ART 111 - The Paleolithic Era through the Middle Ages
Course Syllabus
Bronze handle attachment in the form of a mask, Late Hellenistic or Early Imperial, 1st century B.C.E. – 1st century A.D., Greek or Roman, bronze, 10 in., Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
Instructor: Sarah Shirk, M. Liberal Studies
E-mail:
Course Description
Students enrolled in ART 111 will study works of art and their aesthetics within the framework of their original social, political and spiritual contexts. Western theories of art, aesthetics, value and use will be defined. Course activities may include, but are not limited to, field trips, discussions, writing assignments, exams, small-group work, and presentations. As well, online collections of art will be frequently visited, including those at the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City and the British Museum of Art of London.
Textbook
Gardner’s Art Through the Ages: A Concise Global History, Third Edition.
Author: Fred S. Kleiner, Boston University.
ISBN-10: 0495503460. ISBN-13: 9780495503460.
Publisher: Pearson.
Copyright: 2012.
Course Goals
1.) Understand aesthetic experience and artistic creativity. (Associate Degree Outcome 6)
2.) Work in small groups in order to facilitate an atmosphere of respectful and productive discussion and collaboration. (Associate Degree Outcome 9)
3.) Trace the on-going development of art and architecture.
4.) Recognize the critical components of each style, period, and canon of art history.
5.) Understand the cultural/social and technological forces that shaped artifacts, aesthetics, and functions.
6.) Articulate connections between macro histories and case studies.
7.) Develop visual literacy.
8.) Analyze art and architecture for their essential formal elements.
9.) Use vocabulary terms to discuss and describe art and architecture.
10.) Demonstrate interpretation and critical analysis skills through discussion and in writing.
Student Responsibilities
ü Be mindful of the course calendar, and remember that late work is not permitted.
ü Be aware of the required parameters of each assignment, and work within those parameters.
ü Allow yourself to seek assistance from the instructor or the College whenever you need it.
ü Resist any urge to plagiarize on any assignment.
ü Manage your time mindfully, particularly in relation to assignments that require self-regulation.
Course Activities and Methods of Evaluation
Vocabulary Quiz
A vocabulary quiz will be released each Monday, and must be completed by Wednesday at 11:55 pm. The quizzes may be accessed once, and have a 20-minute time limit in which it must be finished. Vocabulary quizzes are worth up to 10 points each.
Discussion Leader & Panel of Judges
Students will be assigned the role of Discussion Leader once per semester, and to serve on the panel of judges as need be. As Discussion Leader, students are responsible for carefully studying their assigned topic and presenting 5 open-ended questions and a PowerPoint, which will be used to lead the Discussion Session and facilitate an analysis of the art. PowerPoints should be used to present the questions and to define relevant vocabulary terms, but they should also provide illustrative images that are clear and large. Ensure that the title and date of creation for each work of art is included. The following rubric will be used to grade Discussion Leaders. The instructor and the Panel of Judges will use this rubric, which will collectively award up to 50 points.
Discussion Leader Rubric
Quality of QuestionsAre relevant to course topics / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Are challenging and enhance discussion / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Demonstrate depth of effort and understanding / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Quality of PPt Preparation
Student looks up unknown terms and provides high-quality visual examples of artworks (PowerPoints) / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Demonstrates depth of effort and understanding / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
5 = Superior (no mistakes, comprehensive, well organized, includes critical thinking and analysis)
4 = Good Quality (few mistakes, “above average,” comprehensive and well organized)
3 = Average (follows minimum requirements of assignment, in other words adequate but not challenging, organized)
2 = Poor (fails to follow all requirements, attempts to cover information, leaves important information out, poorly organized)
1 = Unacceptable (failed to follow assignment, inadequate information, is an unserious attempt)
Field Trip
On Monday, November 11th, students will take a field trip to the University of Michigan’s Museum of Art. We will leave from JCC’s North Campus at 9:00am and return at 2:00.
We will park at the Maynard Street Municipal Deck Parking, which is located at 324 Maynard, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104. UMMA’s address and phone number is: 525 S. State St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109. (734) 764-0395
While at UMMA, students will choose one work of art from the Museum’s collections, and complete the Responding to the Arts Worksheet. Students will then complete a well-developed sketch of the chosen work. (Don’t be afraid to draw. Sketching makes you look more closely at the art and allows you to see things you missed before.)
On Wednesday, November 13th, students will participate in a debriefing Discussion Session, and compose a reflective essay in class, and submit the Worksheet, Reflective Essay, and Sketch at the end of the hour. The following rubric will be used, and will award up to 40 points.
Worksheet, Reflective Essay, and Sketch Rubric
Complete Identification / 10The work of art is identified completely in accordance with the Worksheet. / 5
The identification of the work is missing 1 or 2 elements. / 0
The Worksheet is missing or incomplete.
Impact on Viewer / 10
In the form of a reflective essay, the appeal and impact on the viewer is described in detail, showing evidence of self-reflection and awareness for the way that the work of art inspires a reflective experience in the viewer. / 5
The appeal and impact on the viewer is briefly alluded to, but not elaborated upon. / 0
The appeal and impact on the viewer is not discussed.
Evidence of On-Site Note-Taking / 10
Substantial notes are written in response to the prompts provided on the Worksheet. / 5
Notes are included, but are either insubstantial or appear to have been taken after the field trip. / 0
Notes are missing.
Sketch / 10
One detailed sketch of the work of art is included, and demonstrates careful analysis of the artist’s use of composition. / 5
Sketch is included but appears off-the-cuff, underdeveloped, and/or does not indicate an analysis of the composition. / 0
Sketch is missing.
Article Summaries
Students will write two 3-page article summaries. The first article is Image and Ritual: Reflections on the Religious Appreciation of Classical Art by John Elsner (1996). The second article is The Cult of the Virgin and Gothic Sculpture: Evaluating Opposition in the Chartres West Façade Capital Frieze by Laura Spitzer (1994). The articles will be handed out in class. Summaries must be properly formatted according to the MLA style of writing and include a Works Cited page. Here is a resource on how to properly use MLA: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
Images may be included following the Works Cited page. All summaries are due no later than 11:55 pm on Sunday, October 13th and Sunday, December 1st, respectively. The following rubric will be used to grade the summaries, and will award up to 40 points for each.
Article Summary Rubric
Clarity / 10Writing is clear and logical / 5
Writing is somewhat clear and/or logical / 0
Lacks clarity and/or logical structure
Identification of Thesis and Evidence / 20
Uses adequate information from article in identifying the thesis and evidence used by the author / 10
Uses some information from article in identifying the thesis and evidence used by the author / 0
Inadequate use of information from article in identifying thesis and evidence
Format / 10
Writing meets all format requirements / 5
Writing is mostly free of errors and meets format requirements / 0
Writing has errors and does not meet all format requirements
Research Paper and PowerPoint
During the last two weeks of the semester, students will write a 3-page paper and create a 10-slide PowerPoint on a topic of their choice related to a work of art at the University of Michigan Museum of Art. (Note: After visiting UMMA and deciding upon a topic, begin searching for academic sources.)
Papers must place works of art within their proper historical and cultural context, and provide a formal and conceptual analysis of at least one work of art. Papers must be properly formatted according to the MLA style of writing, and include a Works Cited page containing no less than three academic resources (Wikipedia is not accepted). Images are welcomed to be included in the paper following the Works Cited page, but must also include MLA citation.
Papers are due no later than 11:55 pm on Wednesday, December 11th. Final drafts will be graded according to the following rubric, which will award up to 40 points.
PowerPoints will be presented in class on Monday, December 9th and Wednesday, December 11th. PowerPoints will be graded according to the rubric located below the Research Paper Rubric, and will award up to 20 points.
Research Paper Rubric
Clarity and Format / 10Writing is clear, logical, is free of errors and meets format requirements / 5
Writing is somewhat clear, logical, is mostly free of errors and meets format requirements / 0
Lacks clarity and logic in structure, has errors and does not meet all format requirements
Use of Evidence / 10
Uses adequate information in answering questions raised by the artwork / 5
Uses some information in answering questions raised by the artwork / 0
Inadequate use of information about questions raised by the artwork
Reading Proficiency / 10
Demonstrates thoughtful and careful reading of the available information / 5
Writing reflects a moderate understanding of the available information / 0
Writing does not reflect an understanding of the artwork
Depth of Analysis / 10
Writing and thinking go beyond restatement of facts and demonstrate depth through formal and conceptual analysis of artwork / 5
Writing and thinking restate facts and demonstrate some depth through formal and conceptual analysis of artwork / 0
Writing and thinking simply restate facts and demonstrate no depth through formal and conceptual analysis of artwork
PowerPoint Rubric
Clarity and Format / 5Slides are clear, logical, is free of errors and meets format requirements / 3
Slides are somewhat clear, logical, is mostly free of errors and meets format requirements / 0
Slides lacks clarity and logic in structure, has errors and does not meet all format requirements
Use of Evidence / 5
Uses adequate information in answering questions raised by the artwork / 3
Uses some information in answering questions raised by the artwork / 0
Inadequate use of information about questions raised by the artwork
Reading Proficiency / 5
Demonstrates thoughtful and careful reading of the available information / 3
Writing reflects a moderate understanding of the available information / 0
Writing does not reflect an understanding of the artwork
Depth of Analysis / 5
Writing and thinking go beyond restatement of facts and demonstrate depth through formal and conceptual analysis of artwork / 3
Writing and thinking restate facts and demonstrate some depth through formal and conceptual analysis of artwork / 0
Writing and thinking simply restate facts and demonstrate no depth through formal and conceptual analysis of artwork
Plagiarism Policy
If any student writing contains data, quotations, or paraphrases from other sources without adequate documentation in MLA, the assignment will be issued a grade of ‘zero’, with no further opportunity for resubmission. In addition, the student’s name will be reported to the Dean. Students who plagiarize may be failed from the course. Furthermore, if an assignment has been graded by the instructor and is then discovered to contain plagiarized content, the grade will be revoked and replaced with a zero, with no further opportunity for resubmission, and a report will be issued to the Dean.
* The instructor is more than willing to help a student understand what constitutes plagiarism, and also how to avoid it through the proper use of MLA citation. If feelings of uncertainty regarding citation occur, students are encouraged to contact the instructor prior to beginning or submitting any writing assignment.
Writing Skills
As stated in the JCC Catalog, “(c)ollege courses often demand strong writing skills. To ensure your success you may receive assistance with your papers, essays, lab reports, documentation of sources and other written assignments. Find help to get you started with your writing assignments including brainstorming topics, organizing ideas, writing rough drafts, editing, proofreading, citing sources and more. Reference materials, encouragement and computers are available. Both faculty and peer tutors are available on a drop-in basis or by appointment” (22). http://www.jccmi.edu/Success/
Academic Help
The Center for Student Success is located in Burt Walker Hall Room 123. The Center’s phone number is 517.796.8415, and offers free tutoring, a drop-in learning lab, the Writing Center, assistance with study skills, time management, online class orientation, homework deciphering, and academic advising.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact the Center for Student Success located in Burt Walker Room 123 or call 517.796.8415 as soon as possible to ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.
Tutoring
Free tutoring is available for this class as well as most courses at JCC. If you would like to work with a tutor please contact visit the Center for Student Success located in Burt Walker Room 123 or call 517.796.8415. Faculty and student tutors are available to help you succeed in your studies.
Recommend a tutor
Did you know CSS employs students to serve as peer tutors? We value your opinion and often look to faculty for student tutor recommendations. If you know of a student who excels academically and whom you believe would serve other students well, please submit your recommendation to Kelley Emerson at . Please note, not all recommendations will result in hiring. If we do not have a current need for that course we will keep their name on file for future semester.
Late Work
Late work is not accepted.
Final Grade Breakdown
4.0 100-93%
3.5 92-85%
3.0 84-80
2.5 79-75
2.0 74-70
1.5 69-65
1.0 64-59
0.0 58-0
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