Level: Dual-Enrollment (College Credit), Form IV (10th–12th grades)
Subject(s): Citizenship, History
Description:
BHSC is delighted to offer U. S. History from 1877 (HIST 2323) as part of the BHSC Dual-Enrollment Program in partnership with The Academy at Houston Christian University (HCU).
Course details: HIST 2323: U. S. History from 1877 is a survey of American history from the close of Reconstruction to the present.
Recommended as a full year of American History high school credit in addition to the 3 units of college credit awarded by HCU, students must complete college-level reading and in-class exams with writing.
U. S. History from 1877, will be offered on Tuesdays, 9:20 to 10:30 a.m. over the entire 2025–26 BHSC school year, so the pacing will be much more relaxed than taking an equivalent class at a college or university. Instead of the 3-unit college class lasting one semester, the same class will be offered at BHSC over the full year, August through May.
Dual-enrollment instructor Mr. Brian K. Kessler holds a Bachelor of Science in Professional Writing (Technical Writing) from the University of Houston-Downtown and a Master of Arts in History from Houston Christian University (HCU).
Mr. Kessler’s life is a demonstration of how life can take unexpected turn. After graduating from Alief Hastings High School in 1983, he enrolled at the University of Houston with the intention of studying law. During his freshman year, two Houston Police detectives recruited him to the police department where his plan was to work night shift while attending school in the day. He discovered, however, that he was meant to be a police officer. Eventually, he did obtain his undergraduate degree in 2001. Mr. Kessler retired as a police lieutenant after 37 years of service with the Houston Police Department.
After retirement, Mr. Kessler returned to school to study his true academic interest: history. He obtained his master’s from HCU and is excited to share his love of history with the students of Bluebonnet Scholars. Although his historical interests vary widely, his area of expertise is that of Southeast Texas from Spanish Acquisition into the Progressive Era.
Materials:
Families purchase the following required supplies:
- American History Volume 2: 1877 – Present by Thomas A. Kidd (B&H Academic, 2019, ISBN #978-1-4336-4443-6)
- Red Dead’s History: A Video Game, An Obsession, and America’s Violent Past by Tore C. Olsson (St. Martin’s Press, 2024, ISBN #978-1250287700)
- White Girl: A Story of School Desegregation by Clara Silverstein (University of Georgia Press, 2013, ISBN #978-0820345093)
- A Rumor of War by Philip Caputo (Picador, 2017, ISBN # 978-1250117120)
- Three-ring binder with lined paper, pens, pencils, and erasers
- Two standard size manila file folders (like these)
The instructor shall also provide various speeches and writings of American presidents via links to the specific documents online.
