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Humanities & Religion integrates the study of English, history, religion, and human values into a single goal: the development of an understanding of one's own role in and contribution to a larger society. While fostering college preparatory academic skills, White Mountain's unique setting is incorporated to place special emphasis on nature and the philosophy of wilderness. Courses highlight nature writing, spirituality and the environment, philosophies of the wild and cultural perspectives on the natural world. We emphasize an integrative approach to humanities education, using literature to give depth to history and history to contextualize literary study.

Freshman English  

The Freshman English class theme involves a study of the individual’s relationships with “Self,” Nature / Environment, Family / Friends / Local Community, and Government / World Community.  Each of these relationships will be explored through reading various texts, writing activities, and class discussions.  Throughout our efforts to discover the thoughts and feelings we have about who we are, where we are, and how we fit into the larger picture, we will be working diligently to improve our proficiency with the skills necessary for communicating ideas and information clearly and respectfully.  We will be concentrating on a process approach to writing, producing a variety of analytical and creative works.  In addition to examining the rules of grammar, punctuation, and usage, these writing projects will be used to study the different purposes for which language can be employed.  Classroom discussions will be at the heart of the work we will be doing in this class and will make up the larger part of each student’s practice with speaking and listening.  Every student will be expected to contribute to class discussion.  Contributions to class discussion further the understanding of others, pose provocative questions, push the discussion forward, and hinge upon attentive listening. (Full year)

Sophomore English

Sophomore English is a year-long course that focuses on the development of writing skills as a form of communication.  Students are instructed in all aspects of the Six Traits of Writing:  word choice, voice, sentence fluency, content/ideas, conventions, and organization.  Through writing and discussion, students learn to explore themselves, the world around them, and particular texts of literature.  The overarching theme of the course is “The Personal Journey,” and all aspects of the Sophomore English course serve to aid students in examining their own journeys.  Writer's workshops continue as a mainstay of the class, focusing on further development of writing skills as a form of self-expression.  Focused teacher and peer feedback is an integral part of this workshop in the brainstorming, outlining, editing, and revision stages of the writing process. Grammar and usage reviews are taught in the context of the student's writing, and weekly vocabulary quizzes serve to bolster students’ understanding of the language. (Full year)

American Literature (Junior English)
American Literature follows a chronological approach to American literature, and looks at each novel, short story, essay, or poem with the theme of the American Dream in mind. Some of the questions posed are: What are “American Dreams”? Whose dreams are they? How do they lead affect or behavior? What happens when one's dreams oppose someone else's? What hinders our dreams from being carried out? Emphasis will be placed on the various movements in American Literature, including the writing of the Puritans and early settlers, Romanticism/Gothicism, Transcendentalism, Realism, Naturalism, the Harlem Renaissance, Modernism, and Post-Modernism. Students are encouraged to connect the ideas and themes explored in this class to their own experiences as Americans or, for international students, as temporary residents of America. Accompanying our extensive readings will be various film versions of some of our texts, art work and music from the time periods in which some of our texts take place, as well as possible field trips to museums or performances that will supplement students' understanding of texts.  (Full year)

Expository Writing

Expository Writing is a writing-intensive course designed to study language and its uses in various written forms for the purpose of communicating ideas and information in a clear and respectful manner. The course focuses on a process approach to writing, which includes brainstorm activities, drafting, peer/teacher consultations, and revision. Writing assignments explore the various kinds of academic writing and are designed to complement reading and research assignments. The guiding principles behind this course are exposure to and exploration of language and a varied group of academic writing forms. Ideally, this study will help each student to develop her/his own writing style and competency with written expression.  (Fall term; Prerequisite: open to Juniors and Seniors or with permission of the instructor; fulfills the expository writing requirement)

Culture and Identity in Literature

Who and what gives us our identity?  What happens when identities collide?  And how does the way other people perceive us influence our identity?  In this course students will explore the creation and presentation of personal identities in literature.  We will examine the different facets of “identity” – culture, perceptions, dreams, values – and how these blend together.  We will be using critical analysis to move beyond the traditional binary terms of identity – black or white, male or female, gay or straight – to achieve a more fluid and comprehensive understanding of the characters in our books, the other people in our lives, and, ultimately, ourselves.  Students will be reading several novels, a collection of short stories, and should be prepared for rigorous writing and discussion throughout the term.  This course, in conjunction with “Madness in Literature” (offered in the spring), can be taken to prepare for the AP exam in English Literature.  Students intending to sit for the AP exam will do summer reading as well some extra work during the term.  (Fall term; Prerequisite: open to Juniors and Seniors or with permission of the instructor; fulfills the Senior Literature requirement)

Madness in Literature

What does it mean to go insane?  Who defines what “madness” is?  In this course students will examine the ideas of sanity and insanity in literature.  We will be exploring several complicated and unique texts, from Toni Morrison’s Beloved to Shakespeare’s King Lear and Joseph Heller’s Catch-22, and uncovering the different layers of meaning and madness contained within.  We will examine the characters themselves, their surroundings, and how their experiences and interactions with other characters influence their perceived sanity.  The course will be discussion-driven, with lots of reading and analytical writing.  When taken in conjunction with “Culture and Identity in Literature” (offered in the fall) this course can serve as preparation for the AP exam in English Literature.  Students intending to sit for the AP exam will do some extra work during the term.  (Spring term; Prerequisite: open to Juniors and Seniors or with permission of the instructor; fulfills the Senior Literature requirement)

Connecting to Place: Literature of Loss and Resurrection

Wallace Stegner writes, “You don’t know who you are, unless you know where you are.”  Ranging from anger to loss to deep love, the emotions that places and our relationships to them bring out in us are real and strong.  This course explores human connection to the land and communities, and so to ourselves and each other through literature.  Reading books (such as The Monkey Wrench Gang, The Control of Nature, and The Omnivore’s Dilemma), essays, and poetry we will begin to understand our own connections to people and place more deeply, and seek the sources of hope and resurrection for the land and our communities that help us regain what is lost and create a vision for the future. (Spring term; Prerequisite: open to Juniors and Seniors or with permission of the instructor; fulfills the Senior Literature requirement and the theory component of the Sustainability Studies requirement)

Utopia/Dystopia
This course uses utopian and dystopian literature and films as a lens through which to examine the ideals we value in society.  Students read a variety of novels and short stories, and we also examine films from this genre in order to provide a conceptual framework for discussing the following essential questions: How do we define a utopian society?  Has the concept of utopia changed over time and/or across cultures or societies?  What are the ideals (freedom, responsibility, justice, community, etc.) that should be honored in a utopian society?  Why do people continue to pursue the concept of a utopian society? Is utopia attainable? At what cost would it be worth attaining?  What is the purpose and/or consequence of creating and/or maintaining a dystopian society?  Is dystopia attainable?  At what cost would it be worth attaining?  Through careful literary analysis and guided discussions, students also gain an understanding of various literary forms and techniques employed by authors.  Students emerge from the class with a greater understanding of literature as well as an appreciation of the issues we face as a society, and they demonstrate this insight by designing their own utopia or dystopia for their final project. (Spring term; Prerequisite: open to Juniors and Seniors or with permission of the instructor; fulfills the Senior Literature requirement)

World History I

This course is an introduction to historical, geographical study through the lens of sustainable living.  The origins of human existence and the development of early civilizations through Medieval Europe will provide the case study models.  Focus will be placed on Essential Terms of the social sciences, spiritual beliefs leading to the creation of religious institutions, the role of art in civilization, and the introduction to philosophical inquiry. (Full year; offered for ninth grade students)

World History II

In this thematic and world-view course, students are exposed to the development of human beings from the Renaissance and Reformation through the World War Era. The Renaissance, avenues of economic and cultural contact between Asia and Europe, the Enlightenment, the political, social and economic revolutions of 18th & 19th centuries in Europe and colonial domination of the Asian and African continents will provide the focus. (Full year)

American History
American History will explore the development of the American nation from pre-Colombian societies to the U.S. involvement in the First World War.  We will visit and revisit the following themes throughout the year:

• Citizen role in a democratic society

• The emergence, interaction and development of four major racial/ethnic groups in American experience-Native American, Euro American, Hispanic-Meztiso, and African American.

• Gender

• Social Classes

• Regionalism

(Full year)

Comparative Economic Development

How did China and Taiwan move from agricultural economies to major industrial powers with relative ease?  Why have the countries in Latin America struggled so hard to establish themselves in the global economy?  What are the implications of our current global economic structure on the people and places of the planet?   In this semester-long course we will begin to answer questions like these as we work to understand how and why some of the regions in the world have developed so differently.  Through a case-study-based approach, we will explore the development stories of countries from several regions in the world.  In doing so, we will build a basic understanding of the capitalist system and globalization.  Examining each case study through a sustainability lens provides a unifying theme to the course. (Fall term; Prerequisite: open to Juniors and Seniors or with permission of the instructor; fulfills the theory component of the Sustainability Studies requirement and the Non-Western History requirement)

20th Century Middle East
The Middle East course focuses primarily upon the pivotal role played by events in the region as they affected global politics during the 20th century. The major themes to be emphasized will include: the nature, rise and influence of Islam, the conflict between the two nations—Palestine and Israel, the emergence of radicalism in a culture of desperation, the interference of the superpowers, and the effects of rapid economic development upon a primarily tribal-agrarian society. (Fall term; Prerequisite: open to Juniors and Seniors or with permission of the instructor; fulfills the non-Western history requirement and the theory component of the Sustainability Studies department)

20th Century Latin America

This course will concentrate on the major political, social, and economic themes of 20th century Latin America.  It will focus on the Dominican, Peruvian, and Nicaraguan revolutions, the causes and results of the wide social and economic gap between the classes, the U.S. role in Latin American affairs before, during, and after the Cold War, and the region’s place in a global economy.  Students will read a variety of texts and will be expected to analyze in both discussion and extensive writing. (Spring term; Prerequisite: open to Juniors and Seniors or with permission of the instructor; fulfills the Non-Western History requirement and the theory component of the Sustainability Studies requirement)

Western Religious Traditions
In this course we will examine the origins, commonality, institutionalization, and practice of the three primary “western” religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The following themes and questions will provide focus for the course:

•           The relationship between being a spiritually connected individual and religion.

•           How do modern science and religion coexist?

•           Do religious idealists exploit the mechanics of politics or have politicians exploited religion?

 (Fall term; Prerequisite: open to Juniors and Seniors or with permission of the instructor; fulfills the Human Values requirement)

War, Peace, and Faith

Does GOD take sides in times of war?  How does the spiritual sense of morality play out when the state requires individuals to engage in violence deemed necessary to protect the ideals of the state.  Is war a natural or cultural characteristic of societal problem solving?  These questions will guide our study of human warfare and the alternative of peaceful conflict resolution.  Students will read, reflect on, and discuss textual material from various intellectual and spiritual perspectives.  (Spring term; Prerequisite: open to Juniors and Seniors or with permission of the instructor; fulfills the Human Values requirement)

Buddhism

What is the cause of human suffering?  Is there a means to end that suffering?  These are the questions the Buddha asked himself more than two thousand years ago, and they are as intriguing and important today as they were then.  In this class we will explore the origins and beliefs of Buddhism as well as the spread of those beliefs throughout Asia and beyond.  We will try to understand this faith by looking closely at two of its sects: Zen and modern “Engaged Buddhism.”  As we come to understand the philosophy and cosmology of the religion, we will also try to put it into practice in our own lives through regular study and meditation. (Spring term; Prerequisite: open to Juniors and Seniors or with permission of the instructor; fulfills the Human Values requirement)