Upper School History

Humanities 9 is an interdisciplinary course that takes the question, “What does it mean to be human?” as its central question.  Students explore this question by way of literature, drama, historical text, primary sources, and the biblical narrative.  While reading Homer’s Odyssey, Humanities students are learning about origins of early Western culture and examining the lives of Abraham, Jacob, and Moses.  Later in the year, students explore the lives of the ancient Romans just before reading through the book of Matthew so they are able to appreciate the world Jesus was born into.  In this manner, Humanities students begin to see that the many subjects of study are not disconnected, but are instead parts of a greater human story.  Some of the primary topics of the course include:

• human origins

• the good life or purpose

• morality and ethics

• beauty and the search for perfection

• relationship with the divine

• relationships between humans (parent/child, man/woman, etc.)

• heroism and ideal humans

• personal and cultural identity

Students are encouraged to develop their own perspective on these and many other topics.  Yet, they are likewise encouraged to articulate both differing and opposing perspectives on the same topics.  For example, they are asked to imagine their response as a free Athenian citizen facing the threat of Persian monarchy.  Students are required to perform dramatic scenes from the works of both Sophocles and Shakespeare.  They are also asked to critique artistic interpretations of biblical, historical, and literary scenes and defend their opinions in front of their classmates.  By the end of the year students are expected to read inquisitively, write coherently, and speak confidently about a range of difficult, human questions.

To facilitate this way of thinking, Upper School students take Humanities 9 during their freshman year. This course (2½ credits) integrates English, History, and Biblical Studies and explores themes of Western Civilization from literary, historical, and biblical perspectives.

Humanities 10 is an interdisciplinary course designed to explore two questions: Who are our global neighbors? And what are their stories? Since the Bible is most relevant when studied in living context both ancient and modern, and since the strongest drivers of change in history are money and religion, our integrated curriculum helps students to bring their world, its past, and the Kingdom of God into sharper focus.  After an introduction to economic theory and what the Bible says about money in the gospel of Luke, students investigate five regions of the world — The Middle East, India, Africa, Latin America, and East Asia — while analyzing the impact of the past on the present in light of the person and work of Jesus. 

They improve in critical thinking and writing while gaining a rich understanding of the challenges and benefits of integrating Biblical principles into contemporary global contexts.  Some of the primary topics of the course include: nationalism, imperialism, colonization, immigration, slavery, poverty, war, God’s Kingdom “Without Borders”.

Humanities 10  is a 1½ credit course integrating History and Biblical Studies.

The story of the transition to modern forms of life is rooted in the Western experience. The AP European History course provides students with the opportunity to examine and assess the many influences that contributed to this great upheaval. Students learn to analyze the complex events and issues, which underlie so many of the tensions, challenges and opportunities of life in today’s increasingly globalized society. By studying the experiences, goals, arguments, and responses of those involved in the dramatic events that have given rise to modern life, students are equipped to develop their own perspective on their society and are better ready to address its questions and challenges for themselves.

Students will be well prepared to take the College Board AP examination in May, but they may also take the course for non-AP history credit.

Unites States History: Evidence and Records runs more like a college seminar than an AP history course. Students spend more time in classroom discussion than in lectures. They sharpen their skills by “doing history” (writing arguments about how the past really happened), rather than simply “learning about history”; (mastering events, names and dates). They read extensively from dozens of original key documents. They debate those sources in class to sharpen their understanding of the evidence, and also to improve their ability in public to communicate about it. Finally they harvest the fruit of that labor by writing carefully crafted, evidence-based, research essays, which address important and sometimes unnerving questions that connect America’s past to its present. The goal of the course is to study the most critical changes over time that have shaped the country and to explore the enduring themes that have defined it, including above all faith and liberty.