HUMANITIES ACADEMY 

STRANDS:

LETTERS, PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, and SOCIAL SCIENCES 

The Humanities Academy will provide students with a 4-year sequence to explore one of three academic pathways: Letters, Public Administration, and Social Sciences. During their freshman year, students will take a Foundations of Humanities course that will expose them to the various schools of thought and career opportunities available under the umbrella of a study in the humanities. At the conclusion of the first year, students will have an opportunity to select their Humanities pathway. 

Students who pursue the Letters pathway will take courses that will allow them to explore classic and contemporary literature. Students will be encouraged to publish original works and participate in a number of literary competitions throughout the course sequence.

Those following the Public Administration pathway will examine the impact of leadership and ethics through a variety of government and community focused courses. Through this course sequence, students will have opportunities to conduct problem-based learning projects which address local and regional challenges.

Students selecting the Social Sciences pathway will investigate the natural rules and processes that govern relationships among individuals in society. Students will explore a variety of careers in this pathway, including psychology, sociology, and economics. 

The description for Foundations of Humanities can be found below. All other course descriptions can be found in their content-area sections. AP Seminar and AP Research descriptions are available here. 

SELECTION TO THE SHS HUMANITIES ACADEMY

The Humanities Academy is open to all incoming freshmen for the 2024-2025 school year. Interested students should attend a Humanities Academy information session held during the month of February. Students wishing to pursue the program will be required to sign-up for the academy using the link posted to the SMS website prior to February 15, 2022. Please email Mr. Rivers or Dr. Buchanan if you have any questions: brent.rivers@sparta.org or andrew.buchanan@sparta.org

To be successful within the Sparta High School Humanities Academy, students must have:

• An interest in how the Humanities (literature, philosophy, art, music, history, religion, psychology) shape our world;

• An excellent work ethic;

• The ability to think creatively in order to solve problems;

• The ability to work independently on long-term projects;

• The ability to work collaboratively on problem-based projects.

Upon completion of the academy sequence, students will receive a Humanities Academy seal on their transcript.

Students will be notified prior to the end of the school year as to the status of their application. Once accepted and enrolled, students in the Humanities Academy are making a commitment to the program. By accepting entrance, it is agreed that students will maintain their studies and school attendance in order to gain the highest benefit from the programs offered. Students should also note that by accepting entrance they are not guaranteed their elective choices outside of the sequence, including band/strings/chorus.

*Denotes Advanced Placement and Concurrent Enrollment courses. Students will have access to 18-27 college credits through this pathway. 

*Denotes Advanced Placement and Concurrent Enrollment courses. Students will have access to 18-30 college credits through this pathway.

Course Title: Foundations of Humanities (Honors)

Course Length:  Full Year / Credits:  5.0

Prerequisite:  Admission in the Humanities Academy

The goal of Humanities is to have students engage in an epistemological journey.  Students will begin this journey by reflecting upon their knowledge bases and explore how these knowledge bases were formulated and frame their understanding of the world around them.   Students will think critically about knowledge assumptions and understand how diverse personal experiences and cultural affiliations can impact one's knowledge base.  Students will examine how various perspectives and applied lenses can influence understandings of particular texts/concepts in addition to evaluating the rhetoric employed in these texts/concepts.  Students will understand how to effectively evaluate material, discerning between popular and scholarly sources.  Ultimately, students will demonstrate their understanding of all course materials in an expansive research project.