History and Social Science
Majors:
Great Issues and Controversies of the Modern World
History in Fact, History in Film
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Money, Economy and Society
Social Psychology
Minors:
American Law and Lawyers
Decoding the Screen: Introduction to American Media Studies
International Relations
Psychology: Current Issues
Sports Psychology
Grades 11-12
MINOR
In this class students learn about the foundations of the American legal system and how they apply to social, economic, political and individual issues. We explore what it means to "think like a lawyer" through discussion, mock trials, and guest speakers. Readings focus on actual landmark cases. One of the highlights of the course is our final project, in which we have a mock trial of a case currently on the U.S. Supreme Court docket.
If you love discussion, if legal issues intrigue you, if you're thinking about studying law, or you just want to look at society from a new point of view, this is the class for you.
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All Grades
MINOR
This course is designed to stimulate students' interest in international relations and foreign policy. As a result of their experiences in the class, they become more astute observers of the international scene and understand better the problems the world faces. Strong emphasis is placed on both historical background and the realities of the modern world scene. Students are assigned readings and gain considerable experience in utilizing library sources emphasizing a wide variety of viewpoints. Much attention is given to the development of critical thinking, and a large portion of the course is devoted to activities that promote student involvement. Students engage in seminars; serve as prosecutors, defenders and court members in mock World Court cases; and become involved in a major simulation modeled on the United Nations, utilizing debate, negotiation, compromise, and decision-making.
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Grades 11-12
MAJOR
Have you ever considered how the laws of economics affect you? Study these laws and you have at your disposal a powerful tool for making personal decisions and understanding the world around you. Why does Michael Jordan earn tens of millions of dollars and the President of the United States only a tiny fraction of this sum? Can we eliminate poverty by writing checks to the poor? Should companies be allowed to buy and sell rights to pollute? Should you put your college money in a savings account or in the stock market? This course provides a non-mathematical overview of macro- and micro-economic theory and a forum for lively and provocative debate.
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All Grades
MAJOR
This course introduces burgeoning social scientists to the world of cultural anthropology. We examine such domains as the concept of culture, gender and sexuality, religion and ritual, sickness and healing, symbols and language, social inequalities and social change, kinship and social organization, and political economy and globalization. As we discuss these topics in cross-cultural perspective, the students are introduced to anthropological research methods and various approaches to social scientific analysis. The overarching aim of this course is to examine the diverse ways people make sense of their lives and thereby become better equipped to understand and critique our own society.
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Grades 11-12
MAJOR
This course is an introduction to the theories and applications of social psychology in research, academic, and social settings. Through class activities and discussions, students experience and reflect on constructs of social psychology that they will have read about in scientific settings. Students also are involved in discussing the relevance of gender and ethnic diversity in the construction of social values, with specific focus on their own lives and experiences. Topics include group dynamics, conformity, self-knowledge, attitude formation and change, interpersonal attraction, prejudice, and aggression.
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All Grades
MINOR
This course focuses on the neurological and affective or behavioral components of athletes involved in sport and recreational environments. This class introduces students to the history, principles, concepts, and topics of sport psychology in relation to other disciplines, such as biochemistry, biology, anatomy and physiology, and sociology. Students are exposed to contemporary issues and practices involved within the field. Material is introduced and evaluated by discussion, research, practical lab applications and written assignments. This course is recommended for anyone who is interested in the behavioral life sciences or how sport psychology principles may be applied in our daily lives.
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All Grades
MINOR
The goal of this course is to introduce students to the basic concepts, theories, and branches of psychology. Through a combination of readings, lectures, student-centered activities, and contemporary films, we investigate topics such as adjustment, stress, coping, and interpersonal relationships. students also will explore psychological ideas that are directly relevant to their adolescent experiences such as friendship, belonging, and identity-formation. No previous background in psychology is required.
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Great Issues and Controversies of the Modern World (Interdisciplinary)
Major
Grades 10-12
The purpose of the Great Issues and Controversies of the Modern World is to expose students to the diversity of the peoples and cultures in the world and to foster a better understanding of specific world events. Classes in the past have explored complicated and complex subjects such as genocide, American presidential elections, terrorism, globalization, and immigration.
In addition to these topical objectives, the course will help students improve their writing skills through exams, essays, and papers, their speaking skills through in-class discussions, and their analytical skills through readings and debates. By focusing on these objectives throughout the summer, the students will not only increase their knowledge of contemporary issues, but will sharpen the tools that are necessary in any discipline. Thus, the overarching goals are to learn more about the world, apply the material to improve the aforementioned skill objectives, and continue to follow world events beyond the Andover summer course.
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Grades 11-12
MAJOR
This course seeks to present American history to students as a dynamic field of inquiry rather than a static narrative of past events. Covering the time period from World War II through the election of Ronald Reagan, a period of American history that often falls by the wayside in high school history classes for want of time, this course will highlight major episodes of modern American history, including WWII, Cold War America, the civil rights and women’s liberation movements, Vietnam, and the “Culture Wars” of the 1970s. Rather than following the traditional model of textbook learning, this class will present American history through a series of juxtapositions, partnering classic films (such as Apocalypse Now, Mississippi Burning, The Stepford Wives, High Noon, Saturday Night Fever, Saving Private Ryan, Easy Rider, and/or Why We Fight) with academic scholarship for each period or event examined.
The goals of this course are three-fold: first, to enhance students’ knowledge of modern American history; second, to teach students how to critically examine cultural products (in this case movies) by analyzing their content and learning to read them as both historical artifacts and historical texts; and finally, to better understand history as a dynamic search for an objective understanding of the significance of past events. In successfully completing this course, students will have developed their ability to write original and incisive film analyses, to critically analyze and evaluate films as both primary and secondary sources, and to construct historical arguments by generating thesis statements supported with evidence and submitted for peer review. In addition to peer-reviewed written assignments, students will engage in in-class discussion and cooperative learning.
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All Grades
MINOR
What is an advertisement really selling you? Do television networks report the news or create it? Can a popular film or album, or even a website, change history? If you have ever wondered, look further.
American Media Studies is one of the fastest growing fields in colleges and universities across the country. Dynamic and interdisciplinary, this course attempts to analyze the print, visual and online media that define the 20th and 21st centuries. Students in this class will examine journalism, advertising, literature, popular music, and the web as nuanced sources of cultural information and criticism.
Similar to Reading & Writing, this course will provide an opportunity for students to hone their critical thinking and improve their analytical writing through daily practice. In addition, students will work creatively to produce their own journalism, advertising, visual, audio and online media.
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