AP Art History

Policies and Procedures

Becky Weber

Class Site:

Non-negotiable Ground Rules

 Timeliness and Preparation

  • You should be in class and ready to work when the bell rings.
  • “Ready to work” means that you have come prepared for class with:
  • any homework, printouts or special materials you’ve been asked to bring
  • the basics: pen/pencil and paper
  • Other Materials
  • You must maintain a binder for this class in which to keep all handouts. This binder will become integral to your success on the AP exam.
  • I will be requiring you to keep a journal which will remain in the classroom. You will use your journals in a variety of ways, not the least of which will be for short answer and essay practice. Please make sure that these are NOT large journals (no five-subject notebooks). Please use either a composition notebook or a single subject notebook.
  • Finally, I recommend that you purchase plastic sleeves to put certain handouts in, as some will be used consistently throughout the year. I suggest that you start with a pack of at least 25.

 Attendance and Participation:

  • Irregular attendance or excessive absences will have a negative effect on your participation grade. There is no way around it. If you’re not in class, you’re not participating. The occasional absence, of course, will not affect you adversely, though you may be asked to complete extra work to demonstrate mastery of the skills or material addressed through participation the day you missed class.
  • From the DISD Student Handbook:
  • “To receive credit or a final grade in a class, a student in kindergarten through grade 12 must attend at least 90 percent of the days the class is offered.” You can do the math on this yourself.

 Make-Up Work

  • If you are absent, the onus is on you to gather the work that you missed. I’m not going to hunt you down and beg you to get your make-up work. That said, I am always happy to speak with you about the work you missed. Generally, you will be able to find the class activities on the class site. ( If there are materials that I’m not able to put in electronic form for the class site, I’ll have hard copies for you when you get back.
  • Please see me on the day you return from your absence, even if it’s a day you’re not regularly scheduled to come to this class. At that time, we’ll determine when you need to have the work in, but for a one-day absence, I expect you to be caught up by the next class period.
  • If you are absent on a test day, you must email me on the day of your absence so that we can make arrangements for you to make up the test as soon as possible.
  • Any work assigned prior to an absence is due on its original due date or the day on which you return if you were absent on the due date. Exceptions can be made only in extreme circumstances.
  • If, however, you are absent on the due date of a major project/paper, it must be turned in via email on the original due date, or it will be considered late.

 College Visits and Special School Activities

  • If you are absent due to a college visit or school activity, you must either turn in assignments prior to the absence or make prior arrangements with me regarding make-up work. That means that you must see me before your absence, not after.

 Late Work

  • Unless stated otherwise, all assignments are due at the beginning of your class period, no later. Assignments turned in after this point—even during the same day—will be counted as late.
  • Late assignments will receive a deduction of 30 points.
  • If I have returned an assignment to the class, your window for turning the late work in has closed, and you will receive a zero.
  • Computer malfunctions happen. Back your work up so that if your computer dies, your work doesn’t go with it. Printer and computer issues are not acceptable excuses for not getting work in on time. Really.
  • Late work must be turned in the day before the last day of the grading period.

 Tutorials

  • If you are having difficulty or would benefit from additional time discussing the material, please see me for tutorial time here in my classroom. When I am not in rehearsals, my official tutorial times are:
  • Mondays: 8:00 – 8:45 a.m.
  • Tuesdays: 4:20 – 5:05 p.m.
  • Wednesdays 4:20 – 5:05p.m.
  • Thursdays: 8:00 – 8:45 a.m.
  • However, the general understanding is that if I’m here and there’s not a “do not disturb” sign on my door, then I’m available.

 Plagiarism/Cheating

  • DISD Student Code of Conduct rules on academic honesty apply to all work in this class. Plagiarism, in particular, is a serious offense. Punishment of those found guilty of it will be swift and severe. I’m not kidding.
  • Any other type of cheating, sharing answers on an assignment, for example, will earn a zero for the assignment. Your parents will be called, and other discipline consequences will follow. Please don’t test me on this.

 Classroom Maintenance

  • So long as they have tops, you may bring drinks into class. (no open soda cans)
  • If you are truly hungry/didn’t have time to eat lunch or breakfast, you may eat in class, so long as the food or your consumption of it is not distracting. i.e., no crinkling potato chip bags. You must also clean up after yourself. If you don’t, your eating privilege will be revoked. Finally, you should not ask me to be released from class to go get a snack.
  • You are expected to help set the classroom back in order when we conclude any activities that require rearrangement, special materials, etc.
  • Treat your peers with courtesy, even if you do not agree with their ideas. Civility and sophistication are paramount. I really, really (note excessive adverb use) do not tolerate mocking, bullying, or shaming.

A few caveats:

 Pencil is hard on my eyes. Unless it’s in your journal, handwritten work should be submitted in blue or black ink only. (no green, red, purple, pink, lavender, orange, fuchsia, etc.)

 When you turn in your work, do so with care. Papers shouldn’t be crumpled, ripped, or stapled carelessly. Show pride in your work.

AP Art History Syllabus

The purpose of this class is to introduce you an advanced study of art history, meaning that you will walk away from the course with a critical appreciation for art, as well as a broad understanding of how art “works,” through the four major pillars of our study: the form of a work of art (how and with what materials and techniques it is made); the function of a work of art (its intended and/or actual uses); the content of a work of art (its subject matter); and the context of a work of art (its original cultural situation and the changing understanding of the work through time).

AP has developed the list of 250 works of art that the student must know in order to be successful on the exam. In addition, this class will require you to know an additional 15 – 25 more so that you might excel on the written portion of the exam. To assist you in deepening your art knowledge and appreciation, you are required to make at least one visit to a museum per semester. There is also the possibility of earning extra credit through additional museum trips.

The class is designed to be the equivalent of a two-semester, college-level art history survey course. It will move very quickly.

Six Weeks Grade Breakdown

  • Your six-week grade will be a composite of the following weighted categories:

  • Participation: 10%
  • Image Identification: 15%
  • Quizzes/Special Projects: 20%
  • Major Project/ Paper or Multiple Choice Tests: 25%
  • 6-Weeks Test (essays): 30%

A note on participation: To get a high participation grade, you must be actively involved in and prepared for the class, and you must do so on an elevated plane of thought. Earning a high participation grade requires that you do not aggressively dominate discussions, mindless of your classmates. The best class participators are the ones who are active, thoughtful in their comments, and finally, generous and encouraging to fellow classmates. A rubric for most of your participation grades is below:

Art History Participation Rubric - Not all descriptors may apply to your participation

100 / 94 / 85 / 70 / 60
Student arrives to class on time (if not early) and is ready to work when the bell rings (if not before). Comes to class prepared to do exemplary work and stays on task throughout the class period. Student responds to questions from the teacher and fellow students in an insightful and purposeful manner, frequently relating comments back to previously discussed topics/works of art. Asks higher-order thinking questions which transcend the lesson being taught (make connections between current lessons and lessons from the past or lessons to be taught in the future) and with the intent to add to meaningful discussion. / Student arrives on time and ready to work. Comes to class prepared to do good work and stays on task. Student responds to questions from the teacher and fellow students in a relevant manner, often relating comments back to previously discussed topics/works of art. Asks questions which exhibit inquisitiveness and eagerness. / Student arrives on time and ready to work Comes to class prepared, but not with great depth. Student responds to questions from the teacher and fellow students in a relevant manner, occasionally relating comments back to previously discussed topics/works of art. May be reminded time to time to stay on task, although enthusiastic about the work. Distractions (peers, phones, computers, other belongings) are only occasionally an issue. / Student arrives late or not fully ready to work when the bell rings Exhibits an indifferent attitude toward the day’s work. Often arrives unprepared. Student responds to questions from the teacher and fellow students in a general or partial way, rarely relating comments back to previously discussed topics/works of art. Student does not remain focused, despite teacher reminders. Distractions (peers, phones, computers, other belongings) are often more of a priority than the lesson/classwork. / Student arrives significantly late. Exhibits a poor or severely uninterested attitude toward the day’s work. Preparation is non-existent. Student responds to questions from the teacher and fellow students in a trivial or superficial way. Student is unfocused and distracts other students around him/her. Distractions are the norm, not the exception

The Exam – Tuesday, May 3

The AP Art History Exam questions are designed to test your knowledge of artists, schools, and movements; chronological periods and significant dates; ways in which artists influenced and were influenced by other artists, traditions, and movements; and the subjects, styles, and techniques of particular works of art. You are also expected to apply your understanding to analyze known an unknown works of art and construct persuasive arguments based on visual and contextual evidence.

The course has changed significantly from its last administration. There are fewer images required than the test’s last iteration; however, you are expected to understand them in much greater depth. College Board has also made a special effort to include more works of art that represent a global perspective. The breakdown of the artworks follows.

From the AP Art History Course Outline:

In the interest of encouraging comparison among all the content areas (a major skill needed for success on the exam), we will be addressing the content areas in more or less the order outlined below:

First Six Weeks

The First Twenty – Specially selected works from all the content areas that will serve as “touchstones” throughout the year.

Global Prehistory

Global Contemporary

Second Six Weeks

Global Contemporary, continued

Africa

Ancient Mediterranean

Third Six Weeks

Ancient Mediterranean, continued

South, East, and Southeast Asia

Fourth Six Weeks

West and Central Asia

Early Europe and Colonial Americas

Fifth Six Weeks

Indigenous Americas

Later Europe and Americas

Sixth Six Weeks

The Pacific

AP Review

Format of Assessment

Section I: Multiple Choice | ~80 Questions | 60 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score

  • Part A: Approximately 8 sets of questions (3 to 6 questions each) based on color images
  • Part B: Approximately 35 discrete multiple-choice questions

Section II: Free Response | 6 Questions | 120 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score

  • Part A: Two 30-minute essay questions
  • Part B: Four 15-minute essay questions
  • Essay questions often include images of works of art as stimuli

After the AP test, you should expect to engage in meaningful activities and projects, not all of which may relate directly to art history. In other words, don’t expect nothing but movies and free days after the exam.

Remove this sheet, sign, and return it no later than August 28.

I have read and agree to the AP Art History policies and procedures and the syllabus as stated on the previous pages.

Student’s Name (Printed)______

Student’s School (TAG, SEM, etc.)______

Student’s Signature______

Date______

Parent’s Name (Printed)______

Parent’s Signature______

Date______