Blended Humanities Course

Responses to Oppression Course Description:

Responses to Oppression is an intentional synthesis of literature and history in the sophomore year that provides meaning and purpose to student learning through authentic assessments that connect literature and history to a broader understanding and caretaking of the modern world. Through a project-based learning model, students investigate both literature and history in conjunction, removed from their manufactured silos. Literature is enriched through the lens of history, and the study of history is enriched through the lens of the literature.

This course engages great texts in the context of modern world history, specifically looking at various forms of oppression, responses to that oppression, and how people are addressing oppression today. Students explore solutions to oppression in the modern world through the use of Stanford’s design thinking model and ultimately prototype and present a solution to a chosen form of modern oppression in their Sophomore Capstone Project at the end of the year.

Honors and History/English 2 students are blended in the classroom environment to broaden the scope of thinkers and the style of learners. Excellent cooperative thinking skills are an expectation in our modern workforce and our students are asked to practice this skill by working with a broad spectrum of minds and personalities. Differentiated expectations for honors vs. History/English 2 students are explicit in everyday instruction and in the formative assessment rubric used throughout the course of this class.