PROPOSED ROADMAP FOR A HUMANITIES ACADEMY ASPIRANT

OTHER THAN THE GPA AND PERCENTILE REQUIREMENTS PORTFOLIO Basic A strong command of the English Language (both written and spoken) Participate national social science / humanities / environmental / literary competitions in Year 1 or Year 2 Participate actively in Humanities Club / RI Archives / Creative Arts / Writing programmes / inter-house competitions Undertake a quality social science / humanities / environmental science/ writing project Bonus Obtain at least a second-runners up prize for any of the national competitions in Year 1 or Year 2 Participate actively in geography / history / social science / environmental science/writing programmes organised by other organisations besides RI A letter of commendation by the organisation(s) which the student is involved in for the geography / history / social science / environmental science / writing programmes Obtain recognition (prize / ranking) for a quality social science / humanities / environmental science-oriented / writing project Showcased their literary/creative pieces on a school-wide platform CHARACTERISTICS (with descriptors and examples) Passionate about the Humanities as a discipline o Takes initiative to start and maintain a decent collection of rocks, or reads way beyond the curriculum, or shows genuine creativity in his portfolio collection o An avid visitor of the museums in and out of Singapore. Enjoys history or political science related documentaries, movies and books. o Reads beyond the textbook and the lower secondary curriculum. Reads beyond the reading list and genres provided for English. o Attends lectures conducted by organisations / museums on own initiative. o Bonus: a volunteer in any of the museums / writing festivals / NonGovernmental Organisations Curious and always thinking about how the society works, interested in human nature and how events evolve. Able to see patterns and make connections. o Ask questions in class and is never contented with the standard answers o Understand the need for perspectives and to look beyond the surface to truly understand o Suspends judgment, entertains alternative explanations or points of view while exploring a question. o Interested in current affairs, social themes, complex public issues, explanations and theories of causation.

Enjoys the processes of research and investigating for their own sake o Takes initiative to find out information on own, is not dependent on subject teacher for answers o Go beyond the internet for information o Shares new found information willingly with peers/teachers either in class or through other platforms such as blogs. Enjoys field trips/work and loves getting his hands dirty o Willing to step out of comfort zone to try new things. Understand that the study of the humanities extends beyond books, e.g.: enjoys exploring old neighbourhoods, buildings and know that much can be learn about the place by simply immersing in such experiences. Enjoys interaction with people. o Excited about new experiences and could relate experiences to learning, e.g.: recording oral history on Pulau Ubin without the creature comforts / ploughing through stacks of dusty old documents during research/ taking samples from fresh water streams, collecting and studying the distribution of sea shells / sands, touching the texture of tree barks Loves and appreciates nature, culture and humanity o shows heightened sensitivity and empathy for the environment and human condition beyond mere textbook knowledge o Has a good sense of humour; uses and understands satire, puns and second meanings o sees ethical and moral questions Is excited about new experiences and could relate the experiences to learning o e.g. spending the night in a kampung without electricity or running water Is persevering Is intuitive Writes convincingly Interacts well with others Articulate Dares to ask (insightful) questions Dares to attempt (well-reasoned) answers Open-minded Not afraid to fail