Humanities
Combining the traditional departments of English and History, our Humanities courses teach students how to find their own voice as they make sense of our complex and evolving world. Doing that begins with learning how to ask good questions, gather information, organize and evaluate that information, and then share it with others in a clear, cogent, and open-minded way that leads to further inquiry.
The foundation of our Humanities program is our 9th grade course. This “double period,” workshop-based experiences integrate English and History content and focus on holistic education and fundamental skill development. By design, the curriculum incorporates significant community-building, self-awareness, and social-emotional learning opportunities. This skillset cultivated, students have a growing sense of who they are as learners and people, and are well prepared to enter our diverse and rigorous Deep Learning Initiative offerings in Junior and Senior years.
Elizabeth Higgins
Humanities Coordinator
Joined Wooster in 2013-2014
Embedded Honors Program (9th and 10th Grades)
As part of their self-discovery and active engagement, students often realize they have a particular passion for the Humanities. That in mind, our courses offer an opt-in, Honors element that all students may pursue. Designed around small group work where students must explain and defend their thinking to their peers and instructors, if successful in completing all requirements, they are awarded Honors distinction on their transcripts, marking the achievement and telling their story to college admission officers.
Humanities at Wooster
Building on the foundation they’ve developed in 9th and 10th grades, our Deep Learning Initiative (DLI) courses offer students a chance to extend their learning in areas of interest and passion. The antithesis of a rigid curriculum racing to nowhere and building back from a predetermined test, DLI is about expressing instructors’ passions and following students’ individual interests. As they navigate complex material and engage deep questions about our society and humanity, they find their own, unique voice, and learn how to express it confidently and respectfully, while remaining open-minded to alternative perspectives and civil disagreements.
Courses in English Include:
- Humanities I: Foundations in Cultural Literacy
- World Literature: Justice, Power, and Societies
- Advanced Writers’ Workshop
- The Graphic Novel
- DLI Art and the Making of Meaning
- Advanced Philosophical Literature
- DLI Humanities: Psychology, Reading, and Writing
- DLI Lord of the Rings
- Introduction to Journalism
- Journalism
- Advanced Journalism
- Yearbook
- Literary Magazine
- Creative Writing
- Poetry
Courses in History Include:
- Humanities I: Foundations in Cultural Literacy
- World History
- Comparative History: The Construction of Empire
- Advanced Comparative History: Women in Europe
- DLI Art and the Making of Meaning
- DLI History of Mathematics
- DLI Folklore
- DLI I, Too, Am America
- DLI Sociology
- Archives
- World Religions and Spirituality
- US History Through Athletics and Sports
- Civics: Foundations, Rights, and Action
Upper School Course of Study
Learn more about our course descriptions and requirements.
