Humanities Department

Learning Outcomes

To develop Hua Yians to understand the complexities of world events.
To develop Hua Yians into critical and reflective thinkers with clear communication crucial to independent and lifelong learning.
To nurture Hua Yians into concerned, informed citizens with a global perspective.

Key Programmes

Issues Investigations

In Social Studies Issues Investigations, our Sec 3E and NA students explore a societal issue together, glean the multiple perspectives of sources that they have researched on and present their findings using e-pedagogical tools. Working collaboratively with their peers, our students have the opportunity to develop their critical thinking skills and deepen their learning as they pause and reflect on their understanding of the impacts of the Covid-19 virus and how it impacts the diverse communities in Singapore. This project further strengthens their civic literacy as students learn to respect differences of others and propose how help can be provided by both government and non-government bodies in working for the good of society.

Historical Investigation

As Inquiry is crucial in History teaching, every student will have to participate in a Historical Investigation (HI) to reconstruct knowledge and answer an important question about the past. This approach enables students to inquire into history through the gathering of sources. With the sources of information, they exercise historical reasoning to turn these sources into evidence and finally engage in reflective thinking to make sound, well-supported interpretations. In engaging students in HI, they will develop into self-directed, critical and reflective thinkers. Through this process of inquiry, they will also learn to work collaboratively with others. Students also get to embark on Learning Journeys as part of HI, such as to the Former Ford Factory, or play historical boardgames, in order to experience the significance of past events and how historical evidence is used to reconstruct an understanding of the past.

Geographical Investigation

At the Lower Secondary Level, students are provided with various authentic learning experiences to sharpen their awareness of environmental and social issues. For example, in Secondary 1, students investigate the impact of human activities on waterways in Singapore at Jurong Eco Garden (2018-2019) and Jurong Lake (2020-2023) through on-site testing and evaluation on water samples collected. In Secondary 2, students get to experience how Geography draws relevance to their everyday life through investigative studies conducted at transport hubs (e.g. Jurong East Interchange in 2022). Such experiential learning continues at Upper Secondary, for example with field studies conducted as part of Sec 4 Geography learning programmes at Kampong Glam (2023). Virtual Reality is used as a pre-fieldwork orientation tool for our students. The VR experience helps students to familiarise themselves with the fieldwork site, providing an exciting complementary source of information for the students..

MOE-NUS Geography Challenge

Geography students are given opportunities to participate in competitions such as the annual NUS Geography Challenge. Through the competition, the participants were given the opportunity to explore the topic of sustainability and Singapore Green Plan 2030 using a geographical lens. Also, through gamification, the participants gained insights to the idea of trade-offs, as well as learned how global issues of sustainability can be understood in a fun and interesting way.

Historical Scene Investigation

Our Secondary Two students take part in the Historical Scene Investigation, a competition organised by the National Library Board and supported by the Ministry of Education. In this inter-school contest, our students put their historical inquiry and research skills to the test, researching on topics such as past pandemics or historical significance of the Second World War in Singapore. Students present their findings through creative products such as videos or posters. In 2022, our students earned the Silver Award for their research into the experiences of local industries during the Japanese Occupation.

Humanities Youth Leaders and ECG Programme

Our Upper Secondary Humanities students have the opportunity to participate in the Humanities Youth Leaders and ECG Programme. Through participating in online forums, students get the opportunity to interact with guest speakers who provide deep insights to the skills set important for the 21st century employment landscape. Workshops are also conducted to enhance students’ proficiency in technological applications and skills (such as ArcGIS and curation of VR videos), and students also go on learning journeys which allow them to appreciate the real-world applications of the Humanities.