Curriculum Detail

Discover Our Curriculum

History

The history program helps our students better understand the relationship of the past to the world in which they live by introducing them to a variety of historical narratives. In our history classes, students consider how the larger social, political, and economic significance of historical events affected the lives of the people about whom they are learning. Our students deepen their skills of analysis, inquiry, and verbal and written expression by reading primary sources and scholarly works, by writing analytical and response papers, and by participating in frequent seminar-style discussions. By connecting the past to the present, our students grasp the commonality of experience between themselves and the history they are studying. The students are therefore better able to strengthen their capacity for understanding the views of others and for fostering greater compassion for each other and those they may encounter.

Graduation requirement: three years of history (three credits): Global History I, Global History II, American History

  • GLOBAL HISTORY I

    Global History I is a full-year discussion-based course that investigates the history of the globe from the seventeenth century until the beginning of the twentieth century. The course will consider political, economic, and cultural exchanges in regions in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Islamic Empires. The course will focus on the profound economic, social, cultural, and political changes in these regions individually and through their interactions with each other. The trans-regional approach of Global History I provides students with a glimpse into the development of the world in which we currently live. The trade routes, intellectual exchange, colonialism/ imperialism, independence movements, nationalism, and various revolutions that grew over the course of the seventeenth century through the nineteenth century have shaped many of the social, political, and economic conditions of the modern day. This course will enable students to connect the historical past to the present. 
    Global History I also serves as an introduction to the study of history in the Upper School. Over the course of the year, students will begin to hone their skills of comprehension and analysis. They will be encouraged to explain, interpret, and defend assertions in their writing and in-class discussions. They will begin to learn how to read secondary sources efficiently and to take useful and detailed class and homework notes. They will become accustomed to reading and analyzing primary sources, which provide a sense of immediacy to the period being studied and are an essential component of historical study.

    5 periods per cycle 

    Grade 9

  • GLOBAL HISTORY II

    Global II  is a full-year survey that considers political, economic, and cultural exchanges in regions across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East throughout the twentieth century. It will begin with the events of and global reactions to WWI, and end with the events of 9/11 from a global perspective. Over the course of the year, we will investigate the meaning and impact of these interactions on the regions under study. Throughout the year, we will consider the following questions:

    • What were the social, economic, and political concerns that people addressed throughout the twentieth century?
    • How did political, military, and economic conflicts affect both local and international events? 
    • How did the role of the nation change throughout the twentieth century?
    • What effect did changing borders have on political regimes and the world order?
    • How did power change throughout the twentieth century? What is the legacy of that power in the modern day?
    • How did marginalized and oppressed groups demand greater political, social, and economic power? 
    • In what ways did culture reflect political, economic, and social concerns and questions?

     

    Over the course of the year, you will continue to develop your ability to think and read critically, and to write and speak persuasively and accurately. You will also develop an appreciation for the diversity of voices to which you will be introduced, which will enable you to gain a deeper understanding of the human experiences that shaped the historical narrative.


    5 periods per cycle

    Grade 10

  • UNITED STATES HISTORY

    This is a discussion-based course that investigates significant events and themes in America from the pre-Columbian era through the mid-twentieth century. The course emphasizes how people from diverse racial, ethnic, religious, and class backgrounds experienced and responded to social, political, economic, and cultural change. This course also introduces students to the methods of historical study. By reading primary sources and scholarly works, by discussing and debating, and by writing a variety of papers, students strengthen their analytical and interpretive skills. Students also complete a semester-long research paper in which they conduct primary and historiographical research on a topic of their choosing.

    5 periods per cycle

    Grade 11

  • AMERICAN HISTORY

    This is a discussion-based course that investigates significant events and themes in America from the pre-Columbian era through the mid-twentieth century. The course emphasizes how people from diverse racial, ethnic, religious, and class backgrounds experienced and responded to social, political, economic, and cultural change. This course also introduces students to the methods of historical study. By reading primary sources and scholarly works, by discussing and debating, and by writing a variety of papers, students strengthen their analytical and interpretive skills. Students also complete a semester-long research paper in which they conduct primary and historiographical research on a topic of their choosing.

    5 periods per cycle

    Grade 11

  • REBELS, OUTCASTS, AND ROGUES: DISORDERLY PEOPLE OF THE PAST/Fa

    This is a class about history’s troublemakers and what they can teach us about the foundations of American social order as well as the mechanisms of historical change. We will delve into the lost worlds of witches, prostitutes, criminals, runaway servants and escaped enslaved people, crossdressers, gender nonconformists, confidence men, and all manner of disruptors. What made someone an outsider? Is it true that one generation’s disruptor is the next generation’s visionary? What can outsiders reveal about both the spoken and implicit rules of social and community life at specific moments in history? By examining the lives and legacies of these rebels and outcasts, we will explore how their actions challenged norms, redefined boundaries, and paved the way for new ways of thinking. Through their stories, this course invites us to question who gets to write the rules and how those rules are reshaped over time. 

  • ADV. ART HISTORY: PREHISTORY-1300/Fa

    THIS COURSE IS NOT BEING OFFERED IN THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR.

    This course introduces students to the major themes, issues, and approaches to art history. Although the primary focus will be on western art, non-western cultures will be explored as well. The full range of artistic expression will be considered, including painting, architecture, sculpture, prints, photography, and the decorative arts. Major goals of the course include recognizing and analyzing major styles and artistic movements from a variety of periods throughout history, thinking critically about artistic meaning, and understanding art's role within a broader historical context. Issues for discussion include the changing definition of beauty over time and in different cultures, the role of the modern museum, and the nature of modernity, especially in relation to architecture and urban development. Museum and gallery visits—looking at original works of art—are an essential component of the class.

    The fine arts requirement for graduation is 1.5 credits or three semesters in either the visual or performing arts. Only 1/3 of the requirement may be fulfilled by art history.

    This course may be taken for a full year (1 credit) or for the fall or spring semester (1/2 credit).

    This course may not be taken as a 7th course.

    Prerequisite: Global History II

    4 periods per cycle

    Grades 11 and 12

  • THE MASS INCARCERATION CRISIS IN AMERICA/Fa

    The United States has one of the largest prison populations in the world, with over two million people currently incarcerated. African Americans and Latinos comprise a disproportionate number of these prisoners, and youth incarceration is at the highest rate in the world. This course will be an in-depth study of how policing and the carceral state emerged from slavery and have grown to become, what Angela Davis has called, the "prison industrial complex."  The class will be both a history of mass incarceration and policing, and an in-depth overview of the current issues in the world of criminal justice reform.



    Grade 12

  • THE MODERN MIDDLE EAST/Fa

    The Modern Middle East is a one semester, discussion based course that investigates the history of the Middle East from the late eighteenth century to contemporary times. The course will look at the central Middle East, mainly focused on the geographical areas that comprise modern Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Palestine, though we may also look at other nearby areas.  The course will focus on the economic, social, cultural, religious and political developments of the various parts of the region individually and through their interactions with each other, colonial powers, and cold war superpowers.

    Grade 12

  • GLOBALIZATION & ITS DISCONTENTS/Fa

    “Globalization” can be understood as an ongoing process, as a force for change, growth, and conflict, and as a condition shaping nearly all aspects of our lives. In this discussion-based seminar, students examine various definitions and theories of globalization, and then briefly explore its history. The primary focus, however, is on contemporary globalization. To understand this, students study the global marketplace and the interconnectedness of world economies, which recent economic crises brought to the fore. Students also explore globalization in other ways: by studying the causes and impact of environmental crises; examining modern technology’s influence and its ability to collapse distance; analyzing cultural exchanges, which students can track from West to East or East to West (e.g. tracing the influence of Hip Hop from the south Bronx to the farthest reaches of the globe, or studying how West African music found its way, in part through the slave trade, into the music of the Caribbean). Other possible topics of study include the popularization and commodification of international sports, artists whose works challenge the effects of globalization today, and more.

    This course will be offered in the fall semester.

    Prerequisites: American History

    4 periods per cycle 

    Grade 12

  • UNDERSTANDING GOTHAM/Fa

    This course examines the interaction between people, place, and architecture using New York City as a "case study" for experiencing and understanding the impact of the built environment in an urban context. The goals of the course are to help students evaluate and respond to the qualities that define a city and to those that are unique to the character of New York. Among the major themes that will be covered are historical transformation, livability, economic viability, and aesthetic quality. Our starting point will be experiencing the city's man-made environment; thus on-site visits to New York's buildings, parks, and infrastructure form an integral component of the class.



    Grades 11 and 12

  • FOOD & POWER: A CULTURAL HISTORY/Sp

    Whether one eats for pleasure or for sustenance, food structures the human day. Even the metaphors we use to debate national identity -- should the United States be a melting pot or a tossed salad? -- have culinary origins. In this class we will explore American foodways with a focus on food as an act of resistance and a tool of assimilation, as well as a means of preserving culture and an aspirational endeavor. Topics will include enslavement and the origins of African American food traditions; 19th and early 20th century settlement house “Americanization” campaigns; wartime food propaganda (from Meatless Mondays to Victory Gardens); the role of food in creating and preserving ethnic identities; cookbooks and gender norms in the postwar period; 20th century food collectives and protest movements; how New York City’s multiethnic food scene has long mirrored global conflicts and displacement, and more.  

  • DEFENDING DEMOCRACY/Sp

    This course examines the rise of populist and illiberal governments in the modern era, with a focus on Hungary, Poland, India, Venezuela, and the growing popularity of anti-democratic movements in the United States. Students will examine the factors that allow leaders in democratic nations to rise to power, strengthen their control, and transform these democracies into illiberal regimes. The course will explore key themes such as populism, nationalism, and the erosion of democratic norms.

    Central to the course is the study of citizen-led efforts to defend democratic institutions, drawing on historical and contemporary case studies to understand how grassroots activism, journalism, legal frameworks, and international cooperation counter authoritarian tendencies.

    In addition to classroom learning, the course will partner with the Office of Public Service and incorporate a service-learning component, where we will engage with local and national organizations that strive to strengthen democratic principles and serve the basic needs of those in underserved communities. Through this hands-on experience, students will gain practical skills and insights into the demands and opportunities of protecting democracy in their own communities and beyond.  

  • VISUAL POLITICS: CULTURE & CONFLICT/Fa

    Culture and Conflict will examine the ways in which art is utilized to document as well as shape history. Individuals and societies have used and continue to use art as a medium to record and commemorate their existence. It is a tool to comment upon and resist practices and struggles, and it often provides a voice to marginalized groups. The course will take a thematic approach, tracing movements, conflict, and crisis through the visual arts. Discussion will include topics such as function versus aesthetic and artist’s intention versus public perception, and units will include themes such as victor versus vanquished; race, ethnicity and identity; gender; political crisis; and public epidemics.

    This course will be offered in the fall semester.

    4 periods per cycle 

    Grades 10 and 11

  • GLOBAL BODIES: GENDER & SEXUALITY IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT/Fa

    Global Bodies takes a transnational and intersectional approach to the study of gender and sexuality. We will examine issues faced by cisgender and transgender women and men, by heterosexual and queer folks, in relation to the body, the state, rights, family, labor, love, sex, reproduction, and more.  

    Grades 11 and 12

  • TO SECURE THESE RIGHTS: THE SUPREME COURT & CIVIL RIGHTS/Fa

    This course will examine landmark Supreme Court cases that focused on issues of race and equal protection. Most will be 14th amendment cases. to voters of all races.

    This course will be offered in the fall semester.

    4 periods per cycle

    Grades 11 and 12

  • THE ROBERTS COURT: KEY SUPREME COURT RULINGS SINCE 2005/Sp

    THIS COURSE IS NOT BEING OFFERED IN THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR.

    This course will be more of a current events look at the court and recent rulings.

    This course will be offered in the spring semester.

    4 periods per cycle

    Grades 11 and  12

  • HISTORY OF MODERN AFRICA/Sp

    A History of Africa will allow students to study the African continent on its own terms, and to develop an in-depth understanding of the unique peoples and cultures (emphasis on the plural) that make up the region.  In that way, we can look at Africa from the inside out, seeing global connections in the framework of African histories, and the rise of distinctly African political units.  We will also look at how societies changed and adapted to internal African connections and conditions, as well as to the presence of merchants, slave-traders, immigrants, Imperialists, and Cold War rivals.  

    This course will be offered in the spring semester.

    4 periods per cycle

    Grades 10, 11, and 12

  • GLOBAL 1968/Sp

    Global 1968 will explore, through a transnational perspective, the tumultuous events that took place during 1968. By investigating that year as a global phenomenon, students seek to understand why the crises of 1968 erupted almost simultaneously throughout the world. The course will begin with an examination of the various global trends, events, institutions, and structures that served as “preludes to 1968.” Among those "preludes" students will focus on: the Cold War, the conflict in Vietnam, "third worldism" as well as the baby boom, television, consumerism, and the youth embrace of new cultural forms and experiences. The course will end with an examination of the various legacies of 1968 ranging from the rise of radical feminism in the United States to radical terror groups such as the Red Brigades in Italy. The course will take an interdisciplinary and comparative approach that makes use of film, art, music, memoirs, oral history, social movement theory, and various national histories.

    This course will be offered in the spring semester.

    4 periods per cycle

    Grades 11 and 12

  • MODERN MEDIA: JOURNALISM IN OUR TIME/Sp

    What does “journalism” mean today and how has our understanding of news information evolved over time? Modern Media proposes to examine such questions by situating them within an historical framework and considering how they might guide students current engagement with the world. The prevalence and variety of media outlets have raised necessary questions about the very role of journalism and challenged basic assumptions about it. How can we distinguish fact from fiction, “real” news from “fake” news, reporting from opinion, truth from lies? These are questions which our students must confront if they are to fulfill our stated mission goal of “leading our students to distinguish right from wrong and then doing what is right so they can be persuasive and courageous citizens.” This course will compliment Upper School extra-curricular offerings, most notably the school newspaper. This course will familiarize students with the practice of journalism with skills such as editing, writing, photography, and layout. Some form of participation on the newspaper utilizing these skills should be an expectation of the Modern Media class. 

    This course will be offered in the spring semester.

    4 periods per cycle

    Grades 10, 11, and 12
     

  • ADV. ART HISTORY: 1300-2020/Sp

    THIS COURSE IS NOT BEING OFFERED IN THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR.

    This course introduces students to the major themes, issues, and approaches to art history. Although the primary focus will be on western art, non-western cultures will be explored as well. The full range of artistic expression will be considered, including painting, architecture, sculpture, prints, photography, and the decorative arts. Major goals of the course include recognizing and analyzing major styles and artistic movements from a variety of periods throughout history, thinking critically about artistic meaning, and understanding art's role within a broader historical context. Issues for discussion include the changing definition of beauty over time and in different cultures, the role of the modern museum, and the nature of modernity, especially in relation to architecture and urban development. Museum and gallery visits—looking at original works of art—are an essential component of the class.

    The fine arts requirement for graduation is 1.5 credits or three semesters in either the visual or performing arts. Only 1/3 of the requirement may be fulfilled by art history.

    This course may be taken for a full year (1 credit) or for the fall or spring semester (1/2 credit).

    This course may not be taken as a 7th course.

    Prerequisite: Global History II

    4 periods per cycle

    Grades 11 and 12

  • GENDER & SEXUALITY IN CONTEMPORARY POPULAR CULTURE/Sp

    Media, including film, music and advertising, is a powerful force in shaping, reflecting and reproducing ideas of gender and sexuality. Immersed in technology, we are bombarded with messages, both overt and subtle, about what constitutes ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine,’ ‘straight’ and ‘queer.’ In this interdisciplinary course, we will spend a good deal of time viewing and interrogating media towards the goal of deconstructing the messages they contain, and the impact such messages have on social dynamics, power, privilege and our own identities.

    The course will begin with an introduction to theories of gender and sexuality. After we develop a shared language and conceptual framework, we will begin to view and analyze various works. Students will write response papers on cultural products in relation to our discussions and the scholarship we have read. They will engage with each other’s writings and ideas, and they will also have the chance to either create a work of their own that in some way comments on gender and sexuality, or lead a class on a work of popular culture that they find particularly interesting in terms of its representations of gender and sexuality.

    Film selections may include the following (and/or others): Die Hard, Fight Club, Miss Representation, Paris is Burning, Sex, Love and Kung-Fu, Coffy, Foxy Brown, The Crying Game, Thelma and Louise, Crazy Rich Asians, The Little Mermaid, She Even Chewed Tobacco

    This course will be offered in the spring semester.

    4 periods per cycle

    Grades 11 and 12

  • CHINA TODAY/Sp

    This course will explore the sweeping historical events that have transformed China from a traditional agricultural empire into a modern industrial nation-state.  The course will begin at the close of the Qing Dynasty and examine the political and economic pressures of imperialism and the forces which drove China toward one of the most transformative revolutions of the modern world.  The latter portion of the course will explore the many issues confronting China today; globalization, democracy movements, environmental crises and economic inequality.

    This course will be offered in the spring semester.

    4 periods per cycle

    Grades 11 and 12

  • CUBA: RACE, REVOLUTION, RENEWAL/Sp

    This course will explore the economics, politics, culture, and complexities of Cuba. There is nothing quite like this island nation, frozen in time yet in the midst of dramatic change, with many differing opinions, supporters, and critics. Students will investigate multiple perspectives, and question their own assumptions alongside the opinions of others. While the course will take a chronological approach, beginning with a study of Spanish exploration and early colonization, broader themes will also be addressed. Ample time will be spent addressing issues of race, gender and equity, from the impact of the African slave trade and the importance of its ethnic, cultural and religious influence to the Revolution and its consequences over the past half century. Students will discuss Cuba’s relationship with the United States, from America’s involvement in the late nineteenth century to the ever evolving domestic and foreign policies. Throughout the semester, students will also explore the vibrant culture of Cuba, viewing its art, reading its literature, and hearing its music. 

    This course will be offered in the spring semester.

    4 periods per cycle

    Grades 11 and 12

  • VISUAL POLITICS: CULTURE & CONFLICT/Sp

    Culture and Conflict will examine the ways in which art is utilized to document as well as shape history. Individuals and societies have used and continue to use art as a medium to record and commemorate their existence. It is a tool to comment upon and resist practices and struggles, and it often provides a voice to marginalized groups. The course will take a thematic approach, tracing movements, conflict, and crisis through the visual arts. Discussion will include topics such as function versus aesthetic and artist’s intention versus public perception, and units will include themes such as victor versus vanquished; race, ethnicity and identity; gender; political crisis; and public epidemics.

    This course will be offered in the spring semester.

    4 periods per cycle 

    Grades 10 and 11
139 West 91st Street | New York, NY 10024-1326 | (212) 873-1650
Located on the Upper West Side of New York City, Trinity School is a college preparatory, coeducational independent school for grades K-12. Since 1709, Trinity has provided a world-class education to its students with rigorous academics and outstanding programs in athletics, the arts, peer leadership, and global travel.