Greenhills School Course Guide
Upper School History and Social Science
Department Philosophy
At the heart of the department is a commitment to the importance of knowledge of the past and of the world as a whole in the liberal arts curriculum. It is essential that well-educated graduates of a school such as Greenhills have a solid background in American, European and World history as well as comparative cultures and the social sciences in order to function as American and world citizens. Such involves but is not limited to experience with and appreciation of historical inquiry, social science methodology, and literary and artistic expression.
The overall program is developed following sound pedagogical principles and guidelines established by the National Council for the Social Studies, the Bradley Commission on History in the Schools, and the National Commission on Social Studies in the Schools. Armed with the knowledge that students do not all learn in the same way or at the same rate, our department strives to offer various approaches to learning. All courses offer challenge, but highly motivated students have the option to further enrich themselves in AP courses.
Graduating students who have participated in our classes will have experienced a humanities and interdisciplinary approach to history and social science that will enable them to:
- Demonstrate critical thinking and writing skills as evidence in analyzing and synthesizing written materials to solve problems and to discern and discuss causal relationships.
- Have developed an ability to use a wide variety of sources, including primary sources, a familiarity with methodologies and approaches to the historical process, an understanding of the importance of cultural and political geography as it sets the stage for the historical process.
- Have developed an awareness and knowledge of world cultures and religions.
- Demonstrate a competent skill level with technology as it relates to historical and social science research.
- Have developed an appreciation for the narrative of history and social science methodology.
Students are encouraged to take history or social science courses each year. Normally a student would take World Geography and Cultures in 6th grade, History and Geography of the Americas in 7th grade and Civics in 8th. The overwhelming majority of our students elect both Foundations of Civilization in 9th grade and either Modern European History AP or Modern World History in 10th grade.
At the 11th grade American History Regular and American History AP both satisfy the Greenhills requirement of one American history credit. Students enrolling in the American History-Integrated should be advised as to the extensive required reading and the interdisciplinary approach (this course is taught in a block of time with English III).
An eclectic menu of history and social science electives are also available each semester to juniors and seniors and occasionally to sophomores with permission of the instructor.
