Departments
BB&N develops students who are knowledgeable about the world and able to participate effectively in their communities. By exploring the past and present, students gain a deeper understanding of the connection between societies and global systems, and develop the critical thinking and communication skills needed to engage with complex issues. Through inquiry-based approaches and a focus on multiple perspectives, the curriculum encourages students to cultivate empathy and gain perspective on their own biases, ultimately preparing them to be thoughtful, active participants in our democracy, and promoting social justice and ethical citizenship.
Lower School students use the concept of “windows and mirrors” to explore multiple perspectives as they make connections between their experiences and the curriculum. The curriculum centers essential questions for social studies such as sustainability, immigration, and human rights to frame our interdisciplinary work for each grade level. At the Middle School, the program focuses on the Western Hemisphere, starting with Latin America and transitioning to the United States. Students learn to recognize bias, debate viewpoints, create hypotheses, and support and communicate ideas logically in both written and spoken words as they apply their understanding to larger ideas of culture development, the evolution of political systems, and current events. The Upper School provides a framework for students to understand present-day cultural, economic, political, and social conditions, teaching them the essential interrelatedness of the individual to society, our country to other nations and cultures, and of the past to the present.