History & Social Science

Critical Examination of the Past is Paramount

In conjunction with the current standards prescribed by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), Brunswick’s history/social sciences department has developed a curriculum rooted in the belief that, since history and humankind are shaped by the past, critical examination of the past is paramount in preparing students for the future.

Students develop a core of basic knowledge and structured ways of thinking. They learn how to analyze their own and others’ opinions on important issues, thus becoming motivated to participate in civic and community life as active and informed citizens.

Critical reading, writing, and verbal skills are rigorously promoted. Laptop computers enable students to pursue digital simulations, presentations, and web research, which provide an active approach to study in the discipline.

The program not only strives to put students in further contact with the larger world, but also demands that they take part in the intellectual debate surrounding them. Students are expected to think along the lines of a historian or social scientist.