What High Schools Series: Humanities Secrets
Part II of What High Schools Don’t Tell You breaks down subjects into categories. Each category is then given a chapter to secrets. Being a social studies teacher, I focused on the Humanities chapter. The chapter included language, linguistics, literature, history, jurisprudence (law), philosophy, archeology, religion, and ethics. I found three interesting secrets hidden among secrets #242-269.
Secret #250: Many top liberal arts colleges have classics departments, but students are rare.
Really? That statement really surprises me. Maybe because the field is so small. But I feel like there are many interested students, but the colleges are very selective.
Secret #265: Open a book by a European author to stand out.
Thank goodness! I did this. I may not have a read many European authors, but I have at least read some. I am a firm believer of being well read. Students who are entering the humanities need to be well rounded. Although I must say that Charles Dickens is definitely not my favorite. But that’s okay, there’s a whole continent of authors to choose from.
Secret #266: Harvard option — list every book read in the last year.
I love this idea. Students interested in the humanities need to be well read (wait didn’t I just say that?). To make a record shows a college that you mean business. You are committed to the rigors of college reading. And you are an interesting person. A list of books read can be a real insight into a student’s personality. (It also works in dating.) I think I’m actually going to start this now. I’ll put it on my personal blog. Feel free to comment and heckle my choices if you feel it’s necessary.
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