Upper School History
The History Department at Ellis fosters an understanding and respect for the diverse nature of human experiences and cultures by contextualizing historical figures, events and ideas. The program provides students with the opportunity for self-reflection by linking the past to the present and helping students realize their direct role in shaping the future. The curriculum cultivates in students an understanding of their moral and civic responsibilities, as well as a lasting commitment to their communities from local to global.
The history program offers students a rigorous, cumulative and sequential curriculum, which promotes honest academic inquiry. This program encourages students to reason through the analysis, evaluation and synthesis of historical evidence. In turn, students gain confidence and independence, empowering them to act rather than simply observe.
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This class will be covering human history from the Neolithic period up until 1450 CE. The ancient and early-modern world was ultimately shaped by cultural diffusion, trade, and conflict—factors that continue to influence the development of the modern world. Through a study of human cultures and their historical development, this course equips students with a better understanding of contemporary global issues. Cultures are examined through a study of their art, religion, and philosophy and their economic, social, and political systems. In the process, students use both primary and secondary sources to construct, refine, and present logical, fact-based arguments—a skill central to responsible citizenship in a global society.
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World History II spans the period from 1450 CE to the 21st Century and uses a global lens. Throughout the year, students will concentrate on major social studies themes such as religious, geographical, political, economic, artistic, and social developments across a range of cultures from the point of view of the cultures studied. Topics included will be new worldviews from the 15th-18th century, revolutions against colonialism, the industrial revolution, the intersection between race, imperialism, and empire, democracies and dictatorships, the World Wars, and global decolonization. The course will also focus on reading and writing for the social studies, including analyzing and evaluating primary and secondary sources critically. An important component of the course is class discussion and debate in structured methods that encourage students to utilize their social studies skills. Finally, the course involves a thesis-driven paper with a component of in-depth historical research.
*Prerequisites: World History I
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The primary focus of this course is on the people, issues, and events that have changed this country since it was first settled. Survey of American History requires students to master historical and analytical skills––including chronological and spatial thinking, historical research, and the interpretation and analysis of primary sources––as they investigate the progressive development of all aspects of American society and culture. This course also seeks to encourage active questioning, analysis, and opinion––approaching history as a dynamic narrative rather than a static record.
Prerequisites: World History II
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Elective Course | Grade 11
This rigorous course focuses on the connections of changing ideas in American history such as politics and the Constitution, ethnicity and gender, and literature and art. AP US History encourages each student to develop their own interpretation of events and ideas, and to think independently while examining the ideas of others. Students will develop confidence in the use of both primary and secondary source information in reaching a range of their own conclusions about what they’ve learned. Students will be admitted to this course only with permission of the department and a minimum of a B+ average in World History II due to its challenging pace and emphasis on reading and essay writing.
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Elective Course | Grades 11–12
This course aims to engage students in some of the major issues involving gender and power in global history. In this seminar, students will look at a wide range of historical texts (written and visual) exploring gender and the historical and cultural contexts that produced them. Students will consider how ideas about gender, power, race, and intersectional dynamics have been defined in different societies over time and to what extent such ideas have changed or remained the same. The course will explore these topics in Elizabethan England, the early witchcraft trials, the French Revolution, the Victorian Era, the Roaring Twenties, the dictatorships of the 1930s, and the movements and protests of the 20th century. Throughout the course, students will have lively discussions, conduct document analyses, write short response papers, and participate in historical simulations. In the final stage of this course, students will collaboratively develop and design a gender project on a contemporary issue.
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Elective Course | Grades 11–12
This course explores the diverse systems of governments and politics found outside the United States. Comparison of political systems explores the structures and policies that countries have used––both effectively or ineffectively––to govern themselves. Why are some countries stable long-term democracies, and not others? AP Comparative Government & Politics looks specifically at China, Great Britain, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, and Russia, comparing and contrasting the distinctive political and cultural dynamics of each. Using these six countries, students move beyond discussion of abstract concepts and definitions to the exploration of current “real-world” scenarios. Through comparison with other government systems, students will also develop a clearer understanding of government and politics in the United States. This course will prepare students to take the AP Comparative Government & Politics Exam.
