By Donna ’27
American History and Government is the history class you take in 7th grade. Before I came to Harvard-Westlake, history was simply another class that I had to take, yet over the past few months it has become one of my favorite classes. The history teachers are enthusiastic and add their personality to the class. From their sense of humor when explaining a concept or playing Hamilton so we remember what is going to be on the exam, history is always enjoyable and never a bore. Over the past few months I have grown to love this class.
This course explores the history and function of the United States of America. It aims to teach students on how to be informed, engaged citizens that will make well-informed decisions. What I enjoy about this course is the variety of different ways we learn and process information. For example, we learn to take notes from powerpoints, our history textbook, Primary sources, and more. On our tests, we are taught how to answer several types of questions such as short answer, multiple choice, chronology, etcetera. Moreover, in this class we develop skills that will carry into other classes such as organization, study, listening, and communication skills. These crucial skills bring what we are learning to life and add a deeper meaning to the information that we learn. Rather than simply memorizing the information we learn, we analyze from different perspectives so we can apply it to our own lives. We ask questions like. “ Is what so and so wrote ethical?”, “What would you do if you were in their position?”, and “Was that the only option in that situation?”. This class is one of the many reasons I would highly recommend applying and attending Harvard-Westlake school. Wishing you all the best this admissions season!
