2021 Honors Humanities Back To School Night Link

Course Description:

This course has been designed to develop essential reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills of Upper Merion Area High School students in accordance with the PA State Common Core Standards. Students will read, listen, and respond to various research and pieces of world literature. Students will read and write daily in and outside of class.  Students will incorporate the writing process (pre-writing, writing, revising, editing, and publishing) frequently.  In this course, students will partake in group discussions, oral presentations, various writing activities, and analyze historical perspectives in literature, both fiction and non-fiction.  In particular, we will study four universal themes which will draw from Nonwestern literature and cultures, and we will continually discuss how humans worldwide may relate, including ourselves.   The four universal themes are as follows:

1. Identity
2. Traditions and Transitions
3. Borders
4. Resistance and Resilience

Together, the ninth grade English and social studies courses will continuously consider, analyze, and apply the below:

Enduring Understanding:  Where we are in the world impacts who we are as humans.

Essential Questions:

1. Who am I and how do I understand myself in relation to my world? 
2. What roles does culture play in human and societal development? 
3. What borders define and limit me? 
4. How do we question authority and overcome challenges?