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

G1 Humanities: Exploring Our World and Society

At the G1 level, students are introduced to the Humanities through exposure modules in Geography, History and Literature, apart from Social Studies. These modules help students explore how people interact with their environment, understand significant events and issues that shape societies, and appreciate how stories and texts reflect human experiences and emotions.

Learning in Humanities goes beyond the coursebooks— students engage in hands-on activities, discussions, and digital learning experiences that bring the subjects to life. Through these experiences, they develop essential 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, empathy, communication, and responsible citizenship, nurturing curious minds ready to understand and contribute to the world around them.

Social Studies Issues Investigations

In Social Studies, our Secondary 3 students take on real-world sustainability issues through the Issues Investigation project. Expanding beyond past topics like plastic waste management, this year’s students explored areas such as energy, water, health and wellbeing, and sustainable urban living.

Through research, stakeholder analysis, and the use of digital tools, students learned to think critically, appreciate diverse perspectives, and propose practical solutions for a more sustainable Singapore. These experiences nurture informed and responsible citizens who are ready to contribute meaningfully to society.

History Learning Experiences

At the Lower Secondary level, History learning nurtures curiosity and critical thinking through inquiry-based and experiential experiences that make the study of the past relevant to students’ lives today. Lessons are designed to help students explore historical perspectives, analyse evidence, and reflect on how Singapore’s past shapes its identity and values.

In Secondary One, students use educational technology tools such as Gemini to explore life in Singapore in the 1300s. By posing questions, analysing findings, and discussing interpretations, they develop inquiry skills and deepen their appreciation of Singapore’s early history in an engaging and interactive way.

In Secondary Two, game-based pedagogy brings historical learning to life through an in-house designed board game that simulates the political tensions of post-war Singapore. Through card mechanics and decision-making tasks, students experience the trade-offs and dilemmas faced by different factions — the British, Communists, and Non-Communists — cultivating historical empathy and understanding of the complexities in Singapore’s road to independence.

Students undertake Historical Investigations (HI) to examine key questions about the past, evaluate sources, and construct evidence-based interpretations. As part of their investigations, students engage with authentic historical materials using National Library Board resource repositories such as Infopedia and NewspaperSG, as well as the National Archives’ Oral History Interviews collection. These experiences allow them to apply inquiry skills to real-world sources and deepen their appreciation of how evidence is used to reconstruct the past.

Ultimately, History education in Hua Yi serves as a platform for developing civic, global, and cross-cultural literacy, enabling students to make sense of the world around them and contribute thoughtfully as informed citizens in a diverse society.

Geography Learning Experiences: Cultivating Inquiry and Eco-Stewardship

At the Lower Secondary level, Geography learning is designed to nurture students’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of real-world environmental and social issues. Through inquiry-based and authentic learning experiences, students explore the dynamic relationships between people and the environment.

In Secondary 1, students participate in outdoor geographical investigations that develop their spatial awareness and encourage reflection on sustainable actions in their daily lives. In Secondary 2, collaborative research projects on housing and transport issues strengthen students’ inquiry, critical thinking, and teamwork skills as they analyse patterns, propose solutions, and appreciate diverse perspectives on sustainable living.

The experiential learning approach continues at the Upper Secondary level, where field studies are conducted as part of the Geography curriculum at key sites such as Choa Chu Kang Transport Hub (Insights into Urban Planning), Bird Paradise (Tourism Studies), and the Science Centre’s Earth Alive! exhibition (Tectonic Studies).

Across all levels, eco-stewardship is emphasised as a core value in Geography education. Lessons incorporate decision-making scenarios that challenge students to evaluate environmental policies and analyse the trade-offs involved in addressing current geographical issues. Through these exercises, students learn to weigh environmental, economic, and social factors in decision-making — reinforcing their role as responsible and informed eco-stewards.

MOE-NUS Geography Challenge

Geography students are given opportunities to participate in national competitions such as the annual NUS Geography Challenge (GC), organised by the National University of Singapore’s Department of Geography. As part of their preparation, students undergo school-based training sessions that strengthen their geographical concepts, sharpen their analytical skills, and build confidence in applying inquiry-based thinking to current issues.

Through this competition, students explore themes such as sustainability and the Singapore Green Plan 2030 using a geographical lens. They also engage in gamified learning experiences that help them understand trade-offs and global sustainability challenges in a fun and meaningful way, while developing critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaborative skills alongside peers from other schools.

History Competitions

Our Secondary Two students take part in the Historical Scene Investigation and Prove It! contests, both organised by the National Library Board and supported by the Ministry of Education. In these inter-school competitions, students apply their historical inquiry and research skills to investigate topics such as past pandemics or the significance of events that shaped Singapore after the Second World War. They present their findings through creative end products such as animations, videos, posters, or skits, and hone their public speaking skills by sharing their work with peers during morning assembly.

In the Historical Scene Investigation, our students achieved two Silver Awards in 2024 and went on to earn one Gold and one Silver Team Award in 2025. In the Prove It! contest, our students clinched the Gold Award (Top 10 Teams) in 2024 and followed up with two Silver Awards in 2025, which is a testament to our students’ consistency and growing expertise in historical inquiry.

Our Secondary Three students also participated in the annual War & Diplomacy Challenge hosted by Bendemeer Secondary School, a strategy card game of survival and conquest that simulates the experience of governments during the turbulent era of 1918–1945. The game challenges students to make political decisions related to invasion, trade, diplomacy, reparations, sanctions, propaganda, and appeasement. Closely aligned with the Upper Secondary History syllabus, the competition brings historical concepts to life and deepens students’ engagement with the subject. In 2025, our school won the 1st Runner-Up Team Award, with seven students reaching the semi-finals and one finalist in the competition.

The MOE History Challenge also engages our Secondary Three students in the disciplinary thinking of History. Through this quiz-based competition, they demonstrate their historical knowledge and apply conceptual understanding across different historical periods. The experience strengthens their mastery of key historical concepts while developing confidence in articulating evidence-based arguments.

Voices of Humanities

Voices of Humanities (VOH) offers students authentic opportunities to connect classroom learning with the real world. In 2025, students explored themes such as the Green Economy, AI and Digital Business, and Sustainability, deepening their understanding of how the Humanities relate to Singapore’s future.

Through factory visits, entrepreneurship workshops, digital marketing projects with real startups, eSports broadcasting, and photography competitions, students learned to think critically, communicate confidently, and appreciate diverse perspectives.