History and Social Science
All students are required to take World History I and World History II during their first two years. In both courses they are encouraged to analyze materials, participate actively in class discussions, and write persuasive essays at increasingly high conceptual levels. In the junior year students study the history of the United States in the U.S. History course, or the AP U.S. History course, if they meet certain requirements. Both courses provide varied and underrepresented perspectives of the past, incorporate primary documents, and enable students to use historical thinking skills, including chronological thinking, causation, and comparison to better contextualize and understand the past. In the senior year, students have the opportunity to select from a variety of electives in the history and social science disciplines. These courses allow students to pursue deeper interests and master many of the analytical, writing, and research skills they have developed during their first three years. Overall, the goal of the department is not so much to have the students accumulate facts, per se, as it is to help them develop an interest in these disciplines, build understandings, and see the relevance to their lives and world. Finally, students are encouraged to participate in such extracurricular activities as Model Congress, Model United Nations and National History Day. The department will also provide information on summer programs upon request.
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2 Semesters, 1.0 Credit, Full-Time
AP African American Studies is an interdisciplinary course that examines the diversity of African American experiences through direct encounters with authentic and varied sources. Students explore key topics that extend from early African kingdoms to the ongoing challenges and achievements of the contemporary moment. Given the interdisciplinary character of African American studies, students in the course will develop skills across multiple fields, with an emphasis on developing historical, literary, visual, and data analysis skills. This course foregrounds a study of the diversity of Black communities in the United States within the broader context of Africa and the African diaspora.
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2 Semesters, 1.0 Credit, Full-Time
The study of European history since 1450 CE introduces students to cultural, economic, political, and social developments that played a fundamental role in shaping the present. Without this knowledge, we would lack the context for understanding the development of contemporary institutions, the role of continuity and change in present-day society and politics, and the evolution of current forms of artistic expression and intellectual discourse. In addition to providing a basic narrative of events and movements, AP European History further develops (a) an understanding of some of the principal themes in modern European History, (b) an ability to analyze historical evidence and historical interpretation, and (c) an ability to express historical understanding in writing.
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2 Semesters, 1.0 Credit, Full-time
In AP US History, students investigate significant events, individuals, developments, and processes in nine historical periods from approximately 1491 to the present. Students develop and use the same skills and methods employed by historians: analyzing primary and secondary sources; developing historical arguments; making historical connections; and utilizing reasoning about comparison, causation, and continuity and change. The course also provides eight themes that students explore throughout the course in order to make connections among historical developments in different times and places: American and national identity; work, exchange, and technology; geography and the environment; migration and settlement; politics and power; America in the world; American and regional culture; and social structures. Because this course prepares students to take the Advanced Placement Examination in mid-May (all students enrolled in the course are required to take the exam), this version of the US History requirement moves more rapidly than the college preparatory course, assumes a higher level of academic skills, and expects more independence from the student. Following the College Board’s framework for AP US History, the course emphasizes major themes including economic and demographic development, environment, American ideas and culture, and foreign relations, while also emphasizing skills in reading, writing, and historical thinking by covering nine chronological periods within American history. PREREQUISITE: Students must FIRST be recommended by their sophomore history teacher. Any student who is recommended and intends to take the course then must submit a persuasive and well-written argument explaining why they wish to take the course and how they believe they would benefit from taking the course (due to Dr. Engl by March 5th at 10 PM EST to APUSH Google Classroom). UPON APPROVAL to take the course, students must also complete the summer reading requirement in advance of the start of school in August.
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2nd Semester, 0.5 Credit, Full-Time
This course provides an understanding of art and art making from the Renaissance through today. Rather than presenting a survey of over 500 years of visual culture, the course is grounded in the work and lives of particular iconic artists. By deeply exploring artistic identity and expression, students will be able to analyze artistic evolution and cultural impact. From the heightened realism of Gianlorenzo Bernini, the colorful ‘floating world’ prints of Hokusai, the progressive abstraction of Henri Matisse, as well as the collaged canvases of Romare Bearden, the grayscale portraits of Amy Sherald, and the conceptual work of Ai WeiWei, among others, the course provides a range of media and aesthetics for students to explore, and exposes students to a diversity of artists.
This course features a series of discussions, debates, projects, and short essays to develop skills of observation, inference, and analysis. The course ultimately aims to help students untangle why and how the art world functions by purposefully examining historical narratives, symbolic and monetary valuation, and cultural longevity. The course includes excursions to local Lehigh Valley art collections, as well as notable museums in New York City or Philadelphia. Field trips will be determined by the 2026 exhibition calendar.
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1st Semester, .5 Credit, Full Time Course
This course exposes students to the three most significant painters of each century and how they influenced each other, beginning with the Early Renaissance and concluding with the beginning of the 20th century. Students examine, for example, how Rembrandt, Rubens, and Velazquez contributed to each others’ artistic development and to the great achievements of the 17th century. As we compare and contrast the great artists and their contemporaries, we look at how the classical, or Apollonian, approach differed from the more emotional, or Dionysian, stream in artistic expression. We examine how the more expressive approach of artists beginning with the17th-century, with such masters as Rubens and Franz Hals, influenced later artists such as 19th-century painter Delacroix and 20th-century great Francis Bacon. The course grade is based on weekly or bi-weekly quizzes, two major tests, two major presentations on a selected artist, and a final project in which a student either makes a presentation about an artist of the 18th – 21st century based upon a research paper or creates an original artwork based upon the artistic principles studied. The course includes an excursion to the Allentown Art Museum and to either the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia orto the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. No prior artistic experience is required to take this course. Students who are taking this course to fulfill their religion requirement will find that many Christian themes and motifs arise during our study of the early Renaissance to the early nineteenth century; the course incorporates a religious theme as part of their final project.
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1st Semester, 0.5 Credit, Full-Time
Using the Choices Program curriculum from Brown University, the course focuses on examining specific units and areas of the world relating to current and recent events. It is a discussion and activity-based course with core activities centered around debates about topics such as “China on the World Stage” and “Cuba: History and New Directions.” The assessments allow for student choice by exploring different forms of assessment including visual projects, writing assignments, and class presentations. The topics are in depth and focused by using primary and secondary sources that provide multiple perspectives associated with the specific units/topics. Each unit within the Choices Program serves as an engaging inquiry-based opportunity to explore each topic through historical context and background information with a central focus on discussion and debate.
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2nd Semester, 0.5 Credit, Full-Time
Using the Choices Program curriculum from Brown University, the course focuses on examining specific units and areas of the world relating to current and recent events. It is a discussion and activity-based course with core activities centered around debates about topics such as “China on the World Stage” and “Cuba: History and New Directions.” The assessments allow for student choice by exploring different forms of assessment including visual projects, writing assignments, and class presentations. The topics are in depth and focused by using primary and secondary sources that provide multiple perspectives associated with the specific units/topics. Each unit within the Choices Program serves as an engaging inquiry-based opportunity to explore each topic through historical context and background information with a central focus on discussion and debate.
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1st Semester, .5 credit, open to seniors
This senior, semester elective will provide a deeper understanding of the intricate process of historical research including finding primary and secondary sources, compiling and analyzing evidence, and then finally presenting findings in a variety of formats. Students will gain experience of transcribing documents, performing archival research, and experimenting with digital humanities that incorporates innovative technology applicable beyond the discipline of history. They will also be exposed to a variety of historical methods from social and cultural history to economic and political history to enhance their knowledge of the diversity of perspectives.
The course will take a scaled-approach to research by beginning right here in the archives at Moravian Academy so that students become comfortable working with primary sources and discovering the limitations and challenges of research. As the course progresses, students will be exposed to a variety of online document repositories from organizations such as Rotunda at the University of Virginia, the Library of Congress, and Fold3 from Ancestry.com. Through their own research projects that students develop over the course of the semester, they will apply what they have learned in order to uncover the lived experience of the past by recovering voices of underrepresented men and women.
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2nd Semester, 0.5 Credit, Full-Time
This senior semester elective provides a deeper understanding of the intricate process of historical research including finding primary and secondary sources, compiling and analyzing evidence, and then presenting findings in a variety of formats. Students gain experience of transcribing documents, performing archival research, and experimenting with digital humanities that incorporates innovative technology applicable beyond the discipline of history. They are also exposed to a variety of historical methods from social and cultural history to economic and political history to enhance their knowledge of the diversity of perspectives and approaches to research. Using a scaled-approach to research by beginning right here in the archives at Moravian Academy, students become comfortable working with primary sources and discovering the limitations and challenges of research. They are also exposed to a variety of online document repositories from organizations such as Rotunda at the University of Virginia, the Library of Congress, and Fold3 from Ancestry.com. Through their own research projects that students develop over the course of the semester, they will apply what they have learned in order to uncover the lived experience of the past by recovering voices of underrepresented men and women by attaining valuable research experience.
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2 Semesters, 1.0 Credit, Full-Time
Historia Mundial I is a course that explores the ways that humans across our planet have shaped the world around them and have been shaped by that world. Working with their teacher, students will use documents, objects, and interviews to understand trends in human societies. The class is organized thematically around five topics that span thousands of years of history across the globe. These include agriculture, religion, systems of government, human rights, and sustainability in addition to a unit developed within the FIRE curriculum. For each theme, students will generate questions, delve into case studies, and reflect on their new perspectives in assessments. Particular attention will be paid to using textual evidence and developing strong arguments. In this class, students develop curiosity, empathy, perseverance, and creativity as well as the disciplinary practices and skills of a historian. This course offered in Spanish for native or heritage speakers or continuing Spanish immersion program students.
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1st Semester, .5 Credit, Full Time Course (open to seniors)
This course examines the history of Latin America from the “encounter” between Europe and the Americas beginning in the late 15th century to the present. However, much of our focus will be weighted towards the latter half of this period in the 19th and 20th centuries. We will explore the social, political, ideological, cultural, and economic issues that surrounded the development of today’s Latin American countries. Specifically, we will look at the challenges to colonial empires and the contentious process of “nation-building”. We will also look at the influence of such concepts as “liberalism” and “nationalism,” and understand how globalization and the the free market has impacted Latin America. In our studies, we will observe historical events at the local, national, and global levels, but also from the perspectives of various groups. We will
consider both those who acted from bureaucratic sites of power (like government offices) and those who made claims from other locations (such as resistance movements). Since it is impossible to cover all of Latin American history in a semester, we will focus our investigation on significant events and case studies involving various places and regions.
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2nd Semester, .5 Credit, Full Time Course (open to seniors)
This elective will offer an overview of the linguistic subdiscipline of anthropology and endeavor to grapple with the question “How does language influence culture?” Through the exploration of select case studies, both past and contemporary, students will apply their cursory understanding of linguistic and anthropological theories, such as Peircean semiotics, to deconstruct and, moreover, expose language as a resource. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their everyday experiences by answering the following questions:
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How is language created? Is it arbitrary?
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Who controls language? How is that control allocated?
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How does language influence social organization and hierarchy?
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To what extent does technology dictate the “price” or value of language?
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Is language a commodity? If so, how do individuals negotiate its “trade”?
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What is the relationship between American values and or rights and language?
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How can young adults use language to shape culture? Should they try to at all?
Ultimately, by the end of our time together, students will be able to identify three major power structures embedded within language—normativity, hegemony, and identity—and analyze their influence on the paradigm of a “global society”. In doing so, they will be able to harness their words and express them more thoughtfully and critically in the multitude of social arenas they navigate.
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2nd Semester, 0.5 Credit, Full-Time
This course gives students an introduction to concepts that focus on economics as a whole. Specifically, students will learn how to measure unemployment, inflation, and the gross domestic product. They will also consider how the money supply affects the economy by studying the operations of banks and the Federal Reserve. Students debate the merits of the self-regulating economy and consider the arguments of the economist John Maynard Keynes. Students will also analyze the causes and effects of the recent 2008 recession. At the end of the semester, students will study international trade and the impact of globalization on the world and the United States. The academy-award winning documentary, American Factory, provides a focal point for the analysis of these topics. Throughout the course students connect these concepts with current events, using such resources as National Public Radio’s Planet Money podcasts and various articles. The ten-week “Stock Market Game” provides students with an opportunity to buy and sell stock and to understand how the stock market functions and impacts the economy. At the end, students will have a broader appreciation of macroeconomics and a greater understanding of its concepts and tools.
Prerequisite: Microeconomics or Department Approval
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1st Semester, 0.5 Credit, Full-Time
This course gives students an introduction to economic concepts relating to relatively small units – an individual, a firm, an industry, a single market. In addition to learning concepts pertaining to scarcity, opportunity cost, and economic systems, students will also examine the microeconomic fundamentals of supply and demand, price changes, and elasticity. Students will also have the opportunity to apply these concepts to a variety of issues, including finance, labor markets, and taxes. In addition to the primary texts, students will also use such resources as National Public Radio’s Planet Money podcasts, various periodicals, and film clips. The ten-week “Stock Market Game” will provide students with an opportunity to buy and sell securities in real time, as well as to understand how the stock market functions and impacts the economy. Finally, for a culminating project at the end of the semester, students and their stock market team will create and investigate an economic question that connects to at least one concept from the course in a podcast that students will produce. By the end of the course students will have a broader appreciation of microeconomics and be able make more effective and thoughtful decisions.
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1st Semester, .5 Credit, Full Time Course (open to seniors)
This course investigates major events in the last century to equip students with a basic understanding of the historical, cultural, and economic landscape of modern India. Beginning with a study of British rule and the rising nationalism of the early twentieth century and looking at key figures such as Gandhi, Nehru, and Jinnah, we will learn about the independence movement and the partition of India and Pakistan and the religious tensions that have continued to plague South Asia since Partition. In addition, students will consider the rise of India’s lower castes and their evolving integration into wider Indian society. Last, the course will examine India’s new position of power and influence in the global economy with particular focus on its relationship with China and the United States.
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2nd Semester, .5 Credit, Full Time Course (open to seniors)
This course examines the region of the Middle East in the twentieth century and the early twenty-first century. It begins with a religious background on Islam, Judaism, and Christianity as well as the political structure of the Ottoman Empire of the nineteenth century. With those two areas as a base, the course examines the effects of the First World War on the formation and transformation of the modern nations of the region and the roots of the conflict between the various groups in the area. The course focuses mainly on the conflict between the Arab nations and the state of Israel through the examination of the three Arab-Israeli wars and the subsequent armed conflicts. In addition, the course explores the competing movements of Pan-Arabism and Pan-Islamism, as well as the rise of terrorism in the region. Students read a general text, historical documents, and literature of the various perspectives in the region.
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1st Semester, 0.5 Credit, Full-Time
This civic education course provides the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for democratic citizenship. Using a variety of media, including the text A User’s Guide to Democracy and its companion podcast, Civics 101 from New Hampshire Public Radio, students explore a variety of topics, including the branches of government, elections, and important Supreme Court cases. Students then apply this knowledge to the study of current events and issues while considering the dynamics of power and its impact on justice. Class discussions play a large role in an open classroom climate, but students also engage in role plays, simulations, and gaming. Assessments are varied and include written reflections, discourses, and artistic endeavors. In the end, the essential goal of the course is for students to embrace civic and political commitments to make society better.
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2nd Semester, .5 Credit, Full Time Course (open to seniors)
This civic education course will provide the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for democratic citizenship. Using a variety of media, including the text A User’s Guide to Democracy and its companion podcast, Civics 101 from New Hampshire Public Radio, students will explore a variety of topics, including the branches of government, elections, and important Supreme Court cases. Students will then apply this knowledge to the study of current events and issues while considering the dynamics of power and its impact on justice. Class discussions will play a large role in an open classroom climate, but students may also engage in role plays, simulations, and gaming. Assessments will be varied and include written reflections, discourses, and artistic endeavors. In the end, the essential goal of the course is for students to embrace civic and political commitments to make society better.
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1st or 2nd Semester, .5 Credit, Full Time Course (open to seniors)
This course is designed to provide students with a systematic and evidence-based approach to the study of human development, behavior and mental processes. Students will explore the biological bases of behavior and theories regarding thought processes, motivation, emotion, learning, social interactions, ad sociocultural diversity. Throughout this course, students will connect concepts and theories to current events, from the individual to global level. In the end, students will develop an understanding for and appreciation of the importance of drawing evidence-based conclusions about psychological phenomena; the ethical standards that regulate scientific research and professional practice; and a multicultural, global perspective that recognizes the diversity of the human mind and behavior.
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2 Semesters, 1.0 Credit, Full-Time
This history course explores specific events or eras using a variety of historical sources. It follows a chronological structure beginning with the colonial era and concluding with the modern era (or post-WWII). Each unit is framed by an “essential question” that students investigate by actively interrogating a specific type of primary source, such as a written document or visual image. Students also learn about the broader historical context from which the sources originated. Writing and civil discourse are essential elements within this course. Students also have the opportunity to present their arguments through more non-traditional forms of assessments, including visual presentations, drawings, and charts. Students not only gain a greater understanding of how to do history but also develop greater historical empathy. In the end, by understanding how diverse people lived lives that differed from their own, students gain a greater appreciation for diverse experiences today.
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2 Semesters, 1.0 Credit, Full-time
World History I is a course that explores the ways that humans across our planet have shaped the world around them and have been shaped by that world. Working with their teacher, students will use documents, objects, and interviews to understand trends in human societies. The class is organized thematically around five topics that span thousands of years of history across the globe. These include agriculture, religion, systems of government, human rights, and sustainability in addition to a unit developed within the FIRE curriculum. For each theme, students will generate questions, delve into case studies, and reflect on their new perspectives in assessments. Particular attention will be paid to using textual evidence and developing strong arguments. In this class, students develop curiosity, empathy, perseverance, and creativity as well as the disciplinary practices and skills of a historian.
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2 Semesters, 1.0 Credit, Full-Time
The required tenth-grade course examines the development of multiple areas of the world through a variety of comparative themes in different historical time periods. The areas of the world include the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. This course uses common historical themes to demonstrate the change and the conflict throughout global history. The themes include Golden Ages, Interactions, Revolutions, Imperialism, and Independence Movements. This course prepares students to comprehend the historical roots of the political, intellectual, economic, and ideological forces that have shaped the history of human societies and the contemporary world. It also emphasizes the development of skills in conversation, critical thinking, analytical reading, expository essay writing, and project focused research that will be essential for future history courses.
