History

Historians often list six key traits of a Civilization: Concentrated Population, Government, Religion, Specialization, Advanced Technology, and Writing. Today, we take these elements for granted, but while homo sapiens are over 400,000 years old, human civilization is less than 6000 years old! Thus, in a relatively concentrated period of time, humans developed lifestyle standards that still define our world today. In this semester-long course, we will examine the emergence and flourishing of civilizations in the Middle East, India, China, and the Mediterranean World. Students will consider what made each one unique, as well as how they shared common attitudes towards geography, religion, politics, economics, and social order. Full year course. Grade: 9. Prerequisites: None.

The 9th grade World History course is an introductory History course which also serves to introduce students to the core values for being a successful McCallie student. We start at the beginning of human history, and evolve from hominids and nomadic hunter-gatherers to early civilizations across the world (Mesopotamia, India, China, and Native American Nations) to the classical Mediterranean empires of Greece and Rome. In the Spring Semester, we address early European nations (England, France, Spain, Germany, Russia, Italy) on the verge of the Renaissance, as well as Arabic empires and the rise of Islam in the Middle East. Throughout the course, we draw parallels and set the stage for the peoples, beliefs and values, conflicts and rivalries, and problems of the 19th-21st centuries. We study how these historical civilizations blossom into the modern nations of today, complete with a survey of legal systems, religions, architecture and art, education, medicine, and culture as a whole. Full year course. Grade 9. Prerequisites: None

World History is a year-long survey course that is designed to help students understand and navigate their modern world by examining significant events of the past. The course is divided into four modules that relate directly to important elements in human civilization: ace, religion, evolution of technology and human thought, and globalization. The course will cover historical events ranging from global conquest and connection of the Mongols through the events of 9-11. The goal is to examine historical events and use them to help explain the current state of the world and why people hold different beliefs, traditions, and world views. Full year course. Grade 10. Prerequisites: None

This course comprises a wide historical survey, exploring the social, cultural, political, and intellectual traditions of our global society. It is designed to give students tools to understand an increasingly interconnected world. This course will focus specifically on the interaction of societies and cultures from around the world, with an emphasis on empires, trading networks, and other cross-cultural and intellectual exchanges. Our goal is to learn about history, not simply for the sake of knowledge, but in order to better understand the past and to also think critically and purposefully about our present and future. This course is reading, writing, and speaking intensive. It is intended to prepare students well for the AP test, but to go much further in its development of the skills of a historian. Full year course. Grade 10 Prerequisites: Excellent work in 9th grade English or previous history course. See AP/Honors Course Prerequisites

United States History is intended to introduce students to the civic culture of this nation and focuses on the origins and development of its political, economic, and social institutions. A special emphasis is placed on the impact of geography on America's historical development, in regards to the influence of human-environment interaction. The course begins with an overview unit covering original peoples through to 2020. The overview unit is followed by four themed units: Peopling America, American Processes, Race & Gender, and American Conflicts. Students will learn to think historically --assembling, organizing, and analyzing information in order to draw logical conclusions from this knowledge. Full year course. Grade 11. Prerequisites: None

United States History Honors develops what we see as vital skills for a well-informed, efficient, open minded and clearly expressed discourse in the pursuit of a nuanced perspective. The course establishes and reaffirms the concept that history is ultimately the study of human motivations and decision making, and that the American brand of decision making is a window into both our flaws as a society as well as our finest moments. Viewing the American narrative through the lenses of liberty and injustice, a growth of power and progress, and the growth of influence and conflict, students will gain a nuanced understanding of their history. We incorporate a variety of perspectives and source types, practice source vetting with discernment, and synthesize and communicate material with organized and coherent prose, presentations and dialog. Students are given multiple opportunities to work as individuals as well as in groups in a variety of design and research projects, and engage in complex civil discourse as a class. Full year course. Grade 11. Prerequisites: See AP/Honors Course Prerequisites

AP U.S. History covers the American story from pre-Columbian societies through the Cold War and up until the year 2000. We will essentially approach the story chronologically, but clear connecting themes will emerge almost immediately. While the course is designed to prepare the students for the content coverage and the analytical and writing skills necessary for the AP exam, the course also incorporates extensive project-based initiatives. All students will do a major research project, will complete an oral history on 9/11, will make at least one podcast based on original research, and will practice public speaking before their peers in what is known as Junior Tutorial. The required readings include both a college level text and scholarly monographs, which in the past have included such prize-winning studies as The Hemingses of Monticello, Rising Tide, and All that She Carried. Full year course. Grade 11. Prerequisites: See AP/Honors Course Prerequisites

The civilization that developed in Europe over the last 700 years is in many ways the most influential in the modern world. Advanced Placement European History (APE) explores the most important movements and events on the continent from the Renaissance through the fall of the Soviet empire. During these centuries Europeans re-invented their culture, reformed their religion, redefined their view of nature, settled the new World, revolutionized government and the means of production, won and lost great empires outside of Europe, fought the bloodiest wars in history, and made major strides in unifying the continent. Twenty-first century Americans are among the heirs of this civilization, warts and all. A.P.E.prepares students for the Advanced Placement European History examination. Students should expect extensive primary and secondary source study, reading, and writing. Full year course. Grade 12. Prerequisites: See AP/Honors Course Prerequisites

This course provides students with a social, cultural, and political framework with which to analyze African American history in the broader context of United States and world history. The African American narrative begins with an account of life on the continent of Africa prior to the 16th century. Students will consider how rich cultural roots originating in Africa have become intertwined with a broader American culture, and learn to connect the slave's experience (in early U.S. history) to the African experience, history, and culture of their ancestry. These connections will allow students to further examine historical changes that shaped and impacted American life. Topics of further discussion include: African American life in the colonies and the early Republic; triangular trade and the Middle Passage; the development of Plantation slavery; the experiences of "free" blacks in the Antebellum period; the Abolitionist movement; the Civil War and Reconstruction; Jim Crow; the Civil Rights movement; the Great Migration; and the Harlem Renaissance. The course will also emphasize the contributions and achievements of African Americans to the worlds of art, literature, music, and other cultural forms as well as highlight the efforts of bravery, perseverance, and humanity apparent in the transcendence of an institutionalized people. Semester course. Grade 11,12. Prerequisites: None

American Government examines the structure and mechanisms of America's constitutional republic, beginning with an overview of Enlightenment philosophers, as well as classical Greek perspectives, the two-party system, branches of government, and checks-and-balances. This course will allow study of key documents, personalities, and events that played a role in establishing and maintaining America's current system. There is a special emphasis on the Tenth Amendment and federalism, and how these impact the relationship between the federal entity and state governments. Semester Course. Grade: 12. Prerequisites: None.

Contemporary World Issues focuses on geo-political and economic issues of the 21st Century. Adopting a thematic approach, students will explore the historical context and contemporary issues of topics such as global warming, genocide, nuclear proliferation, alternative energy sources, human migrations, economic trends and the most urgent conflicts and wars. Fundamental to the course is an understanding and vetting of both biased and non-biased information sources and incorporating them into a productive and informed discourse. Making use of the latest in books, news stories and editorials, students will debate and defend multiple points of view through discussions, simulations, and presentations. Semester course. Grade 11,12. Prerequisites: None

This course is designed to help teach young men a general knowledge of economics, accounting, business law, personal finance, and investment. Framed as a personal finance course, students will learn to develop and manage a budget, understand general economic business principles, and will experiment with stock trading. This course is meant as a much more accessible approach to economics than the AP semester courses. Semester course. Grade 12. Prerequisites: None

This course is designed to prepare students to take two separate AP tests in the spring: AP Macroeconomics and AP Microeconomics. The fall semester is spent introducing students to overarching economic concepts (such as supply and demand) followed by a deeper dive into microeconomic concepts such as marginal analysis, production and costs, market structures (Monopolies, Perfect Competition, Oligopolies, and Monopolistic Competition), market failures and the role of the government. In the Spring, the focus shifts to AP Macroeconomics and concepts such as GDP, inflation, exchange rates and international trade, money supply, and the ways the central bank and the government attempt to promote long term growth and keep both inflation and unemployment in check (Monetary and Fiscal Policy). This course will go into significant depth and analysis of economics as students will learn to understand and communicate the subtle complexities of economic analysis and to apply that analysis to current events. Students are required to register for an online text and additional review materials. Full year course. Grade 12. Prerequisites: Excellent background in math. See AP/Honors Course Prerequisites

This course explores the history of Western America. Although we will begin by discussing thousands of years of geological and biological forces in the broadly defined American West, and will examine patterns of land use and life ways employed by indigenous peoples, this course will focus primarily on people, places, and change in the 19th and 20th centuries. Particular areas of emphasis will include the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the fur trades, Euro-American settlements, the significance of the railroads and of extractive industries, the role that aridity and water played in western communities, the protection of public lands in the region’s National Forests and National Parks, and the imagined Wests of fiction, stage, and film. We will also examine the social, political, and economic upheavals wrought by World War Two, the atomic West, environmental activism and the idea of “wilderness,” urban and ex-urban growth in cities, and the legacies of tourism. This class has a strong environmental history bent, but we will, of course, also deal with other issues that have helped define the West for hundreds of years following Euro-American colonization. These issues will include, among other topics, the role of the federal government in a region largely owned and managed by the feds, the politics of race and gender, and debates surrounding immigration and labor. Semester course. Grade 12. Prerequisites: None

Psychology will introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings. The course will cover, but is not limited to, human personality issues; neuroscience; the basics of psychology as a science; topics in social, abnormal, and evolutionary psychology; principles of learning; intervention and therapy; and child and adolescent development. The course will merge science with a broad human perspective, engaging both mind and heart. Studying psychology will enhance the ability to practice critical thinking, to restrain judgment and to combat stigma with compassion and illusion with understanding. Through analysis and introspection, the student will link psychology with topics in today’s world for a better understanding of it and his own emerging sense of self. Semester course. Grade 12. Prerequisites: None

This course will provide a general study of the Roman World, from the mythological origins of Rome in Troy to the ascendancy and decline of the empire. It will also provide insight into the gifts of the Romans to our modern world through influence in government models, ideals of citizenship, religion, and the role of global authority. In addition, we hope to make the history of Rome a living one through the study of great figures from Roman history and details of Roman life through reading of primary sources. Though Latin is not a prerequisite, it might be helpful. Semester course. Grade 12. Prerequisites: None

In this course, students will pursue a deep dive into ancient civilizations and societies. This course will focus on the conquerors who forged vast empires out of ancient city-states, and will examine the great architectural accomplishments which stretched the limits of ancient technology in order to exhibit the power and prestige of early civilizations. Students will consider the development of faiths, philosophies, and religions which shaped the belief systems we now see across the Modern World. This course will involve nightly reading, individual research, and group projects. Semester course. Grade: 12 (Sansbury)

The “Sixties” have been termed “revolutionary,” and a time when “our country was on fire.” This elective will investigate the volatile decade of the 1960’s (and up to 1974), giving students a much more in depth look into some of our more recent history. A period of radical social upheaval, political infighting and violence, international tension and brinkmanship, a rise in both pop and countercultures, and technological innovation, this decade represents a transformative era for American society, one that still defines us. As with any great story or history class, we will begin with some contextual history, a quick study of the social, political, and economic and foreign policy considerations that came from Eisenhower’s America and the 1950’s. From there, the class will explore the election of 1960 and both the reality and myth of the John F. Kennedy presidency, the Johnson and Nixon administrations, nuclear proliferation and brinkmanship, the growth and success of the Civil Rights movement, the Space Race, the surge of violence in the Middle East, the Vietnam War, the rise of new liberal movements both here and abroad, and the profound changes in American culture including music, fashion and social behaviors. The class will conclude with an analysis of the Watergate Scandal and its longstanding political aftermath. We will incorporate the rich visual and auditory resources of the day, a few relevant documentaries and films, art, music, fashion as well as text. The class will emphasize research projects allowing students to explore a topic of their choice in greater detail. Semester course. Grade: 11-12. Prerequisite: None.

Most people remember "the Twenties" a century later as a decade of glamor, prosperity, rapid social change, law breaking, free living and great sports all wrapped in Jazz music. We imagine a golden glittery sheen on Hollywood, seductive flappers, Babe Ruth, gangsters and raucous parties. It was America's first sexual revolution and the beginning of our love affair with sports and cars. While this romantic view of the decade holds truth, it is worth looking deeper into the reasons and scale of these changes. However. historians marvel at the Twenties as a time of tumult, both revolutionary and repressive, one in which African Americans and women pushed social and cultural change but also saw spikes in Ku Klux Klan membership and exploitation. It was an age of bold steps forward in science, literature and art but equally for conservatism, fear and fundamentalism. The Twenties was an era of rapid and uncomfortable change. one in which the country struggled to find and maintain its identity not unlike "the Sixties" or even today. This elective will take a series of deep, theme directed dives into the era including twenties feminism. Jazz and the Harlem Renaissance, transformative technologies and consumption, the Red Scare, conservatism. prohibition and organized crime, Hollywood and sports stars, and the coming of the Great Depression. We will use a text, primary documents, literature, a wealth of photographic and video resources and of course music, lots of music. Semester course. Grade 12. Prerequisites: None

The modern world is remarkably complex with constantly shifting political, economic, and social landscapes.  These landscapes are shaped by actions and decisions of leaders; leaders in government, business, science, medicine, faith institutions, media platforms, and much more.  In the coming years, McCallie graduates will have opportunities for leadership roles in the world, and this class is designed to assist in developing their ability to solve problems by combining information, knowledge, and ethical standards into a plan of action. 

Students will participate in case studies of current issues across a number of fields, including health care, the environment, international relations, commerce, and government policy, as well as understanding your own strengths and abilities.  In addition to the teaching of Mr. Wallin and Mr. Martin, students will have the opportunity to interact with a number of outside resources.  CEO’s of global companies, leaders of not-for-profit organizations, personalities from media and entertainment, and current and former political leaders will participate in the classroom activities.  Students will develop an understanding of key issues facing the world, potential policy options to address those challenges, and ultimately choose and present paths for solutions.  

The course will be taught by Bart Wallin of our History Department, who will be joined by Brad Martin.  Martin is the Retired CEO of Saks Fifth Avenue, a member of the Board of Directors of a number of companies, an author, and former University President.  He served five terms in the Tennessee House of Representatives.  Martin is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations from which resources will be drawn to use in this class.  (Mr Wallin, Mr Brad Martin. Grade 12. Fall Semester)

Philosophy works to uncover what it means to be human, addressing questions around several central themes: What really exists? What can we know? How should we act? How might we govern ourselves? Does life have meaning? We will study these themes by considering the writings of intellectual giants like Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hobbes, Locke, Hume, Kant, Kierkegaard, Mill, Nietzsche, Held, Gilligan, and Tutu, to name a few. The course will work to connect abstract thinking to our daily lives with extended units covering ethics, political philosophy, epistemology and metaphysics. Along with significant reading and writing based on primary and secondary sources, students will experience role plays, deliberative discussion, and journaling. Semester Course. Grade: 11-12. Prerequisites: None.