Social Science

The Social Science Department is committed to the principle that history should be more than a series of dates and events. History is the vehicle through which we not only learn about the past but also understand the present. Combining an in depth assessment of political, social and economic history as well as current events, students at Laguna Blanca cultivate analytical skills and expand their critical thinking. Students are taught to translate their knowledge into the written word in exams and research papers and to expand these skills each successive year, culminating in a major research paper. Our goal is to help students be better equipped to participate as citizens with a sense of social responsibility and moral consciousness.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

CIVILIZATION
Full Year – Grade 9

Civilization is a course that first and foremost examines the legacy of the ancient world in our own times. It is divided into four distinct units, two of which deal with civilizations that have provided the basis for what we know as “Western Civilization,” namely those of the Near East and those of the Greco-Roman World, and two, those of India and China, that still influence the lives of over 40% of the world’s population.

The course begins with a discussion of how to define ‘civilization’ and how it includes but is also distinct from concepts such as ‘society’ and ‘culture.’ Throughout the course emphasis will be given to such aspects of civilization as political and social structures, developments in science and technology, religion and philosophy, systems of law and justice, writing and literature, forms of artistic expression, diversity and cultural diffusion, and also such values as civility, compassion, and etiquette.

The course will begin with an examination of the earliest civilizations of Mesopotamia, and how those affected what would emerge as the Hebrew culture of ancient Israel, creating the concept of ethical monotheism. The importance of this radical concept on our own world will be explored through its later adaptation by first Christianity and then Islam. Building on the religious importance of the ancient Hebrews to our own civilization, the focus will switch to the intellectual and civic traditions created by the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome. Particular attention will be given to such things as developments in philosophy, science, drama, the visual arts, and political concepts, such as the democratic ideal first created in ancient Athens.

In the second semester, attention will then switch to East Asia, beginning with the civilizations of ancient India. Emphasis will be given to religious and intellectual traditions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, and also to the beginnings of globalization as represented in India’s long distance trade with such places as the Roman Empire. The last quarter will be devoted to ancient China and the degree of continuity that exists between some of the ancient imperial dynasties and the modern world. Emphasis will be given to such enduring traditions as Taoism, Confucianism, and an elaborate centralized bureaucracy dating to the 1st millennium BCE.

WORLD HISTORY
Full Year - Grade 10

This course is an overview of world history, beginning in the European Renaissance and continuing to the end of the Cold War. Although it covers all major African, Asian, Middle Eastern, and Latin American civilizations, the emphasis is on the European component of Western civilization.

WORLD HISTORY HONORS (not a UC Honors weighted course)
Full Year - Grade 10

This course is an overview of world history, beginning in the European Renaissance and continuing to the end of the Cold War. Although the course covers all major African, Asian, Middle Eastern, and Latin American civilizations, the emphasis is on the European component of Western civilization. For the Honor’s distinction, additional emphasis will be placed upon analytical writing and the introduction of outside readings.

UNITED STATES HISTORY
Full Year - Grade 11

This course covers the American experience from its roots in the European Age of Exploration to the present. It emphasizes the nation's political, economic, and social development while including American diplomatic and military history. The course is structured to follow key themes in United States history in order to better trace patterns in the nation’s development.

HONORS US HISTORY
Grades 11-12

Honors US History examines modern American history from the industrialization of the late nineteenth century through the present. Using chronological and thematic approaches to the material, the course exposes students to primary and secondary sources and assists students in developing the critical­thinking skills of a historian: contextualization, comparison, causation, and argumentation. While more academically rigorous in terms of the reading, writing, and thinking expectations than college-prep US History, this course differs from AP US History in its slower pace, reduced writing load, and it does not culminate in an AP exam. It also incorporates more experiential activities and project-based learning opportunities than AP US History.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT US HISTORY
Full Year - Grade 11

This rigorous college-level course covers colonial American history briefly and concentrates on the period from 1763 through the 1960's. This period is investigated in depth, with balanced attention to social, political, economic, and diplomatic history. The approach is chronological. Enrolled students are required to take the AP United States History exam in May.

Prerequisite: Departmental recommendation
________________________________________

HISTORY/SOCIAL SCIENCE ELECTIVES
(Current Offerings)

ADVANCED PLACEMENT
COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
Full Year - Grades 11 – 12

The AP course in Comparative Government and Politics introduces students to fundamental concepts used by political scientists to study the processes and outcomes of politics in a variety of country settings. The course aims to illustrate the rich diversity of political life, to show available institutional alternatives, to explain differences in processes and policy outcomes, and to communicate to students the importance of global political and economic changes. Comparison assists both in identifying problems and in analyzing policymaking. For example, we only know that a country has a high population growth rate or serious corruption when we compare it to other countries. Careful comparison of political systems produces useful knowledge about the policies countries have effectively initiated to address problems, or, indeed, what they have done to make things worse. We can compare the effectiveness of policy approaches to poverty or overpopulation by examining how different countries solve similar problems. Furthermore, by comparing the political institutions and practices of wealthy and poor countries, we can begin to understand the political consequences of economic wellbeing. Finally, comparison assists explanation. Why are some countries stable democracies and not others? Why do many democracies have prime ministers instead of presidents?

In addition to covering the major concepts that are used to organize and interpret what we know about political phenomena and relationships, the course should cover specific countries and their governments. Six countries form the core of the AP Comparative Government and Politics course. China, Great Britain, Mexico, Nigeria, and Russia are all regularly covered in college-level introductory comparative politics courses. The inclusion of Iran adds a political system from a very important region of the world and one that is subject to distinctive political and cultural dynamics. By using these six core countries, the course can move the discussion of concepts from abstract definition to concrete example, noting that not all concepts will be equally useful in all country settings.

AMERICAN ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY
First Semester – Grades 10-12

American Environmental History will be based on classes offered at both UCSB and SBCC, part of their environmental studies programs. Beginning with the Native Americans and building up to the present, it is the study of the history of Americans' relationship to the environment - a relationship where our environment has impacted us and we have impacted it. Understanding the path this relationship has taken will help us understand why we are facing current issues and where this relationship may be headed. We will find inspiring environmental leadership, for example the designation of national parks - first developed in the US, and explore terrible mistakes, like the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. The course will also include regular examination of current environmental issues.

ART HISTORY
Grades 10-12

Art History presents a chronological and thematic survey of global art from ancient history to the modern era. Students will learn to identify artwork, examine artwork both visually and contextually, find meaning in art, and identify connections between art and other disciplines. They will also develop an understanding and knowledge of diverse historical and cultural contexts of architecture, sculpture, painting, and other media. Art History emphasizes understanding how and why works of art function in context, considering such issues as patronage, gender, and the functions and effects of works of art. An emphasis is placed on writing critically and analytically about the various artwork included in the course.

CRITICAL THINKING
Second Semester - Grades 10-12

This course evaluates the ways in which thinking can go wrong and how making mistakes in logic applies to our decision making. It will begin with the introduction of the basic principles of critical thinking and effective argumentation, as well as historical background in the field. We actively explore the modern skeptic movement and disabuse ourselves of pseudoscience while at the same time practicing problem solving methods. Students will build critical thinking skills by applying them in written and verbal exercises meant to make them more metacognitive individuals. Students will also spend substantial time analyzing the thinking of others by studying news articles, current event debates and video documentaries. The course will finish up with a unit on critical thinking applied to the students' own career and life goals.

CURRENT EVENTS/GLOBAL ISSUES
First Semester – Grades 10-12

This course explores not only what is currently happening in the world, but the context and history of which those events are happening. With this comprehensive study, students will gain an understanding of current events and global issues more fully. Major issues addressing the world such as terrorism, global warming, discrimination, and cyber-warfare will be discussed, just to name a few. Given the importance of the current election year (2016) the course will also devote a major focus on the build-up to the November Presidential Election.

DEFINING MOMENTS: THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
Second Semester - Grades 10–12

This interdisciplinary course will examine movements in Black history. The theme of the course is movement—the process by which a collective protest consciousness is raised and mobilized to bring about social, political, economic, and spiritual reform. Beginning in the early 1900s, we will address the anti-lynching campaigns, the Back-to-Africa Movement, the Harlem Renaissance, the Black Arts Movement and other historical movements that served as precursors to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. The course will employ art, poetry, and music from the early 1900s through the Civil Rights Movement to holistically illustrate the periods.

Defining Moments: The Civil Rights Movement will examine the political organizing strategies of a movement; the use of religion, music, and art as organizing forces for social change, and the roles played by women and students in the movements. As a culminating project, students will use the Civil Rights Movement as an example to help develop a movement project rooted in their own personal interests and convictions.

EMPIRES OF HISTORY
One Semester - Grades 10-12

“The world has seen many Empires of the Sword, but only India has created an Empire of the Spirit.” So says noted historian Michael Wood referring to the ancient Indian Empire of Asoka, which, after a bloodthirsty beginning, was for most of his reign founded on the pacifist and humanist principles of the Buddhist religion to which he converted. This semester-long course will look at a variety of the world’s empires and the ideals they have represented. Have they, necessarily, been determined simply by geographic expansion beyond a central powerful state which serves as overlord of conquered domains? Regardless of the level of military conquest involved can they also be defined by a central unifying concept such as religion or commerce? This course will examine a variety of Empires, from ancient times to the present day, in each case trying to find a core of motives and values that go beyond mere military superiority, and which might have left a legacy in the modern world. Case studies will include the Roman Empire and its continuation in the Byzantine Empire; the Mongol Empire; the medieval African Empires of Mali and Great Zimbabwe; the Native American Empires of the Aztecs and the Incas; the Islamic Ottoman and Mughal Empires; the Spanish Empire; and the recently dissolved British Empire. The course will conclude with questions about an American Empire that may or may not have existed post World War II, exploring what defines its Imperial reach, and whether or not, like other more clearly defined Empires, such as the former British Empire, it too is now in a state of decline.

THE EPIC TRADITION
One Semester - Grades 10-12

This course will introduce students to the epic tradition with a focus on Greek and Roman culture. We will begin with a survey of Greek and Roman mythology and history to provide students with a point of departure for their exploration of ancient epic. Students will then begin with the works of Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey. We will discuss the values and drawbacks of Greek warrior culture, as well as the resonance of these works in modern warfare. We will also highlight the concept of homecoming and the Greek view of foreigners. The class will consider the impact of these works on later Greek and Roman literature, especially as we move on to Virgil's Aeneid. With the Aeneid, we will discuss the changes that occur in the hero Aeneas as a result of the different values of the Romans. Throughout all of these works, we will examine the role of women both in the context of epic and in Greek and Roman culture. The class will culminate with a reading of Dante's Inferno. We will analyze this work's indebtedness to Homer and Virgil and highlight the new values and concerns of a writer in Renaissance Italy.

HISTORY OF JAZZ
One Semester - Grades 10-12

This class will trace the origins of Jazz in ragtime, the blues, and African music to the present day. Through extensive listening, students will identify the main genres of jazz as well as understand the basic components of music itself, such as rhythm, harmony, melody, and timbre. Students will examine the major players of each movement on a musical, as well as, biographical level, as each musician is studied in their historical context. The goal is for students to gain an appreciation for this unique musical style and add a few tunes to their personal library.

INTRODUCTION TO ARCHAEOLOGY
One Semester - Grades 10-12

The aim of this class is twofold. First, students will gain an introduction to archaeology with a focus on the ancient Mediterranean. We will begin with an overview of the practice and science of archaeology and learn about its history. We will then explore significant monuments and artifacts of the Greek and Roman world and examine what they tell us about ancient people. The second aim of this class is to highlight the dilemmas that confront people worldwide as they try to protect their cultural heritage. Students will examine monuments and artifacts in their original context and observe the effects of looting and illegal trade on cultural property. Further, we will debate the benefits and drawbacks of tourism in the preservation of notable artifacts and monuments. The class will culminate in a project in which students choose a monument or artifact and design an exhibit that both displays and protects it.

Note: This course can also act as a prerequisite for or complement the Belize trip, on which students visit an active archaeological dig. During this trip, they will also discuss the complexities of tourism and preservation.

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

Comparative Religion is offered as two separate but interrelated courses. Semester one will focus on the world’s major religious traditions and will introduce students to critical issues in the study of religion. Semester two will focus on religion in America. It will be comprised of both historical survey and ethnographic study (in-person observation) of various religious communities in the local area.

Comparative Religion 1 – The study of religion & global religious traditions
One semester - Grades 10-12

This semester will focus on a detailed overview of the major world religions and the methods and theories that are used to study them. It also introduces students to some of the fundamental issues that are involved in the scholarly study of religion, such as the challenge of defining something as “religious” as opposed to something “secular” or even “spiritual.” The final project will involve both individual and group work, and will involve a critical comparison of either one religious tradition/phenomenon from two different scholarly perspectives OR two religious traditions/phenomena from one scholarly perspective.

Comparative Religion 2 – Religion in America
One semester - Grades 10-12

This semester will take a multi-disciplinary approach to study religion in the United States of America. From an historical perspective, we will cover the development of religion in the US from the founding of the nation to the present day. In terms of social theory, we will explore the ways in which it pops up in pop culture and other unexpected places (films, music, etc.). We will also do some serious ethnographic work to study how religion is lived and practiced in the everyday lives of American citizens. The final project of this course will be to visit and become familiar with a local community of faith. The purpose and final aim of this project is to respectfully and critically learn about a local Santa Barbara religious community.

SHAPING IDENTITY
One semester - Grades 10-12

“The world is my country and all mankind are my brethren.” So wrote Thomas Paine, the celebrated 18th c. English radical and supporter of both the American and French Revolutions, in proudly identifying himself as a “Citizen of the World.” How do we each identify ourselves? What are the things that define us as a group, possibly a nation with a shared set of values and customs? In this course students will have the opportunity to select their own topics for specific study, based on an introduction that provides a variety of examples which illustrate the types of things, including history, culture, religion, and an identification of a clear enemy/the other, that together provide a common bond that unites a large group of people. Prior to students selecting their own topics for detailed study and presentation, they will become familiar with a wide variety of historical and contemporary examples. Such examples for study will include Jewish identity and its roots in the oldest monotheistic religion, the Basque identity of northern Spain, whose distinct identity is rooted in a unique culture and language predating and surviving the arrival of all other cultures into modern Europe, and key icons that define cultural identity such as the performance of the Maori haka prior to any match involving the New Zealand rugby team. This critical survey will also include our own nation, a relatively new one, and one that is still evolving. Do we all mean the same thing when we say we are proud to be American?
Note: Ideally, at the start of this class all students will be screened for their DNA to establish the precise nature of their ethnic heritage.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION
One Semester – Grades 9-12

This class is designed to push and stretch every student. It will stretch their mind, their sense of others, and their understanding of themselves as they develop creative problem-solving skills, and then put them to work in a real-world situation. Students will be pushed to look at the world differently and to regularly step out of their comfort zone. They will learn to communicate in a professional manner and will work on a team with local entrepreneurs solving real problems being faced today in the business and non-profit world. After three rounds of working with local entrepreneurs, students will develop their own product and ultimately pitch this product to a group of venture capitalists. Entrepreneurship and Innovation is not designed to mimic the real world - it is a true taste of the real world.
________________________________________

ADDITIONAL ELECTIVE COURSES
(offered periodically)

CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY
One Semester - Grades 10 - 12

Combining legal studies, literature, history, and film, this seminar will explore the notion of what defines a crime against humanity through a variety of approaches. Units of study include the following: the concept of universal morality, the destruction of systems which support human life, media and propaganda, racism and the concept of the other, and emerging systems of justice. Prerequisite: Civilization.

ELECTIONS & THE POLITICAL PROCESS
One Semester - Grades 9 - 12

Combining current events, political science, and campaign strategies, this course will explore the American political process by following the 2006 mid-term elections and the current events that shape the campaigns. In addition, the class will study how candidates are marketed by viewing Presidential campaign ads from 1952 to 2004. The course will culminate in a mock election in which students will have to devise campaign strategies for their candidates.

Prerequisite: Freshman admitted only with permission of instructor

MODERN MIDDLE EAST
One Semester - Grades 10 - 12

This course will provide a brief introduction to the history of the Middle East highlighting such things as the creation of Islam, the Crusades, and the rise of the Ottoman Empire. It will explore the ways in which the societies of the Middle East began to lag behind the nations of Western Europe, in terms of technological and military advances, beginning in the 17th century. Greater detail will then be devoted to the impact of World War and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Issues studied in detail will include: the effects of 19th century European colonialism; the tensions within Middle Eastern societies regarding secularism and modernity; the Mandate system involving British and French neo-imperial interests; the emergence of Zionism and stages leading to the creation of Israel; the creation of modern states such as Jordan Syria and Iraq out of the Mandate system; the creation of Saudi Arabia and its historical connection with Wahhabism; the impact of the discovery of oil on Middle Eastern states; the emergence of militant, jihadist movements and their legitimacy within the broader spectrum of Islam; the tensions between Israel and the Palestinians living within their national boundaries; the roots and the continuing issues related to the Sunni/Shia divide in Islam; the origins of the Iranian Revolution and its current legacy; other unresolved issues in the region including such things as Kurdish national identity and the conflicts in the Muslim territories of Russia, Chechnya, Ingushetia, and Dagestan.

ROOTS OF MODERN CONFLICT
One Semester - Grades 9 - 12

The Roots of conflict seminar involves critical inquiry into the history, key figures, actions and reactions generated areas of the world where there has been conflict, war, or crimes against humanity. The course will focus on two areas: Southeast Asia (focusing on the Vietnam War and its subsequent effect in Cambodia a). After a brief look at the historical conflicts that existed in Vietnam because of the invasion and rule by the Chinese, the course will move to the 19th century French colonial domination and concluding with the current situation in Lao. This course moves chronologically as it explores the causes, justifications, strategies and social implications of the protracted Vietnam war and its effect on the neighboring countries. Students will consider the war, not merely through the standard “military” perspective of battles and weaponry, but through the lenses of the Vietnamese people, the soldiers themselves, American policy-makers (the administrations of Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford), geo-political alliances and the divergent perspectives of the American populace. Given that this was the first war “fought in the living rooms of America,” students will analyze the nexus between of modern mass media, democracy and foreign policy in the United States. Then the class will move into the effects of the war on the stability of Cambodia, the regimes of Prince Sihanouk, Lon Nol and Pol Pot and the Killing Fields. In addition, the course will also look at the linger effects of the war. During the second quarter, the course will focus on Africa, specifically Rwanda and Sudan. Starting with the Berlin Conference of 1884-85 when European nations divided Africa, students will examine the effects of colonization on both areas. Then each country will be taken as a case study. How and why did the violence between the Hutu and Tutu occur? Students will also analyze the current situation in Rwanda and try to determine whether there are any indications that conflict could occur again. Next the focus will be on the conflicts in Darfur and South Sudan. Why did the killing begin in Darfur and what is the current unstable situation and its prospects for the future? The same analysis will be done on South Sudan. Each will look at the who what and why of the conflict and the prospects for future peace.

STUDIES IN LEADERSHIP
Semester/Full Year - Grades 10–12

This course seeks to explore the concept of leadership, how it has influenced the world, and how it impacts us today. Over the course of the semester we will examine its different styles, its structure, and what it can look like. We will also examine the importance of leadership and look at specific leaders from around the world. We will also introduce the concept of well-known leaders and their expectations as well as understanding personal leaders in our lives and communities. We will then explore whether leadership can be taught before concluding with a consideration of leadership (and leaders) today.

What is leadership? What does positive leadership look like? What are the different types or styles of leadership? Where does it come from? Can leadership be instructed and cultivated or is it an innate talent? Students will address all of these questions and more over the course of the semester. Students will examine the entire conception of leadership (past and present) with specific emphasis on developing leadership opportunities here at Laguna. Students will be graded on class participation, journal responses, group projects, in class writing responses, reading quizzes, evidence of leadership on and off campus, and one major paper on leaders, books, or themes of their choice.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT
COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
One Semester or Full year for students who wish to take the AP exam - Grades 11-12

This is a college-level political science course that examines the American political system from its historical underpinnings to modern day politics. Students will examine the United States Constitution and the functions and interactions of all three branches of government, as well as the purpose and workings of political parties, elections, and public opinion. Enrolled students are required to take the AP U.S. Government & Politics exam in May.
Back