus may include the Congo, Haiti, Morocco, Algeria, and the Dominican Republic. In consultation with the instructor and diploma program coordinator, this course can support students who are pursuing a diploma program.

Prerequisite: History 10 Credit: HIST/SOC Period: Semester Diploma Program Credit: Sustainability 

Comparative Religions and Culture

Religion is more than just believing in a deity; for many it is a philosophy or way of life. In this semester-long course, we will focus on existential questions that humans have wrestled with since the beginning of time. What is the meaning of life? Is there a God? We will begin to understand religion and its role in history and contemporary life through the lens of some of the world’s major faiths - including Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Judaism - and their interaction with the enduring regionally-defined faiths of West Africa, South & Central America, South Asia, and Native American Nations. We will trace how religions have influenced the trajectory of history and how religion has served as a defining force of global politics, economics, cultural identity, and societal organization. Through an introduction to religious theory and method, and drawing from the methods of history, philosophy, anthropology, and sociology, students will learn to interpret and contextualize religious texts and to discern the evolving connections between identity and religious practice. 

Prerequisite: History 10 Credit: HIST Period: Semester 

Money, Morals, and Mobility - History Seminar

Team taught by faculty in History, Economics, and English, this one-semester course will look at literature and economics as forms of storytelling–specifically at stories of wealth, poverty, and upward mobility around the contemporary world. Students will explore best-selling works of fiction and memoir and consider them in light of contemporary economic theory. In the process, they will literally and figuratively get a better sense of where they are in American society, as well as where they stand globally in contexts that include Asia and Africa. 

Prerequisite: English 10, History 10 Credit: HIST/SOC, ENG Period: Semester Diploma Program Credit: Sustainability

*This course is cross-listed between the English and Social Sciences programs. When registering, students must select the credit for which they would like the course to be registered. The title of the course will reflect the credit selected (eg. "Money, Morals, and Mobility - History Seminar" for Social Sciences credit). Students should consult with their advisor and review their graduation requirements. 

American Music, American Life

Since World War II, popular music has been the quintessential expression of everyday American life. As such, it reflects the divisions as well as the unities of U.S. society at large. In this course, we will explore some of the most important genres in pop—notably country music, rock & roll, and hip-hop—and their impact on the generations of Americans who have come of age in the past 75 years. The spirit of the course is comparative: to look at a series of themes in our national life (among them race and ethnic relations, gender expression, class politics, religion and regionalism, among others) as well as the means of musical expression in terms of the ways songs are constructed and performed. Students will be asked to read, write, and think about how music works, and to consider music they haven’t always listened to—or liked—and grapple with new ideas. The goal will be to achieve a greater appreciation of American popular music, as well as aspects of/perspectives on American life that may not be familiar to those whose frame of reference is the second decade of the 21st century.

Prerequisite: History 10 Credit: HIST/SOC or ART Period: Semester

Diploma Credit: Visual & Performing Arts

*This course is cross-listed between the Arts and Social Sciences programs. When registering, students must select the credit for which they would like the course to be registered. Students should consult with their advisor and review their graduation requirements.

Archeology I: Introduction and Methods

This course serves as an introduction to the field of archeology. The course reviews the sub-disciplines of archeology and discusses both traditional and modern methods of excavation. It is broad in both time and space. We study sites from homo sapiens origins (200,000 BCE) to colonial period shipwrecks (1700CE) and from Indiana to Indonesia. Students learn about human prehistory and history through material culture and see how humans have evolved biologically and socially through time. An emphasis on questioning theories and explanations of the past is always at the core of new discoveries and something students are encouraged to do as they learn the basics of archeology.

Prerequisite: History 10 Credit: SCI or HIST/SOC Period: Semester 

Diploma Credit: Classics, Sustainability

*This course is cross-listed between the Sciences and Social Sciences programs. When registering, students must select the credit for which they would like the course to be registered. Students should consult with their advisor and review their graduation requirements.

Archeology II: Research and Practice

This class will vary from year to year. It will focus on specific time periods and the changes cultures make through time. Reviewing material culture, typology over time, historical data, and more students will understand how archeologists recreate what life may have been like in certain time periods and cultures. This course is designed to culminate in some sort of field study, whether an actual archeological dig or a study of artifacts from a specific collection or lab work from a specific site.  Students will leave this course having actually experienced archeological work.

Prerequisite: History 10 Credit: SCI or HIST/SOC Period: Semester 

Diploma Credit: Classics, Sustainability

*This course is cross-listed between the Sciences and Social Sciences programs. When registering, students must select the credit for which they would like the course to be registered. Students should consult with their advisor and review their graduation requirements.

Modern American Art History

In this course, students will explore American history over the late-nineteenth and twentieth centuries through the analysis of art. Beginning with art in the Gilded Age and ending with Minimalism in the 1970s/80s, this course will show the changes in American culture and society through art movements and explore topics such as gender, race, social class, and politics. Through interdisciplinary class discussions, projects, presentations, and essays, students will develop their written and oral visual analysis skills, first focusing on specific pictorial elements and structure. This course will take advantage of Greenwich’s proximity to New York City and there will be up to three field trips to see artworks in person. As a final cumulative project, students will virtually curate and annotate their own exhibit of American art regarding an overarching course theme but with artworks from different movements. An essential element of this final project is their creation of their own that fits within the parameters of their show. Modern American Art is a half-year course open to eleventh and twelfth-grade students (those who have studied American history) and is cross-listed as an art and history class. 

Prerequisite: English 10, History 10 Credit: HIST/SOC, ART Period: Semester

*This course is cross-listed between the Social Sciences and Arts programs. When registering, students must select the credit for which they would like the course to be registered. Students should consult with their advisor and review their graduation requirements.

Tragedies of the Greeks

The playwrights, philosophers, and creative minds of classical Athens significantly shaped the thought and culture of the Western world. While theater has historically served as a medium for societies to mirror their own beliefs, the plays performed during the fifth-century BCE Golden Age of Athens challenged its citizens to think about the evolving relationship between humans and their gods at a time when their world was rapidly undergoing serious change. The works of the tragedians Sophocles, Euripides, and Aeschylus stand as invaluable literary treasures from antiquity. In this semester course, students will explore 7-8 distinct Greek tragedies with the aim of learning more about the societal roles of the ancient Greeks and how things like warfare, class, politics, and religion were played out on the stage. Moreover, each text will be contrasted with a modern societal counterpart to better illuminate that our connection to the Greeks stretches far beyond the extension of ‘democracy’. All texts and excerpts will be read in English. 

Prerequisite: English 10 Credit: ENG, HIST/SOC Period: Semester

*This course is cross-listed between the English and Social Sciences programs. When registering, students must select the credit for which they would like the course to be registered. Students should consult with their advisor and review their graduation requirements. 

AASS: Constitutional Law and the Supreme Court

This course explores the role that the Supreme Court plays in American society through an analysis of selected topics in constitutional law. The course begins with an overview of the history and functioning of the court, then moves on to examine topics such as freedom of speech and religion, due process, equal protection, and search and seizure. The course utilizes the case method to develop students’ analytical thinking and writing. Current events, cases on the Court’s docket, and present-day political realities figure prominently. Assignments include case briefs, essays on trends in the law, oral presentations, collaborative arguments, and leadership of class discussions. Class participation is essential. Two major assignments, which take the place of exams, are moot court exercises, during which students research, write briefs, argue, and write judicial opinions on real and hypothetical cases. Students are encouraged to read The New York Times and several legal news sites on a daily basis. 

Prerequisite: Department Approval Credit: HIST/SOC Period: Full Year

AASS: Advanced History Seminar - American Lives & Times

This yearlong reading-intensive course will explore the craft of History specifically, and writing generally,  using primary and secondary sources. Students will hone reading, writing, and thinking skills needed for undergraduate-level academic distinction in the humanities. The first semester of the course will focus on biography, situating famous and lesser-known Americans in their historical milieu in the 17th , 18th , and 19th centuries. In the second semester, we will shift our focus to 20th century cultural history by exploring particular decades such as the 1920s and the 1980s. 

Prerequisite: Department Approval Credit: HIST/SOC Period: Full Year

AASS: Advanced Social Analysis - Topics in Anthropology

What does it mean to be human? Why do humans categorize one another and what are the motivations and ramifications for doing so? How do humans and societies marked as “weird” or “strange” inhabit and navigate the world around them? 

This advanced social analysis course will introduce students to a variety of topics in the field of anthropology, the study of human societies and cultures across time and space. We will dive into an analysis of behaviors and practices that may be considered “weird” or “abnormal” in one time and place, but are quite commonplace in another. Units of study may include body modification, learning differences, and mental health. We will use texts from anthropology and social theory alongside literary and visual sources to gain a greater understanding of how labels and categories have the power to exclude and include in society. 

Prerequisite: Department Approval Credit: HIST/SOC Period: Full Year

AASS: Advanced Applied Economics & Engineering

Twenty first century challenges and opportunities necessitate grappling with economics, public policy, technology, and design, often through the lens of data science. In this yearlong course, students will learn to apply data science and interdisciplinary analytical tools to develop an 'end product' - an effective public policy, sustainable solution, or innovative new product or service. The course will guide students through the process of researching and identifying a product, service, policy or startup idea, refining the idea, pitching it to investors, and constructing a commercial or non-profit go-to-market plan. The course will partner with university institutes and industry experts to provide feedback and advice through this process. Fall semester will focus on the acquisition of targeted coding skills and business development software fluency, social and organizational analysis, and market research. Working in teams, students will explore tools and methods in product design, marketing, digital platforms, and FinTech. In the spring, teams will go through an intensive, iterative pitch development process culminating in a formal pitch session to potential funders or sponsors with the real potential to launch their product or service. Success in this course will depend on applying and building skills in team-based project design and management. Students should be prepared to drive the process themselves, including leveraging the teaching team, outside experts, and opportunities to build their skills. Strong writing, research, and quantitative skills are also required.

Prerequisite: Department Approval; Economics, CS II, and Precalculus, or Instructor Approval Credit: HIST/SOC, CAT

Period: Full Year Diploma Credit: Engineering, Sustainability

*This course is cross-listed between the Social Sciences and Creative Applied Technologies programs. When registering, students must select the credit for which they would like the course to be registered. Students should consult with their advisor and review their graduation requirements.