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Humanities (Middle School only
The middle school humanities courses are built upon the understanding that student learning is strengthened when connections between disciplines and concepts are explored and nurtured on a regular basis. Aiming to develop habits of mind that will serve students ’ efforts to understand and analyze the world around them as well as amplify their voices in shaping that world, these courses emphasize the growth of students as readers, writers, and thinkers through deliberate skill development. Each grade-level course is designed around an overarching theme and essential questions that connect the disciplines of English and social studies and move students toward autonomy in their application of inquiry and critical thinking skills. When doing so helps students address the essential questions of the course, they also explore connections to media literacy, math, science, art, language, and more. Given the incorporation of multiple disciplines, humanities courses are unique in the student experience at Rivers in that they meet every day of the week. In both design and practice, these courses strive to meet the values expressed in the school’ s diversity, equity, and inclusion mission: to “ engage in courageous conversations that require us to speak across difference of experiences and opinions, to examine our individual and collective privilege, to ask hard questions, and to seek solutions to complex global issues. ” When students leave the humanities program, they will do so with a deeper understanding of themselves as individuals, community members, empathic citizens, and agents of change.
MIDDLE SCHOOL COURSES
The World and Water, Grade 6
In the sixth grade, students develop understandings of humans ’ past and present relationship to water and the various conflicts, opportunities, and power that water provides. Moving from the basic understanding that a civilization ’ s existence depends upon its ability to access and manage water, students expand their definition of community. The year begins with an examination of the Ganges River and its role in nurturing culture while probing students to engage metaphorically in the relationship between personal contribution and a sense of belonging. Students combine their literary and scientific hats to explore the transformative power of common goals and individual agency as they work with the Rivers Freight Farm to recognize water ' s foundational role in cultivating meaningful spaces. As historians, students explore the American whaling industry and its impact on the growth of local and global communities while questioning the role of perspective and source reliability. Using library resources, mythology, and artifacts to further their inquiry, students uncover hidden stories of familiar and unfamiliar landscapes and discuss the process of understanding history. Throughout the year, students learn about water scarcity, pollution, and sanitation, as well as the economics of water in today ’ s world through current events. In order to complete these investigations effectively, students engage in interdisciplinary learning, alternately—and oen concurrently—taking on the roles of historians, writers, artists, and musicians. Literary experiences are extensive, with an emphasis on reading comprehension and composition skills. Writing is taught via a workshop method. The course culminates with a long-term project challenging Catalog of Courses • THE RIVERS SCHOOL 39
students to raise awareness in their own communities about a global water crisis of their choosing.
The World Through Story, Grade 7
In the seventh grade, students explore the role of geography, memory, and perspective in shaping cultural narratives and their own lives. Students use the components of story as a lens through which to view diverse literary, historical, and personal topics as well as build a more nuanced understanding of various cultures and historical empathy. Writing and telling stories is central to the course, as evaluating stories, folktales, and myths to uncover the cultural values and themes they reveal builds skills of analysis, as well as connects them to the historical content explored. Historical topics include events such as the apartheid or the major world religions and vary as world events occur. Literature selections expose students to a variety of genres and story models, including novels, short stories, and graphic novels. Students also examine primary and secondary sources, placing particular attention on developing their critical reading skills. The writing component of the course provides extensive opportunities for students to gain experience in narrative, analytical, and expository writing and emphasizes the process of revision in building their communication skills. Through formal discussions, presentations, and role plays, students are encouraged to think for themselves and form opinions supported by textual evidence. Media Literacy, Grade 7 This course provides students with the tools necessary to navigate today ’ s complex media environment. Designed with an inquiry-based approach at its core, the class uses multimedia to practice skills of observation, critical thinking, analysis, perspective-taking, and production. Students are encouraged to demonstrate their understanding of concepts by creating their own media, addressing conflicting information that comes from different sources, clarifying distinctions between fact and opinion in various types of media, determining the credibility of sources, and verifying the trustworthiness of news reports. Media Literacy is a required semester-long course that is taken in addition to the year-long seventh grade humanities course, and it is intended to foster meaningful connections across disciplines and to students ’ daily lives.
Systems of Justice and Injustice, Grade 8
In the eighth grade, students explore the American experience and Constitution through both history and literature. Integrating the approaches of English and social studies, this class focuses on how structures of the United States government have shaped—and been shaped by—pivotal moments in American history in the continual efforts toward forming “ a more perfect Union. ” The course examines individual and collective experiences over the course of American history through lenses such as race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. Selections of literature, both novels and poetry, inform the discussion of identity throughout the year, with the students engaging in various writing exercises to reflect on their own identities and experiences. Additionally, emphasis is placed on understanding how individuals, groups, and systems intersect to create social change by examining events such as the civil rights movement and the development of LGBTQ+ rights. In the spring, students use their understanding of systems of justice in the United States to pursue an interdisciplinary project investigating an issue of social and constitutional relevance. Through months of research, they identify and interpret the systems and perspectives Catalog of Courses • THE RIVERS SCHOOL 40
involved with their topic and design a potential real-world solution. The English component of the course is designed to teach students to be active and empathetic readers of both literature and their world. They study grammar and vocabulary and develop analytical as well as narrative writing skills, all practiced and honed within the context of the course ’ s themes. Grounded in the school’ s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion mission statement, this course aims to foster students ’ abilities to navigate differences of experience and opinion and seek solutions to complex issues.
