Humanities is a four-year interdisciplinary experience that is rich in collaboration, student-centered learning, and interactive discussion. Students discover their voices as writers and critical thinkers, as they are challenged to become engaged citizens and responsible leaders in an increasingly complex and globalized world. Humanities is a space for exploration, both personally and academically, that fosters an understanding of self, community, the natural world and the divine.
Humanities teachers will work with you to help you become a confident, assured writer in whatever field you pursue in college and beyond. Through mixed media, including texts, film, podcasts, visual arts, debates and speeches, you will have the opportunity to explore a variety of voices as you work to develop your own voice in the community and in the world. A number of notable guest speakers also visit classes throughout the academic year to offer different perspectives and insights on current events and topics related to your studies.
Humanities courses at SPS are built around collaboration, reflection and adaptability. Teachers work as a team, learning from one another while partnering closely with students in discussion-based, interdisciplinary classes. As student thinking drives the work, courses continually evolve — fostering intellectual nimbleness and a shared commitment to meaningful learning.
A core curriculum is designed to introduce students to a wide range of “texts” and help them become adept at making significant connections between these sources. Students also engage with one another in exploring the complex relationships between individuals and their communities. A variety of electives also are open to Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Formers, spanning such topics as “Brahma to Buddha,” “The African Diaspora,” “Practical Politics,” and many more.
This course asks students to examine the paradigm that governs American foreign policy and the key moments in history when that paradigm has shifted. In our study of foreign policy decisions, this course examines America’s role as an imperial power, the role of human rights in America’s foreign policy decisions, the relationship between the United States and the United Nations and the concept of America as the world’s global police. Students are expected to pay particular attention to current events. There are several research projects as a major component of this course.
The 1960s are marked as a period of great social and political unrest and change. A generation grew up during this decade questioning the status quo in the interest of collective societal progress. Political conversations evolved to include personal experiences of discrimination and oppression. This course will explore the forces that shaped the decade and examine what it represents to different demographics and for different institutions. St. Paul’s School will be one case study for which we will conduct exploratory research to practice historical research methodologies.
Political philosophy is the study of people in societies, focusing on the claims they have on each other in the form of rights and obligations and their demands for justice, equality and liberty. It is concerned with an analysis of the state and related institutions. This course studies questions about sovereignty (the power and authority assumed by the ruler) and political obligation (the duty and submission assumed by the ruled). Students will examine questions such as: Under which conditions can political obligation arise and what is its extent? Are freedom and equality compatible? What is justice — an idea, an ideal or simply a routine legal process? What connection is there between justice and law? What is a law? How are laws justified and are there aspects of human life that laws should not attempt to regulate? Should we always obey the law or are there conditions under which breaking the law is justifiable?
This course will provide students with the opportunity to examine in great detail one of the most important world events of the last 60 years: the conflict in Vietnam. Specific topics such as the life of the “grunt” and turmoil on the homefront will be explored, as will larger questions about the nature of war itself in the second half of the 20th century. In an effort to answer questions about the war as it really was, versus that seen in popular literature and film, the class will consider a broad selection of media, as well as a variety of historical texts and essays. Documentaries and motion pictures to be studied include: “Hearts and Minds,” “The Hanoi Hilton,” “The Green Berets,” “Apocalypse Now,” “Platoon,” “Full Metal Jacket,” “Born on the 4th of July,” “Casualties of War” and others. Works read will include, but are not limited to, excerpts from: Philip Caputo’s “A Rumor of War,” Truong Nhu Tang’s “A Vietcong Memoir,” Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried,” Robert Mason’s “Chickenhawk,” Michael Herr’s “Dispatches,” Stanley Karnow’s “Vietnam: A History,” and a selection of essays from the anthology “Major Problems in the History of the Vietnam War.”
Could a utopian society ever exist, and why does a search for the perfect world typically backfire? How do authors use dystopian literature as a form of social commentary on their own societies, and how effective is this form of criticism? How are decades-old social commentaries relevant to our society today? In this course, we will strive to answer these questions as we study the works of Orwell and Atwood, among others. In addition, we will look at the way this genre has evolved with the emergence of several contemporary YA dystopian literature series. Besides novels, short stories and films/TV series may also be used.
Humanities students welcomed New York Times bestselling author Renée Watson to campus for a conversation about writing, identity and storytelling. Through discussion and student-driven questions, Watson shared her creative process and invited students to reflect on voice, perspective and the power of narrative.
See a sample of humanities classes you can take.
Deadline is Jan. 15. Apply today!