Today, for the first time in history, a majority of people live in cities. By 2050, cities will hold two-thirds of the world’s population. This transformation touches everyone and raises critical questions. What is a city? How did cities develop? How do cities function socially, politically, and economically? Why do people live in cities? What are some of the major issues facing cities in the early 21st century, including divisions by race and by class? How can cities and the people living in them address these issues? Urban History focuses on developing the essential tools and skills of critical thinking and effective communication through an examination of the development of an urbanized world and its consequences for society. The course introduces and develops the key skills and processes of learning, interpreting, and communicating knowledge and understanding. The course also introduces several academic fields, including social science and urban studies, as lenses through which to examine evidence and information. Urban History then applies these tools and skills to an examination of modern urban societies and the origins of cities throughout history. Students will also have the opportunity to explore Worcester's urban community and its development over time. Skills such as note taking, generating hypotheses, evaluating evidence, and communicating ideas effectively are applied to historical, geographical, anthropological, and economic studies of both modern and ancient cities. The course includes the Cornerstone Project, a year-end project designed to sharpen the writing, researching, critical thinking, and analytical skills of the social scientist through exploration of an individually chosen topic.

American Studies in History explores the history of the United States chronologically from the early colonial era to the modern day. Students explore the history of the United States through a variety of historical lenses including political, cultural, social, and economic.   Throughout the course, students work through American history to understand the impact that the United States has had both on its citizens and the global world. Through a variety of methods, including case study discussions and individual research, students explore the development of the United States for all groups of people.  An emphasis is placed on writing and communication skills, as students are expected to complete both informal and formal writing assignments, participate in full class discussions, and present information to the class. American Studies in History emphasizes not only how to understand and critique historians' arguments but also how to create one’s own historical arguments through research and writing.

(5_HSS4005; Grades 12/PG; Full Year Course)

NOTE: This course is cross-curricular and team-taught by English and History/Social Sciences faculty. Students must indicate upon selecting the course whether they will be seeking (1) English credit or (1) History/Social Sciences credit for the course. Students who earn English credit must complete a final project with an English language arts or literary focus, and students who select History/Social Sciences credit must complete a final project with a history/social science focus.

“All men are created equal.” When Thomas Jefferson penned those words, he was—along with a majority of the Founding Fathers—an owner of enslaved human beings. The original U.S. Constitution gave voting rights only to white men who owned property. The poor and people of color were not deemed worthy of such rights; women were not even a consideration. Black Americans counted as three-fifths of a person for purposes of taxation and representation. How does this history set the foundation for the structural inequalities that persist to this day? Is America really the “land of the free” if liberty and justice are not guaranteed? How are individuals complicit in systems of inequality, and what can we do about it? What is the nature of resistance and activism? Is social justice truly attainable? How does literature explore these themes and ideas? How can literature be a critique of society? Through an in-depth, historical and literary exploration of identity, power, and privilege, students will grapple with these questions and relate them to current issues in our society. By the end of the year, students will be better informed about social justice and its relevance in their own lives and be prepared to act as advocates for social justice in society.

This college-level AP Economics course encompasses both the AP Microeconomics and AP Macroeconomics courses, with each being pursued at an accelerated pace. Students in AP Economics are expected to demonstrate advanced skills in problem-solving, research, analysis, writing, and collaboration. They are expected to do independent research in preparation for projects and essays. They must be able to go beyond the surface of the material to analyze more deeply. Students are expected to write an 8–12 page research paper in the second semester. In the microeconomics portion, the course explores concepts related to economic organization, the allocation of resources, the behavior of firms, and individual decision-making. Microeconomics requires students to apply quantitative reasoning skills to these concepts. The macroeconomics portion of the course provides students with the tools necessary to evaluate the greater domestic and international economy through exploration of the following topics: international and domestic financial institutions and their role in the domestics and global economy, economic stabilization policies, the economic realities of various policy issues as well as the economic relationships between nation-states. The course design allows students to be prepared for both the AP Macroeconomics Exam and the AP Microeconomics Exam.