The Stuyvesant High School Online Course Guide

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Who should take this course?

History is more than a study of facts and things that happened. It is a study of the people who made them happen and how others were affected. It is important to understand how our everyday activities and interests fit into the broad spectrum of the history we are creating. This course will help students better analyze historical periods and their relationship to the individual, as well as the major events and leaders that shaped them.

This course will be of interest to students who enjoy analyzing history not only at the level which is studied in the core Social Studies classes, but on the level of the individual and the small community. The course will appeal to students who enjoy analyzing social history patterns and influences, and their relation to popular culture on the large and small scale. Everything from major entertainment events to individual recreational trends and hobbies will be explored. They will all be placed in context with the political, social, cultural, and economic history of that time period. Students who are looking to really explore the social history of our nation and how it influenced and was influenced by the other areas of the study of history will benefit most from this course.

What will we be studying?

The course focuses primarily on American History from 1945 to the present. Social, political, cultural, and economic history will be examined by its relationship to popular culture. We will examine film, art, literature, stage productions, television, sports, and other forms of popular culture and entertainment and how they either describe or represent the times.

What will be expected of me?

Students will be expected to keep current and accurate class notes and complete all homework assignments on time. Nightly and weekly homework assignments will include the reading of novels, plays, textbook materials, online materials, etc.

In addition to traditional examinations and essays, there will be a wide range of projects for students to complete. These may include, but are not limited to artifact (book, film, theater, etc.) reviews, visual projects, PowerPoint presentations, magazine publication, and oral presentations. Students will also be expected to complete a set amount of field research. This may include visits to museums, musical performances, films, theater, etc. These visits will all require follow up evaluations.

How is the course taught?

The content of this course will parallel the curriculum of United States History II from 1945 to the present day, though it will focus on the popular culture aspects of the time period. There will be a considerable amount of historical content included in lectures to provide a strong knowledge base of the era or genre we are studying. We will also engage in analytical discussions to determine the cause and effect relationships of history and the various cultural phenomenons that occurred.

We will examine popular culture artifacts and primary source documents, such as films, books, television shows, newscasts, advertisements, magazines, newspaper articles, etc.

Students should be ready to refer to their prior knowledge and notes from Global Studies and United States History, as many issues taught in US History, as well as Global 3 and 4 will arise in the study of the last century and its relation to the nationŐs cultural evolution.

What are the completion requirements?

There will be various projects throughout the term. These projects include but are not limited to essays, PowerPoint presentations, oral presentations, and artifact reviews. Major projects include but are not limited to a term project and a collaborative publication project. The publication project will consist of students reviewing some current form of popular culture, such as a movie, concert, art exhibit, book, etc. of any genre. Students will work on their own, however they will collaborate with approximately 5 other students to produce a monthly digest for the class, and possibly for the school, provided the resources are available. The digest will not only review the items for their entertainment and personal interest value, they will address what each piece "says" about the current society. Examples range from a photo or art exhibit, to a modern rock concert, to a Broadway or Off Broadway show. What does each of these items tell us about the current society? What do they tell us about its needs and its attitudes? There will also be a term project that will be 20% of the final grade.

Details and pre/co-requisites:

Some field research assignments may cost the student money. The City also has plenty of free places to explore these resources. A list will be compiled and kept current on my website of field resources. History and Popular Culture is open to Seniors and is offered in the Spring semester.

Additional information can be found at www.w-train.com