An 11th-grade interdisciplinary course combining English and American history examines United States history from the perspective of nine topics, rather than through the traditional, chronological-survey approach. Discovery learning and independent research are the focus of course method. At the start of the course, students are given nine hypotheses relating to American history which they are required to either prove or disprove throughout the course of the year. An example of such an hupothesis is "The majority of the presidents of the United States have been elected on the basis of personal appeal rather than political philosophy." Students then develop an understanding of the nature of hypothesis formation and learn to work independently, budget their time, evaluate information, draw conclusions, define positions both orally and in written form, and assume group leadership. Because of these high expectations, only students from the top 11 percent of their class are eligible. Students gather data through independent research and present their conclusions in a final report. Teacher and library assistance is available throughout each research project for gathering appropriate data and finding resources. As a result of this program, two spin-off courses have been developed for other social studies classes. Each of these three innovative programs involves extensive teacher cooperation and team effort. (Author/JR)