Humanities is taught by Ms. Small and combines typical History and English coursework into one class. This arrangement allows us to explore central themes of education, language, history, culture, and satire, all while seeking to answer the central question: What makes us human?

Following our unit on Walden, we added context by reviewing Thoreau’s beliefs on education. We began our second unit, which explored the history of education in the US and current models. This unit was exciting because of the diversity of past educational systems and forms we had each experienced, ranging from homeschooling to private schools. After analyzing texts about the history of public education and weighing the benefits and disadvantages, we brainstormed problems with our existing education system. The list was long, but censorship, specifically book bans, seemed especially problematic, and worthy of further investigation. My synthesis essay, “Reading Into Book Bans,” (left) weighs both sides of the debate and ultimately argues against book bans. Click here if you are having trouble viewing it!

One of our first few in-class timed essays was this rhetorical analysis (right) of Benjamin Banneker’s letter to Thomas Jefferson. Unlike synthesis or satire, rhetoric is more straightforward and logical. Rhetoric is the art of persuasive and effective writing, and this essay sought to analyze how Banneker effectively argued for the abolitionist movement. Although timed writing can be imperfect and stressful, this process allowed me to strengthen my writing and rhetorical analysis skills. Click here if you are having trouble viewing it!