History
Upper School History Department Philosophy
The goal of the History department at All Saints' Academy is to prepare students to become thoughtful, well-read, successful leaders of the future. Courses available in the History department are designed to provide an intellectual framework of knowledge, analytical skills, and the capacity to understand and appreciate their role as global citizens. All Saints' Academy offers a wide variety of courses in the social sciences including, history, geography, economics, government and psychology.
Government and Economics CP (Grade 9)
This course explores the political theory and everyday practice that direct the daily operation of our government and shape our public policies. Students will develop a critical understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the American political system, as well as their rights and responsibilities as citizens. This course also explores basic economic concepts. Students will become familiar with the economic system of the United States and how it operates. With teacher recommendation, students may earn Lyceum credit for this course.
World History (Grade 10)
This course explores world history from the ancient Greeks up through modern times, which complements students’ studies in World Literature. Students will engage in studies of the birth and development of Western and Eastern civilizations, the Industrial Revolution, the rise of Nationalism and Democracy and those things’ effects on the world. Students will also study World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. The course culminates with an overview of the world today.
AP World History (Grade 10)
In A History of the World in Six Glasses (2005), journalist Tom Standage tells the history of the world through six beverages. Through the lenses of such everyday items as beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola, Standage traces developments in agriculture, technology, globalization, and other events that characterized pivotal epochs. In AP World History, a college-level course, we will consider Standage’s approach to history while considering other (often conflicting) ways for understanding the relationships between people and events in the past. Throughout our studies, we also will consider those historical concepts of “change over time” and “change across place” and learn lessons for the twenty-first century. Teacher recommendation is required for enrollment.
U.S. History (Grade 11)
Students will study, research and observe US History from colonial America to the present. They will be encouraged and expected to use critical thinking skills to enable them to analyze and discuss the material covered. Students will be expected to demonstrate their engagement, connections with, and mastery of the course’s content through papers, projects, and researched essays.
AP U.S. History (Grade 11)
AP US History is designed to provide students with the analytic skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in United States History. The course of study prepares students for intermediate and advanced college courses by making demands upon them equivalent to those made by a full-year introductory college course. Students should learn to assess historical materials, their relevance to a given interpretive problem, their reliability, their importance, and to weigh evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship. Students enrolled in an AP U.S. History course will draw conclusions on the basis of an informed judgment and to present reasons and evidence clearly and persuasively. Students will have opportunities to learn the many facts associated with this course in a number of ways. There will be ample class discussions experienced throughout the school year. Mixed in among the discussions will be activities including but not limited to the following: presentations, historical videos, current events, group work, essays, tests, quizzes, articles, and class reviews. Teacher recommendation is required for enrollment.
AP Psychology (Grades 11 and 12)
The purpose of AP Psychology is to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals. Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. Students will study the major core concepts and theories of psychology; be able to define key terms and use them in their everyday vocabulary; learn the skills of psychological research and be able to apply psychological concepts to their own lives; and develop critical thinking skills. Teacher recommendation is required for enrollment.
Mythology (Grade 12)
This course is a thorough study of ancient Greek myths and Roman foundation legends, and will touch on some Near Eastern, Biblical, Norse, Asian, African and Native American myths. The stories, or myths, themselves will be the chief focus. Much attention will also be given to how myths are structured, how people use myths to understand their experience(s), how societies apply myths to political purposes, and how myths are represented in ancient and modern art. Regular reading, writing, and periodic study of ancient and modern art will be required throughout the course. The general organization of the course will be: creation myths, succession myths, the gods – family and individually, hero myths, family sagas.
AP U.S. Government and Politics (Grade 12)
This course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the operation of the United States national government and politics. To accomplish this, students develop analytical perspectives for interpreting, understanding, and explaining political events in this country. The subjects that the course covers include: constitutional underpinnings, policymaking institutions (legislature, executive, bureaucracy, and the courts), public opinion and the media, political beliefs and behavior, political parties, interest groups, civil liberties and rights, and budget making. In addition to the text, students are expected to read newspapers, view news programs to remain knowledgeable on modern politics, and will be given supplemental readings throughout the semester. The class is primarily discussion oriented, and participation requires that students must keep up with reading assignments.
In order for students to fully understand the operation of our national government and its policies, it is important that they are able to analyze and interpret a variety of data types related to the subject. Students will be presented with various data for analysis and interpretation throughout the course, to include: polling data, demographic data, timelines, electoral patterns, financial implications of policies, budget data etc. Teacher recommendation is required for enrollment.
AP Macroeconomics (Grade 12)
This course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the principles of economics that apply to economic system as a whole. To accomplish this, students will develop a familiarity with economic performance measures, economic growth, and international economics. Students will learn competing economic theories. They will be presented with challenging reading and shall be expected to present projects and papers, which demonstrate an in-depth analysis of economic models, theories, and systems. The subjects that the course covers include: basic economic concepts, measurement of economic performance, national income and price determination, financial sector, inflation, unemployment and stabilization policies, economic growth and productivity, open economy; international trade and finance.
In addition to the text, students are expected to read newspapers, gain knowledge of current financial issues, and will be given supplemental readings. The class is primarily lecture oriented and students must keep up with reading assignments. In order for students to fully understand the operation of economic systems, it is important that they are able to create, analyze and correctly label a variety of economic models. Students will be presented with various models for analysis and interpretation throughout the course, as they will create and label models from given data. Teacher recommendation is required for enrollment.
