HISTORY 6: (Social Studies) — Ancient Civilizations and Cultural
Studies
This course is an investigation into the nature of historical studies and ancient
civilizations with a dual focus on how we know about the past and how humans
have developed various societies. By way of introduction in the first semester,
students explore time and culture as general concepts and investigate the archaeology
of Catalhoyuk, an ancient community that represents the transition between hunting/gathering
of Neolithic times and the relative permanence of the Bronze Age communities.
In turn, students study Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt. In the second semester
ancient Greece and Rome are the focus of study, each for about nine weeks. In
this work students are asked to become familiar with both the values and the
reality of these cultures. Throughout the year comparisons and contrasts of
different cultures are emphasized. Meeting three days per week, students have
ongoing opportunities to practice research, in-class note taking, outlining,
and oral presentation skills. Teachers implement original units as well as those
from the Stanford-based Teachers’ Curriculum Institute. All lessons seek
to engage and challenge students with a variety of learning angles with an emphasis
on interactive activities and projects.
Text: A Message of Ancient Days, Armento et al (1999).
HISTORY 7: American History
This course is divided into two parts: a survey of U.S. history and a seminar
format that explores three topics in depth. The first part of the course consists
of a series of chronologically organized lectures and readings that explore
major themes, concepts, periods and events in U.S. history. The second part
of the course is a seminar format during which students
explore—utilizing various primary documents—the history of race,
gender and socioeconomic class in U.S. history. Small and large group discussions
are an important part of the course, making student participation crucial. We
also place a strong emphasis on writing skills.
Text: History Alive!: The United States, Teachers
Curriculum Institute (2002)
HISTORY 8: Regional Studies I — Africa and Latin America
History 8 represents Part One of our two-year global studies program. Our eighth
graders will explore the geography, history, culture, and current events of
Africa during first semester and Latin America during second semester. Materials
from the Teacher’s Curriculum Institute and a variety of readings will
allow students to explore geography, culture, and politics. Students will pursue
both individual and group projects as they make connections between current
events and their historical precedents. Students will write a number of research
papers throughout the year, culminating in the Big Paper during fourth quarter.
Text: World Studies: Africa and World Studies: Latin America,
Prentice Hall (2008)
HISTORY 9: Regional Studies II – Russia, China, India, and Globalization
History 9 represents the second year of our two-year global studies program
at Head-Royce (though each year functions as a discrete course). As 9th graders,
students explore three non-Western superpowers — Russia (the world’s
largest country), China (the world’s most populous), and India (the world’s
biggest Third World democracy). Our study is rooted in both contemporary issues
and their historical precedents. By the end of the program, students will have
a rich knowledge of national differences and the forces of globalization which
shape our quickly changing world. History 9 also contains a strong thematic
component as we discuss models of governments, mechanisms of political change,
utopian ideologies and their demise, to name just a few themes. We want this
course to engage students, as they become deep-thinking historians and more
worldly individuals.
Texts:
History 9 Readers: Russia, China, India
Animal Farm, George Orwell
Tao Te Ching, Mitchell (trans.)
HISTORY 10: United States History/Advanced Placement U.S. History
This survey course traces the political and social forces shaping the United
States from early settlement to the 1980s. Along with providing a sense of chronological
continuity, the curriculum focuses on major themes which define the country’s
heritage while considering the contributions of diverse peoples and cultures
to the development of the United States. The curriculum addresses social, political,
economic, geographic, and cultural topics. Students think about historical debates
and why we have them, and they are introduced to concepts of historiography.
Students actively use the Internet to further their knowledge and develop their
historical interests, and they complete a research project in the spring semester.
Classes vary from lecture and discussion to simulation and role-play. Evaluations
range from exams and reading quizzes to analytical essays. On a regular basis,
students are required to think critically about the secondary and primary sources
they read, to interpret evidence and to draw their own conclusions. The curriculum
encourages students to explore connections between past and present by increasing
their knowledge of current events and they are encouraged to think about what
their own role in American society and politics is now and will be in the future.
Texts:
The American Pageant, Bailey and Kennedy
The American Spirit (Volumes I and II), Bailey and Kennedy
The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Alex Haley
Preparing for the United States History AP Exam, Epstein
Assorted articles and documents
Advanced Placement is an option for History 10 students. Students
who choose this option are given targeted pre-paration for the College Board’s
Advanced Placement exam. Preparation includes test taking strategies and practice
with the Document Based essay, a format in which students analyze a set of documents
in defending their answer to a question. Additional emphasis is placed on student
writing/analytical skills and in-depth content areas appropriate for the AP
exam. Students will receive credit on their transcripts for electing the AP
option.
HISTORY 11: Western Culture and Civilization
This course is a historical and cultural survey from the Classical World to
the present. It provides a chronological and topical analysis of the political,
cultural, social and economic forces that have shaped the Western tradition.
It examines, as well, the consequences of European contact with the non-Western
world. A weekly survey of western art is incorporated into this course.
Texts:
The Western Experience, Vols. I & II, Chambers
The Western Tradition, Vols. I and II, Weber
A History of Western Art, Adams
Course readers
Art History Component
This course surveys Western art from classical Greece to the present. The teacher presents major works of painting, sculpture, and architecture for discussion in relation to the historical development of forms and styles. Students examine how different styles of art and architecture reflect the ideas and technical knowledge of the societies in which they arise, and how styles change and are transmitted. Special attention is paid to the interaction of art and society.
AP European History Seminar (second semester only; optional)
This seminar is meant to be a one semester enrichment and review for those students interested in taking the Advanced Placement test of the College Board. The seminar, offered in the second semester, focuses on European history from 1450 to the present. While it follows the outline of the History 11 course, the seminar explores topics with greater depth and reviews the analytical and writing skills appropriate for the AP test. Students will receive credit on their transcripts for their participation in the seminar.
SENIOR HISTORY ELECTIVES
During the senior year, students choose one elective each semester from among
the offerings.
Specific history electives for the 2011-2012 year will be selected from the
list below and will be determined in spring 2011.
HISTORY 12: Advanced Placement Art History
This course builds upon the Art History component of the History 11 class. Students
focus on periods not touched on in the junior level class from Antiquity through
the Modern era. They develop critical reading skills and a more sophisticated
method of analyzing works of art. This course prepares students for the College
Board Art History Exam in the spring.
Text: Gardner’s Art Through the Ages, Vols.
I & II (Tansey and Kleiner)
HISTORY 12: The Constitution and the Law
Constitutional Law examines the origins of the United States Constitution and
its impact on the legal system. We start the semester by exploring the vision
of the founders for the document, and importantly, the concerns of those founders
who found aspects of the document troublesome. We then shift to look at the
various ways in which the Constitution may be interpreted with respect to several
key issues, including, but not limited to: Abortion, conscription, death penalty,
due process, free speech, jury selection, same sex marriage, the O.J. Simpson
case, affirmative action, terrorism.
Texts: The US Constitution; The Federalist Papers,
Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, James Madison; The Federalist Papers In Modern
Language, Mary Webster; I Dissent: Great Opposing Opinions in Landmark
Supreme Court Cases, Mark Tushnet; several online articles distributed
throughout the semester.
HISTORY 12: American Race Relations, 1850-2010
This course examines how race has played a role in American society from the
1850s through the modern day. The course focuses on slavery, both historic and
in modern day, throughout the United States. Particular attention is given to
Asian-American slavery in late 19th and 20th century California and the systemic
enslavement of African-Americans during the Antebellum period. Students will
participate in a review of the experiences of undocumented Americans and and
the working poor in order to explore whether these communities share any commonalities
with slavery. We draw on the works of Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Dubois, Martin
Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, James Baldwin and others to explore how race
influenced the late 19th through early 21st century United States. We also dialogue
with leaders of the Civil Rights movement, ranging from Federal Judges to community
activists in Oakland so that we can assess whether the United States is truly
a post-racial society. Lastly, students will participate in a series of film
projects and family oral histories exploring how race has played out in modern
society and in our families. Mr. Reinke’s critically acclaimed collection
of racist artifacts from throughout American History will be used throughout
the course. Parts of Mr. Reinke’s collection was featured in the film
Ethnic Notions.
Texts:
Up From Slavery, Booker T. Washington
Souls of Black Folks, W.E.B. DuBois
The Adventures of Pudd'nhead Wilson, Twain
Far More Terrible for Women, Patrick Minges
Black on White, Roediger
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Beecher Stowe
Assorted writings of Cesar Chavez, Martin Luther King, Jr and Maxine Hong Kingston
Class Reader
History 12: Asia Rising
This course will examine Northeast Asia’s rapid industrialization and
economic development. Why did growth happen so rapidly and
successfully? Together we will explore economic, political and cultural factors
as potential drivers behind Northeast Asia’s amazing rise. Concentrating
on Japan, China and Korea, we will reflect on how these factors continue to
affect Asia today. Will growth continue, to what extent? How did trade relations
with Japan drive our current manufacturing crisis in the auto industry? What
is the local impact of trade with China? The world economy? What is the current
status of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula? Classroom activities
will revolve around the analysis of scholarly articles, interactive lessons
such as trade simu lations and topical debates, as well as off-site study excursions.
Upon completion, students will learn to think critically about the economic
history of the region, and also about current events that are shaping Asia’s
continued rise.
Texts: Course reader of assorted articles provided by teacher
HISTORY 12: Broadcast Documentary: Analyzing History Through A Lens
This course provides students an opportunity to study the history, structure
and role of the broadcast documentary, as well as the way in which visual messages
have great power to inform, educate and persuade an individual. We will also
examine the way documentaries serve as both a cultural influence and a historical
archive of important experiences, events and issues in American society. Through
the analysis of select documentaries, we will consider through what “lens”
we come to understand these historical and current events. How do documentaries
both punctuate and put perspective around our issues and experiences? How does
the filmmaker’s “perspective” influence our understanding
of these issues and experiences? Is objectivity possible and/or desirable? Is
the study of history in essence a study of personal perspective? Students will
study theories and approaches to documentaries, gain a historical perspective
of the documentary medium, delve into issues surrounding ethics and objectivity,
and engage in historical, critical, and aesthetic analysis of select documentary
films. In addition, students will gain practical experience in researching,
organizing, structuring and producing documentaries of their own.
HISTORY 12: Comparative Politics
• Why is that some representative democracies have eight major political
parties and ours has only two?
• Why do some democracies have a premier and a president?
• What is voter turnout like in other countries?
• How are minority group interests represented in different countries?
• What is the role of religion in government?
• Can socialism and democracy be combined without undermining democracy?
Many American adults can’t even begin to answer these questions. Now students
can. This comparative politics course is designed to provide students with the
conceptual tools necessary to develop an understanding of some of the world’s
diverse political structures and practices. In it we will study six specific
countries (the US, Great Britain, France, China, Russia, and India), plus some
of students’ own choosing and general concepts used to understand political
relationships and institutions that are found in nearly all political systems.
We will discuss current events as well as historical foundations as appropriate.
Our goal is to become better versed in paradigms of different types of political
systems so that we can be better citizens not only of the United States but
also of the world.
Texts: Comparative Politics: Domestic Responses to Global
Challenges, Hauss; How Much is Enough? The Consumer Society and the
Future of the Earth, Durning; current periodicals
History 12: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
This course will give students tools and opportunities to understand how individuals
are shaped by culture: the rules, systems, rituals, and symbols that surround
them. The class will expose students to the ways other cultures (from the past
and the present) have viewed and ordered the world in order to meet the same
underlying needs (subsistence, social organization, communication, etc.). We
will start by defining the idea of “culture” and introducing students
to basic anthropological methods. We will then delve into five distinct “units,”
each tackling a significant area of anthropological study: 1. Subsistence, 2.
Language, 3. Family/Kinship, 4. Gender/Sexuality, 5. Cultural Evolution. In
each unit, we will examine specific case studies from both Western and Non-Western
cultures. In addition, certain topics in the syllabus address interdisciplinary
approaches to studying culture (incorporating biology, ecology, economics),
thus encouraging students to make connections to their other classes and reinforcing
the importance of collaboration. Along the way, students will be asked to reflect
on their own culture, how it has been constructed, and how it has molded them.
The culminating assignment will ask students to create their own ethnographies
after observing a local cultural phenomenon (e.g., a baseball game, a walk down
Telegraph Avenue, a school dance, etc).
History 12: Economics
This course is designed to acquaint students with the basic tools of microeconomics
and macroeconomics. Economics is the study of how society allocates its scarce
resources; microeconomics is the study of the behavior of households and firms,
whose collective decisions determine how resources are allocated in a free market
economy. Macroeconomics is the study of the performance and structure of the
entire (regional, national, or global) economy, looking at aggregate indices
like GDP or unemployment. They will explore models that explain the relationship
between things like national income, output, consumption, unemployment, inflation,
savings, investment, international trade and international finance. The goal
of the course is to teach students to “think like an economist,”
which we hope, will help students to understand the world around them, make
better economic decisions their own life, and be more informed citizens and
voters. The course focuses on economic theory and therefore will often rely
on abstract concepts. However, the course will emphasize the application of
these concepts to real world situations through frequent in-class discussions
of current events and interactive learning exercises.
HISTORY 12: Ethical Issues
This course asks students to think deeply about some of the major ethical dilemmas
of the modern world. Throughout, students are expected to read and to express
their views with care and precision. The purpose of this course “is not
to make up anyone’s mind but to open minds, and to make the agony of decision
making so intense that you can escape only by thinking.” Topics addressed
include ethical traditions, ethics and community, ethical issues raised by the
legal system and media, the ethics of journalism and moral dilemmas which come
up in business and government. The course’s aim is not to be philosophical
or abstract, but concrete. By semester’s end, students will acquire an
appreciation for how ethical dilemmas are woven through every life path. They
will be able to clearly perceive where ethical dilemmas exist in daily life
and will have developed language and critical thinking skills to make the pondering
of ethical issues part of their own lives.
Texts: Ethics in America: Study Guide, Newton
Assorted articles provided by the teacher
History 12: Environmental History
In a book about the environmental conse quences of Europe’s encounter
with the New World, the historian Alfred Crosby writes, “The first step
to understanding man is to consider him as a biological entity which has existed
on this globe, affecting, and in turn affected by, his fellow organisms, for
many thousands of years.” To understand any human society we must first
understand their ecological footing. In order to study any human culture, we
need to investigate how that group of people has thought about and acted toward
the natural environment. In search of this understanding we will follow a number
of historical trails. We will read excerpts from important works of Western
philosophy and science, from people such as Plato, Galileo, Bacon, and Descartes.
But to provide comparison and contrast, we will also read books and essays about
some traditional, indigenous cultures in parts of the world that we rarely encounter
in Head-Royce courses: Aboriginal Australians, Pacific Northwest Indians, Amazonians.
By the end of the semester, we will also have investigated some new trends in
our own society, issues like sustainable agriculture and slow food. Humans imagine
their environment into existence around them, and the entity we create and call
nature is a reflection of our values and ideals; it is a mirror reflecting civilization
back upon itself. Today nature is a battlefield: environmen talists struggle
with developers and industrial ists, the fate of humanity seems to lie in the
balance. This course will introduce us to the origins of this battle and give
us ammunition to participate for ourselves in the future.
Texts: Course Reader; Robert Pogue Harrison; The Spell of the Sensuous,
David Abram; The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan
HISTORY 12: Introduction to Psychology
During the first quarter, the class covers the major movements in modern psychology,
including psychoanalysis, behaviorism, developmental psychology, and abnormal
psychology. In the second quarter, the class focuses on social psychology and
draws readings and discussion from Elliot Aronson’s The Social Animal.
Topics covered during the second quarter include conformity, prejudice, aggression,
persuasion, and attraction. Also, during the final part of the semester, students
will conduct, write up, and present group psychology experiments.
Texts: Course Reader; The Social Animal, Aronson
History 12: Islam
The history of Islam encompasses a vast chunk of the history of the world. Just
the Middle East is not enough. Today its influence permeates states from Morocco
to Indonesia, from the Sudan to former Soviet Republics like Kazak stan. This
history all began in a small merchant village on the Arabian Peninsula called
Mecca in the seventh century. This class will follow the history of Islam from
its humble origins in Mecca and the visions of Mohammed through its centuries
of military and mercantile con quest across North Africa and into Europe and
East to India, Malaysia, and Indonesia through to our own time when it seems
impossible to for Westerners to think of Islam outside the extremes of fundamentalism
and terrorist violence. In the course of our class, we will see how trade turned
the Indian Ocean into an Islamic Sea, how Islamic culture influenced the European
Renaissance and was in turn influenced by European imperialism. We will also
spend time investigating the relationship between reality and stereotypes in
twentieth century Islam. And in the end, we will try to imagine what the future
holds for Islam in an era of globalization.
Texts: Al-Qur’an, Ali (trans.); Mohammed, Armstrong;
Hayy ibn Yaqzan, Ibn Tufayl; selected poetry of Rumi; Nine Parts of Desire,
Brooks
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Updated March 6, 2011