Humanities Department

Vanessa RodriguezHumanities Director

Educational Philosophy

Research has proven that the quality of the interaction between an adolescent and their surroundings is critical to their intellectual development. 

Good teachers promote these high quality interactions and foster adolescent brains as well as social, ethical, psychological, and language development.  Since academic success depends on the development of each of these areas, students who are surrounded by a positive environment that encourages growth in all of these areas have the best chance of long-term success both in and out of school. -adapted from James P. Comer, M.D. Professor of Child Psychiatry at Yale University

Author of Leave No Child Behind

Because a child’s most meaningful learning occurs through positive relationships with nurturing educators, RLA works hard to cultivate all aspects of a child’s development. We foster a more well-rounded education by going beyond academics and helping children to expand their physical, psychological, expressive, social and ethical abilities. We challenge you to open your mind to what a middle school can do.

Humanities Team Vision

The RLA humanities team is the first team in the building to transition into our new vision. As such, we must be a tight knit unit, much like a family. In order to do this we will have:CollaborationConsistencyCommunication

However, most importantly every member of this team must have:COMMITMENT!!

Commitment is the glue that will hold us together!

Humanities Team Mission

The teaching of both English and Social Studies at RLA follows an inquiry and project based approach where teachers address all levels of learners through workshop model projects.

Our teachers strive to meet all learners’ needs and help them achieve success.

Humanities Classroom

EnvironmentCouches, rugs, plants (welcoming)Personalized portfoliosColorful charts, large printStudents have access to

everythingThoughtful floorplanWork centers with student choice

6th 7th 8th

Unit 1: (Mini Unit)

Baseline Assessment—Summer Assignment/Building Workshop Model

Baseline Assessment--Summer Assignment/Building Workshop Model

Baseline Assessment— Summer Assignment/Building Workshop Model

Unit 2: Memoir—--Where I’m from--Vivid Writing (figurative language)SeedfolksSS:Early Man—What is history? What are historians?Archaeology, What is the role of religion in the progression of civilization?

Character Study--critical literary analysis pieceSS:Empire Building (Peopling of the Americas, Conquerors and Explorers)

Essay Unit--identifying different essay types when reading--writing different types of essaysSS:Turn of the Century

Unit 3: Essay Unit--informational

Non-Fiction Magazine--using quoted evidence to support a thesis (with voice)SS:13 Colonies and the Road to Revolution

Plays--story elementsSS:Depression into WWI

Unit 4: Test Prep(Mini Unit)

Test Prep Test Prep Test Prep

Unit 5: Poetry Short Story--reading and writing of short storiesSS: Constitution and New Republic

Persuasive Unit--speech--editorial--persuasive letter(teen issues—answering questions)SS:WWII into Vietnam

Unit 6: Book Club by Genre Book Club and Histiography SS:Manifest Destiny and Civil War

Book Club by Social Justice IssuesSS: Modern History

Unit 7: (Mini Unit)

Portfolio Portfolio Portfolio