Humanities
Discover how Mayflower Secondary's Humanities programme builds critical thinkers and engaged citizens through Geography, History and Social Studies.
Developing Curious Minds. Nurturing Generous Spirits. Preparing Future-Ready Mayflowerians.
At Mayflower Secondary School, Humanities education goes beyond academic achievement.
We nurture students who think critically, understand the world deeply, and contribute meaningfully to society.
Through Geography, History and Social Studies, our students develop the skills, values and dispositions needed to thrive in a complex and interconnected world.
Our Humanities Team
Humanities team staff roles and names
HOD (Humanities) | Mdm S Santhi |
Subject Head [Humanities] | Ms Fateha Binte Abdullah |
Senior Teacher (Geography) | Ms Frances Ong |
HOD (Discipline) | Mr Raj Kanna Velayutham |
Lead Teacher (CCE) | Mrs Tricia Lim Sze Ling |
Subject Head (EdTech) | Mr Jeremy Ong Zhen Wei |
Teachers | Ms Su Haiyin |
Our teachers collaborate actively, continually engage in professional learning, and are committed to supporting every learner’s growth.
Our Vision
Humanities students and staff are lifelong learners with a global perspective.
Our work is guided by the Mayflower Promise — nurturing students with a Curious Mind, Generous Spirit and Zest for Life.
How the Mayflower Promise Comes Alive in Humanities
How the Mayflower Promise is expressed across Humanities learning
Curious Mind | Generous Spirit | Zest for Life |
|---|---|---|
Students learn to question, investigate and think deeply about the world around them. They regularly:
“Humanities taught me how to think, not just what to think.” | Through discussions about society, culture and global issues, students develop empathy and respect for diverse perspectives. They learn to:
“I’ve become more open-minded and learned to respect opinions different from mine.” | Learning in Humanities is designed to be engaging, meaningful and connected to real life. Students experience:
“The Vietnam learning journey made Humanities come alive beyond the classroom.” |
What Learning Looks Like in Our Classrooms
Our students are active participants in their learning, not passive recipients of information.
In a Humanities classroom, you will often see students:
Discussing real-world issues
Interpreting data and case studies
Evaluating historical sources
Giving and receiving peer feedback
Reflecting on their own thinking
Using digital platforms to support inquiry
Our lessons intentionally develop:
Critical and adaptive thinking
Communication and collaboration skills
Independent learning habits
Confidence in expressing ideas using evidence
Signature Learning Experiences
Overseas Learning Journeys
In 2024, students participated in a Humanities Learning Journey to Vietnam. Through site visits, guided inquiry and reflection, students deepened their understanding of historical, cultural and socio-political contexts while developing global awareness.
2025 Vietnam Presentation
2024 Vietnam Presentation
Inquiry & Investigative Projects
Students regularly engage in authentic inquiry across levels, including:
Geographical fieldwork and investigations
Historical source-based inquiry into Singapore’s past
Social Studies projects exploring contemporary societal issues
These experiences strengthen research, reasoning and communication skills.
Competitions & Talent Development
We encourage students to stretch their potential through platforms such as:
MOE Geography Challenge
MOE History Challenge
PROVE IT! Inter-school Challenge [evaluating reliability of information]
Promising students are also identified for further Humanities-related enrichment opportunities.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
Students benefit from a range of enrichment experiences including:
Learning journeys and field experiences
Guest speakers and expert talks
Enrichment workshops
Use of technology such as VR to enhance engagement
These opportunities make learning authentic, memorable and meaningful.
What Our Students Say
“What I love about Humanities in Mayflower is how engaging and meaningful the lessons are. They helped me better understand past events and social issues. At first, I was worried that Humanities would be about dull memorisation, but the subjects were taught in a way that made learning interactive and interesting. Instead of forcing myself to memorise facts, I learned to understand the causes and impacts of events, especially in History. Humanities also helped me learn how to break large amounts of content into smaller, more manageable ideas, making learning more meaningful and easier to remember.” - Yu Shan [2025 batch]
The most memorable Humanities lessons for me were the ones where my peers and I had to actively apply what we have learnt. In Sec 4, we were put into groups and made to take on different roles like government, community and individuals who were faced with potential security threats like transnational terrorism. It pushed me out of my usual “individual” mindset and forced me to see issues from broader perspectives.
The group discussions on societal issues made heavy Social Studies content easier to process. Using online platforms like Padlet also helped us organise our ideas more clearly. Overall, the mix of discussion and working regularly with my peers as well as learning through different platforms made everything more fun! That is honestly why upper secondary Social Studies lessons still stuck with me. - Wei Jian [2025 batch]
What I really loved about learning Humanities subjects at Mayflower was how the lessons were not just about learning content. They were about making learning meaningful and memorable. My Humanities teachers were always genuine, helpful, and supportive. They made lessons feel personal and engaging and that was a big part of why I grew a real passion for History and Social Studies.
One thing that made it feel so memorable was how teachers would bring in pop culture to help us understand History in a deeper way. I still remember when my History teacher shared the origins of the song “Forever Young”. She explained that it was shaped by Cold War-era anxiety in 1980s Europe, where people genuinely feared a nuclear war could happen. Soon after that, the song started trending everywhere. It felt really cool to know what the song was really about, while others were just enjoying it on the surface. - Nonidh [2024 Batch]
I’ve really enjoyed my geography journey. One of my most memorable experiences was our fieldwork at Punggol North Shore Plaza, where we observed and analysed how sustainable the mall is. It opened my eyes to how small design choices affect our daily lives. But what I appreciate most are our lessons — we can always ask questions, clear our doubts, and have meaningful discussions that help us understand geography on a deeper level. It’s made the subject genuinely enjoyable for me. – Ler Enn [2025 Batch]
Our Hope for Every Mayflowerian
By the end of their humanities journey, we hope every student will:
Think critically about the world
Communicate confidently and respectfully
Appreciate diverse perspectives
Care about societal issues
Develop a lifelong appreciation for the Humanities
Photo
Active Learners
External competitions
Learning Outdoors with fieldwork
Opportunities to learn from the Experts!
Videos
Humanities video topics by subject
YouTube
