Foundations of Humanities Syllabus

Course Outcomes

Students will:

• Identify key works of Western art, architecture, literature and music within their cultural and historical context.
• Understand and identify the formal elements of the visual arts, literature, cinema and music.
• Apply principles of the creative process in their own creative work and in analyzing cultural events.
• Apply basic cognitive and analytical tools to make value assessments about quality in the arts.

"If there is anything virtuous, or lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."

—Joseph Smith

In this course we shall observe an introduction to the Humanities. As the name implies, the Humanities help us to understand what it is to be human. We shall study some of the great works of beauty that humans have created, and talk about how to get at what makes them beautiful. We will even try to distill some principles of beauty and put them to use in our own lives. To do this, we shall use a five-step process:

1. Observe—What do you see/hear/read in the artwork?
2. Perceive—What do you understand about what you've observed; how does it fit into the context of human life?
3. Feel—What emotional reactions do your perceptions inspire?
4. Ponder—Contemplate your emotional reaction in cognitive terms.
5. Describe—Clearly explain your experience with the artwork to others.

Course Requirements

• Photo assignments (160 points)
  • Four assignments at 40 points each
  • Take photo(s) that fulfill the requirements for each assignment
• Review Papers (200 points)
  • Five assignments at 40 points each
  • Write critical reviews of art encountered in the text
  • Report must be based on the Experiencing Art rubric (located in each assignment page)
• Notre Dame Quiz (40 Points)
  • A 20 Question multiple choice quiz
• Story Board Assignment (40 points)
  • Create a story board for a short film using photographs and a narrative text
  • This is a group assignment. Each group of four will present one storyboard.
• Quizzes/preparation grade (12 lessons x 20 points = 240 points)
  • Each lesson (except Lesson 08 and Lesson 14) includes two reading quizzes (usually 10 points each) and a self-reported preparation/participation quiz (usually 7-10 points each). Study the course readings carefully before taking the accompanying quizzes.
  • Each lesson (except Lesson 08 and Lesson 14) includes a discussion forum (20 Points each). You will answer given discussion questions for your first post (worth 10 points). For your second post, you will respond to another student’s post with a question and comments furthering the discussion. For your third post in each discussion, you will respond to a response to your first post. Your responses are worth 5 points each.
• Exams (400 points)
  • Two tests, 200 points per test
  • Questions will be drawn from quiz questions, discussion board questions, and identification of artworks studied in the course.
  • A list of required artworks for each exam is posted.

Materials

All of the reading materials are available in the course. Additionally, all artworks are either included in the text or linked.

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Video Title: Tip: How to View Insecure Content (Browser Security)

(4:11 mins, How To View Insecure Content Transcript).
Description: This video explains how and why to allow your browser to display blocked (or insecure) content.
Author: Brad Marshall, Applications System Engineer BYU-Idaho

Due Dates

Due dates for all assignments, readings, and exams are posted on the Calendar and within activities on Modules page.