Department Chair: Karen Glenn, (505) 828-3253
Sixth graders at Albuquerque Academy begin their study of history by physically exploring their world. They design and make maps of places that interest them, deciding what to include and what materials to use; they imagine and build models of monuments of great people and events, explaining to their classmates what makes them worthy. They also travel through eras in American history, guided by teachers who help them decode and connect the evidence that will help them understand what it was like to be alive during the time of Washington, Lincoln, or Martin Luther King, Jr.
As Academy students continue in our six-year history sequence, those kinds of hands-on, active learning experiences are interwoven with regular practice in close reading, reflective and analytical writing, and the sharing of ideas with classmates. Seventh graders are immersed in the study of the history of New Mexico, while eighth- and ninth-grade students might participate in an archaeological dig or conduct a trial of a historical figure. Tenth-grade students engage in a deeper look into the history of the United States and upperclassmen have a plethora of elective offerings from the study of Indigenous history to AP courses. Thus, by graduation, Academy seniors will have addressed fundamental questions about the history of New Mexico, the United States, and the world that help prepare them for the next stage in their lives.
After a full course of study in history, Albuquerque Academy graduates will be able to produce polished, clear, organized, evidence-based, analytical, and logically reasoned writing; distinguish fact from opinion and engage in informed, respectful discussion; show mastery of a robust set of research skills; read closely to understand, analyze, and interpret arguments as well as a variety of primary and secondary sources; and finally, understand the connection between historical events and the present. They will be able to use what they have learned to make informed decisions, participate in their community, and act wisely in the world.
