History
The goal of our History program is to:
- To help students on their path to becoming informed and engaged national and global citizens
- To hone analytical tools, thinking habits, communication and collaboration skills to make sense of the world and our roles in it.
- To inspire, mentor, support, and encourage young people to pursue their interests with purpose and confidence.
Our program:
- PROVIDES a curricular framework that is global and interdisciplinary in focus and committed to place-based learning opportunities both near and far.
- CENTERS student choices, voices, and experiences within our courses.
- EMPLOYS a rich array of hands-on, multimodal learning activities.
- HONES students’ critical thinking, problem-solving, research and communication skills.
- PERSONALIZES instruction and feedback to ensure all students are both challenged and supported academically.
- FOSTERS collaboration with peers and partnerships with teachers.
- CONNECTS what we do and learn in the classroom to how we experience, perceive, and interact with our communities and the world more broadly.
- ENCOURAGES self-discovery and civic engagement.
Classroom shapshots:
Court arguments, ACLU reports on criminal justice reform, the status of the Equality Act, attempts to address privacy concerns with the metaverse – these are just a few of the contemporary issues 10th and 11th graders chose to connect to the themes and rights enshrined (and/or debated) in the US Constitution. Their final research projects included analytical essays, web pages, research posters, and screencasts – all of which require enhanced independent research skills, demonstrated understanding of important themes in the US Constitution through current events, and MLA citation.
“They aren’t handing out roses, but this painting has serious ‘The Bachelor’ overtones,” says high school social studies teacher KNA. What’s actually happening here? Bachelor settlers in New France are selecting potential wives among the Filles du Roi (daughters of the king) recruited by King Louis XIV to promote marriage, families, and the settlement of New France. High school students in History 300 analyzed this painting by Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale to understand the demographics of different colonial settlements. Students also examined other original patterns of American settlement to appreciate the historical roots of economic developments, demographics and political foundations that still shape our country today.
Course Progression
Class |
Themes |
Skills |
Sample Assignments |
|---|---|---|---|
| H100 Global Systems |
• Global networks of economics, beliefs systems, ideologies, military power, politics, science & technology |
•Discerning claims from evidence/facts • Substantiating claims • Argumentative writing • Persuasive communication • Evaluating sources • Close reading strategies • Collaboration • Self-advocacy |
• Primary source analysis |
| H200 A World in Flux |
• Students will examine the sinews of political ideology, economic interests, imperial history, and geopolitics that have created power differentials as well as "interesting" friendships and adversaries on the world stage since 1945. • By focusing our studies on the past 70 years, this course prioritizes depth over breadth of coverage. |
• Media literacy • Historical inquiry • Research skills • Multi-stage research and writing processes • Time and task management • More abstract and analytical thinking about topics • Increasingly sophisticated writing and oral communication skills |
• Model UN simulation on current event • An independent research paper on a country's experience during the Cold War • A literary journalism project on a contemporary issue |
| H300 American History |
• Students in this course will examine the ideals, values, and promises enshrined in the founding documents of the United States of America as well as the lived experiences of people across this diverse land. • A particular emphasis will be placed on how groups of individuals hav brought about legal, political, economic, and cultural changes to advance the United States’ mission “to form a more perfect union” and to secure civi and political rights for a greater number of Americans. |
• Close and critical reading of primary sources • Using more scholarly and complex sources for research • Synthesizing information from multiple sources • Increasing independence on historical inquiries and research projects • Developing own writing voice and style |
• Primary source analysis • Independent inquiry on Indigenous American current event • Role play examining the USA as an empire • Creating an interactive museum installation/website • Writing an Open Letter on a current debate |
|
H401 H402 |
• Students will develop a working understanding of levels of government: local, state, federal, and tribal • Students will develop a community engagement plan for involvement/volunteering with a local political campaign, NGO, or community organization • Students have the option of taking a Global Online Academy course in a field of social sciences (Economics, Psychology, Philosophy) • Advanced: Scholar Showcase in partnership with teacher, students design a personalized course of study |
• Voting 101 • Problem-solving • Civic engagement and dialogue • Professional communication skills |
• Community engagement plan • Call to Action • Blog/Learning journal |
DEI in history:
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to our history program. Hyla Upper School classes draw broadly and diversely on a multitude of voices, experiences, and perspectives to challenge or complicate assumptions that “this is the way it [the world, or society, life] will always be”.In world history classes this means developing a truly global scope and sequence in which we examine the work and experiences of authors, experts, artists, and individuals from around the world. In American history, this means examining historical trends and developments through a critical lens to understand how laws politics, economic developments, cultural beliefs and practices work in complex and powerful ways to shape individuals' lived experiences.
KNA, Upper School History Teacher
