CHRISTIAN ACADEMY IN JAPAN
Christian
Academy
in Japan
Social Studies Department at CAJ
Nate Gibson, Department Head

History is the stage on which God’s story unfolds. With this in mind, we recognize that we inherit, live within, and pass along a legacy. The Social Studies department focuses on cultivating this sense of legacy as we study the past, examine current events, and look ahead to the future. Stewarding this legacy means developing an understanding of community, an understanding of country and culture, and an understanding of global society, particularly the issues that cause suffering all around the world.
The Social Studies department focuses on cultivating this sense of legacy as we study the past, examine current events, and look ahead to the future.
For our students, this culminates in their 12th grade year as they spend the entire school year researching, analyzing, and raising awareness about a global issue of their choice for their Senior Comprehensive Project.

To prepare for this, our students learn to interpret and analyze historical documents in light of their proper context. They learn to research carefully, evaluate the trustworthiness of the sources they find, and put their information together as they share their findings in presentation or writing. They learn to debate thoughtfully, anticipating counterarguments, and rebutting with logic and evidence. They participate in classroom simulations, which help them to empathize with people who have lived in vastly different times and places.

As our students learn about the complex relationships between politics, economics and culture; as they learn to think on a variety of scales, from local, to national, to global; as they begin to recognize their participation within the legacy of history, we hope that they will be equipped to be agents of grace and truth in a fallen world, prepared to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.
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