This presentation outlines the core values and principles of the Monta Vista High School American Studies course.

1. General Principles of
American Studies
An Introduction

2. Students are not receptacles
to be filled with “knowledge.”
The role of the teacher is to guide the
student in discovering knowledge, not
fill the student with concrete information.

3. We will teach you how to
think, not what to think.
Our job is to help you discover the skills
you need to discover new information,
while your job is to investigate, evaluate
and assess that information.

4. Students are more invested in
projects that are authentic.
Modeling projects after real-world jobs gives
students insight into Humanities careers, and
publishing their work for a real audience makes
them more invested in the outcome.

5. Collaborative learning teaches
students life skills.
American Studies students report
feeling better equipped to work with
others and to contribute in groups.

6. Being a participator doesn’t
necessarily mean you talk a lot.
Listening, responding, questioning, and
sharing are all methods of participation.
It’s not just about raising your hand a lot
(though that can help sometimes).

7. Apply your education to your
life to make it meaningful.
We learn about literature and history to
gain a better understanding of who we
are and how we are in order to shape
how we will be.

8. Retain information by
drawing connections.
In everything that you do in this class,
think about how it relates to something
else. Human beings learn in webs, not
direct lines.

9. Everything can be read and
everything is an argument.
From a book to a film to a song to the
clothes you are wearing, it’s necessary
to understand that everything is
potentially a “text” to be studied.

10. The questions are often more
important than the answers.
Curiosity and inquisitiveness provoke
excellent discussions and lead to new
understandings.

11. Each day, you choose your
attitude.
We’ll do our best to make every day
interesting and engaging. You do your
part by playing along :o)