(1 credit of English and 1 credit of Social Studies)
Humanities I is a foundational interdisciplinary program that studies the literature and modern history of four cultural regions: China, India, Africa and the Middle East. Students will explore each of these regions, share and discuss what they learn, and reflect upon their own cultural identities. Students will read a range of historically appropriate literary texts, and they will be introduced to the full range of writing skills that are demanded by higher-level studies in the Humanities.
Students will
- Interpret issues from an interdisciplinary perspective.
- Understand and appreciate a variety of cultures.
- Connect literature to life, past and present.
- Describe their own sense of self as they learn about other cultures.
- Read, explore and analyze a wide variety of texts.
- Understand bias and perspective in texts and film.
- Recognize the interplay of cause and effect, continuity and change, chronology and point of view.
- Become effective researchers, developing a variety of research techniques and an understanding of analytical, thesis-based writing.
- Develop the skills of acknowledging and correctly citing all the sources that they incorporate into their writing.
- Become effective and independent writers, in a range of genres.
- Defend a personal position and support it with evidence, explain an opposing point of view.
- Hone effective oral presentation skills, both formal and informal.
- Explore and act upon their responsibilities as members of a global community.
Student assessments may include
- Journal responses
- Timed, in-class writing
- Processed written assignments in a variety of genres
- Teacher-, peer-, and self-assessments
- Individual and group presentations and projects
- Small-group and class-wide discussions and activities
- Graphical interpretations
- Examinations, tests and quizzes
- Debates and shared inquiry
“Humanities I is a friendly introduction to the High School Humanities program. It’s paced comfortably, and absolutely no background knowledge is required. It’s an exciting journey, where students have the opportunity to learn more about the modern history of China, India, Africa, and the Middle East. Make sure to make good use of office hours, etc, to solidify your text analysis, academic writing, and other skills. A strong foundation in this class will benefit you hugely in the courses beyond. I highly recommend this course because it trains you well in the skills that are demanded in higher-level Humanities courses.”
- Kristy Luk (Class of 2025)
“Humanities I is a course that I definitely enjoyed in Grade 9. The course isn't too difficult and is the perfect course to teach you the necessary skills you need throughout your high school career (learning how to write a DBQ or literary analysis etc). Through this course, you'll also be able to learn about countries you aren't familiar with and analyze the impacts of historical events on current-day issues.”
- Lauren Tse (Class of 2025)
“Humanities I is a fun introductory humanities course. Instead of learning about western history and society, this course focuses on China, India, Africa, and the Middle East. You will be exposed to incredible literary works by Aravind Adiga, Chinua Achebe, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Assessments include the Grade 9 research paper (FRP), literary analysis essays, and timed writing. Completing this class will set you up well for Humanities II and, possibly, Humanities AP classes. One thing to remember is that Hum I merges English and social studies and counts for two credits.”
- James Ellis (Class of 2025)