HUM 210 Introduction to the Humanities
Instructor
/ Kris Murray /Phone / 288-5511 ext. 258 / Office Hours / MWF 9:30-10:50; TTh 2-3pm
Office / 1M16 /
Semester
/ Spring 2005Texts:
Susan Woodford Looking At Pictures
Dennis J. Sporre ArtsGuide
Kris Murray Art, Metaphor, and Life
Phaidon Press The Art Book,
Materials on HUM 210 website—
http://www.svcc.edu/academics/classes/murray/humanities/index.htm
Description:
This course is an introduction to the humanities in general and the Arts in particular.
The humanities are one of the three main divisions of education. Because each of these three divisions has their own areas of study, they each have a particular methodology used to explore their subject matters. The methodology used for the subjects which fall under the category “humanities” is called “interpretive,” and that is what we will be concentrating on—increasing your ability to interpret material. (Do not assume that the word interpret means what you think it does.)
In today’s world of rapid change, we can no longer simply memorize information and regurgitate it either on tests or on the job. We must all rediscover the abilities to analyze and interpret information and to make decisions based upon those interpretations, something for which the study of the Arts is particularly well-suited.
Goals:
There are five main goals for this course-
Ø to become familiar with representative examples of the Arts of the Western European tradition
Ø to come to understand the necessity for the Arts, especially in our world of rapid change
Ø to master, to some degree, the style of thinking most often applied to studying the Arts
Ø to become comfortable with expressing ideas, whether in writing, oral presentation, visual presentation, etc.
Ø to conduct research on topics in the Arts and demonstrate mastery of the MLA citation style
Requirements:
Course is based on 300 points total (NOTE--I do not accept late submissions—period.)
Ø Activities- 30pts
Ø Art’s Guide Test 30pts
Ø Wolfflin Test- 25pts
Ø Tech Talk paper- 25pts
Ø Group Project #1- 40pts
Ø Midterm Project- 50pts
Ø Final Project- 100pts
o Attendance- 5% of total project points
o Peer Evaluation- 5% of total project points
Grades: 300 Total
270-300 = A
240-269 = B
210-239 = C
180-209 = D
179 or fewer = F
Attendance:
Attendance is very important because much of the work is group work and therefore done in class. You will be accountable to your group as much as to me for being here. Note—Court appearances do not count as excused absences in this class. (See “Evaluation” below)
Structure of course:
The contents of this course are all related, in some way, to the final project of the class. (See course Concept Map in Art, Metaphor, and Life). There is no way you can get through this course by simple rote memorization. Each unit builds on the previous unit, although the connection is not always obvious. Part of your success in this class will depend upon your ability to discover the connections.
Evaluation: Grades are based on the following criteria—
Ø Individual performance (assessed through tests, activities, papers, and projects)
Ø Group Projects
Ø Peer evaluation
Ø Instructor evaluation
Ø Attendance
Assessment at Sauk and You
Sauk Valley Community College is an institution dedicated to continuous instructional improvement. As part of our assessment efforts, it is necessary for us to collect and analyze course-level data. Data drawn from students’ work for the purposes of institutional assessment will be collected and posted in aggregate, and will not identify individual students. Your continued support in our on-going effort to provide quality instructional services at SVCC is appreciated.