Humanities

Department Goals

To engage and motivate students in the learning of Humanities and develop students to be informed, empathetic, and concerned citizens.

Value of the Humanities

Intrinsic Value

The Humanities process and record the human experience. This knowledge allows us to feel connected to those who have come before us, our contemporaries, and also to deal with the problems of the human condition.

Practical utility

The Humanities inculcates skills such as reasoning, critical thinking, communication and an understanding of human behaviour, which directly impacts an individual’s performance in the workplace and social relationships.

Nation-building

Issues of identity, social organisation and decision-making are central to the Humanities. Through this exposure, students develop a sense of place within the nation, while gaining awareness and appreciation of the challenges it faces.

Approach

To develop students’ appreciation for the various Humanities subjects, all JV-nites take part in learning journeys and subject-specific investigative projects such as Geographical, Historical and Issue Investigations, where they delve deeper into the various Humanities disciplines.

These learning journeys, like ‘Journeying into the Past’ with the Secondary 1 History students and the ‘Climb your way up Bukit Timah Hill’ with the Secondary 3 Geography students provide a ‘real-world’ opportunity for JV-nites to develop and extend their critical thinking skills, which enhances understanding and appreciation for the world. The projects also add great value to their classroom experiences by showing them how to analyse, argue, and navigate the different perspectives raised. Normal (Technical) students also get a chance to be exposed to the different subjects through specially-tailored performance tasks.

Selected students who are passionate about the different Humanities subjects are given opportunities to take part in the Model United Nations Conference, the Historical Scene Investigation Challenge and the NUS Geography Challenge. They can also represent the school in various competitions such as the GreenFest Challenge and the ‘Race to Sustainability’ competition.