Educational Programs at Orchard House
History
History Philosophy
The History program at Orchard House School is built on three basic premises. The first is that it is more beneficial to study history than to focus broadly on the social sciences. Why? Because the study of history involves the fields of politics, economics, anthropology, and sociology; it provides context and coherence to all aspects of human development. As a result, historical knowledge makes it possible for students to become more aware of their place in the world today, more appreciative of current events, and more equipped to make decisions about the future. What does this mean in terms of actual content? With an underlying emphasis on world geography and geo-political events, the program begins with World History in the fifth and sixth grades and then narrows to U.S. history in the seventh and eighth grades. The sequencing of the courses is intentional. It offers new material to younger girls who have recently studied Virginia history in grade school. It also ensures that older students put U.S. history in global perspective. Although the courses are organized into units of study, there is an emphasis on integration or looking at patterns of development that cut across these units to understand continuity and change, success and failure, repression and freedom. The content is also inclusive with an equal emphasis placed on the lives of the powerful and not so powerful so that students can grasp how diverse groups of people contributed to the human experience.
The second premise of the History program is that there needs to be as much importance placed on skills as on content. From note-taking and reading assignments to map-reading and test preparation, students learn to collect and organize information, distinguish between what is useful and tangential, and restate facts and ideas accurately and purposefully. To promote interpersonal skills, they often work collaboratively toward a common goal. Another key objective is to develop the way that the girls think about the material. By comparing and contrasting themes, recognizing historical patterns and multi-causality, and interpreting and evaluating primary sources, they make the transition from the descriptive to the analytical. Students become critical thinkers who are able to form constructive arguments, ask insightful questions, and make interdisciplinary connections. Finally, with projects and writing-based tests in the fifth and sixth grades and then research papers and essay-based tests in the seventh and eighth grades, they also become proficient at developing their ideas and opinions on paper.
The third premise is that an interactive approach to teaching creates the most compelling learning environment. Scientific research has revealed that the brain - especially the adolescent brain - isn’t made to simply input information for seven hours at a time. It doesn’t matter whether students are auditory learners or not; they need to be actively engaged in their education to experience optimal learning. To be sure, a lecture format is used in the History program. But it is more of a forum than a one-sided discourse. In supportive and challenging classroom settings, students are encouraged to become independent learners who engage in lively discussions and debates to understand what really happened in the past. Rather than passively receive information, they learn experientially through assignments and exercises that involve presentations, games, skits, art, and field trips. And by accessing the Internet on a regular basis, they reach beyond the classroom to create PowerPoint presentations, analyze primary documents, and create brochures, pamphlets, and exhibits. Their interest in history is awakened and sustained as the girls participate actively in their own education.
Built on three basic premises that involve content, skills, and pedagogy, the History program at Orchard House School has the overriding objective of helping students acquire the knowledge and skills to realize their potential as individuals and become informed, global citizens.
Course descriptions for the grades may be seen by selecting one of the following:
