This we believe...
The Humanities program at University Neighborhood Middle School was born from the idea that middle school students learn best when skills and knowledge are integrated across subjects and relevant to students' lives.
Our Humanities curriculum is based on teaching social action through reading and writing---the infusion of English Language Arts and Social Studies is a total learning experience. Rather than simply imparting facts, we engage the students in units designed around essential questions that engage the young adolescent learner. We strive to provide students with the opportunity to set personal learning goals and take responsibility for their own learning through self-selected reading and writing projects.
Humanities is taught in a block period roughly two hours long, five days a week. We reserve about twenty minutes daily for independent reading, during which teachers conference with individual students. Students will also write on a daily basis in a modified writing workshop model in which they maintain a writer's notebook and publish at least four pieces of writing each quarter. Social studies and history are taught in the remainder of the time and framed as inquiries into eternal and relevant human questions. In each grade students will explore about six social/historical topics.
The UNMS Humanities Team is:
Michael Locker (8th grade / facilitator)
Charles Testagrossa (6th and 7th grade)
Reena Shah (RTI / Library)
Jay Maqsood (Special Education)
Mia Hollingsworth (Special Education)
Binh Thai (Mentor / Coach / Book Club)
