World Studies is an interdisciplinary approach to world history and literature, with topics and themes aligned in World History II and English II courses. By enrolling in the World Studies program, students will find that their work in the Social Studies section is much more intertwined with their work in the English section of World Studies, as literature will be a crucial part of illuminating the history studied. Students will work with nonfiction readings, primary sources, fiction, drama, and poetry to connect with the important issues of our world today. Students should expect several writing assignments, tests, and projects to cross over the two courses. Students will hone close reading skills and increasingly complex essay writing. Readings will be derived from the following genres, offered through a global lens: the epic; tragedy; allegory and satire; the 19th-century novel; memoir; historical fiction; poetry, short stories, and varied cultural readings. Students review grammar, mechanics, and style rules and are expected to incorporate more sophisticated sentence patterns into their writing.

Students will:

• Examine the major ideas of the Enlightenment alongside Voltaire's Candide. 

• Analyze how Voltaire uses satire to challenge political, religious, and philosophical institutions while simultaneously investigating the historical context that inspired his critiques.

• Evaluate competing ideas presented by Enlightenment thinkers about human nature, government, religion, and society.

• Argue how effectively Candide reflects, critiques, or advances Enlightenment ideals.

Students will:

• Examine how writers responded to rapid industrialization, urban growth, and changing social conditions.

• Analyze poetry that celebrates nature, emotion, imagination, and the individual while investigating the historical developments that inspired these themes.

• Evaluate the tensions between industrial progress and the human need for creativity, connection, and the natural world. 

Possible authors studied include William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Percy Bysshe Shelley, William Blake, John Keats, and Lord Byron

Students will:

• Discuss the history of Spanish colonization, the caste system, Indigenous resistance, cultural assimilation, and the social inequalities that continued long after colonial rule

• Explore how historical systems of power shape individual experiences, opportunities, and identity.

• Connect Virginia's personal story to broader historical patterns and consider how individuals preserve culture and challenge injustice. 

• The unit culminates in a synthesis essay in which students examine how the legacy of colonization continues to influence identity and society in Latin America.

Students will:

• Investigate the historical roots and lasting consequences of European imperialism in Africa while reading Born a Crime. Through historical inquiry, students explore the motives behind the "Scramble for Africa," the establishment of colonial rule, and the ways imperialism reshaped African societies. Students then examine how these colonial systems contributed to the development of apartheid in South Africa and influenced the social conditions Trevor Noah describes in his memoir.

• Explore how Noah uses humor, anecdote, and reflection to examine race, identity, language, family, and resistance. Students consider how laws and social structures affected individuals' opportunities and relationships, particularly in a society built on racial classification and segregation. By connecting historical events to Noah's personal experiences, students gain a deeper understanding of how systems of power shape both societies and individual lives. The unit culminates in an analytical essay or multimedia project in which students evaluate the relationship between imperialism, apartheid, and the themes of identity, resilience, and social justice in Born a Crime.

Texts will include Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime and a selection of short stories and nonfiction texts and Marvel’s Black Panther (2018)

Students will:

• Investigate the historical legacy of the 1947 Partition of British India and its continuing effects through a close reading “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine.” Students explore the causes of Partition, the creation of India and Pakistan, the mass migration and violence that followed, and the emergence of Bangladesh in 1971. Through historical documents, maps, personal accounts, and literary analysis, students examine how large-scale political decisions affect ordinary people.

• Analyze Lilia's growing awareness of world events and Mr. Pirzada's experience of separation from his family during a time of conflict. Students consider themes of identity, diaspora, cultural connection, and empathy while exploring the ways individuals navigate competing national, cultural, and personal identities. Through discussion, writing, and historical inquiry, students connect the personal narrative to broader historical realities. The unit culminates in an analytical essay or multimedia project in which students evaluate how Lahiri uses fiction to illuminate the human impact of political division and historical change.

Students will:

• Explore the power of oral history and storytelling by interviewing an individual who experienced a significant historical event or life experience. Students study narrative structure, interviewing techniques, audience engagement, and podcast production while examining examples of effective audio storytelling.

• Transform personal stories into polished podcast episodes through research, interviewing, script writing, recording, editing, and revision.

• Create an original podcast that preserves and shares another person's story with an authentic audience.