The History department believes that students need to understand the history and traditions of their own and other cultures, so that as adults and as citizens they will be able to make wise decisions on matters affecting themselves, the nation, and the world. We invite students to participate in the doing of history by encouraging independent thinking and questioning. We hope to find a balance between presenting what we believe students need to know and inviting students to ask questions of their own. We aim to teach the skills necessary for good citizenship and lifelong learning.
For a complete listing of Upper School History courses, view the Curriculum Guide.
We teach kids to think critically through writing about History because both History and Education are fundamentally about people and how they think.
- Skills-based approach to content-heavy courses
- Build critical thinking skills from Bloom’s Taxonomy through essential questions: “what, how and why?”
- Emphasize 3 C’s: content (what), connections (how), causation (why)
- Pre-write and/or Rewrite (prewriteà writeà rewrite)
- Exam prep (World History SAT II & AP) as a means to achieve our pedagogical ends: enhancing critical thinking through writing
- Clarity and Consistency in grading and instruction