Humanities

Humanities in the S1 to S4 Programme of HKUGAC consist mainly of geography and history as an integrated endeavour.  Due to the cross-curricular nature of humanities issues, this subject will also explore such areas as economics, law and government, as students become more mature to be alert to these wider aspects of life.  The key concepts and questions contained within the various themes of the subject are therefore intended to provide the foundation for further study in many fields.  The subject relies on a coherent conceptual framework within which teachers are free to select and design individual tasks with reference to resources available and students needs.

The study of geography is intended to lead students from an understanding of the material foundation on which man is based to an appreciation of spatial phenomena at regional, national and global levels.  Through the use of geographical concepts relating to orientation, geographical position, spatial representation, development and environment, students acquire the ability to analyse, classify, explain and record spatial phenomena with increasing sophistication at each level.  The themes of the Humanities subject will all time engage students to explore the relationships between man and his environment at different times and places.

The study of history within the subject calls for genuinely an international perspective.  For example, it looks at the relationship between man and the universe, the origin of species, varying cultures and interactions at different times.  In terms of skills to acquire historical knowledge, students will rely on various sources of evidence to put forward their views and arguments, where 'facts' are only a tool for students' questions leading to their reconstruction the past in a meaningful way.  It is their views, arguments and opinions that really matter.  For example, students will not only know that mummies existed in Ancient Egypt, but will also ascertain why they existed in the way they presented themselves in the material time and social context.  Furthermore, students will have ample opportunity to look at what has changed and not changed in relation to the present time, to speculate on the possible reasons behind.

In pedagogy terms, a consensus on classroom rules, (co-)lesson planning, group learning, equal discursive behaviours, co-learning and teaching, inquiry-based learning, critical thinking approaches to learning will be seen as the starting point for other instructional devices to bring about authentic and meaningful learning experiences.

Insofar as assessment of learning goes, the subject will rely on the acquisition of knowledge via understanding and application of concepts, the grasp and use of skills and, finally, the processing and presentation of information and materials.  A great variety of tasks and activities will be employed to look at the learning outcomes, such as students' portfolio that will show all evidence of the learning process especially during the formative part of the assessment.   There are numerous other teaching activities and learning experiences that will come into play during both the formative and summative assessments, such as journals/diaries/memiors, logbooks, exchange of information, mini-projects, exhibitions, oral presentations, performances, demonstrations, written papers, essays, commentaries, critique of information, speech writing, simulation game designs, role plays, debates and so on.