Upper School Summer Reading

Welcome to ninth-grade history!

Welcome to United States History!

Throughout the 10th grade year, in both US History & Accelerated US History we will explore American history from a variety of perspectives and think critically about how we learn from the past. As part of this aim, the summer reading assignment is designed to help you begin to understand the concept of historiography: how and why historians investigate, interpret and present evidence the way that they do in order to create a picture of what has happened.

You will read and explore several chapters and websites on the same topic: early interaction between European explorers and the indigenous populations in the Americas. These sources have been specifically selected to include varying interpretations (some of which could be considered controversial) of historical events. As you read, you should identify the different stances that historians have taken and ask questions as to why the authors chose to present the information the way that they did.

In addition, we are asking that you visit a historical site of your choice, here in St. Louis or wherever your summer takes you. As you explore, consider the argument the site is making about the history it presents, and reflect on the choices made in how that history is displayed, commemorated, or told. PDFs for all required chapters are linked below (if you are interested in a particular book you are welcome to purchase it, but that is not necessary).

Please read the sources and complete the activity in the order listed below, and complete this Notes Organizer to keep a record of your thinking. The organizer should be completed independently, without outside assistance (including AI or collaboration with classmates). The Notes Organizer will be submitted to your teacher on the first day of school. Students should be prepared for an assessment on their summer reading when school begins in August.

1. Benjamin, Jules R. “Historiography.” A Student’s Guide to History. 14th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2019. PDF.
2. Loewen, James W. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2007. Chapter 2: “1493: The True Importance of Christopher Columbus.” PDF.
3. Schweikart, Larry, and Michael Allen. A Patriot’s History of the United States: From Columbus’s Great Discovery to America’s Age of Entitlement. 15th ed. New York: Sentinel, 2019. Excerpt From Chapter 1: “The City on the Hill, 1492-1707” (pages 1-12). PDF.
4. Zinn, Howard. A People’s History of the United States: 1492-present. 3rd ed. Milton Park, Abingdon: Routledge, 2013. Chapter 1: “Columbus, the Indians, and Human Progress.” PDF.
5. Pick ONE image from this GoogleDoc, and be prepared to discuss how the artist depicts early interactions between Europeans and Native Americans compared to the accounts you just read about. 
6. Visit a historical site of your choice — a museum, landmark, historic place, or similar location here in St. Louis or wherever your summer takes you. As you explore, consider the argument this site is making about the history it presents. Take a selfie as evidence of your visit, then record your reflections and paste your selfie into the Notes Organizer along with your other work. Some St. Louis locations you might consider are listed below, but the possibilities are endless.

• Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
• Gateway Arch National Park museum
• Missouri History Museum
• Soldiers Memorial
• Old Courthouse
• Ulysses S Grant National Historic Site
• The Griot: Museum of Black History
• St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum 
• Campbell House Museum
• Scott Joplin House State Historical Site
• Field House Museum
• Chatillon-DeMenil Mansion
• Jefferson Barracks
• Missouri Civil War Museum
• Museum of Transportation

*If you have any questions about this assignment, please reach out to the Department Chair, Carla Federman (cfederman@micds.org).

Welcome to History of St. Louis!

This summer, you will be examining a collection of sources to help you understand more about current-day St. Louis (a total of 14 assigned articles at roughly total 100 pages, plus two videos and a last article of your choice). Please read the articles in the order that they are listed (PDFs are provided for sources that require a log-in; for all others, you should visit the websites as there are interactive maps and charts), and then explore the video options and choose your own additional piece. As you read, you should complete this organizer, as we’ll be discussing the readings and you’ll complete a writing assignment using them during the first few days of school. Over the course of the semester, we’ll then be examining the history of St. Louis in order to better understand its current state.

Please note: you should do all of the reading on your own, and may NOT use AI in your approach to summer reading. In addition, your organizer should be your own; you cannot share organizers.

The following article provides an introduction to the idea of Urban Studies and the concept of cities. As you read, look for passages that might resonate with what you know about St. Louis.

1. Issitt, Micah L. Preface. The Transformation of American Cities, Grey House Publishing, 2015, pp. ix-xiii. PDF

Explore St. Louis has put together a guide of significant sites in STL. Take note of which you have been to, which you didn’t know about, and which seem the most significant.

2. Explore St. Louis. Historic St. Louis. Last modified 2024. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://explorestlouis.com/guide/historic-st-louis/.

When we talk about “St. Louis,” do we mean the city, the county, or both? The following article provides some historical context around the “Great Divorce” that led to St. Louis’ distinctive political division between St. Louis City as well as the dozens of different municipalities of St. Louis County.

3. Cooperman, Jeanette. “St. Louis’ Great Divorce: A complete history of the city and county separation and attempts to get back together.” St. Louis Magazine, March 8, 2019. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://www.stlmag.com/news/politics/st-louis-great-divorce-history-city-county-split-attempt-to-get-back-together/.

There are certainly issues in the region. The following articles detail some of the challenges that the St. Louis area faces, both as a whole and for individuals.

4. Hamdan, Lara. “What the 2020 census tells us about St. Louis’ changing demographics.” St. Louis Public Radio. Last modified November 13, 2023. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2023-10-16/what-the-2020-census-tells-us-about-st-louis-changing-demographics.

5. Balko, Radley. “How Municipalities in St. Louis County, MO., Profit from Poverty.” The Washington Post, September 3, 2014. Accessed April 8, 2024. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2014/09/03/how-st-louis-county-missouri-profits-from-poverty/?utm_term=.b1ba42a354a3. PDF

6. Perry, Andre M., Anthony Barr, and Carl Romer. “How Black leaders are pursuing racial equity in St. Louis.” Brookings. Last modified September 13, 2021. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-black-leaders-are-pursuing-racial-equity-in-st-louis/. 

7. Putzier, Konrad. “The Real Estate Nightmare Unfolding in Downtown St. Louis.” The Wall Street Journal, April 9, 2024. Accessed April 25, 2024. https://www.wsj.com/real-estate/commercial/doom-loop-st-louis-44505465. PDF

8. O’Shea, Devin Thomas. “In St. Louis, a Tornado Rips Across an Economic Disaster Area.” The Nation, May 23, 2025. Accessed June 3, 2025. https://www.thenation.com/article/economy/st-louis-tornado-delmar-divide-recovery/. PDF

However, recently, there have been several causes for optimism about the St. Louis area. The following articles detail some of the aspects of the region that lead to that sense of optimism (the first is a direct response to Konrad Putzier’s article above):

9. Smith, Steve. “We can Change Perception of Downtown Highlighted by Wall Street Journal.” St. Louis Business Journal, April 16, 2024. Accessed April 25, 2024. https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2024/04/16/downtown-wsj-change-perception-steve-smith.html. PDF

10. Snelling, Grace. “Major Projects Shaping St. Louis.” St. Louis Magazine, January 26, 2024. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://www.stlmag.com/business/projects-shaping-st-louis/. 

11. Wimbley, Lacretia. St. Louis Crime is at its lowest in the past decade. Experts say the reasons are unclear. St. Louis Public Radio. Last modified January 5, 2024. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://www.stlpr.org/law-order/2024-01-05/st-louis-crime-is-at-its-lowest-in-the-past-decade-experts-say-the-reasons-are-unclear. 

Looking to the future, a variety of proposals have been made to build on successes while continuing to work to improve the region. The following articles present possible options for St. Louis:

12. Landis, Kelsey. “Merger Talks? St. Louis officials open to reuniting city and county.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 28, 2022. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://www.stltoday.com/life-entertainment/local/wellness/merger-talks-st-louis-officials-open-to-reuniting-city-and-county/article_d4e86c9f-da67-5a71-8973-a344af0ae524.html. PDF

13. Hays, Gabrielle. “How St. Louis is approaching the question of reparations for Black citizens.” PBS Newshour, February 13, 2023. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/how-st-louis-is-approaching-the-question-of-reparations-for-black-citizens.

14. City of St. Louis. Roadmap to Economic Justice. By St. Louis Development Corporation and Office of the Mayor of St. Louis. April 2022. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/sldc/documents/upload/Roadmap-to-Economic-Justice-20220425.pdf.

When we think about St. Louis, we think about the region as a whole, but also about what it is like to live and work in this area, and our own individual experiences. Below are 6 student-created video profiles about different elements of the city that focus on an individual perspective.

Transportation (Sineff)

16. Lastly, find one additional article from the last two years that helps add to your understanding of what some of the current assets and challenges are for the city.

To prepare for our year together, please read the Introduction (“For the Sake of Argument”) and six additional chapters of your choice from The Thirteen American Arguments: Enduring Debates That Define and Inspire Our Country by Howard Fineman. As you read, complete the accompanying organizer (digital or handwritten).

This reading will provide an important foundation for our course. Fineman introduces the enduring debates that shape American government—many of which we will revisit throughout the year as we study the Constitution, political institutions, and public policy.

When the school year begins, you will build on this work through discussion, analysis, and application, so come prepared to engage thoughtfully with the text. Please bring both your book and completed organizer on the first day of class.

The organizer should be completed independently, without outside assistance (including AI or collaboration with classmates).

The book will be available at the MICDS bookstore, on Amazon, or through local bookstores by request.

I look forward to exploring American government and politics with you! If you have questions, please contact Ms. Roberts (kroberts@micds.org).

Welcome to AP Euro!

All students should PICK ONE of the following films to watch; everyone will be expected to do a short writing assignment during the first week of school about their chosen film. 

Back to School Writing Assignment: Write a minimum of 300-500 word review on your chosen film. In the first paragraph, begin with a quote from the film that you thought was interesting and discuss it. Then, critique the film and rate it using a scale of 1 to 5 stars (***** = Enjoyed it greatly, * = Didn’t enjoy it at all). In the remaining paragraphs, choose three specific facts, events, or people that you felt were important to understanding the story and analyze them, react to them, and discuss them. Overall, how did this film contribute to your understanding of European history? 

MOVIES TO CHOOSE FROM (In approximate chronological order based on content):

Please note: many of these films are rated R due to the violence depicted. You should read a little bit about the film before actually watching it and are responsible for checking with your parents to make sure that watching the film is acceptable to them. 

• The King (2019) R

• Braveheart (1995) R

• The Wars of the Roses (Mini Series 2002) NR

• The White Queen (2013) TV-MA (at least first THREE episodes)

• Medici (2016-1019) TV-14 (at least first THREE episodes)

• The Girl with the Pearl Earring (2003) PG-13

• Luther (2003) PG-13

• The Borgias (2011-2013) TV-MA (at least first THREE episodes)

• Wolf Hall (2015) TV-14 (at least first THREE episodes)

• The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) PG-13

• Lady Jane (1986) PG-13

• Mary Queen of Scots (2018) R

• Reign (2013-2017) TV-14 (at least first THREE episodes)

• Elizabeth (1998) R

• Elizabeth: the Golden Age (2007) PG-13

• Shakespeare in Love (1998) R

• Galileo: on the shoulders of Giants (2011) NR

• Moliere (2007) PG-13

• The Madness of King George (1994) PG-13

• Catherine the Great (1995) PG

• Catherine the Great (2019) TV-MA (at least first THREE episodes)

• To Kill a King (2003) NR

• The Duchess (2008) PG 13

• The Man in the Iron Mask (1998) PG-13

• Amadeus (1984) PG

• Marie Antoinette (2006) PG-13

• Master & Commander (2003) PG-13

• Napoleon (2023) R
  
  

If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Wells (ewells@micds.org)