What is Humanities?
Skills for Success
Humanities is a combination of the courses that have traditionally been called "Language Arts" and "Social Studies." By combining these areas of study into a singular course, we are better able to meet the needs of all learners by allowing them to practice critical reading, writing, research, and communication skills while simultaneously developing historical context for topics and issues that are relevant to the modern world and necessary for them to become informed and engaged global citizens.
OES Humanities: Not Your Typical Social Studies Class
In the past, Social Studies has often been focused largely on learning key facts, such as vocabulary terms, dates, or the names of important people and places. This information was often presented to students chronologically with units that covered time periods from the ancient world to the mid-twentieth century. Though this information is important, in OES Humanities, we take a different approach.
OES Humanities uses a thematic approach to teaching history, exploring how the people and events of the past continue to impact the world today. Instead of solely focusing on memorization of facts, students are asked to apply their learning in a variety of different ways. Instead of teachers acting as the sole source of information, students are encouraged to learn from a wide range of perspectives and practice the skills needed to research and analyze information independently. This includes learning and practicing strategies for determining whether sources of information are accurate and trustworthy. With all of these skills intact, they prepare themselves for a lifetime of questioning, learning, and growing.
Personalized Learning in Humanities
Another important goal of our Humanities courses at OES is for students to become independent, self-directed learners. Aside from exploring important themes together as a group, students have opportunities to choose their own learning pathways that are meaningful to them and appropriate based on their individual interests and needs. They have numerous opportunities to make progress at a pace that is appropriate for them, whether they need a little extra time to practice a skill/concept, or whether they are ready to move forward and take on new challenges.
