In the Upper School, social science students are presented with information drawn from a variety of disciplines and types of sources from which they gain insight into their world and their place in it. Students use different modes of analysis to examine important themes and learn to make connections among myriad cultures and across time.   Students also develop important research skills as they learn to gather,  analyze, and present evidence.  In so doing, they learn to, appreciate the complexity of human behavior, historical causality, and construct historical arguments.

Integrated Humanities Program

The Upper School combines work in literature, history, and the arts in an integrated humanities program spanning the ninth and tenth grades. As students study world history, literature, and art, the integrated humanities program helps them develop conceptual tools as well as proficiency in the individual disciplines leading to improved understanding and appreciation for the interplay of these elements in all cultures.

In Ninth Grade World Literature, World History, and World Arts, students study myth and ritual, the early civilizations of both East and West, and the defining characteristics of the European Middle Ages and the European Renaissance.

Tenth graders practice the analysis of historical events, literary texts, works of visual art, and works of music in preparation for a series of major interdisciplinary projects which require them to consider the ways in which cultural values express themselves across whole cultures. 

Please refer to course descriptions in World History, World Literature, and World Arts for details of the courses.