The study of history is essential in a democratic society. "Without history a society shares no common memory of where it has been, what its core values are, or what decisions of the past account for present historical circumstances. Without history, we cannot undertake any sensible inquiry into the political, social or moral issues in society. And without historical knowledge and inquiry, we cannot achieve the informed, discriminating citizenship essential to effective participation in the democratic process of governance and the fulfillment for all our citizens of the nation's democratic ideals" (National Center for History in the Schools)

Gann Academy's history program is designed to promote within our students an integrated American Jewish identity. To that end, history courses in grades nine through eleven integrate the study of Western and Jewish civilizations. In ninth and tenth grade students study selected topics in Jewish and European history, from the Greco-Roman period through the Holocaust and the creation of the State of Israel. ln eleventh grade students trace the development of the United States and examine the nature of their identities as both Jews and Americans.

An equally important goal of the department is to cultivate within our students the skills of historical inquiry. Students learn how to read and think critically; analyze graphs, charts and maps; engage in historical research; and write expository essays and research papers. They also come to appreciate how history is written. In short, the Gann Academy history program encourages students to critically explore relationships among self, community, and society that will help them develop personal values and energize them to be responsible citizens and engage in tikkun olam.

The 9th grade history course is the first half of a two year sequence in Western Civilization. In this first year, students examine civilization in the Ancient Near East, classical Greece and Rome, the rise of Christianity and Islam, the Medieval world, and the Renaissance. The study of Jewish History is integrated throughout the course. The course stresses reading for understanding, critical thinking, clear writing and articulate participation in class. Particular attention is given to causal relationships so that students learn how to predict the consequences of their actions and are prepared to become honorable, responsible, and productive citizens of the world.  

This class begins with an examination of the Dual Revolutions (French and Industrial) that opened the door to Western modernity. Students are asked to consider the changes wrought by these two momentous upheavals and the remainder of the year is spent examining their impacts and outcomes. Specific themes traced are Nationalism, Ethnicity, Democracy, Capitalism and Socialism, as well as other movements with which everyday people became involved and empowered. A special emphasis will be placed on Jewish History during this time period, often times as a "test case" within the framework of the larger historical context. Particular topics in Jewish History will be the rise of Jewish denominationalism, Zionism, Pre-war, and Holocaust Jewry. 

This course is designed to survey the American experience and the American Jewish experience from the colonial period to the present. Students learn about both the key figures and issues of particular historical moments as well as a range of recurrent themes in American history such as immigration, technology, civil rights, tensions between federal and state government, and visions of American society. Also, the course is designed to foster a number of cognitive skills including critical thinking, document analysis, and historical research techniques. Throughout the course, students consider the relevance and connections of the subject matter of the course to their American Jewish identities and their contemporary American and Jewish communities. 

This class is designed to give a solid understanding of the history of the United States and the Jewish community in America from colonial times to the present. Students will come away with a grasp of not only key events and people, but of issues, themes, and trends as well. The course is centered around many themes, including the following: immigration; technology; development of democracy; expansion; the tension between federal and state powers; civil rights; and myth vs. reality. Students are expected to develop the analytical and critical skills necessary to examine and evaluate primary documents and secondary sources. Writing and research are emphasized throughout the year. This class also prepares students for the Advanced Placement exam in United States history, to be administered in May. 

This course will cover China and Japan with a focus on the modern era. The course will use the canonical text by Fairbank, Reischauer and Craig, with supplements from Sources of Chinese and Japanese Tradition. This course will be presented with a combination of lectures and discussions, with lectures covering and enhancing the main text, and discussions that review Chinese and Japanese art. A course book of poetry, short stories, drawings, parables and other artifacts of the history will prepare the students for an informed and investigative visit to the Museum of Fine Arts. The content of this course follows and Confucian interpretation of history and we will use the latest edition of Fairbank, Reischauer and Craig’s EAST ASIA. 

From humble beginnings in a backwoods town in Galilee to the world’s largest religion, Christianity has come a long way in two thousand years. This course discusses and examines Christianity’s development into the dominant force in the Western World. In particular, we will focus on the five major individuals and groups that shaped Christianity in its formative years, (1) Jesus of Nazareth, (2) Paul of Tarsus, (3) Ignatius of Antioch, (4) Christian martyrs, (5) Constantine, and (6) Augustine of Hippo. How did these individuals create and transform this faith from a rural protest movement focused on the End of the World to an urban religion accepted and supported by emperors and elites? What implications did this “success” have for Roman society and the evolution of Western Civilization? This course is designed to function like a college seminar. Emphasis will be on close reading of texts, analysis of primary documents and group discussion. In addition, students will practice and develop their research and writing skills throughout the course through three shorter analytical papers and one longer research paper.  

This course is designed to introduce the major themes of East Asian history. How does the past influence the present? What are some of the changes and continuities in Chinese and Japanese history? How did contact with the West shape the modern East and vice versa? In order to approach these questions, we will be looking at social issues, politics, culture, economics and other major areas of interest to the historian by asking essential questions. Essential questions are compelling and enduring in importance, open-ended with multiple answers, and will be incorporated into all projects, essays, discussions and tests. You will be comfortable with addressing essential questions, and accustomed to composing them as well. Moreover, these questions will be used to unify individual lessons and activities into purposeful instructional units. Finally, this class will be conducted in a seminar setting with maximum student participation in the learning in both participating and leading activities and lessons.  

Students will study the historical narrative of the Holocaust and become familiarized with the major themes, figures, and events. Particular attention will be given to those who perpetrators or bystanders, and students will explore the choices that these groups made. The course will also include an assessment of the impact of the Holocaust on education, politics, and civil society. Throughout the course, students will be invited to draw upon their knowledge of Western Civilization and American history acquired in their previous history courses. This is a one trimester course that all seniors will take in the senior year.  

This course will closely examine the myriad of issues that the Jewish State has encountered in its half-century of existence. Students will consider the immediate circumstances surrounding the birth of the state of Israel and its social, political, and economic character. They will trace the evolution of the Israeli character and how it was influenced by war, immigration, religion, and the shifting politics of the Middle East. Points of accord and conflict with neighboring Arab States as well as with the Palestinian people will be explored, as will questions of religion, security, resources, immigration, and general culture. Students should come away with a better understanding of the history of Israel and the Middle East as well as an ability to think and write analytically, and appreciate perspectives other than their own.  

The impact of America’s High Court on US society is immeasurable. Among the many questions we will explore will be: How has the court evolved on race issues? Privacy issues? On states’ rights issues? What parameters has the court established on presidential powers? Corporate power? Should the Supreme Court have the right to overturn laws passed by the “will of the people” (congress or state governments)? In exploring cases you’ve heard of (Marbury v. Madison, Dred Scott, and Roe v. Wade) to some you probably haven’t (Gibbons v Ogden and Lochner v New York) this course is a must for all interested in Constitutional law and politics.  

What if everything you thought you knew was wrong? What do we really know about ourselves, society and the world in which we live? Over the course of Modern European history, many thinkers have asked how we know what we know. Some thinkers have remained committed to the idea that we do know things. Others have questioned whether we can ever know anything for sure. In this course, you will have an opportunity to read some of the greatest philosophical works of all time. Whether considering Descartes’ “I think, therefore, I am” or engaging with Derrida’s idea of Deconstruction, you will grapple with some of the world’s most interesting and challenging ideas. You will spend most of your time in seminar style discussion of philosophical texts and, and through struggling with these difficult primary sources, you will develop facility with the close reading of texts, and come to a greater understanding of your place in the world.  

Historian C. Vann Woodward observed that, up until the Vietnam War, only half of the country understood what it meant to lose a military conflict. Indeed, the country as a whole, since that failed endeavor in Southeast Asia, has been shaped by our experiences in those hostilities. During the almost two decades of our involvement in Vietnam, Americans learned about the challenges of confronting guerilla warfare (and the great complexities of war in general), began to reevaluate America’s role in the Cold War (and in the world as a whole). And even more significantly, the Vietnam War forced America into an existential crisis that is unresolved to this day. Why were we involved in Vietnam to begin with? What was that fighting like? Why did we ultimately fail? What lessons did we learn – or not learn? And, most importantly, how is our country different as a result of the conflict? We will explore all of these questions and more in this course.  

The 1960’s, to this day, is famous for its many experiments in liberal democracy. Civil Rights, sexual equality, sexual freedom, anti-war protest, to name but a few, were front-page stories throughout the decade. And right alongside all of this was the Supreme Court with Chief Justice Earl Warren at its helm. Some of the most important judicial rulings involving privacy and sexual liberties, civil and voting rights, limitations on the police and executive branches, were crafted during this tumultuous but crucial time. In this class we will examine closely the 1960’s (and a little bit before and after) through, what many simply call “The Warren Court Years.” (Indeed, many of those disturbed by the changes of the 1960’s expressed their frustration in one simple slogan: “Impeach Earl Warren.”) We will explore cases so landmark and famous we know them by one name only - from Brown to Miranda to Roe (not actually a Warren Case, but considered to be his legacy) and discover just how significantly the Supreme Court under Earl Warren helped shape America today.  

Drawing upon their 11th grade American history class, this course is an overview of contemporary American politics. It will include an examination of the constitutional underpinnings of the United States government, political beliefs and behaviors, political parties, the role of the media, public policy, and civil rights. Students will be prepared but are not required to take the AP Government exam.  

This course will examine the role of working people and nation’s economy, politics, culture and society. The course will be a seminar format. Our examination will highlight Jewish labor in America and the role of Jewish individuals in the development of American civil society. Our primary text will be WHO BUILT AMERICA, Lichtenstein et al (AHSP), supplemented by excerpts from texts concerning Jews specifically. The students will study the life and works of Woody Guthrie as a model for individualized biography projects that the students will create based on a personality of their choice.