Topics in Modern History

This course consists of three mods that can be taken independently or together. Students wishing to take more than one mod may take them in any order and they may span multiple years.

Independence Movements
This course explores struggles for independence in India, Africa, and Latin America. Students will examine the complexity of issues and debates surrounding decolonization and the ways different people have sought to transcend legacies of colonialism. To demonstrate their understanding and share their knowledge with others, this course culminates in the creation of a museum exhibit on one country’s movement toward independence.

Rights and Protest: A Comparative Study of South African Apartheid and the US Civil Rights Movement
This course examines and compares the South African Apartheid from 1948-1964 and the United States’ Civil Rights Movement from 1954-1965. Students read primary source documents and analyze the causes, events, and people who fought for and against these movements. To explore the situations further, students also undertake a historical investigation on a topic of their choosing

Making the Modern World: Industrialization from 1750-2005
This course delves into the history of technology as examine the history of industrialization focusing primarily on the US, UK, China, and India. We look at the ways the development of mechanization and standardization changed people’s lives and global power dynamics. From the growth of cities to the development of mass communication, from weapons to fast food, this course allows student to examine how technology has created the modern world.

Students may register for any or all mods of this course. These mods are a subset of the IB SL History course [HIS447Y], so students wishing to take an IB SL exam in History should register for that course rather than this one.

Min-Max Credit Hours: 1.0-3.0