History

Urban students must take two years of history for graduation. Ninth graders take World History A and B. The US history requirement is fulfilled in the 10th or 11th grade by taking both UAS Making America and UAS Remaking America. All other history classes are electives, which deepen and enrich the student's understanding of particular societies and topics. The University of California system requires two semesters of non-US history in addition to the US history requirement. Many selective colleges expect that students take the equivalent of three years of history; many out-of-state public universities require three years.

Urban Advanced Studies (UAS) history classes tackle complex topics that require a significant level of independent intellectual investigation on the part of the students. The readings may be more challenging in complexity, whether lengthy primary sources or college-level secondary works. Students are expected to read for an argument, as well for the factual information, and make considerable progress in unpacking analysis on their own. Writing assignments prioritize developing original analysis thoroughly supported by evidence, and students are expected to have experience and skill in presenting such arguments. Students should be able to apply themes and ideas to new material, making connections independently in reading, writing and discussion. Expectations around research, when a major component of a course, emphasize independent and original work.

Required Courses

World History (A) begins by examining the structure and systems of power within the Ottoman empire as it expanded across vast swathes of territory. Students will evaluate the Ottoman Empire’s tolerance and inclusion of women and religious minorities in the first half of its rule. Then, students will examine the changes made under increasing pressure in the 19th century, as Ottoman rulers and residents adapted their society, with varying amounts of success. Students will debate the most influential people and moments of this Era of Transformation. We will study the outbreak of WWI, the genocide of Armenian peoples, and subsequent state led denial. Students will chart the impact of post war treaties which culminated in the empire's dissolution when borders were drawn hastily, and nationalist and independence struggles ensued. We will end with the creation of modern Turkey, and focus our efforts on understanding how nations are built, and how culture and society are shaped - both from above and below. (9th graders only) (1/2 credit)

World History (B) shifts its focus to the Asian-Pacific region and the modern Japanese empire. We begin with foundational belief systems from the pre-modern era and then examine Japan’s unification under its last feudal military government, which led to two and a half centuries of peace. The flourishing of arts and culture in the Edo period, as well as government bureaucracy, guide our study in this period. We then examine Japan's conflicted relation with the West that leads to the modern era – the Meiji restoration, an embrace of certain Western ideals and the rise of Japan as a world power throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries. (9th graders only) (1/2 credit)

UAS Making America begins by examining divers indigenous communities and ways of life on the Atlantic coast. Students will then evaluate the encounters between Native Americans and Europeans, examining the process of and resistance to settler colonialism. The course then moves to the economic development of society, particularly through the development of and resistance to reliance on enslaved labor. An investigation of the origins, and politics of the American Revolution and the founding documents provide the basis for examining the historiography of this nation’s origins.. Required to fulfill US history requirement. (1/2 credit) (10th and 11th graders)

UAS Remaking America challenges students to understand and interpret the evolution of the nation – politically, economically, socially – in the 20th century. This course begins by covering the changing relationship between the federal government and the American public during the Great Depression and the New Deal.  Students then examine WWII and the Cold War as creating the conditions for the Civil Rights movement and attendant social movements in America’s cities, campuses and households, setting the stage for the conservative counter-revolution that crystallized around Ronald Reagan and the rise of the New Right. Students complete an independent research paper in this course. Required to fulfill US history requirement (1/2 credit) (10th and 11th Graders).

Elective Courses

Birth of Modern China closely examines three distinct periods of Chinese history: End of Imperial China (1842-1911), Republican China (1911-1949) and Chairman Mao's China (1949-1976). In 100 years, China transformed from an isolated and independent empire to an internationally embroiled player on the world stage. Students in this course gain a clear understanding of how 2,000 years of dynastic rule collapsed and the significance of western politics and political philosophy in China during the first half of the 20th century. Students also investigate various attempts to recreate and revise a Chinese identity suitable for and powerful enough to engage the modern world. This course takes special care to utilize primary resource materials such as political speeches, propaganda art, literature and film. (1/2 credit) (10th graders only)

Civics and Society is an introduction to democracy and the political, economic and social systems that support it. With a focus on systems and power, students will develop an understanding of government structures and consider how effective change makers assess, plan and carry out actions to make a lasting impact. Key topics include: the purposes and functions of government, the evolution of democracy in the USA and movements for civil rights. Students will create a culminating research project on a topic of their choosing. This course pays particular attention to reading, writing and research skills, providing multiple opportunities for students to practice summarizing, synthesizing and building on the information and ideas they collect. (1/2 credit) (10th graders only)

Globalization asks students to ponder three central questions to shape our efforts: What is globalization? How has it affected people's lives and shaped the way people live? How have people influenced the process of globalization? In attempting to answer these questions, we will define globalization and its broad features, and then examine pre-industrial, industrial and post industrial globalization in its economic, social, cultural, and now geologic manifestations. The course then ask students to apply the thematic lens of migrations – of people, ideas, commodities, and power which culminates in an independent research project. (1/2 credit) (10th graders only)

South African History introduces students to different approaches and methodologies of the study of history through the lens of South Africa.a continent rich in culture, religion, music and art through a focused study of South Africa. The course begins with a close study of historiography of Mapungubwe, exploring the challenges of studying a time and place without written records. The course moves on to investigate the colonial period and the emergence of new racial, ethnic, and linguistic identities through migration, land and labor. Students will then examine the era of apartheid through a historiographic lens to determine how different stories of oppression and resistance reveal divergent messages for their audience. The class will end with an opportunity for students to conduct their own research about the challenges South Africa is facing today and the corresponding solutions South Africans are developing. The focus will be on studying South Africa on its own terms rather than merely placing it into Eurocentric context of colonialism. (1/2 credit)  (10th Graders only)

Comparative Religion: Our Search for Meaning considers the question: what is the meaning of life? We explore some of the answers offered by Native American religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Specifically, we focus on the following topics: creation, the nature of God and man, self-discovery, community, scriptures and rituals. We visit places of worship and invite spokespersons of various faiths to come speak to us. In addition, each student conducts a research project on a particular Bay Area religious community. (1/2 credit) (11th and 12th graders only)

Economics  This course combines an exploration of basic elements of economic theory with an engagement with broader questions related to economic policy. The course starts by examining key microeconomic concepts such as supply and demand, elasticity, opportunity costs and externalities. We then expand on the concept of externalities to look at the environmental impact of economic activity and examine the ways in which policy can address that impact. We then explore the basics of financial instruments, as well as the nature of financial markets, examining what can happen when the excesses of financial markets go unchecked. Finally, we examine basic macroeconomic concepts such as GDP, unemployment and inflation, before students get a chance to explore a specific macroeconomic policy through independent research. (1/2 credit) (11th and 12th Graders only)

US Foreign Policy in the 20th Century and Beyond will examine the evolution of the nation's role in the world. From young upstart to global police force, the United States underwent a massive transformation in the scope and scale of its participation in international politics in the 20th century. What forces drove the increasingly interventionist policy? What has been the logic and ideology that has driven foreign policy decisions? The course begins with the Spanish-American War in 1898, when the United States commanded more attention as a major participant in international relations. From there, students will examine the shift away from isolation as the nation rose to prominence throughout the 20th century. We will then examine both the rationale behind and the effects of the decades-long conflict with the Soviet Union known as the Cold War. From there we will look at the challenges the country has faced since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Students will also explore current and future challenges facing the nation. Prerequisite: US History Sequence (1/2 credit)  (11th and 12th Graders only)

UAS Asian American History introduces students to the diverse narratives of Asian diasporic communities in America. The course opens with the first waves of immigration in the mid-19th century to subsequent exclusion laws; the watershed moment of World War II and Japanese American internment; the Civil Rights Movement and the impact of U.S. Imperialism and the Cold War; and end with current issues facing various Asian American communities today. Students will explore themes related to individual and community action, cultural interaction and transformation, as well as othering and belonging in America. We take advantage of San Francisco’s local history with off-site field trips and independent projects to better see the multicultural roots of our city and society. (1/2 credit) (11th and 12th graders only)

UAS Constitutional Law is our study of Civil Liberties and The Bill Of Rights and focuses on a number of issues: freedom of speech; the rights of minors and students; the rights of the accused; and equal protection under the law. Students primarily rely on The Constitution and U.S. Supreme Court judicial opinions as the core texts for the course. When possible students also visit courts and meet with lawyers. The goal of the course is for students to develop basic constitutional literacy and the ability to identify and apply legal precedent and reasoning to novel contexts.(1/2 credit) (11th and 12th Graders only)

UAS Environmental History examines the settlement of North America and the expansion of the United States through the lens of the interactions between people and the land. Moving forward in chronology and as we sweep east to west across North America, students will examine the relations between Native Americans and settlers, the motivations behind westward expansion and the rise of industrialization. We will also examine environmental racism and the environmental justice movement. Students are encouraged to consider questions of land and resource use and the role of the market economy as they arise from an ethical perspective, as well as an historical one. Readings include Encounters with the Archdruid by John McPhee, Changes in the Land by William Cronon, and writings by Wendell Berry and Carolyn Merchant. (1/2 credit) (11th and 12th graders only)

UAS History of South Asia: Modern South Asia explores a region celebrated for its cultural diversity and roughly 3500-year textual history. The course focuses on the modern period (mid-18th to mid-20th centuries), which was crucial to the formation of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh as modern nation-states. Throughout the course we grapple with the challenges posed by the study of other cultures and identities (gender, caste, and religion) in culturally sensitive ways. For example, were the British justified in outlawing the ritual self-immolation of widows? Or, does Muslim-majority Kashmir have a right to independence from Hindu-majority India? We also confront the complex historiography of South Asian Islam: how and why historians have diverged so dramatically in their accounts of it. And for much of the course we track the ways in which different nationalist factions under leaders like M. K. Gandhi—divided by caste and religion—agitated for and finally won independence. Our work culminates in a reflection on the tragic Partition of 1947 and an intensive exploration of a topic of contemporary significance, such as the fate of Kashmir or the rise of Hindu nationalism. (1/2 credit) (11th and 12th Graders only)

UAS Women's United States History examines the history of the United States with women’s lives at the center of the story. Rather than present a single, cohesive narrative of women in the United States, the course situates gender identity as inseparable from histories of class, age, race, sexuality and place. Students will grapple with the writing of history and how we understand women as active agents rather than passive witnesses of history. The course traces a number of themes that emerge from rapid urbanization at the turn of the 20th century: the rise of new industries and communities; changing definitions of gender; expressions of sexuality and desire; societal opportunities and obstructions; relations of power between women; and spaces for mutual recognition and liberation. Students will choose their own readings and design their own course for our final project. (1/2 credit) (11th and 12th Graders only)

UAS Modern Middle East takes up the stories of three places -Israel/Palestine, Iran and Egypt - as students investigate a number of themes and issues: tyranny and aspirations for democracy, religion and secularism, civil rights and the status of women, western intervention, and nationalism and the nation state. Students gain fluency in the conflict over Israel/Palestine, the 1979 revolution in Iran and subsequent seizing of the American embassy, and the events leading to the Arab Spring in Egypt. Throughout the course, students will be challenged to recognize and wrestle with the preconceptions they bring to the study of this region. Our studies of all three countries begin in the late 1800s but will also include significant reading of contemporary news. (1/2 credit) (11th and 12th graders only)

UAS Race in Latin American History examines the significance of race in the region from the colonial era through the 20th century. We’ll begin with a theoretical exploration of the concept of race before moving on to efforts by the Spanish and Portuguese crowns to establish a specific racial regime to accompany colonialism and the response of the popular classes to those efforts. We’ll move on to the wars for independence and the 19th century, when Latin Americans generated new ideologies in association with attempts to forge new national identities. We then move on to the 1920s and 1930s,  when a sea change in thinking about race resulted in the emergence of the ideologies that are prevalent in the region today. Students will then pursue independent research projects examining the current significance of race in the region. Major themes to be explored include: the importance of race in the Spanish colonial project, the impact of the wars of independence on race relations, the influence of international currents of thought, and the relationship between ideology and actual conditions. (1/2 credit)  (11th and 12th Graders only)


Courses Offered in Alternate Years

The French Revolution explores the birth of the modern era as the people of France catapulted their country from absolute monarchy to a revolutionary republic, taking hundreds of thousands of lives along the way. This tumultuous upheaval that reshaped Europe in the late 18th century started with the Enlightenment and ended with an uncertain future. The transformation of ideals into action during the French Revolution took many forms: an assertion of human rights that challenged ancient tradition; the mobilization of heretofore voiceless masses; the violent toppling of king and nobility; and many heads being chopped off, all in the name of liberty. (1/2 credit) (10th graders only)

Queer Theater History examines the global history of queer theater. Students will study plays, performances, theory, and scholarship in an exploration of how LGBTQ+ artists have used theater to challenge societal norms and push for political change. The course covers a range of performance styles, from drag shows to experimental theater, and how queer artists have shaped the history of theater over time. Students will also look at the intersections of queer theater with other social movements, such as feminism and anti-racism,  and the ongoing struggles for representation and inclusion in the theater world. This course intends to identify key aspects of queer theater and performance, and deepen students' understanding of physical, social, and emotional subtext in history. Prerequisites: US History Sequence (Making/ReMaking America), or any Theater class, or instructor approval. (11th and 12th graders only) (1/2 credit) Cross-listed in Multidisciplinary Courses.

Screening History uses popular Hollywood films as vehicles to analyze US society through the 20th century. Students will study clips of films, research relevant historical context, and analyze how films reflect economic realities, social movements or geopolitical maneuverings of a particular time period. We begin with the rise of the medium. We then initiate our historical examination in the 1920s and conclude in the 1970s by examining how filmmakers engaged with the American role in Vietnam. The course includes an independent research project. (1/2 credit) (10th graders only)

UAS America Transformed: 1865-1929 is a thematically (rather than chronologically) organized course, which examines social, cultural and economic changes from the perspective of the "common" man and woman rather than that of the national political leadership. Through the lenses of race, class and gender, students explore the following topics: construction of racial identity and race hierarchies; the rise of big business and the ensuing battles between capital and labor for control of the industrial economy; urbanization; immigration and its impact on American culture; marriage and family; and the development of a consumer-driven, leisure-oriented culture. The ultimate aim of the class is for students to construct rich connections between each of the above topics. (1/2 credit) (11th and 12th graders only)