Humanities is the integration of Language Arts and the social sciences.  Integrating the two helps students make important connections across subject areas, encourages upper level thinking skills, and often enriches the content being taught.  Moreover, brain research has found that the brain searches for patterns and connections in an effort to build meaning and that using an integrated curriculum promotes this type of brain growth (Caine, Caine).  The premise of the Humanities core curricula is the study of humankind through history and literature, all the while making those important connections and providing students with authentic learning experiences.  In the Humanities class, students will study the seven strands of social studies. history, geography, economics, government, citizenship, culture and science/technology while also learning about the individual strands of reading, writing, listening, and speaking, research and media literacy.

Caine, Geoffrey, and Renate Nummela Caine.  Making Connections:  Teaching the Human Brain.  Wheaton, MD:  Addison-Wesley. 1991.