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History

Objectives

  • To develop knowledge of, and interest in, historical periods from the rise of human civilization to the present
  • To cultivate awareness of the relation of past events to the concerns of the present
  • To develop familiarity with, and sensitivity to the values of past and present cultures
  • To promote responsible stewardship of the earth's resources by studying the rise and fall of civilizations

Overview

In fourth grade, students are introduced to the history of California, while in fifth grade boys study the early history of America, from pre-Columbian times through the American Revolution. Sixth-grade History focuses on ancient cultures, beginning in Mesopotamia and ending in Rome. In seventh grade, beginning with the fall of Rome, boys are introduced to medieval cultures in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Eighth-grade boys pursue and in-depth study of the principles of American democracy, and the various tests of those principles—the Industrial Revolution, the Civil War, the suffrage movement, the labor movement, the Civil Rights movement, the women's movement—from the nineteenth century to the present.

Integrated and Innovative Teaching Techniques

At PBA, History comes to life in a variety of ways, as our curriculum encourages an active engagement with the past, and with the diverse cultural heritages that compose our present. Fourth graders experience Native American agriculture by tending their own garden, and relive the gold rush by panning for gold themselves. Fifth graders construct native villages, hold a Continental Congress, or discover the branches of government through a playground game. In sixth and seventh grades, boys deepen their knowledge of ancient and medieval cultures by devising historical board games, and by planning an elaborate Culture Fair, in which they share their expertise with parents and fellow students through skits, songs, oral presentations, artwork, and food. Eighth graders put their knowledge of the Constitution to work in frequent debates on contemporary politics, including foreign, domestic, agricultural, and environmental policies. General topic areas by grade include:

4th Grade

  • Local Native American cultures
  • Spanish explorers
  • The Missions
  • Gold Rush
  • Statehood
  • California geography

5th Grade

  • Early Native Americans and the Bering Land Strait crossing
  • Native Americans of the Woodlands, Plains, Southwest, West, and Far North
  • Age of Exploration
  • Establishment of the 13 English Colonies
  • Colonial America and Regionalism
  • Hispanic and European Powers in North America
  • American Revolution U.S. Constitution
  • Westward Expansion
  • Slavery and Pre-Civil War Tensions
  • The Civil War

6th Grade

  • Hominid Evolution and Early Humans
  • Rise of Agriculture
  • Early Mesopotamian Civilizations:  Sumer, Babylon, Assyria
  • Ancient Israel and Phoenicia
  • Egyptian Civilization, Nubia, and Kush
  • Indus Valley Civilization
  • Chinese Dynasties
  • Rise of Greek City-States and Athenian Democracy
  • Roman Empire
  • Formation of Religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Greek and Roman gods, Judaism and Christianity

7th Grade

  • Fall of Rome
  • Vikings, Goths, and northern European cultures
  • Feudalism
  • Rise and spread of Islam
  • West African Empires: Ghana, Mali, Songhai
  • Late Middle Ages in Europe
  • Tibet, India, China, and the spread of Buddhism
  • Rise of Japan

8th Grade

  • Review of Constitution
  • Federalists and Anti-Federalists
  • Rise of Populism
  • Industrial Revolution
  • Slavery
  • Ante-bellum South and States' Rights
  • Civil War
  • Reconstruction
  • Critical Movements: Abolition, Suffrage, Labor, Civil Rights, Women's