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ART 2000 (formerly ARTH 2010) Syllabus

Course Syllabus

ART 2000 (formerly ARTH 2010) - Art History Survey I (formerly Survey of Art History I)

3 Credit Hours

Course Information

Course Description:

This course is a survey of the visual arts in world cultures from pre-history to the Renaissance.

Course Outcomes:

At the end of this course the student will be:

  • familiar with the visual arts, as seen in world cultures, from prehistory up to the Renaissance
  • aware of the context of the historical period and cultural framework in which these works were produced
  • able to recognize and decipher and discuss the iconography of various works of art
  • able to analyze the formal structure of an art work
Prerequisites & Co-requisites:

None

Course Topics:

Introduction: The Nature of Art/The Elements & Principles of Design

Lesson 1 Prehistoric Art in Europe
Lesson 2: Mesopotamian Art
Lesson 3: Egyptian Art
Lesson 4: Aegean Art
Lesson 5: Greek Art
Lesson 6: Etruscan & Roman Art
Lesson 7: Jewish, Early Christian & Byzantine Art
Lesson 8: Indian Art & Islamic Art
Lesson 9: Oriental Art
Lesson 10: Pre-Columbian Art & African Art
Lesson 11: Early Medieval to Romanesque Art
Lesson 12: Romanesque to Gothic Art

 

Specific Course Requirements:

The course is organized into and introduction and twelve lessons. Each Lesson will have a reading assignment, a vocabulary review, a research project and a discussion topic.

Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements

Required Textbooks:

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course. Move your cursor over the "Books" link in the navigation bar and select "Textbooks & Course Materials." Select your Program, Term, Department, and Course; then select "Submit."

Supplementary Materials:

None.

Hardware and Software Requirements:

Minimum hardware requirements can be found here.

Minimum software requirements can be found here.

Common applications you might need:

Web Resources:

Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab (for APA, MLA, or Chicago style)

The Writing Center Online Writer's Handbook

Student Resources:
  • Technical support information can be found on the TN eCampus Help Desk page.
  • Smarthinking virtual tutoring is available FREE of charge. to access Smarthinking, visit the course homepage and select Smarthinking under Course Resources. You also view sample sessions to see what Smarthinking offers and how it works.
  • Information on other student issues or concerns can be located on the TN eCampus Student Resources page.

Instructor Information

Please see "Instructor Information" in the Getting Started Module for instructor contact information, virtual office hours, and other communication information. You can expect to receive a response from the instructor within 24-48 hours unless notified of extenuating circumstances.

Participation, Assessments, & Grading

Testing Procedures:

There are 4 multiple choice tests, each worth 15 points of your grade. You will take them from within the on-line course. They are timed for an hour. Some instructors may want you to use a proctor for the test, others will not. If you need a proctor your individual instructor will notify you.

Grading Procedures:

Each test and one essay will cover 1/4th of the material covered for the class. Your final grade will be based on your test and essay scores, and your participation in each lesson's discussion and the submission of the research projects.

30 points for 3 essays (10 pts. each).
60 points for 4 tests (15 points each).
10 points for a group research project.
12 points for discussions ( one point for each discussion topic )
12 points for the research paragraphs (one point for each research paragraph assignment.)

124 points total. Your grade will be shown as a percentage of a possible 124 points.

Grading Scale:

90-100%---A
80-89%---B
70-70%--C
60-69%--D

Assignments and Projects:

The course is broken into 4 Units, and then 12 lessons.. The first Unit will cover the introduction and 3 lessons, and each successive unit will cover the next 3 lessons.. In a full semester term we will spend a week on each lesson. Each lesson includes a reading assignment, vocabulary words, a powerpoint lecture, a research assignment (in which you research a list of people or places, relevant to the lesson, and write a two paragraph response to one of them), and a discussion topic. The vocabulary words, throughout the course, are for you to make sure you understand the lessons terminology. They are not an assignment to be submitted. 

Tests:

There are four tests, each worth 15 points of your grade, and three 500 word essays, each worth another 10 points of your grade Also; you will work with a group to create a project worth 10 points for one of the units. There will be one essay and one test or project for each unit. Each lesson has a research paragraph assignment and discussion topic, each worth 1 point for a total of 12 points each. The tests will all be multiple-choice, each with 50 questions, some of which will be slide identification. A study guide will be provided for each test.

Test 1:introduction and lessons 1-3
Test 2: lessons 4-6
Test 3 chapters 7-11
Test 4:chapters 12-16

Essays:

There are three short (500 word) essays, each one based on the same chapters as the tests. The amount of words assigned is a minimum. There is no maximum amount of words. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. (Plagiarism = presenting someone else's thoughts, ideas or words as your own.) Any essay containing plagiarized material will be given a 0.

Below are the essay assignments. Some have a choice of essays. Choose one for each essay assignment and write a 500 (minimum)word essay on it. Be sure to cite specific examples of art work to illustrate your points.

While you may use your text and any other source for information, the essay must be entirely in your own words, except for relevant quotes, for which you must cite your source. Please spend time looking at the art, comparing works, and making your own observations. Be sure to reference illustrations from the book or include images with your essays.

Essay # 1
Analyze a work of art.

Choose any work of art from our text and analyze it. First, in terms of its formal qualities; look for the elements of design and the way they are organized into the composition. Then, in terms of any iconography you can see. What role would this piece have played in the context in which it was originally made?

Essay # 2 Choose One.

  1. Find the "classical" in our contemporary world. Find instances where we find classical proportion and imagery or architecture in our everyday world. Look at civic structures as well as advertisements, corporate and educational brochures. Discuss the messages implied by the use of classicism in each instance
  2. What can we tell about a culture from its art? Think back over the wide spread of history that we have surveyed. For what purposes do different cultures produce art? How does their art reflect their culture?
  3. Discuss the history and development of bronze casting in early cultures. 

Essay #3 Choose One

  1. Discuss art in the service of religion
  2. Discuss the development of the book (historically, not our text)
  3. Discuss the iconoclastic controversy
  4. Discuss the debate between Bernard of Clairvaux and Abbot Suger. How is that reflected in art?
  5. Compare the way in which any two cultures (in chapters 6-15) created and used art.

A Group Research Project
15 points of final grade, 

In which you will work with a group of students to prepare a group research project based on the art of any culture found in chapters 8-13

  • Indian Art (from India)
  • Islamic art
  • Oriental Art (China, Korea, Japan)
  • African Art
  • Native American art (North American)
  • Pre-Columbian art
  • Oceanic art 

This project requires that you work together with your group to research a topic and prepare a presentation to teach the class what you have learned. You will choose one of the broad topics listed below and work in a group with other students who are interested in the same topic. Look in your text; find out some possible divisions to break up your research among group members. Each of you research, in books, magazines and on the web and collect as much information as possible. Compile your information with your group. Decide what area you want to focus in on and investigate that further. Plan a short presentation of the material you have found. I have found that a PowerPoint presentation works very well. Hopefully, someone in your group will have access to this software.

The groups are self-enrolling. Go to the groups tab on the navigation bar above. To enroll yourself in a self-enrolling group select that Group drop-down list. If you are not yet enrolled and if the group is not full, a "Choose Group button will appear to the right of the group name. Click on this Choose Group button to select your Group"

DO NOT JUST COPY & PASTE FROM A WEB SITE. Research and then present the information in your own words.

  • Possible groups include:
  1. Pre Columbian Art (Mayan, Incan, Aztec etc.)
  2. Oriental Art (Chinese, Korean, Japanese)
  3. Indian Art (from India)
  4. Islamic Art
  5. Native American Art (North American)
  6. African Art
  7. Oceanic Art

The groups e-mail each other or use the group discussion board and divide the up research into convenient subtopics(i.e. if the topic is pre-Columbian art. You might divide the research into different cultures...Mayan, Aztec, Olmec, Incan etc. or you might divide it by media and someone research painting, someone else the architecture, or sculpture, textiles, etc.

When you all compile your research you will make it into a presentation. The best way to do it is in PowerPoint but people have used Word on occasions and Keynote works well. Hopefully someone in each group will have PowerPoint or Keynote. You should each send that person your text and images for your part of the research (be real clear which image goes with what text) When the ppt is finished, submit it and I will turn it into html so it will be viewed by the class through the course resources group projects link. 

Class Participation:

You are expected to take part in all class discussions and group projects.

Late Policy:

An events calendar and a checklist are provided to help keep us all on track. Look at the events listing on the middle of the right hand column of the course home page. The due dates for assignments are posted there as well as on the calendar...

Course Ground Rules

The following two statements (1., 2.) were derived from the TBR System-wide Student Rules document, released January 2012:

RULES OF THE TENNESSEE BOARD OF REGENTS STATE UNIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM OF TENNESSEE SYSTEMWIDE STUDENT RULES CHAPTER 0240-02-03 STUDENT CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS

Read the document in its entirety here.

1. Standards of Conduct:

  • Students are required to adhere to the same professional, legal and ethical standards of conduct online as on campus. In addition, students should conform to generally accepted standards of "netiquette" while sending e-mail, posting comments to the discussion board, and while participating in other means of communicating online. Specifically, students should refrain from inappropriate and/or offensive language, comments and actions.

2. Review the TN eCampus Academic Integrity/Academic Honesty Policy:

  • In their academic activities, students are expected to maintain high standards of honesty and integrity. Academic dishonesty is prohibited.

Such conduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • an attempt by one or more students to use unauthorized information in the taking of an exam
  • to submit as one's own work, themes, reports, drawings, laboratory notes, computer programs, or other products prepared by another person,
  • or to knowingly assist another student in obtaining or using unauthorized materials.

Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited.

Students guilty of academic misconduct, either directly or indirectly through participation or assistance, are subject to disciplinary action through the regular procedures of the student’s home institution.  Refer to the student handbook provided by your home institution to review the student conduct policy.

In addition to other possible disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed, the instructor has the authority to assign an "F" or zero for an activity or to assign an "F" for the course.

Other Course Rules:

Students are expected to:

  • Participate in all aspects of the course
  • Communicate with other students
  • Learn how to navigate in Brightspace
  • Keep abreast of course announcements
  • Use the assigned course management (Brightspace) email address rather than a personal email address
  • Address technical problems immediately:
  • Observe course netiquette at all times.

Guidelines for Communications

Email:

  • Always include a subject line.
  • Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
  • Use standard fonts.
  • Do not send large attachments without permission.
  • Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
  • Respect the privacy of other class members

Discussions:

  • Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
  • Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
  • Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’s ideas.
  • Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
  • Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
  • Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
  • Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in TN eCampus programs and courses. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading will be included within the course modules. To access the Virtual Library, go to the course homepage and select the Virtual Library link under Course Resources.

Students with Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this syllabus is for general information purposes only. While we endeavor to keep this information up-to-date and accurate, there may be some discrepancies between this syllabus and the one found in your online course. The syllabus of record is the one found in your online course. Please make sure you read the syllabus in your course at the beginning of the semester. Questions regarding course content should be directed to your instructor.


Last Revised on July 12, 2021