Courses

Third Form Seminar: Our Times - Year

Knowledgeable readers know that certain themes have reappeared on the front pages of major newspapers over the course of the last several decades. Included amongst these themes have been economic issues (globalization, the rise of certain developing economies, the spread of free market capitalism and its challenges, etc.), security issues (tensions and wars in the Middle East and Central Africa, international terrorism, the evolving role of America as a superpower, etc.), cultural and social issues (the evolving struggle for expanded civil rights and opposition to that struggle, the spread of AIDS in Africa, the expanding role of technology in people’s lives, etc.), and environmental issues (global warming, resource depletion, etc.). This course examines important ideas and events behind some of these headlines, looking both at current events and the roots of those events that extend back into the recent past. Students will read from traditional historical sources, but will also be expected to read regularly the New York Times and other news sources from throughout the world. In addition, the course serves as both an introduction to historical studies at St. Mark’s and a strong preparation for the departmental requirement.

Throughout the course, students practice using essential skills that will help them be successful at St. Mark's and beyond.  Students will acquire good habits of organization and preparation and develop proficiency in communication of their ideas in spoken, written and electronic form.  The class will encourage students to take an active role in their learning through projects, research and inquiry, and group work.  (Required for all III Forms).

Topics in Western Civilization and Historical Methods - Year

This course serves as both an introduction to historical studiesat St. Mark’s and a strong preparation for the departmental requirement.

The course traces the rise of Western civilization from Classical Athens to approximately 1900. It does not seek to survey the entirety of Western civilization. Instead, it emphasizes the intensive study of selected historical topics from which the transcendent ideas and institutions of the West emerged. Thus, the course explores what it means to be “Western” by analyzing the following themes: (1) the celebration of the individual in politics, economics, religion, philosophy, and the arts; (2) the triumph of the scientific mind and technology; (3) the rise of liberal democracy and competing political systems; (4) the spread of industrialcapitalism and critics of that trend; (5) the creation of large nation-states; and (6) the advent of European world dominance.

More specifically, the course looks at the rise of democracy and celebration of reason in Classical Athens, the rise of internationalism in the Roman Empire, the development of humanism during the Renaissance, the development of individualism in worship during the Reformation, the triumph of reason and a belief in progress during the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment, politics in the seventeenth century, the French Revolution, the rise of free-market capitalism during the Industrial Revolution, and the rise of Europe as a world power during the late nineteenth century.

The course incorporates readings from McKay’s A History of Western Society, numerous secondary sources, primary sources, and films.

Finally, the course emphasizes general study skills as well as the skills necessary to discover, understand, and appreciate history. Thus, students work on their researching, reading, writing, and public-speaking skills. (Open to Forms III and IV.)

Our Times: History of the Contemporary World - Year

Knowledgeable readers know that certain themes have reappeared on the front pages of major newspapers over the course of the last several decades. Included amongst these themes have been economic issues (globalization, the rise of certain developing economies, the spread of free market capitalism and its challenges, etc.), security issues (tensions and wars in the Middle East and Central Africa, international terrorism, the evolving role of America as a superpower, etc.), cultural and social issues (the evolving struggle for expanded civil rights and opposition to that struggle, the spread of AIDS in Africa, the expanding role of technology in people’s lives, etc.), and environmental issues (global warming, resource depletion, etc.). This course examines important ideas and events behind some of these headlines, looking both at current events and the roots of those events that extend back into the recent past. Students will read from traditional historical sources, but will also be expected to read regularly the New York Times and other news sources from throughout the world. In addition, the course serves as both an introduction to historical studies at St. Mark’s and a strong preparation for the departmental requirement. (Open to Form IV.)

Twentieth-Century World History and Historical Methods - Year

The course’s focus is on twentieth-century world history. Using thematic and chronological approaches, students are led from the late nineteenth century to the present. Students will explore the twentieth century through a variety of topics such as: technology, warfare, economics, politics, and leisure. Students will discover the uniqueness of the century through the study of its major events. The course does not rely on a single text. Instead, in addition to the textbook, the course incorporates readings from numerous secondary sources, primary sources, fictional works, and films. Finally, the course emphasizes general study skills as well as the skills necessary to discover, understand, and appreciate history. Thus, students work on their researching, reading, writing, and public-speaking skills. This course serves as both an introduction to historical studies and a strong preparation for the department’s American History requirement.  (Open to Forms III and IV.)

American History - Year

Advanced Placement American History - Year

Postwar America - Fall

There have been more dynamic changes within our society since the end of World War II than in any equivalent period in history. This course examines the origins of the Cold War and the resulting conflicts in Korea and Vietnam. Special emphasis is placed on the decade of the 1960s, when social change swept through most of our society. In addition, we examine the abuse of executive power as demonstrated by the Watergate affair. There are a number of video pre­s­entations to allow students to see and hear the personalities and images that make the postwar decades some of the richest in American history.

The Civil Rights Movement: 1954 to the Present - Fall

The Declaration of Independence states, “all men are created equal.” The Fourteenth Amendment enshrines this concept in our Constitution when it declares that no one can be denied “equal protection of the laws.” Nonetheless, a central theme in American History involves the struggle between these relatively simple and lofty ideals and the reality of American life. During the last fifty years, however, America has experienced a Civil Rights revolution. Moreover, as the ongoing controversy over gay marriage illustrates, this revolution is still alive. This course will explore the Civil Rights Movement in the postwar era. While a significantpart of the semester will examine the African-American experience, the course will also look at the struggle for the equaltreatment of women, Native Americans, the disabled, and homosexuals. The material will be examined not only from an historical perspective, but also from perspectives informed by philosophy, current events, and legal analysis. In addition to periodic testsand short papers, students will complete at least one substantial research paper and compete in at least three moot courts, during which they will formally debate issues such as affirmative action, homosexual marriage, etc. (Open to Forms V and VI and to Form IV with departmental permission.)

The Middle East Since 1800 - Spring

In an area of the world that has come to dominate newspaper headlines, it is often surprising how little we truly know about the Middle East. The goal of this course is for students to gain an understanding of recent events in the Middle East through an examination of the region during the 19th and 20th centuries. To this end, we will begin with a study of the Ottoman Empire and European imperialism in the region. From there, we will direct our attention to the nationalist movements that emerged in the Middle East, with particular focus on developments in Israel and the Arab states of Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Syria. Further, we will devote time to studying the modern history of two countries in the Greater Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The course will conclude with a topical examination of 21st century developments, including the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict, the rise and expanding influence of Iran in the region and the decline of nationalism in an age of Islamic resurgence.  (Open to Forms V and VI and to Form IV with departmental permission.)

The Court and the Constitution - Spring

Throughout its history, and especially during the last century, the United States Supreme Court has confronted many of the issues that define our society. Abortion, affirmative action, religious freedom, segregation, gender equality, and campus speech codes are but a few of the areas where the Supreme Court has made decisions that affect almost every citizen and resident of the United States. In fact, it is difficult to think of an important issue in American history that the Supreme Court has not addressed. This course examines this powerful institution by focusing on Supreme Court decisions that attempt to resolve the often conflicting rights of individuals and the broader interests of society. Issues studied include freedom of speech and religion; the rights and protections afforded those who are accused of crimes; privacy issues (such as abortion); and equal protection under the law for women, racial minorities, and homosexuals. The course is largely taught through the case method, in which stu­dents read and analyze the Court’s briefs and opinions, although students also read other sources so that the Court’s decisions are placed in a proper historical context. The class concludes with a moot court in which the students will assume the roles of lawyers and judges in order to present and decide a Supreme Court case on an issue of interest to the students. (Open to Forms V and VI and to Form IV with departmental permission.)

Introduction to Cultural Anthropology - Spring

Cultural anthropologists investigate the range of human experiences in a non-ethnocentric manner, seeking to understand human universals on the one hand, and the uniqueness of human cultures on the other. In this introductory college level course we will focus on topics that are relevant to the study of cultural anthropology, such as religion and spirituality, race and ethnicity, adaptation to different environments, social change, gender roles, cross-cultural psychology, childrearing practices, and residence and marriage patterns. In addition students will learn about the process of conducting anthropological field-work through participation in an ongoing local research project. We use case studies, ethnographic texts, documentaries featuring cultures from around the world, and a text book.  (Open to Forms V and VI.)

Advanced Placement European History - Year

This course surveys the history of Europe from the Renaissance through the collapse of communism. The course uses Palmer & Colton’s A History of the Modern World as well as other sources (including Manchester’s A World Lit Only by Fire, Voltaire’s Candide, Heilbroner’s The Worldly Philosophers, Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front, and numerous other primary and secondary sources) to examine the events, movements, and people that influenced and contributed to the rise of Western civilization. The course has several goals. First, it prepares students for the Advanced Placement Examination by giving them a solid understanding of modern Europe’s historical narrative, including the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Age of Absolutism, the Scien­tific Revolution, the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, the Age of Political Revolutions, the Creation of Modern Nation-States, Imperialism, the World Wars, and the Cold War. Second, beyond a solid understanding of the subject matter, students are given the opportunity to develop writing skills, note-taking skills, the ability to read and comprehend both primary and secondary materials in an analytical and criti­cal manner, and the ability to present and defend cogent arguments both orally and in writing. (Open to Forms IV, V, and VI with departmental permission.)

Advanced Placement Human Geography - Year

Since geography is rarely taught in private secondary schools, students have little knowledge of the world outside St. Mark’s. Throughout the year we will continually address the questions of why things are where they are on the earth’s surface. Topics will include:

1. The nature of the discipline

2. Culture, which includes sub-areas of language, religion folk and popular culture

3. Population

4. Economic geography

5. Urban Geography

6. Agriculture

7. Human/Environmental interaction.

Our sophisticated online syllabus will concentrate on studying human activity as it affects and responds to the world around us and will include all types of readings and interactive assignments. This class involves frequent analysis of current world affairs as most have geographic connotations. If you are interested in the world today and want to know more about why things happen where they do, Human Geography is a relevant and exciting course that will make you more aware of the world’s people, places and events. (Open to Forms V and VI with departmental permission.)