The academy offers separate courses of historical studies during the 9th and 10th grades: American and World history respectively. The focus of both classes is guided by the two-fold thesis that God in His providence has guided the course of history for the salvation of souls and that individual men can by their actions and words affect the course of history. As much as possible the courses are taught in narrative manner trying to capture the drama in the stories of great individuals and great events. Students are expected to know the data of history (names, places, dates, etc.), but such data is not to be presented in abstraction from its context of those stories. Thus, students begin to develop a historical sense: a real and profound understanding of men and events, together with the recognition of progress and decay in human culture.