Humanities is the study of the human condition. The Middle School Humanities department sees the study of humanity’s moral, spiritual and intellectual struggles and achievements as forming the essence of Berkeley Carroll’s mission and purpose and our curriculum is directly aligned with fostering students’ critical, ethical and global thinking. At the core, our courses explore the question “What does it mean to be human?”
In fifth grade, students study of ancient cultures, journey literature and world geography as a way learn into thinking critically about where they come from and how all people change through experiences. Sixth graders focus on the civilizations of Ancient Greece and Rome and the Islamic Empire of the medieval period, using as a guide the essential questions: Who decides how we treat one another? Who decides how we act? How is a person’s status determined? What does a community care about the most? Seventh graders study our nation's history, literature, art, geography and current events. Students build reading, writing and speaking skills individually and by working in teams on projects, simulations and presentations. Eighth graders use critical, ethical and global thinking to reflect on identity, conflict, social justice and the power of storytelling and narrative.