History

Middle school history students are working to build a toolkit that will help them understand the world and how it came to be the way it is. This means close reading, research, and persuasive writing, as well as engaging with peers in discussion. Students should expect to examine multiple perspectives to help build deeper understanding. They’ll also work to select strong evidence that supports historical claims. History 6 focuses on Civics, developing familiarity with government systems and how they can interact with and influence their communities. They build skills in developing arguments in writing and close the year with a research project on a “changemaker” who inspires them. History 7 is a course on Pacific Northwest History, in which students learn about the past and present of their home community, Washington state, and its surroundings. The course includes components of history, civics, and contemporary issues and focuses on topics such as the expansion of democracy over time, the tribal nations who have lived in what we now call Washington since time immemorial, and the contributions of the many groups of people who have arrived in Washington since the 19th century. It also meets the Washington State graduation requirement for this content. In History 8, students use geography and current events to study the systems that exist in our world. They apply lenses of understanding like geography, economics, politics, and culture to build a more sophisticated sense of how those systems impact people’s lives. This gives them a broad social studies vocabulary to apply through textual analysis and research projects.

MIDDLE SCHOOL CURRICULUM GUIDE

Upper School history classes consider both the past and present, inviting students to understand the context that shapes individuals, nations, and cultures.  Skills include the ability to research, analyze, develop, articulate, and defend a claim. All of these skills are demonstrated through various assignments and projects, and they are especially showcased when students participate in the school’s culture of performance with in-class presentations. Such skills and activities help students expand their understanding of major historical causes and effects and enable them to become thoughtful, active members of their own society. 9th graders take Ancient World History, 10th graders take Modern World History, and 11th graders take American History, which meets Washington State requirements for American History. Students are required to meet the state requirement for Pacific Northwest History in Middle School or by taking a senior elective. In the 11th grade, students can choose to take a non-integrated History course with an honors option or an honors-level, integrated American Studies course. In all 11th-grade courses, students study American history to accompany their study of American literature and continue developing skills in critical reading, research, writing, and collaboration. For 12th-grade students, the History department offers elective History choices each term so that students can pursue emerging interests in History. As in the 11th-grade year, students will have the option to take courses with honors designation. Those courses typically explore topics ranging from cultural and global studies to anthropology and politics. They include more primary source readings and they move through content more quickly.  It is recommended that seniors enroll in History for all three trimesters of their senior year. In all Upper School grades, multiple teachers might teach the same course, and each teacher’s curriculum will vary given a common understanding of the core skills, concepts, and expected common assessments.