Group of young women working on papers and notes at a wooden table in a cozy room with shelves, plants, and a rainbow flag in the background. 
Learning

Humanities

The Humanities curriculum delves deeply into the work of others and challenges students to generate their own. Students read books and write essays, but they also simulate past events, write and perform plays, debate contemporary issues, design and build memorials to historical figures, interview experts outside the Meridian community, and carry out original primary source research.

Skills Developed

01

Communicate clearly and effectively in written, oral, and visual formats.

02

Read and analyze the interplay of historical and literary texts, including fiction, non-fiction, archival documents, plays, visual art, and poetry.

03

Employ critical theories, bringing different perspectives to critique power structures in historical and contemporary society.

04

Experiment with the discipline-specific practices of a range of social sciences, including archeology, sociology, philosophy, geography, economics, and linguistics.

05

Strive for social justice by investigating the impacts of societal and historical contexts on individual and collective identities, studying the work of social movements, and collaborating with local organizations to work towards more just futures.

Division Course Sequence

Every student moves through a foundational course in each discipline, then chooses electives as their interest develops.

  • [Division 1] Heroes & Villains

    This course explores how stories reflect, shape, and challenge the ways people understand themselves, their communities, and the world around them. Students examine storytelling as both an artistic practice and a powerful social force, asking how stories communicate values, construct identity, reflect culture, and influence history.

  • Media & Journalism

    In this course, students study how stories, media, and developments in technology shape the ways we understand and experience power, justice, identity, and truth. Students examine how people have used print media, literature, art, and digital me

  • [Division 2] Constitution Nation

    This course examines why and how people organize themselves, exploring philosophical questions of human nature and the technicalities of government. Students refine their research skills by working with primary historical sources and academic texts, as well as practicing argumentative writing.

  • Indigenous Americas

    This course focuses on the American continents in the pre-modern era—experimenting with archaeology, anthropology, and historiography. Through the examination of shifting scholarship, extant objects, and current literary imaginings, students develop an understanding of how we come to interpret the past.

  • [Division 3] American Historiography

    This course explores the histories and literatures of the United States, asking: "How do the stories we tell about the American past shape our collective present and visions of the future?" and "Throughout American history, how has the concept of solidarity been used to build — as well as fracture — communities and social movements?"

  • Africa and Europe Through Each Other’s Eyes

    In this course, students examine the intertwined histories and ideologies of Africa and Europe. We ask: “How were the dominant Western narratives of history created? How can we contribute to building counternarratives?”

  • [Division 4] Civilization from East to West

    This course begins in the Ancient World and gradually progresses to the present day, asking, “How is ancient history reflected in modern societies?” and “What can we learn from attempts at modernization that spurned Westernization?”

  • Arts and Protests

    In this course, we look at the potentialities of art to enact social change, using the Harlem Renaissance, the Spanish Civil War, and the Vietnam War as historical touchpoints. In the final portion of the year, we pivot to an Introduction to Educational Studies course, learning the sociological practice of ethnography to conduct an examination of the Boston educational landscape.

A group of young diverse people sitting in a conference room, holding UNAGB booklets, with some smiling and others focused, attended a formal event.

Electives

  • Students explore several traditional economics topics as well as personal finance themes. Some essential questions include: Why are some people rich and some people poor? Is the American economy fair? What do Americans owe each other?

  • Advanced English Literature and Composition introduces students to college-level literary analysis. At Meridian, students get to participate in crafting the reading list with the instructor, enabling them to read books that cater to their individual identities and interests.

  • Advanced Psychology is a college-level introductory survey of the field of psychology. At Meridian, we emphasize project-based practice of these concepts and designing experiments.

  • Moving through cycles of reading, writing, and revising, students develop a portfolio of original creative writing. Students form a supportive writing workshop community, learning from a wide range of mentor texts as well as through peer critique.

  • We explore what AI is and how it works, as well as critical perspectives on the sociological, educational, and research implications of AI, among other topics. This course draws from both the Humanities and MST disciplines.

Curated Student Work

Exhibitions
Boston: Past, Present, Future (S’26)
Boston: Past, Present, Future (S’26)

Division 3

As part of our explorations in American Historiography, Division 3 students investigated the past, present, and future of Greater Boston through oral histories, micro memoirs, and speculative fiction.

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"Our Declaration" Value: Photo Essays and Artist Statements
"Our Declaration" Value: Photo Essays and Artist Statements

Division 2

As part of our study of colonial America, students learned about the meeting and process for writing the Declaration of Independence.

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The Contested Teaching of American History (F’25)
The Contested Teaching of American History (F’25)

Division 3

At the beginning of “American Historiography,” Division 3 students worked to create interactive timelines about Critical Race Theory, the 1619 Project, and AP African-American Studies.

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