Curriculum Guide

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US History & Social Studies

  • America Adrift: US History Since the Cold War

    AMERICA ADRIFT: US HISTORY SINCE THE COLD WAR US2845
    (Offered first semester) (1 SEMESTER/0.5 credit) Grade 12
    PREREQUISITE: Completion of United States History I US2310 and United States History II US 2410. 

    In 1991, as the Cold War ended, President George H.W. Bush declared that, “A new breeze is blowing, and a world refreshed by freedom seems reborn.” President Bush could, perhaps, be forgiven for feeling triumphant as the USA emerged victorious from a generational struggle with the Soviet bloc. But, now thirty years later, if there’s one thing that those on both the political left and right might be able to agree on, it’s that the last three decades have been marked by painful, bitterly divisive events and alarming trends. A partial chronicle of recent American history would include: 3 presidential impeachments, the attacks of September 11th 2001, two bruising (and arguably unnecessary) wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Great Recession, the January 6th insurrection, widening economic inequality, the opioid epidemic, bitter debates about human and civil rights, declining life expectancy, and an extremely challenging and divisive pandemic. How did our country become so angry, so polarized and so divided? Why does the United States seem to be adrift? This one semester course attempts to answer these crucial questions about contemporary America.

  • Civil Liberties & The American State

    CIVIL LIBERTIES & THE AMERICAN STATE US2868
    (Offered first semester) (1 SEMESTER/0.5 credit) Grades 11-12

    “Enslave the liberty of but one human being and the liberties of the world are put in peril.”
    -William Lloyd Garrison

    With a “ripped from the headlines” orientation focused on present-day controversies, students will debate enduring Constitutional issues, such as free speech, press, and religion; the role of anonymity and privacy in public spaces; the right to keep and bear arms; the rights of criminal defendants; disputes over the right to abortion and contraception; tensions in the continued fight for the rights of disfavored or marginalized groups (terrorism detainees, immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, etc.), and the on-going realities of discrimination based on race, class, and gender in the United States. In the process, we examine how politics and government institutions shape American society historically and in real time in the age of Trump. In a rewarding and stimulating seminar setting, students apply their learning to current events and contemporary cases before the U.S. Supreme Court via “moot court” simulations that develop legal acumen, logical thinking, rhetorical skills, and collaboration. Special focus is placed on constitutional issues with particular resonance for students and young people. Guest speakers of the Chicago legal community and beyond regularly join class to shed light on our inquiry and offer modern perspectives on important constitutional problems. Through discussion and oral argumentation, students in Civil Liberties fulfill the Jeffersonian mandate that, in a democracy, we must be vigilant and knowledgeable watchdogs of our individual freedoms. Note: We will use Flex periodically.

  • Civil Rights Movement

    CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT US2840
    (Offered second semester) (1 SEMESTER/0.5 credit) Grades 11-12

    The purpose of this course is to analyze the legacy of Reconstruction following the Supreme Court decision of Brown vs. the Board of Education. This will be an intellectual challenge to bring together the pivotal events and heroic leaders of the Civil Rights Movement on their quest to end legalized segregation. Students will develop an in-depth understanding of this seemingly endless struggle for equality through the three stages of the Civil Rights Movement. Students will be given the opportunity to analyze the events and people who were the most influential components of this historic epic of the ever-changing American identity. Starting with the murder of Emmett Till, we will cover many key events such as the Little Rock 9, Sit-ins (Greensboro), Montgomery Bus Boycott, Freedom Rides, Birmingham and Bull Connor, Freedom Summer, the Boston Busing Crisis, Vietnam, Selma Marches, Bloody Sunday, and the assassinations of MLK, RFK, Malcolm X, and Medgar Evers. It will be imperative that we explore the various leaders and objectives behind the civil rights organizations such as the SCLC, SNCC, CORE, the Black Panthers, and the ACLU. We will be working in conjunction with the African-American Literature and Issues of Race, Class, Gender and Sexual Orientation classes. At times, we will combine our efforts through film, field trips, guest speakers, and common texts. The goal will be an interdisciplinary experience between history and literature of the Civil Rights Movement. Each Spring, there may be an opportunity for the combined courses to travel to the South as an extension of our curriculum. Note: We will use Flex periodically.

  • Climate Science & Environmental Justice

    CLIMATE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE US2615
    (Offered first semester) (1 SEMESTER/ 0.5 Credit) Grades 11-12
    PREREQUISITE: Successful completion of Biology, Chemistry, and completion/concurrent enrollment in Physics.  In addition, successful completion of Themes in World History and Modern World History I and II.
    COREQUISITE: Concurrent enrollment during the same period in Climate Science & Environmental Justice US3950.

    Climate change is the existential crisis of our time and is worsening global inequities.  This is an interdisciplinary, project-based course between the science and history department on climate change and environmental justice.  The essential questions are:  to what extent can climate change be slowed to allow for minimal impact to ecosystems, economies, public health, and natural resources; and, who is driving the change?  The science behind climate change will be provided, in addition to the delicate balance between human intervention and political oversight.  Scientific topics include the difference between climate vs. weather and positive feedback loops; extreme weather events; the thawing of glacial freshwater and its effect on ocean currents, rising sea levels, and decreased albedo; the prevalence of big agriculture; renewable energy sources; and the impact of climate change on infectious disease.  Social studies topics include exploring federal oversight through the Departments of Agriculture, Interior & Energy, federal vs. state regulations, political platforms, and topics related to social justice and activism. We will explore  the impact of the 2024 Election on the state and federal government’s oversight and management of climate change. Each student will be expected to create a final "Call to Action" project to help mitigate global warming and should be tangible, locally based, and supported by climate science. Note: This course has six instructional meetings per 8-day cycle.

  • Creating Historical Documentaries

    CREATING HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARIES US2010
    (Offered first semester) (1 SEMESTER/0.5 credit) Grades 10-12
    COREQUISITE: Concurrent enrollment during the same period in Creating Historical Documentaries US7010

    Students will research, write, film, edit and produce a medium-length documentary about an important historical event, moment, crisis, or social justice cause. This interdisciplinary course will provide students opportunities to learn and sharpen key historical skills, including writing, research and storytelling techniques. Students will also gain experience with pre-production, shooting, lighting, interview techniques, editing, graphics and audio. This class uses state of the art 4K cameras and Adobe Premiere Pro to create professional quality videos. Note: This class is primarily a studio class, which means that while homework is rare, students are going to need to work during Flex periods in order to finish their projects.

  • Documenting Parker

    DOCUMENTING PARKER US2100
    (Offered second semester) (1 SEMESTER/0.5 credit) Grades 10-12

    The coming year marks the Francis W. Parker School’s 125th anniversary! And in honor of it, we offer this one-time-only class, called Documenting Parker! Students in this one semester class will research, write, film, edit and produce short documentaries that focus on the first 125 years of life at the Francis W. Parker School. This interdisciplinary course will provide students with the opportunity to learn and sharpen key historical skills, including writing and archival research. Additionally, students will gain experience with pre-production, shooting, lighting, interviewing techniques, editing, graphics and audio. Student films will be featured during the school’s upcoming quasquicentennial (yes, that’s a word--we looked it up!) festivities. Note: This class is primarily a studio class, which means that while homework is rare, students may need to work during Flex periods in order to finish their projects.

  • Economics & Society

    ECONOMICS AND SOCIETY US2601
    (Offered second semester) (1 SEMESTER/0.5. credit) Grades 10-12

    This is a very exciting time to be studying economics, as well as our national and the global economies. The politics of the new administration in the White House promises new policies that will lead to significant changes. In this course we will survey domestic and international economic changes to gain an understanding of how economics works and how we are affected by markets and government policies in the U.S. and beyond our borders. 

    We will focus on the historical development of economic theories and economic practices in the U.S. and globally, and examine how economics and politics overlap. A significant part of this course is driven by current socio-economic events and developments. We also look at how people and societies are affected by economics through their individual decisions and through government policies, and also how human culture is shaped by economic systems. 

    Central questions to the course include: How does a country come to have its economic system? Does a nation’s economic system evolve naturally? What is/should be the role of the government in the economy? What are trade unions and what role have they, and do they continue to play in the U.S. and abroad? Why are there rich/poor people and countries? What is globalization? Why has capitalism not worked to end poverty at home, and in parts of the developing world? How does the average citizen affect the economy? The answers to these questions are based on the possible interpretations of the various materials we study. 

    Students in Economics and Society will also have the opportunity to study the city of Chicago to discover the workings of the local economy and the history of economic disparity and its effects in neighborhood development and racial segregation. We will seek to host one or two guest speakers involved in the business world to get perspectives on our economy. 

    This course is particularly enjoyable for students with a keen interest in furthering their knowledge of the world's economic systems, and exploring a variety of perspectives on significant economic and social issues. While this course explores a range of topics, students are also encouraged to co-direct and formulate and put forward their own questions. Students will read about/from a variety of economic theorists including Adam Smith, Karl Marx, John Maynard Keynes, Friedrich von Hayek, Milton Friedman, and modern critiques of these and other classical economists. We will use the debate format in the classroom to familiarize ourselves with the issues. Students will also do individual and group presentations, write short papers comparing and evaluating economic theories, and research and write on a topic of interest to the students on the U.S. domestic economy, or the global economy. Note: Homework will never be due for a Flex Block period. We will use Flex Block for instruction, and for you to work on group projects and assignments. 

  • Historical Inquiry at the Newberry Library

    HISTORICAL INQUIRY AT THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY US2510
    (Offered Second Semester) (1 Semester/.5 credit) Grades 10-12

    As a top tier research library that focuses on the humanities, the Newberry Library seeks to foster learning by providing the public with access to its extensive primary and secondary sources collections. With 1.6 million books, 1,300 archival collections and 600,000 maps, the Newberry Library has a vast number of sources on people, places and events that have shaped our world. In this class, students will learn how to conduct research using primary sources found in archives across the Core Subjects of the Newberry Library: American History and Culture; American Indian and Indigenous Students; Chicago and the Midwest; Genealogy and Local History; Maps, Travel, and Exploration; Medieval, Renaissance, and Early Modern Studies; Modern Manuscripts; and Archives; Postcards; Religion. Students will travel to the Newberry Library every other week to access primary sources within the collections. They will learn how to interpret and analyze historical documents, and gain an understanding of how primary sources influence how history is captured and told. Students will pose, answer and explore their own historical questions throughout the class and will create an in depth exhibit on a topic of their choice. Note: Flex will be used periodically. 

  • International Relations

    INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS US2530
    (Offered first semester) (1 SEMESTER/0.5 credit) Grades 10-12

    This one-semester elective course, open to 10th through 12th grade students, explores international relations, including the role of the United States in world affairs from the Monroe Doctrine to the Trump Doctrine, and how the current administration in the White House is impacting U.S. foreign policy. Important questions in this course are; what is the international order and how is it evolving; what are the global challenges facing the U.S. today; and how does the government make foreign policy decisions in response? Students will learn “the language” of foreign policy, key people and institutions, and major theories of international relations necessary to understand the world today. We will examine issues of global significance: cyber warfare, climate change, nuclear proliferation, human rights, ethnic and religious conflict, and diplomacy versus the use of military. A significant emphasis of this course is therefore on understanding current events. Students are expected to research and write expository essays on former and current policies and research and write policy proposals. Students will also prepare role-plays and formal debates, engaging in lively and respectful discussion as a way to deepen our understanding of foreign relations issues and offer possible solutions. Chicago is the host to many forums on international relations and we may arrange to attend a speech or a panel discussion by experts, and when possible we will have a guest speaker visit the class. This elective course is ideal for students interested in broadening their understanding of the world they are inheriting and seeking to improve, and developing their critical thinking, speaking and writing skills.

  • Modern World History I

    MODERN WORLD HISTORY I US2261
    (Offered first semester) (1 SEMESTER/0.5 credit) Grade 10

    Building on the content, skills and themes that students learn in their 9th-grade Themes in World History course, the Modern World History curriculum guides students in seeing the unfolding of the world’s history from a global and topical perspective. The course emphasizes global interactions and comparisons by combining chronological and thematic approaches. Through intensive, inquiry-based studies of events throughout modern history, students will develop relevant historical questions, analyze cause-and-effect relationships among events, synthesize historical data for the purposes of research, and demonstrate proficiency in the skills necessary for advanced historical inquiry. By focusing on a distinct topic, students have greater opportunities to examine economic, political, and cultural interactions, as well as to compare societies’ unique developments. Such an approach also ensures that students gain a sound understanding of historical thinking that is necessary for comprehending the past, but also for understanding their world today.

  • Modern World History II

    MODERN WORLD HISTORY II US2265
    (Offered second semester) (1 SEMESTER/0.5 credit) Grade 10

    Building on the content, skills and themes that students learn in their 9th-grade Themes in World History course, the Modern World History curriculum guides students in seeing the unfolding of the world’s history from a global and topical perspective. The course emphasizes global interactions and comparisons by combining chronological and thematic approaches. Through intensive, inquiry-based studies of events throughout modern history, students will develop relevant historical questions, analyze cause-and-effect relationships among events, synthesize historical data for the purposes of research, and demonstrate proficiency in the skills necessary for advanced historical inquiry. By focusing on a distinct topic, students have greater opportunities to examine economic, political, and cultural interactions, as well as to compare societies’ unique developments. Such an approach also ensures that students gain a sound understanding of historical thinking that is necessary for comprehending the past, but also for understanding their world today.

  • Sociology of Sports

    SOCIOLOGY OF SPORTS US2590
    (Offered second semester) (1 SEMESTER/0.5 credit) Grades 10-12

    In this seminar, sports will serve as a prism to illuminate vital aspects of contemporary society including social class, consumerism, gender dynamics, ethics and race relations. Students will come to better understand change over time in the fabric of American culture and the role that sports play in modern life. Special areas of study include racial segregation and integration, the twin births of spectator sports and consumer culture, the rise of feminism, and the role of sports in childhood. The course will utilize a wide range of activities and assessments, including creating a documentary film and participating in a debate assessing the impact of sports on secondary and collegiate education. Course materials include secondary sources such as Dave Zirin's "A People's History of Sports in the United States" and David Remnick's biography of Muhammad Ali, "King of the World." A majority of the assessments for the course are projects intended to provide students with authentic opportunities to engage in critical thinking about sport and American society.

  • Talk of the Town

    TALK OF THE TOWN US2950
    (Offered second semester) (1 SEMESTER/0.5 credit) Grade 11-12

    With the increasing polarization of contemporary society, culturally engaged individuals must hone our ability to appreciate the logic, perspectives, and wit of points of view from across the ideological spectrum. Students in this course will explore contemporary journalism and participate in national dialogues on pressing or enduring topics in American life and beyond. Every student will receive print and digital subscriptions to The New Yorker and National Review -- two legendary publications with widely divergent editorial perspectives, offering criticism and analysis (and cartoons!!) of emerging events and persistent trends. In addition, we will explore the latest sociological patterns through sharp journalism that captures both the big and small stories in modern life. Seminar sessions will experiment with the discursive style -- meaning, students are in control of the direction of a given class encounter, with no predetermined outcome. Through discussion, debate, and exploration, together we will dive into what’s hot and now in politics, culture, and the arts. Note: Flex will be used periodically.  

  • Themes in World History

    THEMES IN WORLD HISTORY US2251
    (1 YEAR/1.0 credit) Grade 9
     
    Themes in World History provides an overview of the history of the world as seen through thematic patterns and ethical questions, designed around four major themes:
     
    (1) Human Interaction with the Environment
    (2) Government and Leadership
    (3) Religion
    (4) Law and Human Rights
     
    For each of these themes, students examine major historical questions rooted in the ancient world, tracing turning points in their development and impact through history up to the modern day. Students will advance their ability to comprehend the thematic questions within an historical context with an eye towards the current world situation and the students’ place in shaping the future. The course will build upon the research and writing skills acquired in middle school, but will also provide an introduction to the skills (writing, participation, analytical thinking) required to be successful history students at the secondary level. Students will synthesize broad content taken from throughout world history to deconstruct and analyze themes present across national, cultural, ethnic, and historical lines. It is our goal to facilitate the kind of citizenship that is called for in Francis W. Parker’s statement: “The needs of society determine the work of the school...The supreme need of society is good citizenship ... Ideal citizenship demands of the individual the highest degree of knowledge, power, skill, and service.”

  • United States History I

    UNITED STATES HISTORY I US2310
    (Offered first semester) (1 SEMESTER/0.5 credit) Grade 11

    United States History I is a survey of national history from the fifteenth through the mid-nineteenth centuries. This half of the two-semester sequence takes a chronological approach, which explores the clash of cultures in the colonial period; the creation of the state and national political systems; the tension between idealism and individual self-interest; the goals, methods, and impact of reform movements; and the competing claims of liberty and authority up through the end of the U.S. Civil War. Our goals are to enjoy, embrace, and experience the value of studying U.S. History while becoming culturally literate and critical thinkers. Along the way, we will fine-tune our speaking, reading, and writing skills to a scholarly level. United States History I serves as the forum for students’ participation in the Civic Lab program for 11th grade.

  • United States History II

    UNITED STATES HISTORY II US2410
    (Offered second semester) (1 SEMESTER/0.5 credit) Grade 11

    United States History II is a survey of national history from the mid-nineteenth century through the present. This second half of the two-semester sequence takes a thematic approach to the period from Reconstruction through present day. The course will address particular themes in American history from the late 1800s through today, including the legacy of Reconstruction, industrialization and its consequences, issues of immigration, the U.S. as a world power, and so on. For example, we will cover the Legacy of Reconstruction from the 1870s through the Civil Rights Movement, and finish with today’s issues related to affirmative-action, racial profiling, and contemporary civil rights concerns. Students who wish to take either the Advanced Placement examination in American History or the Scholastic Aptitude Test for United States History will find that the two-semester sequence provides a suitable foundation, with additional outside preparation. United States History II continues the work begun in the first semester with the 11th grade Civic Lab program.

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Francis W. Parker School educates students to think and act with empathy, courage and clarity as responsible citizens and leaders in a diverse democratic society and global community.