Our teaching is guided by the belief that the study of history and the social sciences provides students with the foundation to evaluate their world and their places in it. We teach our students that the tools and disciplines of multiple social sciences must not be confined to their own specialized field, but used to support one another. As a department, we believe the best teaching and learning begin with careful planning and guided support, allowing students to learn through investigation. We aim to ensure that all students appreciate the significance of politics, economics, history, and sociological analysis in their daily lives, and understand that certain factors and perspectives can influence the manner in which both historical and current events are interpreted. The materials our students study are explored in the context of the modern world, explicitly addressing political, social, cultural, religious, economic and environmental factors.