International Baccalaureate @ Granada High School

Given the cliche maxim that ‘history is written by the victors’, any serious study of history will incorporate a wide array of

sources that expose the students to multiple perspectives, opinions, and interpretations. Some central questions of the course

will be: History according to whom? How can detect bias or spin in opposing historical accounts? How can we evaluate the effect

of Cold War policy on the globe in an objective way? The course will begin with a week long introduction to historical

methodology, with special attention paid to epistemological differences between modern, western sources and non-western,

indigenous sources. In any conflict that we study in this course, students will analyze primary sources from both sides as well as

secondary sources from multiple perspectives. For example, during the unit on the escalation of the Vietnam War, students will

read primary source documents from leading American policy makers as well as Ho Chi Minh, making critical comparisons

between the two perspectives. Students will then engage in a teacher-led discussion that will pay special attention to the

historical, cultural, economic, and political factors that shaped the varying perspectives. Students will then write a short essay

comparing and contrasting the views of American military leaders with those of the Vietnamese, both North and South.