The Stuyvesant High School Online Course Guide

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Who should take this course?

10th, 11th and 12th grade students with an interest in Latin America , who enjoy a 'humanities approach' to social studies, should take this course.

What will we be studying?

This elective will examine Latin American history and culture broken down by theme and time period and will include the indigenous civilizations of pre-Colombian America, the colonial settlements and empires, revolutions leading to independence, the "caudillos" who governed (and often exploited) the region through much of the 19th century, and the political, economic, social, and cultural life up to and including the contemporary period.

What will be expected of me?

Students will have assigned readings covering historical backgrounds, as well as study questions for the literature and films. We will endeavor to understand Latin America through the eyes of the Latin Americans. Therefore, students must be willing to examine other perspectives. While all of the readings will be in English and the Spanish/Portuguese language films will bear subtitles, students who can read the literary texts in the original are encouraged to do so.

How is the course taught?

This course will be taught from a humanities approach. There will be few lectures and the dominant mode will be open discussions and interchange of views. Some films that may be used for this course are The Mission, El Norte, The Official Story, At Play in the Fields of the Lord, Bye Bye Brazil, Los Olvidados, Black Orpheus, Romero, and Los de abajo.

What are the completion requirements?

There will be occasional tests and, as in all social studies courses, a term project. But the most important measure of a student's achievement will be an open, attentive, and critical mind.

Details and pre/co-requisites:

The course is open to students who have an interest in Latin American culture and the humanities.