London Seminar

 

Open to juniors and seniors, this unique course experience is the model of cross-curricular: students will gain an understanding of London’s evolution through its various literary, cultural, political, historical, and architectural incarnations. The primary focus is “literary London,” the examination of how various writers characterized and documented life within this cosmopolitan city. Of great importance are key historical, political, and social movements as they relate to the evolution of London and its denizens, dating from Roman times to its status as a post-modern financial and cultural capital.

 

A major component of this course is a ten-day trip to London during Easter recess. The city of London and its surrounding areas become a classroom for students, allowing a physical realization of their conceptual work. They will experience first hand the historical sights, museums, cultural attractions, and neighborhoods studied in the course. Our hope is that by experiencing this course and trip, they have a greater understanding of the literary and cultural traditions of England – London more specifically –and a greater comfort with a foreign culture and its people. 

 

The course is taught in a seminar format, and on the level of an honors class in both course work and content. Our students will also pursue individually designed research and thinking with cross-curricular themes of history, film, architecture, urban planning, art, music, sociology, politics and literature.