This course is a study of American history from the Age of Exploration to the end of the 19th century. The Gifted/High Potential level includes the political, economic, geographical, and institutional viewpoints of historical events. This course has been designed for students who have a strong interest in history and have demonstrated outstanding achievement. Students will be required to demonstrate higher levels of thinking. This may be achieved through the use of historical simulations, classroom debates, the reading of two historical novels, and the reading of literature from the time period in American history. A greater emphasis will be placed on the requirement for these students to express themselves through writing and classroom discussions relating to the topics being studied. A 3-5-page research paper is also required.