Academics
Humanities
AC Center for Humanities
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How can the study of history, literature, art, culture, and technology help us to understand what it means to be human?
This big question is at the heart of the AC Center for the Humanities. At AC, humanities classes help you value the past, understand the present, and shape the future. You’ll tackle complex questions, communicate across media, and develop your unique voice. Through the humanities, students become thoughtful, creative, and empathetic individuals—engaged with the human experience and equipped with the skills to navigate an ever-changing world.
Center for the Humanities Mission
The AC Center for the Humanities coordinates core humanities curriculum for all students and provides opportunities to explore humanities topics through electives both in and out of the classroom.
At Allendale Columbia School, the humanities foster thoughtful, creative, and empathetic individuals who lead meaningful lives in their communities and beyond.
Courses emphasize critical thinking and communication—skills essential for understanding our complex world and contributing meaningfully to society. Students engage with diverse perspectives, ethical questions, and personal values, while history and literature help them better understand themselves and others.
Through the humanities, students connect intellectually and emotionally with the human experience, gaining tools to navigate today’s world and shape the future.
What We Do
Below are a few of the experiences students can look forward to participating in through the Center for Humanities.
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Grade Level Forums
The goals of the forum are to address important issues, to model civil discourse, and to spark discussions in the AC community. Students involved in the forum choose an issue and prepare papers to present the issue to the student body, providing historical context and addressing the issue from diverse perspectives. The presentations are judged by a panel of alumni, trustees, and other friends of AC. -
Muse Literary Magazine
Muse highlights the literary and artistic talents of Allendale Columbia students, including work from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Students who work on Muse engage in every aspect of the production of a literary magazine: picking a theme, soliciting submissions, selecting works to include, and creating the layout using publishing software. -
Capstone Projects
8th Grade Capstone: During the second semester of 8th grade, students embark upon a collaborative learning adventure among English, History, and Science. Students read one novel and one play on the overarching theme of World War II, which will help prompt them to select topics to explore in groups. Each student will compose a 5-page, research-based, expository essay, with the capstone project culminating in a public presentation of their learning at the 8th Grade Exhibition.Upper School Capstone Certificate:Upper School student who take on the Humanities Capstone Project will research humanities-based topics that they identify for themselves, develop their work through various media, and present it to both specialized and general audiences. Key features of the project include students doing the following:- move through a structured course of research, proposal, creation, and presentation
- conduct original research (e.g., field work, interviews, surveys, experiments), which includes going through an approval process with AC’s Institutional Review Board
- identify the form best suited to student and topic (e.g., thesis paper, poetry collection, podcast or video; website)
- create a website that showcases polished work (product) and includes a log/journal that records progress and reflects on process
- present work in a school or public venue, as determined by the nature of the project
- share work with a more general audience
Making an Impact Through the Humanities
Starting in 8th grade, students dive deeper into the humanities through a cross-disciplinary project connecting English, History, and Science. Centered on World War II, the project includes reading, research, and creative nonfiction, culminating in student-built websites shared with the AC community.
In Grade 12, qualified students in the Humanities Capstone Certificate program explore research methods and public presentation formats before pursuing independent, yearlong projects. Final work is shared via student-designed websites and presented to a panel. Capstone products range from thesis papers to podcasts, documentaries, and creative writing portfolios.
Center for Humanities Course Offerings
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Middle School
Core English Courses:- English 6: Literary Seminar I
- English 7: Literary Seminar II
- English 8: Exploring Literary Lenses
English Electives:- Middle School Newspaper
- Role-Playing
Core History Courses:- History 6: International Investigations
- History 7: American History: The Roots of Democracy
- History 8: American History: The Growth of the Nation
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Upper School
Core English Courses:- English 9: Identity, Morality, and Justice
- English 10: Diversity in Thought and Culture
- English 11: American Identities
- English 12
- AP English Language and Composition
- AP English Literature and Composition
English Electives:- Practical Ethics
- Creative Writing
Core History Courses:- History 9: Morality, Democracy, and Justice
- History 10: Revolution and the Modern World
- US History
- Honors US History
- Honors World History
History Electives:- Democracy and Discourse
- Economics
- Modern American Cultural History
- History of Black Rochester
At Allendale Columbia, we prepare students for the world they will inherit. In our trusting and responsive environment, students 18 months through grade 12 grow in confidence and develop scholastic independence.
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