Welcome to 11-12th Grade Humanities
Global Studies:
The World Beyond our Borders
Teachers: Rick Gordon (rick@compass-school.org) and Julia Taylor (julia@compass-school.org)
Time and place: M-F 12:45-2:15 in Julia’s or Alexandra’s room
Overview: 11-12th Grade Humanities is about studying the world beyond our borders. For us this means looking at ourselves as we prepare for life after high school (what are your goals and what do you need to accomplish over the next year or two to help on this path?). It also means looking at the world outside the United States. We will touch on the fields of economics, political science, literature, creative arts, sociology, and anthropology to develop our understanding and appreciation of the cultural richness around the world. We seek a balance between required courses, often different for the 11th and 12th grade, and “electives” designed around topics we hope will be interesting to students and relate to important themes in the world around us. As we proceed, much of the curriculum will be developed as a class and evolve around student goals, interests and needs.
The learning goals for the year include:
*Mastering skills in communication (particularly on-demand essay writing), information handling (both accessing and interpreting information), and critical thinking (drawing connections between ideas, events, and concepts)
*Developing a greater appreciation for and understanding of other cultures and contexts
*Exercising strong work habits to produce quality work in a timely fashion
*Engaging in and enjoying intellectual interchange around complex ideas and concepts
*Development of skill and comfort with reading diverse texts
*To be a learning experience you feel is valuable, meaningful, engaging, interesting, and motivating
We are looking forward to working with you as we explore the world around us and learn and grow together.
Schedule: We will be working at times together with both 11th and 12th graders and at other times separated into grade specific groups to accommodate the unique needs of each class. The overall plan for the year follows. For September, the 12th graders will be in Senior Seminar working on near-graduation plans (college application essays, senior project planning, resumes, etc.) while the 11th graders gain a grounding in the Foundations of Global Studies (exploring concepts of culture and world geography). In October, students will choose between electives on Identity and Shakespeare or Religion and Culture. For the beginning of the 2nd trimester, 11th graders will work on an overview of world history and do some focused work on SAT preparation. The 12th graders will be finishing up college applications and focusing on senior project and graduation portfolios at this time (making significant headway on your portfolio will save you lots of stress later!). In January, there will be a choice between a class studying Immigration or a literature-based class entitled Who’s Crazy? In late February, the junior class will be off to Mexico and the seniors will have a seminar focusing on senior projects and writing (or any last minute college applications). In March and April, there will be two cross disciplinary Science-Humanities electives. The choices include the Film-making or Fast Food. During these electives, limited time may be dedicated to Senior Project Planning (as needed) and SAT Prep and Practice (for juniors). In late April, seniors will be off on Senior Projects and the 11th graders will be working on “junior projects”--individually designed studies. In May, seniors will conclude the year with project oral exams, exhibitions, and roundtables. The 11th graders finalize their individual projects and assessments, as we conclude what we hope is a great year for all.
For the more visual learners, here is a schematic for the year:
September |
11th: Foundations of Global Studies (exploring concepts of culture and world geography) 12th: Near Graduation Plans (college applications, senior project planning, portfolio work, etc.) |
October-November 3 |
11-12: Religion and Culture or Shakespeare (12th Night?) |
November 13-December 21 |
11th: SAT Preparation and Overview of World History 12th: Senior Project Planning and College applications |
January 3-February 7 |
11-12: Immigration or Who is Crazy? |
February 26-April 12 |
11-12: Cross-disciplinary electives: Filmmaking or Fast Food |
April 23-May 30 |
11th: Junior Projects and Assessments 12th: Senior Projects and Graduation Portfolio |
Homework: We expect that you complete all HW assignments on time. Make every effort to print or e-mail assignments by the beginning of class. If there are circumstances that make it impossible (or even difficult) to complete the assignment, please let us know in advance--especially if it’s a matter of assignment clarity or needing to talk through an essay before writing it. As needed, we will assign studyhall time for you to complete HW or have other systems to help assure you complete your work in a timely way including a call or e-mail home.
Writing portfolios: This year, Compass is implementing a new system to collect and assess your writing. You will hear more about this with a separate handout, but remember to save ALL drafts of your essays for this separate portfolio. Since most of you use computers for drafting, this means you will have to accustom yourself to printing or saving drafts before you revise them. The writing portfolio is assessed not only by the quality of your writing, but also by your writing process—how you are able to tackle pre-writing and work through revising and proofreading.
Again, we look forward to working with this amazing group. Let’s have a truly exceptional year!
