There are two sections of this course that students will take during the same semester: United States History and American Literature. Together, these classes are designed to help students build a framework for understanding the complexity of the American identity. Throughout the course, the connections between historical events and the literary and artistic movements that emerged in response to social and political shifts will be highlighted. Major assessments will be collaborative and will be designed to reflect the connections made between the literary and historical content.

This course is designed to introduce students to the universals, tools, and techniques of World Geography. Students will examine the composition of the physical earth and its relationship to the sun, the theory of plate tectonics, as well as landforms, water, and climate. Students will also analyze the complexities of human culture and its relationship with the Earth, and assess impacts on the environment. World Geography also provides a general overview of the cultural, socioeconomic, political, and ecological issues unique to different geographical regions of the world. Inquiry and research, lecture notes and discussion, projects and presentations are all designed to encourage students to contemplate our responsibility to the future of the planet.

The history component of the World Visions course explores the story of human societal development through a thematic approach rather than chronologically. The four themes are: The Individual and Society; Power and Justice; Change and Dissent; and Creativity, Will, and the Human Spirit. These themes include content in sociology, anthropology, political science, and ecology. Historical examples of paradigm shifts and tipping points, along with accompanying causes and effects are used to help the student understand that what has occurred in the past is part of who we are today. The student should gain an understanding that the process and reasons for historical cultural change can and should influence our choices about the future.

The study of European history since 1450 introduces students to cultural, economic, political, and social developments that played a fundamental role in shaping the world in which they live. Without this knowledge, we would lack the context for understanding the development of contemporary institutions, the role of continuity and change in present-day society and politics, and the evolution of current forms of artistic expression and intellectual discourse. In addition to providing a basic narrative of events and movements, the goals of AP European History are to develop an understanding of some of the principal themes in modern European history, an ability to analyze historical evidence and historical interpretation, and an ability to express historical understanding in writing.

This course uses a thematic and chronological approach to understanding the development of American Society. Students will examine the underlying principles of American government and culture from inception to the present day. We will analyze the causes and effects that have resulted in the uniquely American story.

The AP program in United States History is designed to provide students with the analytical skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in United States History. The program prepares students for intermediate and advanced college courses by making demands upon them equivalent to those made by full-year introductory college courses. Students should learn to assess historical materials, their relevance to a given interpretative problem, their reliability, and their importance, and to weigh the evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship. An AP United States History course should thus develop the skills necessary to arrive at conclusions on the basis of an informed judgment and to present reasons and evidence clearly and persuasively in essay format. (AP United States History Course Description, May 2002, The College Board).\new GOALS:

• Demonstrate comprehension of the central themes that characterize the history of the United States.
• Practice the skills necessary to making an effective oral argument.
• Practice and refine the techniques for writing analytical essays, under pressure of time.
• Understand the requisite components for compelling critical analysis.
• Synthesize varied materials and subject said materials to critical analysis.
• Improve functioning vocabulary.
• Achieve a score on the advanced placement exam commensurate with your skill and knowledge base.
• Work collaboratively to produce a polished documentary project at year’s end.

Through covering the various issues present in the world, students will gain awareness of the struggles of humanity and their effects. The ultimate goal is to obtain a sense of responsibility to stay informed and realize the capacity for change.

The geographic region of the Middle East has been the focus of a long human history during which time a many-layered cultural landscape evolved. It is the birthplace of the greatest changes human organization has seen, from the earliest agriculture to the first gathering of people into urban, city living. From those early beginnings came many of the greatest human accomplishments in art, science, and religion, but also a long legacy of human conflict. The colonization of the region by powerful European nations left a legacy of distrust of the West, and vast cultural and geopolitical differences continue to create serious conflicts between and within the countries of the region. More recently, the region’s vast oil reserves have become a focus of economic attention and conflict. This course will be an in-depth exploration into the region’s rich, but complicated cultural history, and the legacy that has created the conflicts we face today.

This course will focus on solutions for major global issues facing humanity in the 21st century. Following a team-taught overview of key issues, which will be approximately one-third of the class, students will spend the remainder of the course exploring the diversity of approaches currently evolving that address elements of the key issues. The development of scenarios will be a component of the course as students design possible future societal directions and the shifting of cultural priorities. Students will be coached by the teachers in their search for solutions. The class work requires intensive, disciplined, and self-directed research and writing. The semester will culminate in a major research paper and presentation of a specific facet of a global problem as well as possible solutions. Possible topics may be related to or include:

• Energy Issues: Fossil Fuels, Peak Oil, and Petro-Collapse
• Population Growth Trends and Global Security/Resource Issues
• Climate Crisis and its Consequences
• Economic Inequality and its Consequences
• Water Quality and Quantity
• Weapons Proliferation
• Religious and Ethnic Conflict
• Terrestrial and Aquatic Resource Depletion
• Rise of Fundamentalism and Authoritarianism

This course is designed to help students gain insight and understanding of human behavior and to understand the developmental stages of human psychology. There is emphasis on reading and observation, as well as class participation.

Cultural anthropology is the comparative study of society, culture, and human diversity. The discipline focuses on the various ways that people’s lives are shaped by social relations, history, politics, economy, and cultural images such as the media. This course will examine the social and cultural consequences of globalization and culture change in the world today.