All the while, we tend to the mechanics of reading and writing. We study the tactics of great readers, learning to be aware of our thought process while we read. We work hard on sentence structure, grammar, vocabulary, and supporting our ideas with adequate details when we write. At the same time, a wide variety of innovative projects that encourage creative problem solving and often use cutting edge applications allow us to demonstrate our understanding in unique and exciting ways. Humanities provides a collaborative, challenging and dynamic introduction to a Beaver education.
Sixth grade Humanities focuses on the elements of culture by studying societies within the United States and across the globe. We study the geographical, economical, and cultural influences within a society and look at the impact of change on a society. As budding anthropologists, we first begin to study aspects that are common to all cultures and then think about what makes us different and what makes us the same. We look at ourselves and explore the concepts of multiple perspectives through R.J. Palacio’s book Wonder before we turn our attention to cultures outside of the United States. We study the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and the tenets of Islam by reading The Breadwinner. Themes of friendship and loyalty between two boys living on the same Kenyan land during the time of colonialism are examined through Burn My Heart. Our conversations on the theme of cultural heritage and the struggles faced when one’s history and culture is outside the dominant culture in a country is explored in American Born Chinese. We end with The Hunger Games as we dissect the futuristic society in the country of Panem (formerly the United States) and examine the issues concerning American culture in a historical context.