History

With an emphasis on research and writing, seventh grade students turn their attention to American History, focusing on the development of our democracy, citizenship, federal and state powers, and U.S. intervention in world events. Beginning with the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, students then move to the Antebellum period, Manifest Destiny, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. Students study the Industrial Revolution and the Gilded Age that followed, and then focus on the 20th century. A spring trip to Washington D.C. and Gettysburg brings history to life.

Eighth grade students study the modern era in world history—the way societies advanced ideas into the modern era and the roles of religion, industrialization, trade, and political philosophies to influence that development. Students start by exploring world religions and their ethical systems, followed by the Enlightenment period and the development of democratic ideals. They also learn extensively about industrialization, colonization, global interdependence, and competition. Along the way, we examine the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, Industrialization and imperialism, Japan in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the great wars, and the post-war period in a global context. We also look at the challenges and opportunities the modern Middle East presents.