WORLD
GEOGRAPHY & HISTORY (Grade 6)
By examining foreign cultures from a variety of perspectives, this course seeks
to help students develop a world view. The course is designed to give students
an understanding of the influences of geography, history, economics,
demographics, and religion on present-day conditions. How these forces appear in
the contemporary world is pursued through Internet research and a variety of
both print and multimedia news sources. Ideally, students should emerge from the
course with a thorough appreciation of cultures other than their own and the
intellectual tools needed to make sense of any culture. Each student is asked to
be open-minded and to appreciate cultures on their own terms rather than judge
them from our own cultural perspective. This focus on the global is combined
with a thorough grounding in the study of English. The course includes extensive
instruction in reading, writing, vocabulary, spelling, and grammar. Daily
writing assignments and periodic literary explorations play a significant role
in the students’ geography studies.
GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMICS - DEMOCRACY IN ACTION (Grade
7)
Really three courses, Democracy In Action
comprises studies in economics, politics, and civics.
Taken together, this course of study explores questions especially
pertinent to young people starting to think seriously about themselves and the
world in which they live.
Students
are immersed in a study of the free market economic system with particular
emphasis on stock market fundamentals and portfolio management. Students also
gain a strong understanding of the form and function of the United States
government with a strong emphasis on the three branches of government and their
interaction.
UNITED STATES HISTORY - OUR AMERICAN HERITAGE (Grade 8)
This
course focuses on the relationship of citizens to their nation with emphasis on
the development of the United States from the earliest times to the present. The
question central to this course is: "Who are we as Americans, as citizens
of the United States?" This inquiry is framed by four themes: Change,
Complexity, Compromise, and Conflict.