History is more than an effort to collect information about the past.  It is an exciting quest to gain understanding about those people and societies that have come before us. 

Although proper historical analysis requires familiarity with a great deal of information — names, chronology, facts, and events, with this reliable and detailed information, real historical thinking becomes possible.

Therefore, as students of history it is important to discuss not only events of the past, but also to develop several distinctive historical thinking skills to make sense of new and intricate developments throughout our study. 

Throughout the year, we will work together to uncover the past, not thorough memorization, but rather through analysis and interpretation.  Although it can be a challenging method of discovery, my hope is that you will find this new sophisticated approach interesting and rewarding!