Team Leader: Sarah Minter
Students who choose this focus will have the opportunity to pursue various disciplines of Social Studies, including Anthropology, Criminology, Psychology, Economics, Philosophy, Current Events, Legal Debate, etc. These students will pursue their interests through research, observation, discussion/debate, and interactive activities that help them explore different careers in these fields.
One year, students chose “Military History” as their focus and studied ancient Greek warfare, creatively constructed their own Hoplon shields – painted with symbols to represent their personal philosophies of war – to model Hoplite phalanx formations. 
After tracing the use of archery in warfare throughout history, students assessed whether or not the fire arrows seen in movies could have actually flown (spoiler – it’s all special effects!) To do so, students traveled to a nearby archery park to improve their own “warfare” skills before determining that the length of arrow needed to use fire would have been too long for actual success. When analyzing the principles of war, students engaged in an epic battle of Risk! to determine whether the principles hold up in through role play. Turns out Risk! is mostly about the offensive (the goal after all, is world domination). 
In “Myths and Legends,” each week students take turns playing the role of “storyteller,” sharing fairytales, legends, fantasy, fables, and ghost stories with their classmates. One week students are transported into the life of Hercules, another week they’re containing supernatural entities with the SCP Foundation, and the next they’re learning about power struggles in the fictional Rulelythian world. Pictured below, students share the story of the Minotaur’s Labyrinth, complete with maze and real life “dragon”! (A special thank you to our favorite leopard gecko for his acting skills). 
In “Strategy Games,” two lead students volunteer at DMs to host groups of players in Dungeons and Dragons, while chess students hone their analytical thinking and memory skills.
Progress for this major will be measured on presentations, research assignments, formal papers, and field work. Possible majors that might focus on social studies include anthropology, sociology, psychology, economics, political science, international relations, and human development.
Class Details:
Day: Monday, Wednesday
Time: 1:55-2:45