Course Description:

An unfortunate side effect of the focus on SAT and AP scores is that history is frequently taught in a way that’s highly regimented: What students need to learn is just “what’s on the test.” This can be very demoralizing for students who have a genuine interest in asking the sorts of questions historians actually ask in their professional explorations. With the new changes to the AP US History class, this emphasis will hopefully change! This course is designed to encourage curious students to learn about perspectives or aspects of history that tend to be left out of history books and also to give them a chance to look at some “big picture” questions and historical trends that don’t fit easily into a “chapter” and so rarely get adequate consideration in a history book.

The focus of the class is, by nature, flexible and will follow the student’s interests. Some of the big questions I find particularly important are the patterns of historical progression that have shaped the development of the world as we know it: the creation of the market economy, of secular national states, and of urbanized societies.

The course would be ideal for students who are interested in history, whether or not they intend to pursue AP classes. Though not designed to be a primer for any particular class, it will add depth and flexibility of understanding to any course a student is taking or plans to take. It would also be a great help for students who would like to study history, political science, or international politics in college, as the style and content of the course will more closely resemble a college seminar.