International Community School – International Studies 1

Mar 2026 · 2nd Semester

Students investigate questions that aim to seek a better understanding of Washington State as a microcosm of man’s development, and how its history reflects and mirrors the development of humans. Students will be introduced to the first peoples of Washington State, world events related to Washington State, and the structure and strengths of Washington State’s government systems and economy. Students will examine the State’s significant events, governmental systems, cultural trends, politics, and economics. Second semester explores how the evolution of early man became significant once humans learned to control nature and exploit earth’s resources. Students study how the world began according to creation myths and current scientific theories. Why and how did the first humans try to control nature? What are the major factors that make up a “civilization”? What parts do religion and nature play in social development? How did early humans populate what is now Europe, Asia, and the Americas? Taken together, these questions follow the increasing sophistication of humanity’s cognitive development, technology, government, and religious institutions. Students will formalize the inquiry-based learning techniques that they were introduced to in Introduction to International Studies. In addition, students will conduct a long-term research project focusing on human-environment interactions.