History: Dramaturgy One Semester (Offered Second Semester) Prerequisites: None
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
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.
The purpose of the course is to have students understand that our quality of life and existence are predicated upon the state of the environment. The course will emphasize place as students will look at least one example from Michigan and the Great Lakes in depth. Students will also have the opportunity for multi-discipline study based on the need for more specific understanding in the biological or chemical fields. Texts: Diamond, Jared. Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed: Revised Edition (New York: Penguin, 2011); Egan, Dan. The Death and Life of the Great Lakes (New York: WW Norton & Co., 2017)
Dramaturgy is the study of theater and the onstage representation of dramatic art. In this course, we will intensively study a single major work by Shakespeare, reading it twice — first for comprehension, plot, and character; second for language, historical context, and interpretation. Each English student will present a research paper on literary interpretations of the play. Each social studies student will present a research paper on the play’s performance history. As this course is part of the Liggett Shakespeare Project, students will collaborate with classmates in the Stagecraft course and the Liggett Players. Students in Dramaturgy will be responsible for forming a cohesive interpretation of the text, creating an abridged play script based on their analysis, researching the historical background and context of the text, and aiding the actors and designers in understanding the language and themes of the text. Special guests to the class may include professional actors, directors, and playwrights. Seniors who opt to complete all three parts of the Liggett Shakespeare Project (Dramaturgy, Stagecraft, and Production) in a single year may be approved to waive enrollment in ARP 12. Each year, a new play is selected. This course may be taken multiple times.
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.
History: European Union One Semester (Offered Second Semester) Prerequisites: None
Following the devastation of World War II, a collection of European states formed an economic partnership that, over time, expanded to a political and economic union containing 28 European states, over 500 million citizens, and one of the largest economies in the world. The European Union and its immediate predecessors have also been credited with preventing intra-European conflict for over fifty years. In this course, learners will explore the historical background of this organization, the intergovernmental and supranational nature of its institutions, and current challenges (such as Brexit) facing the union today. Learners in the course should be prepared to read academic political science texts and primary sources such as treaties, write extensively, perform significant research into a specific member state of the European Union and be willing to frequently and substantively engage with their peers in a semester-long simulation of the European Council of Ministers and European Commission. Text: Olsen, Jonathan. The European Union: Politics and Policies. New York: Routledge, 2025. ISBN-13: 978- 1032822280
Economics One Semester (Offered First Semester) Prerequisites: None
Economics is a significant driving force behind global interconnectedness. Political decisions in the United States and abroad have extraordinary economic ramifications. Students learn the significance of economics, major themes, and theories within the discipline. Students explore areas of interest within assigned themes. Through project-based assignments, students develop a firm understanding of economic theories, concepts, and systems. Students examine real world economies and explain, analyze, and craft solutions to current economic problems. Text: Krugman, Paul, and Robin Wells. Essentials of Economics . 6th Edition. Macmillan, 2023. ISBN:9781319457662 Environmental History One Semester (Offered First and Second Semesters) Prerequisites: None So much effort in studying history is spent on human to human interaction. Human interaction with the environment is often contextualized in terms of technological progress and overcoming physical challenges, but our historical actions have had, and will have, long lasting effects on our living space.
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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