This course explores world history through several thematic units rather than a strictly chronological survey. Curricular units begin with a current-events topic and then investigate the topic’s ancient and modern roots. Themes include the relationship between the environment and human society; the function of religion and philosophy in human experience; various forms of leadership and government; wealth, power, and inequality; and violence and conflict in the twentieth century.  The course challenges students to think critically about history through various perspectives, giving them the opportunity to explore and articulate their own viewpoint and gain greater empathy for the views of others. This course emphasizes critical-thinking, research, and writing skills necessary for engaged citizens in a multicultural democracy.  

This course covers the same material as the non-honors sections but moves at a faster pace and examines topics in greater depth through readings, assessments, and independent work.

A graduation requirement, this survey course covers the period from European exploration through the end of World War II in 1945. Students continue their work with independent research, analysis of primary sources, and reading supplemental materials. Successful completion of a research paper is required. Rising sophomores will take a required third semester of history in their junior year that covers the United States from 1945 to the present in a modern global perspective.

Advanced United States History covers the same material as United States History, but moves at a faster pace and examines topics in greater depth through readings, assessments, and independent work.  A research project is required.

Designed to be the equivalent of an introductory college-level course, this course covers United States history from the beginning of European exploration to the present. Critical thinking, primary source evaluation, and essay writing are emphasized. Students are required to take the AP United States History exam in May.

Advanced United States History and the World covers the same material as United States History and the World, but moves at a faster pace and examines topics in greater depth through readings, assessments, and independent work. A research project is required.

Honors United States History and the World covers the same material as Advanced United States History and the World, but moves at a faster pace and examines topics in greater depth through readings, assessments, and independent work. A research project is required.

This year-long course sets out to provide students with a foundational knowledge of the theoretical underpinnings and practical institutions of American government and politics, which allows them to understand and participate in the American democratic “experiment.” Through the study of a textbook, primary sources, and extensive archival and current news articles, students learn about the U.S. Constitution, the workings and interaction among the three branches of the federal government, federalism, political parties, interest groups, the media, public policy, and civil rights and liberties. The course ends in the second semester by comparing the American model of government to other styles of democracy around the globe. Students are required to take the AP United States Government and Politics exam in May.

This year-long course, which aligns with the College Board AP Macroeconomics curriculum, will emphasize the principles of macroeconomics that are at the heart of understanding both the national and international economy. Students will be equipped with the tools needed to thoroughly evaluate the status of the economy, as well as in-depth knowledge about the role that governments and international institutions play in creating change in the domestic and global economy. Additionally, students will explore topics related to the financial sector, such as the impact of monetary policy on banking and the time value of money. Contemporary ideas from behavioral economics will be introduced, empowering students to connect economic theory with modern psychology in pursuit of understanding why people behave the way that they do in the real world. Students will have the opportunity to take part in discussions, simulations, and projects that are designed to help bring these concepts to life while also highlighting the impact that macroeconomic policies have on individuals and societies. Students are required to take the AP Macroeconomics exam in May.

The course examines the religious, economic, social, political, and artistic character of Boston from the arrival of the Puritans in the early 17th century to its revival as a modern metropolis in the late 20th century. Students consider Boston as the cradle of the American Revolution; a center of Yankee industrialization, merchant trade, and culture; a principal region in the Abolitionist movement and the Civil War; a perceived haven for immigrants; and the birthplace of numerous political lineages and controversies over race and ethnicity. Boston’s role in world history is emphasized along with its local and regional impact.

The central question of this course is when and how Vietnam achieved political, economic, and cultural independence in the modern era. It begins with an examination of European colonial domination in the late 19th century and the subsequent war for national sovereignty that became swept up in the larger global struggle of the Cold War, in particular the Vietnam War. Modern topics include the economic reforms of the 1980s, the end of diplomatic and economic isolation, liberalization of civil rights, and Vietnam’s relationship with its neighbors.

The Honors Thesis in History course is intended to be the capstone experience for Rivers’ most enthusiastic history students. Enrollment is open to any senior who desires to pursue historical study at a more advanced level and conduct research on a topic of his/her/their own choosing. Taught in the format of a college seminar, this course introduces students to advanced historical and social science research methods and strategies for engaging with primary sources to develop original arguments of scholarly value. Each unit will offer students the chance to explore various research methods through topics of their choosing and will provide scaffolding for the culminating project, a 15–20-page “honors thesis.” Course topics include an introduction to historiography, generating a great research question, qualitative and quantitative forms of data, and different ways to make sense of incomplete or biased source material. Over the course of the semester, students may venture to a local university to visit an archive or meet or Zoom with a professional historian.

Apart from their role in the near-mythical First Thanksgiving, Native voices have largely been silenced in the telling of the history of New England. And yet, historical archives at the state and local level hold records that challenge this narrative and offer evidence of on-going Native presence throughout the centuries. All that is lacking are inquisitive researchers willing to locate and publicize these lost voices of the archive. The spring Honors History Seminar is structured as a semester-long archival research project carried out in collaboration with the Framingham History Center. Over the course of the term, students will make frequent trips to the FHC to learn the basics of archival research, examine Native American artifacts with an archaeologist, and learn how to read 17th century scribal handwriting. Working with FHC staff, students will locate documents pertaining to Black and Indigenous residents of Framingham from the 1600s–1800s, and conduct research in order to bring those characters to light for modern audiences. Final projects could include producing educational resources for local teachers, creating exhibit materials for the FHC, or contributing to digital media projects that aim to share these lost voices with a wider public. Participation in the fall Honors History Seminar is not required.

This two semester survey of the history of art examines the development of the world’s major artistic traditions from the Paleolithic Age to the present. While not exhaustive in scope, these courses aim to expose students to the central problems and methods in the field of art history as well as introduce them to many of the important stylistic developments in the history of art. Through lectures and slides, the history of art is placed in a global cultural context. In the first semester, students study the development of human artistic creation as it emerged from the flickering shadows of the caves of Altamira and Lascaux. From there, the canonical artistic traditions of Ancient Sumer, Egypt, and Greece are examined alongside artistic developments in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. By comparing and contrasting more and less familiar artistic traditions, students are challenged to contemplate the very nature of art and consider why all human societies create visual culture.

The emergence of “modernity” and the transformations of the age of the Renaissance and European exploration are the starting point for the second semester of Art History. As in the fall course, the artistic developments in Europe are considered within the widening global context of the early Modern era, a period which is increasingly referred to as the “global Renaissance.” Picking up threads introduced in the first semester, students will compare and contrast the revolutionary artistic innovations of early Modern Europe with the cultural traditions of the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Special emphasis will be given to contemporary art, that is, the artistic developments that are unfolding today, at a time when the world is still coming to grips with the legacies of past eras. We will consider the role of art forms and artists that have traditionally been marginalized in the past, and current forms of expression that continually challenge the boundaries of what we consider art, such as Beeple’s NFT art and Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian” (a banana duct-taped to a gallery wall).

This two semester survey of the history of art examines the development of the world’s major artistic traditions from the Paleolithic Age to the present. While not exhaustive in scope, these courses aim to introduce students to the central themes and periods in art history, as well as cultivate the critical skills of art historical analysis. Through lectures, slides, and projects, the history of art is placed in a global cultural context. In the first semester, students study the development of human artistic creation as it emerged from the flickering shadows of the caves of Altamira and Lascaux. From there, the canonical artistic traditions of Ancient Sumer, Egypt, and Greece are examined alongside artistic developments in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. By comparing and contrasting more and less familiar artistic traditions, students are challenged to contemplate the very nature of art and consider why all human societies create visual culture.

The emergence of “modernity” and the transformations of the age of the Renaissance and European exploration are the starting point for the second semester of Art History. As in the fall course, the artistic developments in Europe are considered within the widening global context of the early Modern era, a period which is increasingly referred to as the “global Renaissance.” Picking up threads introduced in the first semester, students will compare and contrast the revolutionary artistic innovations of early Modern Europe with the cultural traditions of the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Special emphasis in Art History II will be given to contemporary art, that is, the artistic developments that are unfolding today, at a time when the world is still coming to grips with the legacies of past eras. We will consider the role of art forms and artists that have traditionally been marginalized in the past, and current forms of expression that continually challenge the boundaries of what we consider art, such as Beeple’s NFT art and Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian” (a banana duct-taped to a gallery wall).