Middle School is a time of transition in the life of every Marksman. It is a period of tremendous growth as our boys exit childhood and begin to navigate the exciting but daunting waters of young adulthood. Driven by their innate curiosity and seemingly boundless energy, they are maturing physically, socially, and intellectually, and they are starting to explore important questions of identity, community, and their place in the larger world. Recognizing this, the 5-8 humanities curriculum provides a forum for the boys to consider those questions through the diverse and powerful lenses of social studies and language arts. Organized around the theme of “The Journey: An Exploration of the Human Experience,” the curriculum challenges the boys to improve their reading, writing, and thinking skills as they explore the extraordinary story of mankind, from our very beginnings in Africa to the complex and perpetually evolving realities of modern life. By examining models of ethical leadership from history and literature, the boys begin to develop a stronger understanding of the roles they play within their peer groups and the entire St. Mark’s community. While grades 5 and 6 are linked around world social studies and 7-8 are linked around American social studies, all the courses are guided by a quotation and a series of broad questions that provide thematic focus and unity across the 5-8 sequence. Toward the school’s mission of educating “The Whole Boy,” the Humanities Department aims to prepare our young men not only for the academic rigors of the Upper School, but for all of the intellectual and emotional endeavors that lie ahead on their own paths to manhood.