Teachers propose semester elective 'Unlocking the Past: Ancient Civilizations' for Massic students

Instructional leader Jamie Sherry and world history teacher Mike Collins proposed a new semester elective, Unlocking the Past: Ancient Civilizations, designed for sophomores, juniors and seniors in the social studies/humanities program. The course would offer deeper study of Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley, China, Greece, Rome, the Americas and Sub‑Saharan Africa and align with updated state curriculum standards.

Sherry said the course would provide students interested in deeper historical study a semester‑long option that the freshman world history course no longer accommodates. The presenters said the course would emphasize geography, culture and politics, encourage critical thinking and long‑term collaborative projects, and require only curriculum development hours to build the scope and sequence. They said they had already presented the proposal to curriculum council and requested that the district allocate curriculum development time so teachers could write the course over the summer for a possible fall implementation.

Board members asked scheduling and level questions; presenters confirmed the class would be a semester elective and could be offered in fall or spring or both if enrollment supports multiple sections. Teachers said materials and resources exist within the department and that no major textbook purchase was anticipated — the primary cost would be teacher curriculum hours.

If approved for development hours and subsequently adopted, the course would broaden elective options at Massic and provide students a focused pathway to study ancient societies in more depth.