Exciting New Citywide Elective :

Honors Real World History (Course Codes: H72 & H74)

Join students from multiple DCPS high schools for Real World History , a new, innovative history course in school year 2014–2015. Real World History will focus on the nature of historical thinking as well as the “doing” of history.

• During the 2014 fall semester, students will focus on historical thinking and historiography. Cosby Hunt of Center for Inspired Teaching will teach the course through both in-person and online instruction, on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school (5–7pm) at a DCPS high school (TBD). A former teacher at the Columbia Heights Education Campus, Cosby was the 2008 History Teacher of the Year for the District of Columbia.

• In the 2015 spring semester, the class will meet in person once a month as students practice their emerging academic and workplace skills through internships at a variety of DC museums, archives, and historic sites. By the end of the course, students will demonstrate mastery of reading, writing, speaking, and listening competencies as they relate to history, and they will make end-of-course presentations to members of the community about their learning.

Participating students will be eligible to intern at one of the following sites in spring 2015:

Anacostia Museum National Mall (National Park Service) Mary McLeod Bethune House National Museum of American History Congressional Cemetery National Portrait Gallery Frederick Douglass House Carter G. Woodson House Library of Congress Charles Sumner Museum and [DCPS] President Lincoln's Cottage Archives National Archives and Records Tudor Place Administration Woodrow Wilson House National Building Museum

Enrollment in this course is by application only. The application can be found at: http://www.inspiredteaching.org/programs/district-partnerships/dc/real-world-history . Applications are due on or before Friday June 6, 2014 . Accepted students will be notified by June 20, 2014.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this course count for credit? Yes. The first semester course (H72) is an honors 0.5 credit elective class and will be weighted on a 4.5-point scale. The second semester internship course (H74) is a regular 0.5 credit elective weighted on the 4-point scale.

When will we find out exactly where the class will meet during first semester? Class will take place at a DCPS high school that is easily accessible from a Metro stop. The school will be identified before the end of this school year (2013-14).

How should students expect to travel to and from this afterschool class? It will be the responsibility of the students to travel to and from the class. Many sessions will end when it is dark outside (7pm). It is hoped that students who are taking the Metro will walk together to the station after class.

When will students know where their internship placements ? Internships are NOT guaranteed to every student. Students will earn the right to an internship placement through the work they complete and skills they demonstrate during the first semester. There will be an Internship Fair in December 2014; at that event, students will have an opportunity to meet and interview with staff members from the participating sites.

Will the class meet during second semester? Yes. The class will meet once each month between January and June 2015. Students will have assignments to complete online during this second semester.

Will the course include culminating events? Yes. All students will participate in the year’s culminating event in June 2015; at that event, the 12 th graders will make presentations about their internship experiences. All 11 th graders in the course will be expected to participate in the citywide National History Day competition in April 2015; should they qualify for the national competition, this will take place at the University of Maryland (College Park) in mid-June. The 2015 National History day theme is Leadership and Legacy .

Will there be work over the 2014 summer for students who are accepted into the class? Yes. Accepted students will read the book, The Warmth of Other Suns , by Isabel Wilkerson. Mr. Hunt will provide assignments that revolve around that book for students to complete before the class meets for the first time on September 2, 2014. Students will also be expected to visit each of the participating internship sites (details to follow).

How can I reach the course instructor, Mr. Hunt? He will provide his phone number to students and parents. His email address is [email protected] .