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I can make a gift to my alma mater, but that would only be a drop in a large endowment bucket. At Harlem Academy, I know my gift is going to make a difference in the life of a child.
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History
History teaches us about our shared humanity and provides instructive examples on how to live life, and we seek to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to be curious, critical, and informed learners. The history, Reason and Rhetoric, and English curricula share unified themes throughout each school year, helping to deepen student understanding of essential questions.
Students explore the development of human civilization from early man through the Renaissance and European ages of exploration and scientific discovery. Students also take a unique, two-year course in U.S. history that focuses in depth on six pivotal moments in our past. Students leave our middle school program with a strong understanding of key historical events and overarching themes that can serve as a foundation for historical explorations in secondary school.
A continual focus in the history curriculum is the effective interpretation of primary and secondary sources. Students use this developing skill set to pursue culminating research projects that extend beyond the scope of the subject matter discussed in class. Each student selects a topic of interest that is related to the time period they have been studying. Students use their inquiry skills to formulate questions and conduct qualitative and, when applicable, quantitative research to answer the question. This annual project concludes with the Harlem Academy History Symposium during which students present their research to the larger community. The Symposium affords students an opportunity to practice their presentation and public speaking skills as well as a chance to showcase their work.
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