Content Standard

Enduring Understanding

Benchmarks

Essential Questions

1) Students interpret, analyze, and respond to, in a variety of formats, their understanding of how the humanities enrich one’s life.

We understand ourselves and our own culture through examining other cultures and by making human connections.

1.1 Recognize, analyze and communicate how one’s culture impacts the individual and connects him/her to the broader world of ideas.

1.2 Identify and analyze one’s personal, social, and cultural issues and responsibilities.

1.3 Read or view and respond to a variety of material in literature, religion, art, music, philosophy and history  in order to form the basis of meaningful discourse.

·        What is understanding?

·        What is the purpose of enriching one’s life?

·        What is my role in understanding?

·        How do I know if I understand something?

·        What do I do if I don’t understand?

·        Are my ideas logical and valid? How do I know?

·        What do I do if my ideas are different?

·        What is responsibility?

·        How am I responsible to my own culture?

·        Is it important to understand multi-cultural issues? Why?

2) Students monitor, evaluate, and reflect on their growth in studying the humanities.

When we reflect on the impact that literature, religion, art, music, philosophy, and history have had on the human condition, we become aware of our own biases, understanding, and vision of ourselves and the world.

2.1 Articulate and evaluate one’s learning by making personal connections through literature, religion, art, music, philosophy and history.

2.2 Make adjustments in written and spoken thought by providing and receiving feedback.

·        What do I understand about world cultures?

·        What defines one’s culture?

·        How am I a contributor to or a product of my culture?

·        What areas in the humanities most interest me?  Why?

·        What is most important for me to learn?

·        How can understanding the humanities improve my life?

·        How can knowledge in the humanities provide vision for the future?

·        What is my role in learning?

·        Why study humanities?

3) Students use the inquiry/research process to interpret and synthesize new material.

Curiosity guides learners to pursue an understanding and the purpose of otherwise unfamiliar information.

3.1 Apply criteria to analyze, respond to, and find merit within a variety of culturally diverse, traditional and contemporary works in various genres.

·        How does my personal experience affect my response to new and diverse ideas?

·        How do I select material that supports my understanding?

·        How then do I support my understanding?  Why do I need to?

·        What role does “purpose” play in the humanities?

·        What motivates individuals to respond/react to anything?

·        What cultural components elicit reactions from individuals?  Why these?