Social Sciences
Bio
Education:
B.A., Geography and Spanish Language, Colgate University
Brief Background:
Before joining Oxbridge Academy in 2017, Ms. Pack taught honors world history, AP United States government and politics, and honors economics at the University School of Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale. In 2016, she co-wrote an entrepreneurship class curriculum that won an award from Nova University for innovative curriculum design.
Oxbridge Academy's Social Sciences department teaches essential skills, including critical thinking, communication, persuasive argumentation, writing, research, and primary source analysis. These skills are foundational for collegiate-level study and applicable to various career paths. Students will develop an understanding and appreciation of human experiences, expression, and a sense of community and self. Students will also learn how civilizations and relational structures function and how they can participate constructively within a society.
Oxbridge's history offerings provide context to understand why our world is how it is. Government and Economics courses help students understand systems for engaging with the broader community and with organizational structures that influence their choices and responsibilities as members of local, national, and global networks and communities. We focus on developing skills essential to college readiness, professional work, and global citizenship.
We also offer electives in Entrepreneurship, History, Finance, Economics, and Psychology electives. These electives allow students to deepen the skills taught in our core curriculum and learn specialty skills that will prepare them for further college studies or as working professionals and business owners.ANIKA PACK - SOCIAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT CHAIR
Faculty
Dr. Marjorie Chiarolanzio
Social Sciences Teacher
Bio
Education:
Teaching degree in secondary education, Florida Atlantic University
B.S., Political Science
American University
M.S., Management and Administration of Educational Programs
Ph.D., Organizational Leadership,
Nova Southeastern University
Brief Background:
A native Michigander who grew up passionate about history, debate, and international affairs, Dr. Chiarolanzio is also certified by the Florida Department of Education in Secondary Social Studies and Educational Leadership. A faculty member since 2014, “Dr. C” directs Oxbridge’s highly regarded Model United Nations program, which won state and national competitions in 2020, 2021 and 2023.
Dr. William Rowe
Social Sciences Teacher
Bio
Education:
B.S., Languages (Arabic), Georgetown University
M.A., Middle East Studies
Ph.D., Geography and the Environment, University of Texas at Austin
Brief Background:
Before joining Oxbridge Academy in 2022, Dr. Rowe was a Senior Geography Fellow at Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan. Before moving to Kazakhstan, he taught economic geography, geography of religion, international studies, and regional geography at Louisiana State University. At Macalester College, he taught classes in regional geography and geography of religion. At University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Rowe taught classes in regional geography. Dr. Rowe has lived, worked, and researched in many places in the United States, Switzerland, Greece, the UK, Egypt, Morocco, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Kazakhstan.
Robert Frackelton
Economics Teacher
Bio
Education:
B.S., Economics and History, Wake Forest University, cum laude
M.A., Liberal Arts, The University of Richmond
Brief Background:
A member of the Oxbridge Academy faculty since 2014, Mr. Frackelton’s teaching success is highlighted by a 2017 Florida Council on Economic Education (FCEE) “Teacher Spotlight,” a Florida Stock Market Challenge Distinguished Advisor of the Year award along with three Governor’s Awards of Excellence from FCEE. After receiving a grant from the Anne Goss Foundation, he helped establish Oxbridge’s Student Investment Club, which continues to grow today. In October of 2022, Mr. Frackelton helped launch the Free Enterprise Institute with a distinguished speaker series and other programming that examines the role of capitalism in finance, economics, and entrepreneurship. Currently, Mr. Frackelton serves as the coordinator for the FEI and enjoys sharing his passion for economics with the rest of the community.
Bryan Kessler
Social Sciences Teacher
Oona Mulligan
Social Sciences Teacher
Bio
Education:
B.S., History and Marketing,
Providence College, cum laude
M.A., History, Western Connecticut StateUniversity,
summa cum laude
Brief Background:
Ms. Mulligan has taught history at Oxbridge Academy since 2012. Before joining Oxbridge, she taught and coached an array of sports at public and private schools. In 2017, she was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at her alma mater, Immaculate High School, where she taught and also coached the cross country, field hockey, and track teams.
Gabbi Roland
Psychology Teacher
Bio
Education:
B.A., University of Miami
Brief Background:
A South Florida native Ms. Roland has been a member of the Oxbridge Academy faculty member since 2019. With a love of the written word and an interest in the human condition, Ms. Roland is an avid writer. After graduating from the University of Miami, she worked with a South Florida non-profit organization where she continued to hone her writing skills. Since then, she has been published in several magazines. Her love of literature and the human condition and her desire to share that with others led her to education. Today, she teaches African-American Literature and Psychology at Oxbridge.
Robert Crawford
Entrepreneurship Teacher
Bio
Education:
B.A., History/Asian Studies, Washington & Lee University,
cum laude
M.A., Liberal Arts, Rikkyo University, Tokyo, Japan
J.D., Law
International Studies, University of Washington
Brief Background:
After serving as the Olin Fellow at the US Naval War College, Dr. Crawford has been teaching social sciences for over 25 years, most recently as a member of the Oxbridge Academy faculty. Dr. Crawford has been working as a consultant to the College Board since 1998 and has served as the Chairman of the Test Development Committee for AP Exams in Government and Economics since 2016. He is proud to have contributed to many traditions and been the recipient of awards at other schools around Florida including recognition for excellence in yearbook production at Pine Crest School and Teacher of the Year at both Berkeley Preparatory School and NSU University School. Dr. Crawford is happy to co-sponsor the highly successful Model United Nations team here are Oxbridge and hopes to expand the Entrepreneurship courses to include an annual Trade Fair under the auspices of the Free Enterprise Institute.
Dr. Meg Butler
Social Sciences Teacher
Bio
Education:
B.A., Classical Archaeology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Ph.D., Classics, Stanford University
Brief Background:
Dr. Butler earned a Ph.D. in Classics from Stanford University and a B.A. in Classical Archaeology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to joining the faculty at Oxbridge Academy as a Visiting Scholar, she taught at Stanford University, Tulane University, and the International School Nido de Aguilas. Dr. Butler's research and fieldwork includes archaeological projects in the Mediterranean and ethnographic fieldwork in the United States.
Course Offerings
- World History
- Honors World History
- US History
- Honors US History
- Honors Seminar US History
- Honors Civil Rights on the Global Stage
- Honors Tides of Change: Pacific and Caribbean History
- Geography of Religion
- Honors Seminar British History
- Honors Seminar Tyranny & Democracy
- US Government
- Honors US Government
- Honors Seminar US Government
- Free Enterprise Institute
- Economics
- Honors Economics
- Honors Seminar Economics
- Honors Seminar Microeconomics
- Honors Seminar Macroeconomics
- Financial Markets 1
- Financial Markets 2
- The Entrepreneurial Mindset
- Entrepreneurship: Idea to Market
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Honors Abnormal Psychology
- Honors Seminar Forensic Psychology
World History
WORLD HISTORY
Year • No Prerequisites
World History is the fascinating story of people and their problems, solutions, failures, and successes. Students progress through an exploration of global history with a particular emphasis on turning points. Students hear diverse stories from around the world while gaining a deeper understanding of and appreciation for how the past led to the present. The World History course uses content as a framework for teaching skills; students creatively reintegrate knowledge through research, persuasive writing, and spoken dialogue. The course’s flipped classroom methodology ensures students receive content input at their own individual pace and allows class time to be reserved for collaboration, peer-to-peer academic dialogue, individual student-teacher conferencing, skill-building activities, and application of knowledge.
Honors World History
HONORS WORLD HISTORY
Year • Dept. Approval Required
This course inspires a fundamental appreciation for the people, events, and forces shaping the modern world. Students explore global events with attention to processes, patterns, and interactions that impact humanity on a global scale. Students examine the origins of key social, political, environmental, cultural, and economic changes, and their impact on society and relevance to global events. This course examines detailed content and requires students to engage in nuanced written and verbal discourse. Due to the rigor and accelerated pace of the honors course, students need to be independent note-takers, grasp and recall new information readily, and demonstrate strong work habits before enrolling in this course.
US History
US HISTORY
Year • World History Required
The United States history course promotes knowledge and appreciation of our country’s past, present, and future. This course promotes a general understanding of the dominant patterns of American thought from colonial days through the Cold War. This course helps students understand social, political, economic, cultural, and military experiences that have played a role in shaping our country. Upon successful completion of this course, students will understand the significance of our country’s history and our place in the world. The course emphasizes comprehension of higher-level text and analysis of primary and secondary texts with associated maps, graphs, and pictorial materials.
Honors US History
HONORS US HISTORY
Year • Honors World History & Dept. Approval Required
This course is for students ready to meet a fast-paced course's demands. This course emphasizes post-1750 history, The US Constitution, and the American political system. Considerable emphasis is placed on analytical writing skills and the factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the challenges that the country has faced in the past. Students will read the class text and primary sources and be able to apply that knowledge to answering analytical essays, document-based essays, and multiple-choice questions. This course emphasizes developing the necessary collaborative skills for creative and innovative projects.
Honors Seminar US History
HONORS SEMINAR US HISTORY
Year • Honors World History & Dept. Approval Required
This course explores fundamental questions about the history of the US at the very highest academic level. How is American identity defined, maintained, and redefined? How do patterns of individualism and community diverge and converge? How have the United States' political systems, social structures, culture, and economy evolved? To answer these and other questions, we will study primary sources and develop ideas through discussion and formal and informal written responses. By the end of the year, students can articulate sophisticated, nuanced positions on American history from the Colonial Era to the Cold War.
Honors Civil Rights on the Global Stage
HONORS CIVIL RIGHTS ON THE GLOBAL STAGE
Year • US History & Dept. Approval Required
In the 1950s and 1960s, the American Civil Rights Movement swept through the South. It dominated news coverage across the US, scoring many legal and political victories to end discrimination and inspiring others to mount their equality campaigns. This movement emerged in the context of a broader fight for freedom in Africa and Asia that both inspired and took inspiration from American civil rights activists. To better understand the events, people, and themes involved in Black Americans' struggle for freedom during the middle decades of the 20th century, this course examines the global reach of civil rights activism. Students explore the broad historical context within which the movement arose, the various philosophies, strategies, expectations, and tactics of the activists and their opponents, and its legacies. We will explore these issues through primary and secondary source readings, documentaries and films, lectures and discussions, and interactive classroom assignments.
Honors Tides of Change: Pacific and Caribbean History
HONORS TIDES OF CHANGE: PACIFIC AND CARIBBEAN HISTORY
Semester • Open to Grades 10-12, Dept. Approval Required
Islands have served as crucial spaces for human development since the earliest documented times. Students explore social, political, cultural, environmental, and economic development of island societies and examine relationships between islands and continental events. From the most distant and isolated places to some of the most interconnected locations on the planet, the unique geography of islands provides opportunities to examine culture, technology, archeology, sociology, and exploration. After gaining a foundational understanding of island geography and relevant terminology, students explore case studies from around the globe, particularly in the Caribbean and Polynesia.
Geography of Religion
GEOGRAPHY OF RELIGION (Honors Available) |
This course is a survey of the geography of religion. Building directly on skills and information learned in World History, this course provides a disciplinary framework for understanding how religion relates to culture, urban planning, and our environment. This course focuses on religious culture rather than theology; students are encouraged to enroll regardless of religious background. In addition, students learn about geographic concepts such as a feeling of place, sacred spaces, pilgrimage, the relationship between religion and environment, cultural assimilation and differentiation over space expectations, tactics of the activists and their opponents, and the movement's legacies. We explore these issues through primary and secondary source readings, documentaries and films, lectures and discussions, and interactive classroom assignments. |
Honors Seminar British History
HONORS SEMINAR BRITISH HISTORY
Semester • Cambridge Scholars Attendees-Only
British History is a preparatory course for juniors attending the Cambridge Scholars Program. The course provides students with an overview of key events in British History and an in-depth examination of the program topic, which varies annually. In addition to providing students with a content background that will allow more profound engagement with the Cambridge experience, this course offers advanced instruction in research skills necessary for undergraduate work at Cambridge and beyond Oxbridge.
Honors Seminar Tyranny & Democracy
HONORS SEMINAR TYRANNY & DEMOCRACY
Year • US Government and Dept. Approval Required
How do governments rise, transform, and collapse? How do power, institutions, and ideas shape history? This course explores the relationship between tyranny and democracy from prehistory through the 20th century, focusing on Ancient Greece and Rome, the Enlightenment, and the Atlantic Revolutions. Key themes include war and state formation, institutional theory, and philosophies of power and governance. Drawing from a wide range of historical sources, we will analyze how political ideas, movements, and institutions take shape and drive change, how knowledge and values fuel democracy, and how revolutions reshape the world. Students also will read Robert Penn Warren’s classic political novel All the King’s Men, which connects course themes to the dynamics of power and governance in modern America. Through historical simulations, advanced research and writing, and seminar discussion, students will examine the forces and ideas that have shaped—and continue to transform—the foundations of political power.
US Government
US GOVERNMENT
Semester • US History Required
This course introduces the philosophical underpinnings, institutional structures, and processes that comprise the US government. The course revolves around two fundamental questions: What does it mean to live under a democratic system of government? What obligations and opportunities do citizens have for civic engagement? Skills include analytical writing, research, debate, dialogue, and group work. This course seeks to create socially and politically informed students who can make future decisions to ensure their role as active, informed citizens.
Honors US Government
HONORS US GOVERNMENT
Semester • US History & Dept. Approval Required
This course studies the formal and informal structures of government and the processes of the American political system. This course introduces students to key political ideas, institutions, policies, roles, and behaviors that characterize the political structure of the US. This course includes the study of general concepts used to interpret US government and politics and the analysis of specific examples of historical and contemporary policy decisions. Students creatively reintegrate their knowledge through hands-on experiences driven by research, collaboration, and technology. Various assessments test knowledge of content.
Honors Seminar US Government
HONORS SEMINAR US GOVERNMENT
Semester • US History & Dept. Approval Required
This course provides a college-level, nonpartisan introduction to key political concepts, ideas, institutions, policies, interactions, roles, and behaviors that characterize the constitutional system and political culture of the US. Students will study US foundational documents, Supreme Court decisions, and other texts and visuals to understand the relationships and interactions among political institutions, processes, and behaviors. They engage in disciplinary practices that require them to read and interpret data, make comparisons and applications, and develop evidence- based arguments.
Free Enterprise Institute
Oxbridge’s Signature Economics & Entrepreneurship Curriculum
Established in October 2022, Oxbridge Academy’s Free Enterprise Institute (FEI) is a learning hub for the next generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs. Offering an environment rich in expertise in entrepreneurship, finance, economics, new product development, and artificial intelligence, FEI provides formal and informal opportunities for students to come together with peers, teachers, and industry experts to learn about capitalism and its influence around the globe.
Economics
ECONOMICS
Semester • Open to Grades 11-12
Students learn how scarcity impacts choice and resource allocation. These themes are considered from various viewpoints, including the individual consumer, small businesses, national governments, and the global economy. Key topics include the laws of supply and demand, forms of business, government finances and influence, market types, economic systems, price, inflation, unemployment, and international trade and comparative advantage. The course also connects strongly to students’ prior knowledge of history and politics.
Honors Economics
HONORS ECONOMICS
Semester • Open to Grades 11-12 • Dept. Approval Required
HHonors Economics explores the principles of economic theories and relates them to “the ordinary business of life” (Alfred Marshall). Students learn about scarcity and how studying scarce resources led to the disciplines of microeconomics and macroeconomics. An emphasis is placed on the individual’s role in the global economy, concentrating on contemporary economic and financial issues. Students in the honors course engage with pertinent economic models and higher-level graphing skills relevant to the field. Finally, the class participates in the Florida Stock Market Challenge and learns the investing basics.
Honors Seminar Economics
HONORS SEMINAR ECONOMICS
Semester • Open to Grades 11-12 • Dept. Approval Required
This course gives students a fundamental understanding of microeconomics and macroeconomics at an advanced level. Students learn to graph and analyze supply and demand models, market structures, and externalities. Students examine economic data and explore macroeconomic models. An emphasis is placed on the impact of monetary and fiscal policy on the economy. Through economic case studies, students debate current financial issues and are challenged to think critically about how economics impacts their daily lives.
Honors Seminar Microeconomics
HONORS SEMINAR MICROECONOMICS
Semester • Economics & Dept. Approval Required | Corequisite: Honors Precalculus
Microeconomics studies individuals and firms that attempt to explain the relationships between scarcity and choice, individual actions, business decision-making, and the production process and marginal analysis. Students study optimality, irrationality, externalities, markets, and utility theory of choice.
Honors Seminar Macroeconomics
HONORS SEMINAR MACROECONOMICS
Semester • Economics & Dept. Approval Required | Corequisite: Honors Precalculus
Macroeconomics studies the whole economy and attempts to explain the relationships between growth, unemployment, inflation, interest rates, trade, and other economic factors. Students examine the business cycle, aggregate demand and supply, fiscal policy, monetary policy, and several macroeconomic theories. The course concludes with a capstone project where students simulate a meeting of the Federal Reserve.
Financial Markets 1
FINANCIAL MARKETS 1
Semester • Corequisite: Economics
This course provides a foundation for learning about financial markets. Students explore the fundamentals of bonds, stocks, foreign exchange, options, and futures. Emphasis is placed on how financial markets work and their economic impact. Students learn to use fundamental and technical analysis to evaluate financial instruments. Financial topics are covered, including cryptocurrency, meme stocks, and technology's increased role in trading. Students manage a mock portfolio to gain investing experience.
Financial Markets 2
FINANCIAL MARKETS 2
Semester • Financial Markets 1 Required
Students learn the basics of portfolio theory and management, taking a holistic view of financial markets. Topics such as risk management, diversification, and efficient markets are discussed. Students apply what they learn using a realistic investment simulator, trading stocks, bonds, options, and futures in a mock portfolio with a concentration on portfolio management. Students will present their portfolios at the end of the semester, analyzing their performance. Additionally, the class will be able to manage an actual portfolio of around $5,000. This course is interactive and practical, leading to a lifetime of investing.
The Entrepreneurial Mindset
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET
Semester 1 • Open to Grades 10-12
Entrepreneurship is a mindset, and this course provides an introduction and overview of the fundamentals of what it takes to succeed. This course celebrates the contributions and personalities of important entrepreneurs and assists students in determining whether being an entrepreneur is the right career path for them. Students will explore their leadership styles, create innovative products with scamper design and effectual thinking, practice win-win negotiation, and then move on to business organization and personal branding. The course will culminate with students pitching what they have learned about themselves in a mock business interview.
Entrepreneurship: Idea to Market
ENTREPRENEURSHIP: IDEA TO MARKET
Semester 2 • Open to Grades 10-12
Students explore business organization and opportunity development. Teams devise a proprietary, practical invention and use critical thinking and problem solving to develop a business plan for their invention, learn how to legally protect their company via a patent, protect their logo and tagline with a trademark, determine their cost of goods sold, distribution methods, marketing tactics, and total start-up funds that are required to launch their businesses. Each business officer is responsible for providing leadership during one unit and is evaluated by the instructor, themselves, and their peers on their demonstrated leadership and organizational skills. At the project’s completion, students will create a prototype and pitch their invention to real business owners at a school-wide trade fair.
Psychology
PSYCHOLOGY
Semester • Open to Grades 10-12
This course is a study of human behavior and mental processes from diverse perspectives. Topics include psychology as a science, social psychology, biological bases of behavior, sensation and perception, and states of consciousness. Students participate in and analyze research studies illustrating core content in various fields of psychology and engage in individual research of psychological topics.
Social Psychology
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Semester • Open to Grades 10-12
Social psychology focuses on the perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of individuals and groups within a social context. Students will study the perspectives, research methods, and empirical findings
of social psychology. Topics covered include impression formation, conformity, prosocial behavior, interpersonal attraction, persuasion, stereotyping, and prejudice.
Honors Abnormal Psychology
HONORS ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
Semester • Psychology OR Social Psychology AND Dept. Approval Required
This course introduces students to fundamental concepts, scientific principles, and history underlying abnormal human behavior. The course is structured to facilitate learning about psychopathological behavior, explored from various theoretical frameworks, including psychological, biological, and sociocultural perspectives. Psychiatric disorders are discussed according to DSM-V diagnostic criteria, with special attention to etiological considerations and disorder-specific descriptions. Specific disorders reviewed include mood, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicide. Current empirically based treatments for mental disorders are also reviewed.
Honors Seminar Forensic Psychology
HONORS SEMINAR FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY
Semester • Grades 11-12 Only • Abnormal Psychology and Dept. Approval Required
The American Psychological Association (APA) has favored the narrow definition of forensic psychology as “the application and practice of psychology in the legal system, particularly in courts.” The main areas in the legal system where a person can find a forensic psychologist, according to authors of the course text include: Police/Law enforcement, criminal and delinquent behavior/psychology, victimology and victim services, courtrooms, and correctional facilities and/or prisons. This course covers the various areas that involve law and psychology. This course focuses on some interrogation techniques and behavior. The course uses visual aids that may be graphic (gore, gruesome) to demonstrate various crimes that a forensic psychologist/ psychiatrist would encounter with their job function.
PLEASE NOTE: Course availability fluctuates from year to year. Please review the 2025-2026 Course Catalog for information on course availability and enrollment requirements.