By Borislava Panayotova

   While a complete switch of the original curriculum may be difficult for some schools, TPA has some experience with it. 

   For the current and following school years, the ninth grade Humane Letters classes will no longer learn Classical, orAncient Greek and Roman, history and literature, but rather American history and literature. 

   About nine years ago, before the Arizona Legislature changed the rules for middle school social studies, the HL curriculum followed this layout. Middle schoolers were required to take three years of American History from seventh to ninth grade. But the administration at the time decided to change the curriculum’s structure, and after multiple experiments, wound up with the curriculum that most students are familiar with today: Classical history and literature in ninth grade and American history and literature in 11th grade.

   The reason behind the current change is similar to the first one: the state legislature changed what middle schoolers are required to study in social studies again. The new change states that students must take American History in fifth grade, world civilizations in another year ands one required year of American government.

   Before, students took eleventh grade Humane Letters, a government and civics class, without having enough prior knowledge to understand certain concepts. The solution was to study American history and literature in ninth grade so that students can more easily understand the connections and apply their previous knowledge.

   Aside from the social studies requirement switch Mr. Veenstra, the current 10th and 12th grade HL teacher and one of TPA’s longest-standing faculty members, says , “Starting HL, a difficult class with things that are most familiar that is American history and literature probably would be easier to transition into.” Dr. Porter adds that the change makes sense “because ancient literature is a little less accessible to ninth graders than American literature might be.”

   These faculty members also express that the change went smoothly thanks to the teachers involved. Dr. Salcido and Dr. Evans, the 11th -grade HL teachers, Mrs. Drake, the Dean of Faculty and Mr. Weiss, the 10th grade HL teacher and Director of Humanities, helped develop this plan to switch the Humane Letters curriculum of ninth and 11th grade.

   The process was observed and reviewed by the administration of the school and all grade-level Humane Letters teachers. When the two groups came up with a working solution, they conferred with the TPA school board, which later approved the change. 

   Mr. Veenstra says, “I am hoping that students coming into Humane Letters will feel more comfortable with the class … and will be able to concentrate not so much on wrapping their minds around very difficult and arcane topics, but rather can work on developing the skills and talents that are necessary to be a successful HL student.”