Humanities is taught by Ms. Small. HUM is like a combination of a typical English class along with a history class. The focus of the class this year is what it means to be human. Some of the topics that we address in this class include the human brain and perception, stereotype threat, diversity, affirmative action, and the history surrounding these topics. We also hold discussions, have debates, and watch videos in order to gain a better understanding of the material that we are studying.
The first essay that we did in class was about Ray Bradbury's short stories "August 2026: There Will Come Soft Rains" and "The Pedestrian." These stories portrayed two different dystopian societies, one in which society has been decimated by nuclear bombs, and one where everyone is addicted to their televisions. In this essay, I argued that Bradbury's deliberate word choice, and use of personification and imagery in "The Pedestrian" more effectively warned society of the dangers of technology than in "August 2026."
Another essay that we wrote was a timed in class essay about a series of Egyptian poems that we read and discussed in class. In this essay, I argued that there were differences in perception about relationships in poems written by females and those written by male writers. Pieces written by female poets tended to address concerns with acceptance by society based on their relationships, and those written by males focused more on the physical aspects of their relationships.