Community History of African America, 1619-2019 in order to explore that history and those experiences. Text: Kendi, Ibram X., and Keisha N. Blain. Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America 1619-2019. Random House, 2021.
course explores the history of Russian/Soviet-U.S. relations in the past 100 years by tracing the ways in which each country has portrayed the other in films and works of popular culture. In doing so, students will critically examine the ways in which our understanding of contemporary Russian-U.S. relations has been shaped by stereotypes we see on screen. Text: Shaw, Tony, and Denise J. Youngblood. Cinematic Cold War: The American and Soviet Struggle for Hearts and Minds. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 2014. ISBN 978-0-7006-2020-3 Advanced History: The Sixties One Semester (Offered Second Semester) Prerequisites: Completion of advanced elective prerequisites The 1960s are often seen as a decade of stark change. This course will take a “big picture” look at the decade in order to evaluate the change that took place in American life during the turbulent age from Kennedy to Nixon. We will focus on the complex interconnectedness between the Civil Rights Movement, student radicalism, identity politics, popular culture, and the Vietnam War. We will study both the political and economic developments, along with the importance of media in shaping the culture through the music, film, and literature of the period. At the end of the course, students will be asked to make an assessment on the following question: “Were the 1960’s a decade of unprecedented progress in the United States?” You will not be expected to memorize names and dates. Instead, you will be asked to recognize trends and cause-and-effect between certain events, movements, and media while comparing them to current events to understand what long-standing impact the Sixties has had on American life. Bloom, Alexander, and Wini Breines. “Takin’ It to the Streets” : A Sixties Reader. Oxford University Press, 2015. ISBN: 978-0190250706
Berlin, Ira. Generations of Captivity: A History of African- American Slaves . Harvard University Press, 2004.
History: American Electoral Process One Semester (Offered First Semester) Prerequisites: None This class will offer a unique perspective on the study of American Government as the country enters another election season. By interacting with local and state elections, documenting their rules and regulations, and closely following the campaigns of significant elections around the country, students will gain a special understanding of the issues that motivate every citizen to vote for certain candidates or causes. The core content of this class will be tied into the political issues that shape every discussion at the family dinner table and in the workplace, the power of the two-party political system, and the current events that can cause drastic change in a campaign at any time. Throughout the semester leading up to the election, students will follow a particular candidate or election of interest and complete project-based assessments involving research, simulations, and facilitating group discussion to give the class a holistic understanding of a political scene that exists every year, not just presidential elections. Text: Instructor supplied excerpts from the following books: O’Conner, Karen, Larry J. Sabato, Alixandra B. Yanus. Essentials of American Government: Roots and Reform. Glenview, IL: Pearson Education, Inc., 2021.Polsby, Nelson W, et. al. Presidential Elections: Strategies and Structures of American Politics (16th Edition) . Plymouth, UK: Rowman and Littlefield, 2023.
African American History One Semester (Offered Second Semester) Prerequisites: None
History: Current Events One Semester (Offered Second Semester) Prerequisites: None
“The story of the African-American is not only the quintessential American story but it’s really the story that continues to shape who we are today.” - Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Although a dedicated course on African American History may make it seem as though it is a separate topic from the rest of North America’s history when, in fact, understanding the history and experiences of African Americans is fundamental to understanding the history of the continent as well as current events. The course will complement Ira Berlin’s text, Generations of Captivity with Four Hundred Souls: A
If those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it (Churchill, Santayana), what connections can we make between the past and the present? In this course, students will have the opportunity to study current events that interest them and the underlying historical causes behind them. By drawing comparisons between the “then” and the “now” students will have the opportunity to hone their research skills in order to better understand the interconnectedness of human events while improving their media literacy.
2026-2027 ULS Curriculum Guide
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