Humanities provide students with meaningful and authentic ways to engage with the world around them. Our approach is concept-based and interdisciplinary as we explore the multi-faceted dimensions of History, Geography, and Economics. Our underlying approach to the Humanities is to create rich learning environments that leverage student interest in course content by emphasising critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and curiosity. The core of what we do lies in getting students to understand the complexity of the world we live in through their individual place, space, and time so that they might meaningfully begin to engage with the challenges of the 21st century. A clean thread that runs through our work from Grades 6–8 is the UWC Learner Profile and the power of words and actions as we seek to better understand and replicate those brave and courageous children, men, and women that dared to make this world a better place.

In Humanities, students will be given feedback in a variety of forms. At the beginning of each unit, students will be given a checklist that articulates the main learning goals for that unit, written in student-friendly “I can” statements that serve as a map for the learning to come. Throughout the unit, teachers will hold conferences with students to provide them with oral feedback on their progress. Alongside conferences, teachers will assign various tasks which will provide feedback to students on their progress against the criteria set up in the rubrics. 

In Grade 6, Humanities is taught as an integrated course along with English.  The Humanities programme in Grade 6 provides a foundation of skills and knowledge that will be expanded and consolidated throughout the Middle School years and beyond. The learning experiences are offered to cater to a range of learning styles. There is a significant emphasis on developing good reading habits, a crucial part of all subjects.  As students enter Middle School and become more aware of themselves as individuals, the Humanities curriculum requires them to think with greater depth and discipline about their place in the world. The inquiry process provides a framework for students to explore the key understandings that form the focus of our learning. The Grade 6 Enghum programme revolves around several units:

• The Empowerment Equation

Students explore issues of identity, values, and belonging as they investigate personal strengths and how through storytelling and action they can feel empowered to make the world a better place.

• Innovations in Early Societies

Students build on their understanding of values as they investigate the histories of their school, of Singapore, and of their families and learn how to tell mindful and creative stories of the past. 

• Quality and Life Development

Students develop an understanding that quality of life varies significantly within and between countries, and that the potential to improve the quality of life increases with informed and sustainable actions.

• The Dynamic Nature of Earth

Students explore the dynamic nature of Earth’s physical processes and their influences on human activity, learning how communities develop resiliency by planning for, and responding to natural hazards.

• Plus est en vous

Plus est en vous, focuses on the concepts of culture, community, and history, specifically exploring the impact of personal values, significant events, and cultural influences. Students will interview family members about pivotal moments in their lives, learn about Singaporean history during World War II, and examine the role of the UWC mission. The unit culminates in a Historical Interview Project where students will synthesise their learning through creative expression. 

The aim of the Grade 7 Humanities programme is to expand our understanding of the world by examining various concepts and time periods that have impacted humanity. It offers students the opportunity to begin a more global study of the Earth’s people, environment and history by concentrating on understanding the various elements of the Humanities,  while building critical thinking and analytical skills. Time is devoted to providing students with the subject-specific skills required for success in Humanities and revisiting the skills in our UWCSEA profile. The understanding and development of these skills is essential to our programme. Units are developed around big conceptual ideas and linked to content that is designed to generate interest amongst students while also relating to the College aims. Each unit will introduce the interpretive nature of the subject and focus on developing skills, knowledge and understanding around a variety of engaging concepts and content.

The Grade 7 Humanities programme revolves around four units:

1. Values, Beliefs, and World Religions 

Students start the unit by examining their values and beliefs and how this plays an integral role in shaping their behaviors. Considering the world we live in today is still largely ‘religious’, and with Singapore serving as an important backdrop to exploring religious and cultural diversity, students will learn about 5 major world religions: Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Judaism. A further examination of religion will come through our study of current events as students continue to analyse the role religion plays in shaping and impacting the world around us.

2. The Middle Ages: An Exploration in Historical Thinking 

Students will be introduced to various historical thinking concepts (Cause and  Consequence,  Evidence,  Historical  Perspective, Historical Significance) which will allow them to better understand how societies transition through major events that occurred during the Middle Ages.

3. Natural Resources: Choices and Consequences

Students will learn that natural resources are vital for societal development. As the human population grows exponentially and more individuals have an increasing economic ability to consume, demand for material products will have a profound impact on our natural and human environments. Students will come to understand that there are different types of natural resources throughout the world and that the choices and consequences of extracting,  harvesting and using them are wide-reaching.

The focus of the Grade 8 Humanities programme is to recognise and analyse multiple perspectives and points of view as students become more attuned to the necessity of navigating a complex world. The programme offers students the opportunity to better understand the Earth’s people and environment by applying critical thinking and analytical skills to historical and geographical situations. The course is designed to allow students to gain a global perspective on the diversity of nature and cultures in the world, which is at the heart of the UWC movement. We encourage students to appreciate that the essence of Humanities is an understanding of the interaction between human beings, their unique cultures, and the environment. Time is spent developing and applying the skills historians and geographers use to analyse and understand the world around them and to prepare students for their future studies in High School. Unit content is designed to generate interest amongst students, to include experiential components, and to link to the College aims. Each unit will focus on building new skills, knowledge and understandings from previous grades. 

The Grade 8 Humanities programme revolves around 4 units: 

1. People and Government: Who has the Power?

Students will learn about the different levels, forms, and powers of government to better understand how societal systems are built and structured around them. Students will develop an understanding around how governments make decisions in response to significant issues and events and how to interpret the subsequent impacts. 

2. Migration:  People on the  Move

Students will develop an understanding around how political, social,  economic and environmental factors influence migration and how the place of origin and the destination are impacted by the near constant flow of individuals and groups. They will explore how the interactions between cultures creates both opportunities and challenges when people move from one location to another. 

3. Industrialisation

This unit explores the human consequences of the Industrial Revolution with a broad view of the impacts on the economy, society and environment. Students will explore how the world changed during this period by inquiring into the inventions, innovations and ideas that drove this revolution, whilst examining the positive and negative results of these changes. Students will have the opportunity to apply historical thinking lenses to understand the interplay between important concepts and the study of History.