All Humanities Courses

Oceana High School’s Humanities program combines the traditional high school subjects of English Language Arts and Social Science into a single subject. Students develop reading and writing skills while studying different novels, autobiographies, short stories, and poetry that are closely tied to different historical events like Indian resistance against British colonization, the struggle of Filipinos during Japanese occupation, the Russian Revolution, the second Red Scare and McCarthyism, the US Civil Rights Movement, and more. Through group projects, individual research, oral presentations, and written work, OHS Humanities challenges our students to make connections to their own lives and help them develop basic tools to begin understanding the world we live in.

Humanities 9

English 9

Ethnic Studies

Humanities 9 combines a freshman English and Ethnic Studies course to critically examine the concepts of race and identity, systems of power and oppression, and social movements of the past and present with a focus on creating change in the world around us. In this space, we will center the stories, experiences, and knowledge of people of color and other historically underrepresented groups. The vision for this course at Oceana is to create a safe and brave space where students and teachers cultivate wellness, solidarity, and liberation through self-reflection, practicing empathy, and celebrating the experiences of ourselves and our communities. We are the seekers, keepers, and tellers of our communities’ stories. 

Humanities 10

English 10

World History

Humanities 10 is the second year in a two-year cross-disciplinary course of World History and Literature that focuses on social justice.  While Humanities 9 focuses on the causes and consequences of revolution, Humanities 10 focuses on both the causes and consequences of human rights violations and genocide in modern history and people’s resistance to oppression.  Students will engage with a variety of texts (current articles, primary sources, novels, and poetry) to explore these themes and develop their critical reading and writing skills.  In addition to these skills, students will focus on developing their presentation skills through major projects in both semesters.  Humanities 10 concludes with a Sophomore Exhibition project which includes an oral presentation and paper.

Humanities 11

English 11

US History

Humanities 11 is a cross-disciplinary class of United States History and Literature that investigates the complexities of life in the United States. Students will look at the history and literature from multiple perspectives in order to gain an understanding of the varied experiences of people in the United States. The course is designed for students to make connections to current issues in the U.S.

A large component of the course will focus on writing. Students will write essays, argumentative pieces and a research paper. Students will give several oral presentations throughout the year. The major assessment will be the junior exhibition.

AP in Humanities for Juniors

AP® English Literature

The AP English Language and Composition course aligns to an introductory college-level rhetoric and writing curriculum, which requires students to develop evidence-based analytic and argumentative essays that proceed through several stages or drafts. Students evaluate, synthesize, and cite research to support their arguments. Throughout the course, students develop a personal style by making appropriate grammatical choices. Additionally, students read and analyze the rhetorical elements and their effects in non-fiction texts, including graphic images as forms of text, from many disciplines and historical periods.

AP® US History

This course will survey the history of the United States of America from approximately 1492 to modern times: from the “discovery” and settlement of the New World to the very recent past.  The primary focus of the course will be to provide students with an opportunity to develop an understanding of some of the major themes in American history, to train students to analyze historical evidence, and to develop in students their ability to analyze and express historical understanding in writing.  The course is intended to approximate an introductory lecture and discussion seminar typically taken within the first two years of one’s college or university study.  AP US History will provide an opportunity to further develop skills of critical thinking, writing, and expression.  In addition, this course seeks to prepare students to successfully complete and pass the AP US History exam.

Humanities 12

English 12

Government & Economics

Senior humanities is a cross-disciplinary course that incorporates English, government, civics, and economics into one integrated curriculum.  

The Senior Exhibition project comprises a major piece of the senior humanities curriculum, and much of the course is focused on supporting students’ success with the project. Students each choose a project topic based on their own academic interests and study that topic throughout the year while improving their skills around researching, reading, writing, revising, and presenting. The project concludes with Senior Exhibition Day, when all seniors present their findings and celebrate their accomplishments.

While moving through the various components of the Senior Exhibition project, students also delve into a study of economics and the U.S. Government, with a focus on individual rights and social justice. Students study the Constitution in depth and develop tools to act as thoughtful and engaged community members. Senior humanities asks students to use the history and perspectives they have learned throughout the Oceana Humanities program to better understand the context of structures, events, and participation in contemporary U.S society.

AP in Humanities for Seniors

AP® English Language & Composition

The AP English Language and Composition course aligns to an introductory college-level rhetoric and writing curriculum, which requires students to develop evidence-based analytic and argumentative essays that proceed through several stages or drafts. Students evaluate, synthesize, and cite research to support their arguments. Throughout the course, students develop a personal style by making appropriate grammatical choices. Additionally, students read and analyze the rhetorical elements and their effects in non-fiction texts, including graphic images as forms of text, from many disciplines and historical periods.

AP® Government & Economics

This course is a detailed study of the United States political system. Topics covered include the processes and institutions that make up our federal government. The goal of this course is to increase political knowledge as well as to prepare students to pass the AP United States Government and Politics exam. Students participate in group and individual activities and projects to understand the US political system. During the spring semester, this course focuses on macroeconomics and current events. This includes studying the Federal Budget and policy-making in the United States. There is nightly reading for this course.