Humanities

Grades 7 & 8

The Humanities course for Grades 7 & 8 is a two year program integrating English Language Arts (ELA) and US History. The course combines literature-based ELA instruction using books, stories and poems that reflect the time periods being studied. Students read and analyze documents and other historical materials and complete several research and writing projects. Students are prepared for further learning and achieve above average scores on their ELA and Social Studies State Exams.

Grade 10

The Humanities course is a fully integrated, interdisciplinary History and English course for sophomores. The course is taught in one classroom by Brad Hurlburt (History) and Joy McCabe (English).

Humanities covers the history of Western civilization from ancient Greece and the Roman Empire to the 21 st century. Materials include a global studies textbook and literature appropriate for each era. Art, music and theatre are integrated and every opportunity is taken to make each period come alive for the students.

For example, Greek and Shakespearean plays are performed by the students, on stage, complete with costumes and props. In fact, it has become an annual tradition for the Humanities students to put on a Renaissance Faire for the third and fourth grade classes. One year, students who had completed the Humanities course had the opportunity to travel to Greece and Italy during the summer.

In addition to history and literature, analytical and creative writing assignments are integrated into each particular era as it is studied. Students read books by international authors and write an analytical literature essay once a week throughout the entire school year.

Students write their own Greek tragedy, a Medieval legend, an additional scene for Macbeth, a satire, a Pantoum poem and a Sestina. To make connections with the past and present, every student gives weekly presentations on a current event that is happening in an assigned country. WWII and Vietnam veterans from the community have visited the classroom to share their experiences.

At the end of the course, two final exams are given: a Global Studies Regents exam covering two years of world history and an exam in English (literature, vocabulary and language arts).