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History and Social Studies

The mission of the History and Social Studies Department is to empower students with an understanding of how the modern world has been shaped over time by peoples, ideas and events. The curricular emphasis on current issues helps students recognize patterns and make connections between past and present. All courses incorporate current research methods, historical inquiry, and extensive writing to enable students to question and evaluate the world around them. Each course introduces new skills and tools, and students complete a major research project at every grade level. Through these projects they explore a topic of their own choosing as it relates to the course of study.

In their freshman year, students identify common patterns and trends across history and civilizations. The following year, these patterns of civilization serve as a basis for understanding political, economic, cultural, and social changes in world history. As juniors, students examine issues and events in United States history as they think historically about the nature of change over time. Upper level courses in a broad range of topics allow juniors and seniors to focus on areas of particular interest.

Patterns of Civilization

Patterns of Civilization places an emphasis on the multidisciplinary nature of history. In this respect, art, economics, the environment, geography and religion are important components of this course. Throughout the year, students explore the multiple ways that historical events connect to current issues, including local issues in Orange County through the ninth grade Service Learning curriculum. Students also learn about historiography and research in order to understand the process and methodology that historians use when creating their picture of the past. The course’s content and skills are geared toward assisting students in planning, researching and producing their Sage Hill History Project inspired by National History Day themes. All students present their projects in the spring at the Ninth Grade History Night at school. This is a Sage Center Designated Course, which includes an attached Spring at Sage or Service Learning experience.
Modern World History

Modern World examines global history from the Renaissance through the 20th Century. The course provides students the opportunity to demonstrate learning in the written form as well as via in-class presentations on an individual or small-group basis. Objectives include explaining large-scale and long-term historical developments; identifying and evaluating key turning points in world history; comparing the ideals and practices of major belief systems; and identifying and assessing the economic, environmental and political challenges humans have confronted.
AP World History

From 1250 C.E to the present, the content of AP World History traverses the globe following five main themes: the interaction between humans and the environment; the development and interaction of cultures; state-building, expansion and conflict; economic systems; and social structures. In addition, the course is predicated on students learning and applying four historical‑thinking skills: developing arguments from evidence; chronological reasoning; comparison and contextualization; and historical interpretation and synthesis.
United States History

In the first semester, students trace the development of the United States from its European origins through the Civil War, industrialization and its emergence as a world power. The second semester focuses almost entirely on developments in the 20th century. This course enables students to understand the underlying social, political, cultural, economic and religious traditions that compose the American heritage. Students also initiates and executes a major research project on a topic of their choice.
AP United States History

While sharing many of the same aspects of the eleventh grade U.S. History course, AP U.S. History utilizes a college-level text, incorporates additional readings and increases the detailed use and interpretation of primary sources and documents.
AP Psychology

The AP Psychology course aims to provide students with a learning experience equivalent to most college introductory psychology courses. AP Psychology utilizes a college-level textbook, incorporates extensive reading and detailed use of research methods and analysis of case studies.
AP American Government

This course provides students with a solid foundation for comprehending the institutional framework of American government at federal and state levels. Students examine the underlying traditions and values of the American political system and explore how the three major branches of government work, as well as how the government functions in dealing with contemporary problems.
AP Economics

The AP Economics course engages students in the understanding, application and analysis of fundamental economic concepts. Students apply their mathematical skills to evaluate economic theories, improve their critical thinking and decision-making skills and apply logic to a wide variety of real‑world economic situations. The course covers both microeconomics and macroeconomics.
Principles of Business

This is a foundational course for students interested in pursuing a Business degree and starting or managing a company in the future. Students taking this course are introduced to basic economic principles and business practices, including business management and operations, entrepreneurship, marketing, finance and accounting with an emphasis on start-up culture. By the end of the course, students will have created a full business plan, will understand the basic practices and skills underlying the business sector and will be prepared for more specialized coursework in college. This is a Sage Center Designated Course, which includes an attached Spring at Sage or Service Learning experience.
Ethics and Political Philosophy

This is a discussion- and reading-intensive course meant to introduce students to the main currents of ancient and modern ethics and political philosophy. Students will explore various philosophical concepts like justice, equality, rights and the role of the state. Students will also track these ideas from the ancient to the modern world; from Athenian democracy to contemporary social justice; from the Enlightenment to modern feminism; and from the State of Nature to civil society. Students will approach these themes in a global context, studying the European perspectives alongside ethical and philosophical traditions from South and East Asia, West Africa and the Americas. This is a Sage Center Designated Course, which includes an attached Spring at Sage or Service Learning experience.
AP Art History

This course provides an overview of the history of art in preparation for the Advanced Placement Art History Exam in the spring. We will attempt a general overview of the development of human civilization through an examination of the arts. The central questions include the following: What is art and how is it made? Why and how does art change? How do we describe our thinking about art? While the class is generally organized chronologically and takes a global perspective to the history of art, several overarching themes will tie together topics across space and culture.
Honors Ethnic Studies

This seminar-style course focuses on the histories of race and ethnicity in the United States. In this class, students will chart the economic, political, and cultural experiences of racial and ethnic groups as well as consider how these racial and ethnic identities were produced, maintained, and transformed over time. Finally, students will pay close attention to how race and ethnicity intersect with class, gender, sexuality and citizenship. It is the express purpose of this course to empower students with the confidence and ability to make sense of race, ethnicity, gender, class and citizenship in a way that is personally meaningful to each student.

Catherine Ball

History and Social Studies Department Chair

ballc@sagehillschool.org
Bio
Catherine Ball joined Sage Hill as a member of the History Department in 2015 after twelve years teaching experience at Rosary High School in Fullerton, Marymount High School in Los Angeles and St. Paul High School in Santa Fe Springs. A native Californian, Ms. Ball earned a B.A. in history from Pepperdine University and an M.A. in education and California Teaching Credential from Loyola Marymount University. Ms. Ball is a highly experienced AP US History and AP European History teacher and has served as an AP History exam reader.
Teryn Bentley

History and Social Studies Teacher, Assistant Coach Cross Country, Assistant Coach Track & Field

BentleyT@sagehillschool.org
Bio
Teryn Bentley joined Sage Hill in 2017 as the new economics teacher and assistant coach for the cross country team. Ms. Bentley has been teaching since 2007 and comes to Sage Hill from Vistamar High School in El Segundo, where she taught Economics, World History and Language Arts. She was also the advisor for Model United Nations and the coach for the girls’ cross country and track teams. Ms. Bentley has a dual bachelor’s degree in secondary education and American studies from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, as well as a master’s of public administration in Internal Youth Development from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.
Ashlie Berg

History and Social Studies Teacher

BergA@sagehillschool.org
Bio
Ashlie Berg joined Sage Hill in 2021 as a long-term substitute for the History & Social Studies Department. She comes to us from Santa Margarita Catholic High School, where she has been a Social Studies teacher since 2013. She previously has worked at numerous schools in Utah and Massachusetts. She received her bachelor’s degree in history and secondary education from Brigham Young University, and her Masters of Education from Boston University.
Nicolle Bradshaw

History and Social Studies Teacher

BradshawN@sagehillschool.org
Bio
Nicolle Bradshaw joined Sage Hill as a History & Social Studies teacher in 2011. She previously taught for four years at Rosary High School. Bradshaw earned her bachelor's in History from UCLA and a master's in Education from Pepperdine University.
Steven Duxbury

History and Social Studies Teacher

DuxburyS@sagehillschool.org
Bio
Steven started at Sage Hill School in August 2022. He has taught in private schools for his entire career, which has included teaching fourth graders to twelfth graders. For the last 20 years, Steven has taught History and Economics courses at the high school level. He graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 1989 with a BA in History and started his teaching career immediately.
Christopher Farrish

History and Social Studies Teacher

farrishc@sagehillschool.org
Bio
Dr. Farrish joined Sage Hill’s History Department in 2016. Before coming to Sage Hill, Dr. Farrish taught American Studies at California State University, Fullerton and History at Bard College MAT, Los Angeles. He earned a B.A. from Michigan State University and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University. From 2003-2005, Dr. Farrish taught high school English on a Fulbright grant to South Korea. He has published scholarly research in the fields of race, labor, and food history.
Frank Gonzales

History and Social Studies Teacher

gonzalesf@sagehillschool.org
Bio
Mr. Gonzales joined Sage Hill in 2015. He currently teaches Patterns of Civilization and AP World History and previously taught Modern World History, AP US Government, Psychology, and Global Markets. Prior to teaching at Sage Hill, Mr. Gonzales was a Graduate Assistant in the Department of History at California State University, Long Beach. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Chicago and received his master’s degree in medieval history from the University of Oxford, where he was a member of St. Peter’s College.
Jennifer Kucera Rothman

History and Social Studies Teacher, 12th Grade Lead Class Advisor

RothmanJ@sagehillschool.org
Bio
Jennifer Rothman joined Sage Hill in 2020 as a History Teacher after working as a long-term substitute teacher in Spring 2019. She previously taught AP classes at Corona del Mar High School and worked as an advisor for Speech and Debate and Model United Nations. Rothman received her bachelor’s degree in international studies and political science at Southern Methodist University. She also earned her teaching credential, a master’s of education degree and administrative credential at National University.
Nisha Kunte

History and Social Studies Teacher

KunteN@sagehillschool.org
Bio
Dr. Kunte came to Sage Hill in 2013 from the University of California, Irvine where she served as a lecturer in the Asian American Studies Department. Dr. Kunte received her bachelor’s degree from Columbia University in Asian American Studies. She received her Ph.D. and master’s degrees from the University of Southern California in American Studies and Ethnicity. Her doctoral work focused on the history of medicine, the construction of race and difference, and film and media studies. Dr. Kunte currently teaches AP Art History, AP Psychology, and Ethnic Studies.
Stephen Schumacher

History and Social Studies Teacher

SchumacherS@sagehillschool.org
Bio
Mr. Schumacher joined Sage Hill as a History & Social Studies teacher in 2012. Previously, Mr. Schumacher taught at Santa Margarita Catholic High School and in Beijing and Sichuan, PR China. Additionally, he has taught all levels of World History at Cal Poly Pomona and American and World History at Orange Coast College. From 2017 to 2022, Mr. Schumacher was Chair of the History Department, and in 2021, he received Sage Hill's Excellence in Teaching Award. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from Cal Poly Pomona.
Sanan Shirinian

Sage Center Director

ShirinianS@sagehillschool.org
Bio
Sanan Shirinian joined Sage Hill in 2021 as the Sage Center Director. Ms. Shirinian spent the last five years as the principal at Ari Guiragos Minassian School in Santa Ana. While there, she planned and led professional and curriculum development. She also updated the school’s learning outcomes to include connecting with the global community and appreciating cultural diversity. Before her time as principal, she was a high school teacher at Rose & Alex Pilibos Armenian School in Los Angeles. She developed and taught an original interdisciplinary curriculum for students grades 9-12 that raised consciousness and increased student DEI competencies through human rights theory, gender and racial inequity, and social justice content. She received a bachelor’s degree in gender studies from UCLA and a master’s degree in human rights from Columbia University. Ms. Shirinian has a passion for service. She worked in refugee camps in Jordan to serve 200 Syrian refugee children and instill in them hope and a positive self-image. She has also worked with the United Human Rights Council to lead campaigns to end violence against women and youth imprisonment and foster dialogue among minority and student groups.

Sage Hill School

20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657
Phone: 949.219.0100 | Fax: 949.219.1399

Sage Hill School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs, and athletic and other School administered programs.

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Explore Our Curriculum

History and Social Studies

Patterns of Civilization

Modern World History

AP World History

United States History

AP United States History

AP Psychology

AP American Government

AP Economics

Principles of Business

Ethics and Political Philosophy

AP Art History

Honors Ethnic Studies

Sage Hill School