Humanities

Humanities is a process to document the human experience.  In Speyer’s humanities curriculum, we nurture our students to see the world through the lens of historical knowledge and interdisciplinary inquiry. At each grade level, opportunities are embedded within the humanities curriculum for students to think critically across disciplines, to express their individual and group creativity, and to make personal connections through their classroom experiences. Speyer Humanities provides an essential space for students to contemplate multiple perspectives and evolve into observers who question the world around them and seek out alternate perspectives in an effort to be empathetic and compassionate learners.

From Kindergarten through Eighth Grade, humanities is the academic core of the curriculum. The themes explored in humanities are woven through a variety of content areas, including but not limited to science, math, Spanish, and visual and performing arts, supporting our in-depth, cross-curricular approach to learning, enabling students to truly go in depth with their studies.

Kindergarten students explore Community, Self, World Community, and the Story Around the World. They begin with familiar examples such as home, school, and neighborhood communities and then move on to explore communities in other civilizations across the globe and throughout history. Other cultures our Kindergarteners explore include Early Humans, Ancient Greece, The Lenape, and bee colonies. An overarching goal of our Kindergarten humanities curriculum is to introduce and examine two questions: “Whose story is told?” and “Who gets to decide?” 

In First Grade, students explore New York City Now, New York City Then, and New York City of the Future. A leading goal for Speyer’s First Grade humanities curriculum is for students to hone their analytical thinking and problem-solving skills as well as to begin to develop more sophisticated observation skills. Through the lens of New York City, students evaluate how environments change and how the changes impact citizens, exploring how the past influences their present environments and population. Using the theme of transportation, the students move on from New York City to compare and contrast other cities across the globe. Speyer first graders also study early geography and governmental structures throughout the year.

Second Grade students study the cultures of Ancient Civilizations and their influence on society today. They analyze the design and the structures that were developed, which enabled successful and enduring civilizations and study the differing belief systems and their impact on those ancient societies (and today) within various cultural, social, and political practices.  In addition, Speyer second graders explore the development of sophisticated math, writing, and astronomical systems that helped track time and capture important and accurate moments in history and study how the art and culture of these ancient civilizations have endured through to today. The civilizations and cultures explored include the Aztec Empire, the Mali Empire, Chinese Dynasties, the Mayan Civilization, Ancient Egypt, and the Arctic Peoples.

In Third Grade, students learn United States history, with a focus on the necessity and vitality of citizenship and civic duty within a democracy. Students explore topics within American History (such as the American Revolution, industrialization, and the suffragette movement). With an exploration of why and how individuals challenged the status quo of government and societal structures in the past, especially with an analytical eye to the existence of order and chaos within society, Third Grade students learn how to independently use their skills to recognize and apply trends of the past to anticipate future events (socially, economically, and politically). Major units also include civics (studying the different branches of government and the structures, functions, and powers of government in relation to the U.S. Constitution) and geographical reasoning (how geography is important in the study of any country or region). 

In Fourth Grade, students focus on Exploration through Global History. The curricular content spans from Ancient times and through the Age of Exploration and then into modern history and contemporary times. An essential element of the curriculum challenges our students to analyze historical text and narratives and then identify problems and generate solutions for historical misrepresentations found. Speyer fourth graders explore developments within the history of the Western Hemisphere and connect them to a broader regional and global scope. Additional curricular emphasis is the study of the multifaceted role of power in exploration and the interdependence of individuals and groups in communities in a global society. Current events play a vital role throughout the year as we recognize that history is always in the making. With identification of patterns of continuity and change in history, students explore past and current global situations in which social actions are required and are then challenged to suggest solutions, analyzing the roles of people in power (historically and currently) and identifying ways that current figures can influence people’s rights and freedom.

During Fifth Grade, students explore human origins, early migration patterns, and the development of civilizations in the ancient world. They explore how early nomadic societies evolved into settled agricultural societies in Mesopotamia and Egypt and study the Mesopotamian, Indus River Valley, Egyptian, and Greek civilizations. As they take on the role of historical detectives, students examine the themes and elements of what makes a society a civilization and study how in prehistory (history before writing) the narratives of history heavily rely on archeological evidence and artifacts. Emphasis is further placed on inferring and understanding interdisciplinary connections and the relationship of how history is portrayed in literature, the arts, and pop culture. Throughout the year, fifth graders acquire a hands-on understanding of ancient cultures in a variety of ways such as long-term projects (individual and group), field trips, and the performance of Greek plays staged by the students. Books and plays that are studied during this year have included Because of Mr. Terupt, Gilgamesh the Hero, Sita’s Ramayana, Iphigenia in Aulis, and Agamemnon.

In Sixth Grade, students learn about America from Colony to Empire, focusing on early expansion, manifest destiny, and expansion into the Pacific. Students analyze the characteristics of vast political entities, paying particular attention to their influence on the spread of cultural, intellectual, and technological innovation. They learn about the Byzantine Empire, both at the imperial level and level of the small village and move on to study the American Empire and American expansion. The sixth graders explore artists of the time such as John Gast, the impact of business and innovation on people within empires (Native Americans and immigrants), and the life of women in early America with particular focus on the restrictions placed upon them. A unique element of the sixth grade curriculum is their unit of study about whaling, which is directly tied to their science curriculum. Throughout the year, they read about and write about classic American works in literature such as To Kill a Mockingbird, Animal Farm, and Of Mice and Men in addition to a year-long study of poetry.

Through their study of history and literature, our seventh graders explore the past in order to make connections to the present.  The main theme is revolution, analyzing and discussing questions such as Why do revolutions occur? How is identity formed? How do ideas motivate people to want to change? What makes a good leader? and How does violence affect change?  Throughout the year, the students study aspects of the Renaissance, Reformation, Enlightenment, as well as the Women’s Suffrage Movement in America and the development of Nigerian identity. Through reading a variety of texts with multiple perspectives, students learn to annotate, summarize, analyze, and evaluate the past, as well as the ideas that brought about change.  As they explore these themes, there is particular emphasis on whose history is told and whose is omitted as well as civics and the role of citizens within a government. Aside from historical references and texts, books that are read include The Outsiders, Julius Caesar, and Things Fall Apart. Through their literature studies, the students analyze character motivation, discuss literary devices, understand and explain genre and narrative traits, explore vocabulary and diction, as well as connect to characters in order to better understand themselves. 

Eighth Grade Humanities challenges the students to answer the questions: What is History? and What do Historians do? Students explore the notion that history is a narrative and that they are historians as they confront difficult questions and try and see different points of view (without necessarily endorsing or agreeing with them) to develop and deepen empathy. Our eighth graders also consider what has to happen in a community to allow slavery, genocide, or a failure to honor human rights to happen, and, importantly, what can be learned from history so that such things will not and cannot happen again. Units of study include the U.S. Constitution, the Civil War and Reconstruction, and WWII, as well as the Holocaust. Students end the year with a detailed study of the Cold War and the Civil Rights era, tying their analysis to what they have learned and investigated over the course of the year. Texts that students read may include The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, March, All Quiet on the Western Front, Maus, and Their Eyes Were Watching God. One of the highlights of the curriculum includes a performance-based study of a work by William Shakespeare (previous plays that have been performed include Macbeth and The Tempest). Our goal is that, at the end of their year, our Eighth Grade students will understand and apply empathy, become comfortable with complexity and ambiguity, and grow their sense of agency and responsibility. They will understand the importance of participating in history and the moral need to do so.

Writing and Literacy Studies at Speyer

Lower School
We foster a lifelong passion of literature in our students, one in which they fully comprehend the logistics and nuances of the wide range of literature they encounter. Literacy (reading, writing, and spelling) is an integral part of the curriculum in Lower School and we are committed to equipping students with strong literacy skills through a leveled reading program. Literacy studies are differentiated and our students are truly able to receive individualized attention. Literacy units span both home rooms, which allows the four co-head teachers and our Literacy Specialist to lead small cohorts in differentiated lessons. Through read-alouds, independent, partnered, and shared reading, along with classroom discussions and author visits, Speyer nurtures our students’ love of reading at every level.

A rigorous writing curriculum promotes creative expression and effective communication through structured units in creative writing, narrative nonfiction, opinion writing, and historical fiction. Students learn and practice proper use of punctuation, organization of ideas in sentences and paragraphs, transitions from one idea to the next, and selection of the most effective words and phrases to communicate the message of the piece.

Middle School
As students transition to Middle School, the curriculum introduces more complex research, writing, and analytical skills, as well as an increased pace of literature studies. Students progress through each grade building foundational skills and learning the craft of written communication by composing personal essays, expanding their vocabulary, and bolstering their skillful use of the mechanics of writing. Students engage with primary sources, interpret their significance, and employ them in composing analytical essays and presentations. Each grade builds on the next as students strengthen foundational grammar skills, writing mechanics, and written organization.

As they reach seventh grade, the writing emphasis is on process, with a distinct focus on creating a thesis and developing it over a five-paragraph essay using textual and historical evidence to support ideas. As they learn skills such as close reading, annotating, taking notes, citations, writing from both primary and secondary sources, note-taking, and summarizing, they are empowered with strategies for higher-level academic writing.