Introduction to Humanities
Midland’s humanities program brings together English and social studies in a sequence that asks students to read closely, think critically, write with purpose, and engage the world with curiosity. Through literature, history, and the social sciences, students develop the skills needed to interpret ideas, stories, and systems with care and precision. At every grade level, students practice research, analysis, discussion, and written and verbal communication. They encounter a wide range of authors, narratives, and historical perspectives while making connections between past and present, and between the wider world and the place they inhabit.
HUMANITIES AT A GLANCE
CURRICULUM
Students move through a four-year sequence in English and social studies that builds skill and depth over time, from place-based ninth grade courses to advanced study in American literature, U.S. history, and senior-year writing.
Honors sections in English 11, English 12, and US History are offered for students who demonstrate readiness for accelerated study based on prior coursework and faculty recommendation.
ELECTIVES
Upper-level electives invite students to explore urgent contemporary questions through courses such as Religion and Popular Culture and Geopolitics: Issues of the Modern World.
Elective offerings may vary from year to year as faculty develop new courses in response to student interests and emerging areas of study.
CAPSTONE
Every senior completes a capstone thesis or project that reflects independent thinking, research, craftsmanship, and the ability to communicate meaningful work to the wider school community.
Learning Progression: Humanities
Humanities at Midland develops in layers. Ninth grade begins with identity, place, and regional history. Tenth grade expands to world literature and world history. Eleventh grade centers on American literature and U.S. history, with deeper work in analysis, argument, and discussion. Twelfth grade culminates in advanced writing and a senior thesis or project.
Across all four years, students strengthen core habits of close reading, research, historical interpretation, and clear communication, preparing them for college-level work and thoughtful participation in the wider world.
Information by Grade
Ninth grade humanities begins close to home. In English 9: Windows & Mirrors, students build their identities as readers and writers while exploring literature across genres. In social studies, Midland 101: Cultural History and Modern California History examine how land, culture, power, and community shape life in the Santa Ynez Valley and beyond.
Tenth grade expands students’ frame of reference. English 10: World Literature and World History ask students to engage major texts, belief systems, historical movements, and questions of empire, colonization, conflict, and justice across time and place.
Eleventh grade centers on the American experience. In English 11: American Literature and U.S. History, students explore dominant and counter-narratives, analyze primary and secondary sources, refine their writing, and strengthen discussion and presentation skills. Honors options offer additional depth and challenge.
Twelfth grade is a culminating year of voice and intellectual independence. English 12: Story, Self & Society strengthens technical writing, interpretive thinking, and emotional and intellectual engagement with complex texts, while the senior thesis or project asks each student to pursue meaningful work with greater ownership and depth.
Capstone Senior Project
Senior capstone work is the academic culmination of a Midland education. Students complete either a Senior Thesis or a Senior Project, both of which ask them to pursue an area of genuine interest with independence, discipline, and intellectual seriousness.
Both pathways culminate in public presentation through the Senior Symposium, where students share their work with the full school community.
UC-APPROVED CORE CURRICULUM
UC-APPROVED ADVANCED ELECTIVES