Academics: The Curriculum
History & Social Science
H-222 Ancient and Medieval History
Year 1 unit
This course introduces students to world history from the earliest civilizations to the Renaissance. Students examine a variety of cultures, including non-western as well as western civilizations. In addition, students learn about the historical process through the extensive use of primary documents revealing the political, social and religious history of the cultures studied. Significant emphasis is also placed on developing fundamental research and writing skills. Students receive step-by-step guidance in preparing a major research paper. Evaluations are based on class participation, daily homework, periodic assessments, and the research paper.
Open to: 9
H-232 Rise of the Modern World
Year 1 unit
This course surveys developments in world history from the time of the European Renaissance through the present. While significant attention is given to the West, major individuals, as well as fundamental advances in religion, ideology, social and political structure, and culture in the non-western world, also are examined. Special attention is given to the close reading and careful analysis of primary documents and to cultivating the ability to express one’s ideas clearly and with sufficient factual evidence to be persuasive. A major research paper is required, and throughout the course, emphasis is placed on writing.
Open to: 10
H-331 United States History
Year 1 unit
This course surveys the history of the United States from the colonial period through the present, with emphasis given to careful analysis of the nature of the American experience. What roles have race, gender, and class played in the lives and perceptions of the American people? How have factors such as economics, ideology, law, and religious faith interacted in shaping the country’s history? Significant time is spent reading secondary and primary documents closely and critically. Students cultivate the ability to express ideas clearly and with sufficient factual evidence to be persuasive. At least one major research project allows students to explore the process of scholarship by studying a topic in depth.
Prerequisite: Rise of the Modern World (H-232)
Open to: 11/12
H-333 Advanced Placement United States History
Year 1.5 unit
This course provides an intensive, college-level survey of United States history from colonial America to the present and is designed for students who wish to prepare for the Advanced Placement exam in United States history. The course emphasizes social, economic, political, and diplomatic developments and gives special attention to issues in women’s history. The course is intended to be both an introduction to United States history and an initiation into the standards of historical study, including factual recall, document/artifact analysis, reasoned argumentation, clear communication (written and oral), and historiographic contextualization. The ability to handle significant amounts of nightly reading, to analyze and synthesize primary documents, and to write a concise, organized, and well-developed historical essay under time pressure is crucial to a student’s success in this course. After the AP exam in May, there is a final project. Admission to this class is based upon completion of the application form (obtainable from the registrar) and permission of the department chair, with continued enrollment dependent on consistent effort and performance. As with other AP courses, additional assignments should be expected over school vacations. There is a summer reading requirement that includes a written essay (due at registration in the fall).
Prerequisite: Rise of the Modern World (H-232) and completion of the summer reading assignment
Open to: 11/12 with the recommendation of current history and English teachers and with the permission of the AP U.S. History instructors and the department chair
H-323 History of Art and Architecture I
Fall .5 unit Hoffer
This course provides an introduction to the history of art and architecture from prehistory to the age of the great cathedrals. The purpose of the course is to acquaint students with the art forms that have influenced both Western and some non-Western societies and, more generally, with the varied developments in society that have influenced art forms. This course includes a variety of readings and visits to museums and is highly recommended for any student who has a strong interest in studio art or art history.
Prerequisite: Rise of the Modern World (H-232) or concurrently enrolled in H-232
Open to: 11/12
H-324 History of Art and Architecture II
Spring .5 unit Hoffer
This course examines Western and some non-Western painting, sculpture, and architecture from the Renaissance to the 21st century. As in History of Art and Architecture I (H-323), students become acquainted with the art forms that have influenced both Western and some non-Western societies as well as the developments in society that have influenced art forms. This course includes a variety of readings and visits to museums and is highly recommended for any student who has a strong interest in studio art or art history.
Prerequisite: Rise of the Modern World (H-232) or concurrently enrolled in H-232
Open to: 11/12
H-325 Advanced Placement Art History
Year .5 unit Hoffer
Students wishing to take the Advanced Placement examination in art history should enroll in both History of Art and Architecture I (H-323) and History of Art and Architecture II (H-324). In addition, they should take this tutorial which includes supplementary topics that are covered on the AP exam. Analytic and synthetic essays are frequently assigned. As with other AP courses, additional assignments should be expected over school vacations. There is a summer reading requirement that includes a written assignment (due at registration in the fall).
Co-requisite: History of Art and Architecture I (H-323) and History of Art and Architecture II (H-324), and permission of instructor
Open to: 11/12
H-326 The Hudson (cross-listed with E-340) Service Learning Course
Fall .5 unit Naeher and McClellan
Many people travel through each day without considering whose feet have trod before them or what stories those feet have carried. In this interdisciplinary, team-taught course, students examine the historical and literary footprints of the greater Hudson valley as they appreciate the interconnections among geography, people, climate, art, architecture, and ethos. Writers studied include Russo, Millay, Irving, Wharton, and Kennedy. Historical topics addressed include the rise of the Hudson River School of painting and the creation of a national cultural identity, the Hudson as a major commercial conduit and New York City as an international trading center, the Gilded Age, world wars and the Depression, and post-WWII economic distress and revitalization. Field trips are an essential component of this course, and students are required to attend one of the three outings, to be held on two Saturdays and one Wednesday. This course includes summer reading, which is outlined on the school’s Web site.
This course fulfills a community service requirement with its work outside class if students enroll in the corresponding community service program.
Open to: 11/12
H-343 Nasty Wenches to N.O.W.: Historical Perspectives of Women in the United States
Fall .5 unit Burday
Why did the Puritans perceive women as potentially dangerous? Why did Victorian Americans see women as virtuous, delicate flowers? Why did the abolitionist and women's rights reformer Sojourner Truth have to remind antebellum Americans, "Aren’t I a woman?" Why did women in the late '60s feel that even the most personal and intimate choices they made in their lives had an impact on the larger society? Students address these questions and more in Nasty Wenches, a course designed to provide a detailed overview of women in America from the colonial era to recent history. They use a variety of secondary and primary sources to consider how various factors such as religion, social standing, ethnicity, race, and sexuality served to change and define what it meant to be a woman in American society. This is a seminar course with a strong emphasis on analysis through reading and discussion. There are regular, short writing assignments and opportunities for students to delve more deeply into topics of interest through research.
Prerequisite: U.S. History (H-331) or AP U.S. History (H-333), or permission of the instructor
Open to: 11/12
H-348 Economics
Fall .5 unit
Economics is an integral part of daily life. Learning to “think economically” and seeing the interconnections of economic issues to social, political, and personal decisions are major goals of this course. This course broadly surveys the major topics in micro and macroeconomics, including economic theory, decisions of individuals and businesses, personal finance and investments, the role of the government in the economy, fiscal and monetary policy, and international economic issues (trade, currency exchange, less-developed countries, and globalization). This class features lecture, discussion, hands-on activities, periodic unit tests, small group activities, and a final project.
Prerequisite: U.S. History (H-331) or AP U.S. History (H-333), or concurrently enrolled in H-331 or H-333
Open to: 11/12
H-350 History of Latin America
Fall .5 unit Bendall
This course explores the political, economic, and social history of Latin America in the 19th and 20th centuries. Students examine the themes and trends which have influenced the development of the region. We also focus on the histories of several specific countries, including, but not limited to, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Cuba. Regular readings are selected from a variety of sources, and students are evaluated on the basis of participation, tests and quizzes, presentations, and a short research paper.
Prerequisite: Rise of the Modern World (H-232)
Open to: 11/12
H-351 Disease and Culture: From the Black Death to AIDS (cross-listed with S-480)
Fall .5 unit Buckholtz and Calos
The world has experienced a number of devastating epidemics since the late Middle Ages, including bubonic plague, tuberculosis, influenza, and, most recently, AIDS. This course examines the etiology of such diseases, their patterns of global transmission, their impact on society, and their forms of cultural representation. Students explore the ways in which cultural representations of specific diseases, as well as the changing idea of disease in itself, influence public discourse and public policy concerning them. The course also examines the ways in which the concept of disease, once established, could be extended to areas of human experience beyond the strictly biological, to include the social and psychological as well. Readings include a variety of primary texts from the Middle Ages to the present, as well as examining examples drawn from the visual arts. Students also read selections from recent secondary literature on the subject. The course follows a seminar format based on discussion of a common set of readings, supplemented by students’ own research and in-class presentations.
Prerequisite: Rise of the Modern World (H-232)
Open to: 11/12
H-369 “Liberty or Death!”: The American Revolution and the Struggle for Independence
Fall .5 unit Iannucci
This course provides students with an in-depth look at the social, political, and military aspects of the American Revolution. Students study the prewar transatlantic relationship between Great Britain and her North American colonies and examine how this bond weakened, sparking a significant colonial resistance movement that promoted severance and, ultimately, political independence from the mother country. Charismatic leaders and influential writers also enter the discussion. Through examining significant battles and wartime struggles, students also appraise the war itself. What did it mean to be a loyalist or patriot, Whig or Tory? What was army life like for a soldier versus an officer? Students develop a full understanding of the British/colonial relations prior to revolution, the Revolutionary War, and the day American independence became official with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783. This course follows a seminar format, and as such, reading and discussion are emphasized. Grades are based on class discussion, assessments, and a research paper.
Prerequisite: U.S. History or AP U.S. History (H-331 or H-333), or concurrently enrolled in U.S. or AP U.S. History
Open to: 11/12
H-341 Comparative Slavery
Spring .5 unit Burday
For most Americans, "slavery" conjures up images of African Americans sweating under the lash and hot sun of the plantation south. This is just one manifestation of a phenomenon that has existed across time and cultures. The Romans used slaves to mine their gold; the Iroquois enslaved and adopted captives to replace their dead warriors; women are held in debt slavery throughout the world today, forced into prostitution in order to pay debts that will never be fulfilled. This course examines different forms of slavery through a series of historical case studies. We define different kinds of slavery and address how religion, ethnicity, race, and economics impacted the nature of slavery. This is a seminar course with a strong emphasis on analysis through reading and discussion. There are regular, short writing assignments and opportunities for students to explore topics of interest through research.
Prerequisite: U.S. History (H-331) or AP U.S. History (H-333), or permission of the instructor
Open to: 11/12
H-356 The Eagle in the World
Spring .5 unit Naeher
The proper role of the U.S. in world affairs has never been more hotly debated as we wage war in Iraq and Afghanistan, struggle to find an effective response to international terrorism, and face challenges on virtually every continent. How should the U.S. interact with the rest of the world? Why do other nations and peoples think and act in the ways they do? How is the U.S. perceived in the world? How can we best understand, communicate, and negotiate with others? What role should national interests, human rights, global concerns such as environmental or health crises, or morality play in foreign policy decisions? In this class we address these questions by looking first at the major contours of American foreign policy from WWII through the present, and then by analyzing current foreign affairs in light of this historical context. In addition to historical essays and primary sources, readings include articles from such periodicals as Foreign Affairs, The Economist, and The New York Times. Classes follow a seminar format, and assessments consist primarily of essays and projects.
Open to: 11/12
H-362 United States Government and Politics
Spring .5 unit if non-AP, .75 unit with AP option
This course provides students with an in-depth review of modern United States government. Students study the foundations of American government, including the Constitution and federalism; major governmental institutions, including the bureaucracy as well the executive, legislative, and judicial branches; the political process, including political parties, campaigns, interest groups, and mass media; and the policymaking process. Class discussions focus on illustrating information and concepts through current political issues. Evaluations are based on class participation, daily assignments, and periodic quizzes and assessments. Students have the option of taking the Advanced Placement exam in United States Government and Politics in May. As with other AP courses, additional assignments should be expected over school vacations.
Prerequisite: U.S. History (H-331) or AP U.S. History (H-333), or concurrently enrolled in H-331 or H-333
Open to: 11/12
H-363 “No God but my God”: The Religious Roots of Global Conflict
Spring .5 unit Snyder
This semester course examines the religious roots of modern world conflicts, focusing on those disputes stemming from the major monotheistic traditions of the West: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The course begins with a study of historical and theological relationships between the three religions and moves on to apply that information to create a better understanding of contemporary global tensions. Special attention is given to the Palestinian/Israeli situation, ethnic/religious violence in Africa, and the tension between the United States and the Middle East.
Open to: 11/12
H-367 History of East Asia
Spring .5 unit Bendall
This course explores the dynamic and inter-related histories of China, Japan, and Korea in the late 19th and 20th centuries. The course focuses on political and social history while also touching on cultural change and influence. While there is a text for this class, additional readings come from a variety of sources. Class activities include discussions, debate, research, and presentations.
Prerequisite: Rise of the Modern World (H-232)
Open to: 11/12
