Full course description
Fall 2025 Semester 3, Course 20: Using Humanities to Support Learning
January 20th, 2026
Course 20: Using Humanities to Support Student Learning is the 5th course in Semester 3 of the ASPIRE to Teach Program in the College of Education.
This course empowers pre-service educators to support student learning across grade levels by integrating humanities—including social studies, civics, geography, history, and the arts—with literacy and culturally responsive instruction. Candidates will design inquiry-based, standards-aligned learning experiences that are rooted in students’ backgrounds and lived experiences. Across all certification tracks, educators will use literature, oral history, project-based learning, and community resources to foster critical thinking, identity development, and social awareness. Standards Addressed: NJ Professional Standards for Teachers: 2, 3, 11; CAEP Standards: R1.1, R1.4; INTASC Standards: 2, 3, 10
Track 20A: Integrating Social Studies/Literacy in Early Childhood (P–3) Prepares early childhood educators to integrate social studies and literacy through developmentally appropriate, inquiry-driven themes such as families, neighborhoods, and cultural traditions. Candidates will explore how to incorporate multilingual and multicultural children’s literature, draw on students’ home and community knowledge, and design language-rich cross-content units using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. Family engagement and classroom-community connections will be emphasized through play-based, inclusive, and identity-affirming instruction.
Track 20B: Integrating Social Studies/Literacy in Elementary Classrooms (K–6) Equips elementary educators to plan and implement integrated social studies and literacy instruction that centers on civic engagement, historical thinking, and cultural inquiry. Candidates will use grade-level texts, primary sources, and literature circles to support comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking. Emphasis is placed on differentiated instruction, inclusive classroom discourse, and the development of social studies units that support diverse learners through multimedia and interdisciplinary approaches.
Track 20C: Integrating Humanities in Secondary Classrooms (7–12) Supports secondary educators in designing discipline-based literacy instruction across social studies and humanities content, including history, government, economics, literature, and the arts. Candidates will integrate document-based questions (DBQs), project-based learning, and academic discourse routines that promote deep engagement with complex texts and real-world issues. Focus includes supporting multilingual learners, students with IEPs, and using the humanities to advance civic reasoning, empathy, and global awareness.
Dates
January 20th, 2026
Pricing
$400.00
Refunds
Typically no refunds are allowed. For inquiries, please contact the ASPIRE to Teach administrative team, aspiretoteach@rowan.edu.
Have Questions?
Contact The ASPIRE to Teach administrative team, aspiretoteach@rowan.edu.